Think on these things- Philippians 4:8 Artsy Devotional Series Pure

Think on These Things- Philippians 4:8 Artsy Devotional Series - PURE

Think on these things -Just -Journal page

Continuing in the little art journal on Philippians 4:8- Think on these things: Today we are focusing on the word, "Just".

Start of Think on These Things art journal book

The Fragrance of Christ

" But thanks be to God! For through what Christ has done, he has triumphed over us so that now wherever we go he uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Gospel like a sweet perfume.  As far as God is concerned there is a sweet, wholesome fragrance in our lives. It is the fragrance of Christ within us, ..." (2 Corinthians 2:14-15a -New Living Translation for better understanding.)

I have been using essential oils now for the last year or so.  I love to be able to use these oils to naturally support me in many ways, both emotionally and physically.  For example, if I need some calmness, I drop some lavender and other oils in a diffuser and it fills the room with a wonderful aroma that just melts all the stress away. Each one has special uses and smells. Whether to create calmness, or to purify the air, each oil has special qualities.  There are many options. 

When I read this verse I instantly thought, wow, we can be a diffuser for Christ!  When we walk into a room or converse with someone, they should be able to sense that we are followers of Christ, both in our manner and conversation.  I have sensed this many times when meeting new people. 

What is the Fragrance of Christ?

1.  To walk in Love:

"And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour. (Ephesians 5:2)

2.  To be a person of prayer:

In Exodus 30:34-35 it tells us what spices were used for the incense altar in the Tabernacle where the priest would pray.  Frankincense was one of those ingredients.  Among other benefits, it promotes a spiritual and meditative connectiveness.  It was a sweet smell before the Lord. 

"And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray:..."  (Matthew 14:23a)

3.  To be humble and obedient:

"And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:8)

4.  To be meek and gentle:

"Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ,..."                            (2 Corinthians  10:1a).    

5.  To be a light:

"I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12)

These are only 5 of many fragrances of Christ that we could follow.  Just like the essential oils that you could use,  each one is worthy of further study so that we can effectively diffuse the fragrance of Christ where ever we go.

Are You Looking for That Blessed Hope?

"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" Titus 2:11-13

When we live with the realization that Christ Jesus could come at any moment to rapture the believers in the air and forever we will be with Him in Heaven (the blessed hope), our life here on earth becomes focused on the question, "Am I ready?"  And the second question is, "Am I living a life, pleasing to God?"

Am I Ready?

Do you know Jesus?  Is your name written in the Lamb's book of life?  If not, would you like to know?  It's as easy as A,B,C.

Admit before God that you have fallen short of God’s perfection.  The Bible calls this sin.  There is no exception; all of us have offended God. Sin separates us from God.

 “For there is not a just man upon the earth that does good and sins not”

(Ecclesiastes 7:20)

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23

Believe that Jesus died on a cross for your sins, was buried, and rose again from the dead.  The gift of eternal Life is only through Jesus Christ.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in him

should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

"These things have I written unto you

that believe on the name of the Son of God;

that ye may know that ye have eternal life,

and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God”

(I John 5:13)

Here is a way you can make it more personal - by inserting your name where it says "world" and "whosoever":

 "For God so loved the world (you can insert your name here),

that he gave his only begotten Son,

that whosoever  (insert your name) believes in him

 should not perish, but have everlasting life”  (John 3:16)

God's "only begotten Son" is Jesus Christ.

Confirm your decision. Speak to the Lord from your heart and receive him now as your personal Savior. 

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."  Romans 10:9

Since prayer can be an expression of sincere faith, you may express your trust in Jesus as your Savior through words like these: 

    *** Note ***   (It’s not saying the words, but your trust in Christ alone that saves)

“Lord God, I admit that I have a sin nature, and  I  have fallen short of  your perfect righteousness.  Forgive my sin of unbelief.  I now accept and believe that Jesus, God in the flesh, died on the cross, shed His precious blood for my sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day. Thank you for your forgiveness, and for the gift of eternal life.  Lord Jesus, live in my heart and save my soul.  Help me to walk faithfully in my new spiritual life.

