"Set the TONE"

     I dont know if it is a woman thing or just a Jess thing but I have thing automatic pull in my being that when my husband is talking I want to clarify for him. Not because he is a pour communicator, quite the opposite, he is great at explaining just about anything. 

Let me give an example. 
     Last week I noticed that while correcting the kids in his parenting he started using the saying, "you set the tone for your day." So true but I looked at our 6 and 5 year olds faces and was pretty sure they had no idea what he was talking about other than you just messed up and don't do that any more. I think the 8 year old got it but wasn't sure. The pull happened! I wanted to jump in with a, " now do you all know what setting the tone means?" The Holy Spirit stopped me. I have really been working on letting my husband be the Dad and not doing it for him. Quality goal right gals!  
     As I remained quiet I continued to hear My man use this saying then it hit me, teach them what it means! Not while my husband is in the middle of being Dad but at a separate time! You guys, this is seriously revolutionary! So I began to ask the Lord what it means to set the tone, cause lets be honest we know that Mamma does in the home! 
     The first scripture that came to mind was 1 Cor. 13 

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;[b] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

     Then in my regular reading I was in Roman's 6! 

I don't know why but the image of this old record player a Gramophone I think its called came into my head. I thought I'd put that on our memory board and teach them about it. I thought I could also bust out my old Fisher Price record player and that can be our example of beautiful music and love. As I got the player out of the basement I looked though my records. Fantasia! Oh yeah! That is all beautiful music! Sweet. I cut out some examples of using our members for right and unrighteousness on music notes. Pretty sure my kids didn't even notice but its the little things that delight me so I went for it.

     I looked up a youtube video of a gramophone playing music and we had a mini dance party. Then we sat down and read that first part of 1 Cor. 13. I asked if they knew what a clanging cymbal was and got blank stares so I grabbed the spoon and whacked it all around in one of the pots. They all jump about three feet and got mad at me that I scared them. I used that opportunity to say, " I bet and when you all don't love each other its a little scary around here." This lightened the mood or "set the tone," for some humble learning.

     I asked what some example of clanging behavior or choices might be and was met with over dramatic examples, shocker. Also got some good examples and ideas of how to love one another. Exposing that they have been train quite well in right from wrong. It was nice to hear that these truths really are sinking in its just hard to walk them out in the heat of conflict. Welcome to the club kiddo's! I had a few music notes like I said with right and wrong on them. They each got a pot and untencil, risky move I know but worth it. I had the Fantasia record going whole time and would turn it up when I displayed a note of righteousness and then down so they could bang away on the pots for notes of unrighteousness. Even our puppy Duke got in on the fun! 

That was it. I will continue to use this experience to draw on as we continue memorize our verse or as we go through out the day. At one point in the day there was fighting. I grabbed a pot and spoon and started banging it, getting everyones attention of course and then smiled real big. They stopped and smiled. Right from wrong an love from unkindness are not hard concepts they just take abiding in Christ to walk them out. So I am doing my best to be faithful to teach these  little wonders the truth and pray with all my heart they choose it for themselves. 

     I am finding that simple interactive time for teaching bible truth is super affective. You should also know that they did not sit on their chairs well. One leaned so far forward she fell on her head. There were several interruptions and I have to get a drink or pee and this whole thing didn't go as I originally planned. I did however listen to the Holy Spirit as we went along and I think they got the point. 

What if I didn't CARE?

     About a month and a half ago I posted how God provided for me to script for FREE! This has been a very exciting development for me with Abide Scripts.
     With the money God gave through my land lord I went out and purchase everything I would need to get going again.

I had run out out of most everything. I had a few orders waiting to be fill so I got to painting right away.
     Something happened for the first time in all my time painting. I COULD NOT SCRIPT! I couldn't write out the scripture pretty or spelled correctly to save my life! The spelling issue has been ever present and God uses it to remind me that this adventure is His to lead. I have gone from extreme embarrassment over it to down right thankful for the constant reminder. Now the not being able to layout the words well or even form each letter properly was new. I would script, mess up, cover over with more background paint and mess up again. Seriously, it was so strange and more so very frustrating. There were many tears and sitting in quiet asking God what in the world was going on.
     One evening I had messed up yet another go at a canvas. I was DONE! The kids were in bed, I got in mine and just stared at the wall. I had gotten to the place that I had asked others to pray for me and knew that there was something going on that was deeper that just messing up. I knew that God had taken away the ability to script for a purpose. When my man got home from work that evening he asked what was up. Cause I'm not really good at pretending things are fine when they aren't. I shared that it was the same thing that it had been. I said, "I am just not able to script." Paul said, "well maybe that is what He wants you to get, that you aren't able to do this with out Him." That sounded right but I honestly didn't think I was trying to do it with out Him. We continued to talk and Paul said lots of other good wise, thought provoking things as he usually does and then went to take his shower. Still on the bed I thought through Paul's challenges of truth and then, what I thought was totally unrelated came to mind. Caring what people think. WHAT!? You see I had also that week exhausted my husband with what other people seemed to think about all kinds of life issues and the anxiety that stired up in my heart as a result. The Holy Spirit whispered you can't care anymore about what other people think. That is not welcome in the new season I AM leading you into with scripting again.
     Let me be clear when I say I am not to care what other's think. This was from God so His command was this: Gal.1:10 For am I now seeking the approval of men or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I am trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
I am not talking about an attitude of rebellion, in not caring but more of a putting my care fulling on Christ and not on peoples opinions. This has been a long time miss the mark for me. Something I have habitually struggle with. I believe God was saying enough is enough.
     So I began to think what if I didn't care what people thought and I was consumed with what God thought? I have an entire bible to check to make sure I know what He thinks AND the Holy Spirit to guide me! I felt like my brain exploded! It was time. Time to make that somewhat scary leap to obey in something that felt like it was apart of my personality. Disobeying God is apart of our fallen nature but not our identity in Christ.
     Shortly after the call to stop caring I had this "revolutionary" thought, what if I didn't care about opinions of others more that God in any area of my life? Boom! Oh how slow I am! I am so thankful for God's gracious patience with me.
     I have begun the hard work of recognizing when I very naturally get obsessed with other's opinions, stopping and turning my focus onto God's truth about the matter. You see, God has not called me to simple paint. I am to script His word and pray for the individuals that the canvas is gong to. I can not multi task. I just can't. My brain can only pray or worry not both. Of course this has affected my whole life not just scripting.
     So is there anything in your life that God is making it clear that it isn't welcome in your next season? I implore you get rid of it!