 In Jesus' name I pray, Amen." 

If you have prayed and accepted the Lord's gift of eternal life, or have questions please let me know in the comments!  I would be happy to pray for you in your new life with Him!

(Portions taken from: http://www.rossvallythemovie.com/gospel-challenge.html )

Am I living a life pleasing to God?

Our verse above in Titus 2 says that because of the grace given to us, we are to live godly, righteous, sober lives.  As we grow in the Lord through prayer and reading His Word, the Bible, we learn more and more how to walk in His ways and do the things that please Him.  It is a journey.  We continue to learn and to yield our lives to him each day as we look for that blessed hope.

Treasure in Earthen Vessels

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 

2 Corinthians 4:7 

(Read 2 Cor. 4:1-7)

I recently saw a demonstration on pottery where the artist said,

”I like to play with dirt!”

Never really thought of pottery in that term before…

Peter with the pottery restoration.

Today, pottery is so beautifully finished with glazes of different colors and styles.  The pieces can last for many years. But, in ancient times, clay vessels were used much like we use paper plates today.  Used once, then thrown away. Very little value, if any, was put on them.  Today, archaeologist find volumes of pottery shards on their digs. Very rarely they’ll find a clay pot in tact.  My husband participated in a dig where he found 3 Roman pots in tact! He was the star for the day! Everyone stopped their digging and came over to see!  They let him hold it and take pictures with it.  But, they wouldn’t let him keep them!  Shards, on the other hand, were plentiful. After making sure there was no significant inscription on them, he was permitted to take some home. Part of his training was pottery restoration.  It’s like working an ancient jigsaw puzzle with shards to reconstruct the pottery.   Unique pieces got a place in the museum showcase.  All others were stored away, rarely to be seen.

In this passage we are pictured as earthen vessels (clay pots); made of dirt, cracked, humble and ordinary. Not a likely place to store a treasure.  Yet, God, who created the light to shine from the darkness, has chosen to shine the light in our hearts and to use us to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory and the gospel of the Lord Jesus to others who are still in darkness.  What a treasure!

Our human weakness is not a barrier for the power of God.  God uses ordinary people.  It is because we are blessed with this wonderful treasure that we should have boldness and confidence to live for the Glory of God.

Note:  Thoughts inspired by a sermon on “God’s Glory in our Witness” by Dr. Erwin Lutzer of Moody Memorial Church in Chicago. 

Being in the Presence of God Brings on a Reaction

I was listening to an inspirational song, where the songwriter tries to imagine what he would do when he sees Jesus face to face in heaven.  Would he stand or would he fall on his knees?  Would he sing Hallelujah or just be silent?... It’s a beautiful song.  It got me thinking; does the Bible give any examples of people’s reaction, when they came into God’s presence?  Here are a few that I found.

In the presence of God:

• Adam and Eve hid themselves, after they disobeyed God in the Garden (Genesis 3:8).
• The people were afraid – When Moses went up the Mountain to meet with God and they heard the thunderings and saw the lightning flashes and smoke. (Exodus 20:18)
• Ezekiel fell on his face (Ezekiel 1:28)
• All men will shake (Ezekiel 38:20)
• Jonah fled (Jonah 1:3)
• People feared (Haggai 1:12)
• Isaiah saw his own unworthiness and said, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” (Isaiah 6:5)
• The Apostle John fell at his feet as dead (Revelation 1:17)
• The people, who had rejected the Lord Jesus Christ were standing and waiting to be judged from the books at the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11-12)

These examples sound like it’s a very scary thing to be in God’s presence.  For sure, we must have reverence before Him.  Yet, there is comfort in knowing that if we know and abide in the Lord, we can feel safe.

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High 
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; 
My God, in Him I will trust.” (Psalm 91:1)

We can also experience fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore in His presence!

“You will show me the path of life; 
In Your presence is fullness of joy; 
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)

How can we “know” Him?  The only way is through The Lord Jesus Christ. 

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” (John 14:6)

Jesus told us that we need not be afraid.  He has prepared a place for us in Heaven.  Not only can we imagine, but with joy look forward to seeing Him face to face!

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3)

Stepping Out Into the Unknown

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you .When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;..." Isaiah 43:2-3a

We took our little granddaughter to the beach for the first time a couple months ago. Her mom dressed her in a cute pink poka dot swimsuit and covered her head to toe in sunscreen and topped her off with a pretty white hat. She loved it! The water was perfect for a baby- it was calm and at low tide. When she got close, she went straight in to check it out. I tried to imagine what she might have felt as she looked out at the large unending ocean in front of her with brand new eyes. Unknown. Ever moving. Scary. Yet, pretty. Unaware of the dangers, she took that step of faith and found it to be refreshing! She sat down and splashed, picked up sand and threw it back in. What fun! But, we were close behind, watching her every move and ready to step in to help her if she needed it.

As we venture into unknown territories: a new job, moving to new places, graduation, college, decisions on many different things. If you have a relationship with the Lord Jesus and He is your heavenly Father, remember that He is always with you– ready to listen and answer your prayers and help you along. You are not alone. Therefore, sit down, splash, have fun and keep trusting!

"Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

Note: Picture is an oil painting of my granddaughter that I painted for my Daughter's Birthday.

A Special Menu - Passover’s Three Original Elements

“Then they shall eat the flesh (lamb) on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.” Exodus 12:8

Did you ever have folks over for dinner and couldn’t decide what to prepare for them? Well, at the first Passover, God told the Israelites to prepare a special meal that would not only nourish them, but will also save the first-born in the home. It was the last meal they would eat as slaves in Egypt. On the plate, that evening, were 3 specific things. Each item had a historical, prophetic and Messianic picture. Did the picture become clear during the life and passion of Jesus in the 1^st Century?

THE LAMB

Historically: This was a sacrifice each family had to make. The first-born in each house was under the judgment of death. The lamb’s life was substituted for the first-born. The blood of the lamb had to be splashed on the 2 doorposts and on the upper mantle of the door. When the angel of death saw the blood, he passed over the house and left the first-born unharmed. Any home that did not have this sacrifice resulted in death for the first born of that house.

Prophetically: This gave a picture of what the Messiah would be…”A SACRIFICE LAMB” (Isaiah 53:6)

Messianically: It was the role of the priests to select the lambs to be offered to God. A Priest by the name of Johanann Ben Zechariah (John the Baptizer) said, as he saw Jesus coming to him to be baptized, ”…Behold! The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

UNLEAVENED BREAD

Historically: The people were redeemed from Egypt by the swift hand of God. They had to be ready to leave quickly. They didn’t have time for the bread dough to rise. Furthermore, leaven is a picture of the effects of sin in the Bible.

Prophetically: It is a picture of what Messiah would be like… “A SINLESS LAMB.”

Messianically: It was also the role of the priests to inspect all the lambs for sacrifice. The Chief Priests challenged Jesus’ Authority; the Pharisees & the Herodians questioned his Allegiance, the Sadducees tested his Doctrine and an expert in religious law questioned his Devotion (Matthew 21 & 22). Little did they realize, that in their pursuit to have Jesus incriminate himself, they actually inspected THE LAMB and … found no fault in him.

BITTER HERBS

Historically: Life under Egyptian slavery was very bitter, with much suffering and very harsh treatment.

Prophetically: This is a picture of what the Messiah would become… “A SUFFERING LAMB.”

Messianically: It was the role of the priests and the people to slaughter their lambs.

Jesus was crucified at 9 am. While on the cross, at 12 noon, he hears the shofar blown, signaling the start to slaughter the lambs at the Temple. He also hears the people and the priests sing Psalms 113 through 118. At 3 pm the last line of the Psalms was song, “for his mercy endureth forever.” (Psalm 118:29) Jesus cries out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30) and dies. He is quickly buried in the tomb. Three days later, He is resurrected!