The fallowing pictures are all canvases God has allowed me to paint with a singular focus on Him and praying for the person whose wall it will adorn.

I tried water color for the first time! I love feathers so there are quite
a few of those going on right now

First try at water color EVER!

   

FREE!!!

     I got the impression from the Holy Spirit that it was time for some change for Abide Scripts. I have been praying and waiting for weeks about what it will be. If you have fallowed along at all you know that Abide Scripts functioned as a small business for about a year. It was profitable but getting paid to paint just wasn't for me. I love painting God's word onto canvas in hopes that it will jump off the wall and into people's hearts and lives. There have been countless testimonies of how God has used His word on these canvases. So many of the request I get are from people who know someone who is suffering. I have heard many hard stories and gotten to pray with many for loved ones as they come to pick up their orders. I know that I am to keep painting! I shut the business down and said I would paint if the one's requesting would purchase supplies. I heard through several resources that people wanted to ask for a canvas and didn't mind paying for the supplies but the having to get it and not knowing just what to get was a real turn off as far as contacting me. This ended up being just fine as I was starting school with our three kids and it hadn't really gone well yet (like at all ever). This school year has been very different and down right great! I have a lot more time on my hands as my man just started a second job to ensure that I can stay home full time with the kids.

     OK that is all the back story and now the cool thing that happened today. I was talking with my land lord as he was picking up his lawn mower up. He loves Jesus and is a pilot for Samaritan's purse. He was telling me that he had an opportunity to hang out with Franklin Graham the other day and how blessed he was to find that Franklin is just one of the guys and so very humble. He mentioned that its amazing how much God has provided for this ministry of taking shoe boxes of gifts to kids all over the world. My land lord shared a story of great provision. I was so blessed and reminded once again that God's provision is not limited. I shared with him that I was encouraged. I said I had a small dream to paint for free. I don't know how God is going to do it but I really believe He is and that his story encouraged me to keep being patient. You will never believe what he said next. "Jess why don't you go ahead and write your rent check for $100 less next month and use that for supplies." I of course broke down and cried right then and there! So it starts. Painting for free. This is still quite the faith walk as $100 will buy about 10 canvas' worth of supplies and I don't know what God will do from there. I can't wait to paint those 10! To celebrate I want to give away this canvas. It is the first of painting completely for free. If anyone would like to have it or get it for a friend just let me know and its yours!

12x16 in.

Back on Social Media

When I deleted my FB account I held it with an open hand. I knew I needed to to obey and it has been great 2 months with out it. I have made an account this week for the soul purpose of painting. You can't have a FB Page with out a personal page so I gave myself the name of Abide Scripts. My purpose in doing this is to reconnect with people wanting scripture painted on canvas. Since shutting down the business of Abide Scripts I haven't painted much. Its been a year of getting my priorities straight. The volume of painting I was doing was not working for the amount of time I truly had to devote to this ministry. It was good to dive into the school year with the kids and not have the added pressure of painting. School is going really well! Thank you Jesus! I have gotten organized and feel it is time and God has lead me to reach out and make my self available to paint again. I am really excited as I have already gotten to paint 2 canvas' and have a request for more. It is a little embarrassing to declare I am deleting my FB only to re-loanch it again in 2 months but I am determined to obey the Lord and I do believe He has lead in this direction. You can pray for me as FB was a major temptation to use as a coping mechanism instead of going to Jesus. I am garden about using it for painting. I am sharing life pictures on Instagram these days but will be keeping my FB strictly for Abide Scripts use. Just wanted to share the heart behind all the back and forth. I hope this post finds you blessed and continuing to dig into God's powerful word daily!