This special menu has a much deeper significance when it’s seasoned with the Life of Christ. The picture becomes focused. It fits together! Jesus was the sinless, sacrificial, suffering Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. We all have sinned and are under the judgment of death. The sacrifice has been made for you. Have you accepted Jesus to be YOUR “LAMB”?

Note: I used a portion from a handout sheet called, “Passover in the upper room with Yeshua” by Peter Colon for the main points.

New Children's Book- Seth and the Mystery of the Passover Lamb

Just in time for Passover and Resurrection Sunday Season!

Seth and the Mystery of the Passover Lamb is a cute children's book that weaves together the Feast of Passover and Christianity, showing how the two are intended to fit together in God's perfect plan. As a Jewish Christian, 11 year old Seth never really understood his Jewish roots until a trip to Florida where he participates in a Passover Seder with his grandparents. Join Seth and his cousins Ruthie and Dave as they end up in the middle of a crazy mix-up that finally solves the mystery of the real Passover Lamb, Jesus the Messiah.

Written by Bonnie Rosenthal Pearson, a Jewish believer who along with her husband, Dan, work in Jewish ministries. She has written for magazines and is a speaker, musician and dramatist available to minister to both adults and children.

Illustrated by, yours truly - Janis Lee Colon

I had fun doing the illustrations/sketches for some of the fun scenes in this book. Some kids in my neighborhood helped me by coming over and posing for me.

We should have the book soon in early March! And you can buy it from me, on my Book Store page!

I've Got Shoes!

Some boots I found on a porch in North Florida!

Just after this last Christmas, my husband- sort of in jest, asked me, “So what did you get for Christmas?” I replied, “I got shoes!” Just then, I was reminded of an old song that I haven’t thought about in over 34 years! It took me a while to recall all of it. It was an old southern spiritual called, “Gonna Shout All Over God’s Heaven”. We used to sing it a lot at our weekly youth group, called “Ranch”. One of the verses goes like this…

"I’ve got shoes, you’ve got shoes


All of God’s children got shoes!


When I get to Heaven goin’ to put on my shoes


Goin’ to walk all over God’s Heaven - Heaven!"

I was so excited about remembering this song, that I decided to do a little study on shoes (sandals) in the Bible. There were many references. These are my favorite pairs.

Dirty Shoes -Take off your shoes, when meeting with God: God appeared to Moses through a Burning Bush in the desert and said to him, “…Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Exodus 3:5

As we walk along outside, our shoes are getting real dirty, picking up all sorts of dirt, germs and grime. So it is with our lives as we are exposed to the world, through the media, books and people, our minds are picking up all kinds of negative things. When we meet with God at Church or in our devotions, we should first, “take off our shoes” – confess our sins and come clean in our spirit in order to hear and receive what He has for us.

Durable Sandals! - “And I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn out on your feet.” Deuteronomy 29:5

God took care of the Israelites during their 40 years of wandering in the desert! Their clothes and shoes didn’t wear out!
Are your circumstances looking pretty bad? Remember that the Lord promises to take of us.

Confirmation Sandal – Boaz negotiated with the next of kin for Ruth’s inheritance and marriage: -“Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging, to confirm anything: one man took off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was a confirmation in Israel. Therefore the close relative said to Boaz, 'Buy it for yourself.' So he took off his sandal.” Ruth 4:7-8

Sandals, back in Old Testament times, were probably one of a kind, a personal, treasured possession, not mass produced like today. The simple act of giving your sandal to another in front of witnesses settled and confirmed an agreement between the two people. The owner of the shoe went home half bare foot and would remember the agreement every time he wanted to wear the shoes – but couldn’t because one was missing! Wouldn’t that be nice to have today? Don’t have to go through all the “red tape” and hire lawyers!

Untouchable Sandals – John the Baptist said of Jesus, “…’I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.’” Luke 3:16

Why was John the Baptist, or anyone else not worthy? Because, it was the Sandal of the Son of God!

Love Shoes: a gift- “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.” Luke 15:23

The protocol son lost all of his inheritance and came back to his father with nothing – naked. The father loved him so much that right away, took him in, clothed him and gave him shoes. This is a great picture of God’s love for us!

Gospel Shoes -part of the Armor of the Lord: “… shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;” Ephesians 6:15
The Roman soldier was in Paul’s mind when he wrote about the Christian armor that we should wear everyday. The soldier’s sandal had hob nails on the soles to give them more traction and stability to walk on rough terrain. They left prints in the dirt wherever they were at. We should be taking the gospel of peace out into the world and leave an imprint of God’s love and mercy to all who it touches.

Heavenly Shoes: The Bible doesn’t say if we will have shoes in heaven, but it does describe what kind of streets will be there…

“The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.” Revelation 21:21

Heaven will have streets of pure gold. Although shoes like my granddaughters’, pictured above, would be really cool, I would like to think that our shoes up there would be pure white – like comfortable cushy slippers – Because, after all, we will be HOME!

Day of Atonement- Yesterday and Today

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul. Leviticus 17:11
We have been dealing with blood issues since 2006 when my husband was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma (Cancer in the Bone Marrow). We have learned a lot since then. Just recently, he has had his stem cells harvested and is getting ready for a second round since they didn’t get enough the first time. It is an eerie feeling to have your life blood go through a machine, be filtered and then returned back into your body. It certainly does drain a person of energy for a few days…but we all know what would have happened if the blood wasn’t returned back!

During the time of Moses, God instituted a solemn ceremony called the Day of Atonement to reconcile the people back to Himself. Just this one time every year, the High Priest would enter into the Holy of Holies with the shed blood to make atonement for sin. Basically, it was a day of Substitution, Sacrifice and Scapegoat, described in Leviticus 16.

Substitution – Perfect animals (bullocks and goats) were selected to die in place of the individual and the nation (verse 3-5).

Sacrifice – The animal was slain at the great altar and its blood was sprinkled on the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies for Atonement (Covering of Sin), (verses 6-15). Leviticus 17:11 (quoted above) states the purpose and the principle for animal sacrifice.

Scapegoat –A goat was sent away from the camp into the wilderness, symbolizing the people’s sins being taken away (verse 21-22).

Messianic Fulfillment

This ceremony was a vivid picture of what Jesus came to do in His First Coming.

He became our Substitute, just like the perfect animals, He died in our place.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

He became our Sacrifice, just like the shed blood of the animal; He shed His blood on the Cross for our sins, not just as atonement, but for eternal redemption!
In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:14

Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Hebrews 9:12
He became our Scapegoat, just like the goat that took the sins away, Jesus, who had no sin, came specifically to take our sins away.
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29

And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 1 John 3:5 (See Psalm 103:12)

Today, our dear Jewish friends have a Day of Atonement, but with no Atonement! Why? It is because in place of blood sacrifices there are good intentions and religious deeds which do not meet God’s requirements. But, in Messiah Jesus, Leviticus 16 has been fulfilled. Consider… would you want an atonement which cannot be obtained today and even if it was, only provided a mire covering or would you want redemption, which is obtainable now by faith to anyone and is eternal.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Have you received this special gift for yourself?

For an exciting re-enactment and explanation of this observance, consider purchasing the DVD, “Messiah in the Day of Atonement”, produced by The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, in which Peter portrays the High Priest. The photo, above, is a scene from this DVD.

A Special Hem

"Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well." Mark 6:56

Hems, I’ve sewn many. Usually they are the last thing that needs to be finished for a garment. The hem line in my life time has gone from the very top of the leg to the ankles and everywhere in-between.

During the Lord’s ministry here, I have no doubt that the hem of his garment was near his ankles. It gets cold in Israel, believe it our not! I got to visit there one summer and was surprised that I had to wear a warm jacket in the evenings and early mornings.

The Lord’s hem was probably very dirty and frayed from all the rugged roads and miles that he walked. It might have been wet and probably smelled a little like fish, since he was in and out of fishing boats at times.

There was something special about this hem. It was accessible to all; close to the ground. Many dirty hands were grabbing his hem when he walked by. No one noticed. But, Jesus did. These needy people with faith reached at the very edge, the farthest border. Behind him, low. Yet, even at this very insignificant, lowly place of Jesus’ being, there was cleansing and healing to all of them.

Do you need healing? Feel the filth of sin on your heart, mind and soul? It doesn’t take much faith, a little will do. Just reach out and touch his lowly “hem”. If your hands and heart are dirty, He knows and wants you to come to Him just as you are. Let Him cleanse and heal to your soul.

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18

“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37

” The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

Note: The garment pictured is Peter's first century garment that he uses in his special presentations. It was hand made in Israel. The Close Line is one of my watercolor paintings.

Christmas Dove

Last Sunday my husband and I visited a retirement facility where he was invited to speak at their chapel service. He spoke on the history of Hanukkah and how it connected to Christmas. Did you know that there is a connection? A great article on this subject is in The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry archives at http://foi.org/thelightshinesbrighterstill Many Jewish people, who live there, heard the message over their Television. The Chaplin and his talented wife beautifully decorate the common areas with Christmas Trees, winter scenes, wreaths and angels. The most notable is their beautiful manger scene, displaying all the Christmas story figures and the entire town of Bethlehem.
I was drawn to the Christmas tree near the entrance of the Chapel. It had just 2 ornaments repeated all around the tree. One was a merry-go-round horse and the other was a flying dove holding a star and a heart. It was so pretty. It inspired me to paint this picture that very afternoon.
Jesus is:
The Prince of Peace- symbolized by the Dove. Philippians 4:7 “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
The Light of the World – Symbolized by the Star-John 8:12 “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
The Gift of Love - John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
These are only 3 of the many names of Jesus. I pray that you will all have that wonderful Peace, Light and Love given by God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas!

Note: Visit us at www.PraiseExpressions.com for a free download of this picture in size 5x7 for use in your home. While you are there, explore all the great inspirational gifts available and more!

How my Faith Journey Started: "For we walk by faith, not by sight:" 2 Corinthians 5:7

Well, I finally took a step into the Blog zone! It’s pretty scary, if you ask me. For one thing, I’m a pretty shy, quiet person. Always been, since I was a kid. But, the Lord has been teaching me to act on His gentle leading. So, here I am!

My journey started many years ago when I was young. Because of the faithfulness of my dear Mother in exposing us to the Word and good Bible teaching, I learned that I was lost and had a sin nature that needed to be dealt with in order to have fellowship with God. (Ecclesiastes 7:20) I didn’t know if heaven would be my home after I left this earth. But, one night, after a youth meeting where the gospel was explained clearly, I realized that God loved me so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus, to suffer and die to pay for my sin and give me eternal life. Even if I was the only person on this earth, God would have still done this for me. That’s how much He loves me. (John 3:16) I accepted this gift and now I know that if I should die, heaven would be the next place my eyes would behold when they open. (I John 5:13) But, he didn’t do this for just me. He did it for the whole world – which includes you! Read more about how you can know for sure you have eternal life in heaven at www.PraiseExpressions.com/heavenisagift.html

As I follow the Lord Jesus Christ, I view each day as a daily walk with Him. This world is not my home, I’m just pass’n through. Like old Abraham, we are looking for “a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” (Hebrews 11:10). It’s an exciting faith journey. Sometimes, it’s a tough path with many rocks, and stones in the way. But, most of the time, it’s pleasant, joyful and sunny. I come from a happy family. Every time we get together, we laugh. My husband finds humor in a lot of things. I love that about Him. He has been my companion on this journey since our marriage. We have traveled a long way since then, leading us into full time ministry with The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry (http://www.foi.org/) and are continuing on together, till we see the Lord face to face! (I Corinthians 13:12)


(Photograph taken by Sarah Cardenas of http://www.brighthousephotography.com/ )