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07/01/2018 · Leave a Comment

Lessons in learning to abide in Christ. Plus a freedom banner.

Diy· Thoughts

This current season of life has been filled with much change, growth, and reflection for me, as I know in reality most seasons are. As is most often the case, I wasn’t aware of lessons learned until some of the dust had a chance to settle. This morning I had a ‘light bulb moment’.

You see, for several years I’ve prayed for God to teach me how to abide in Him, consistently. I am beginning to see how He has been answering this prayer. I’d like to share with you some of the key highlights He’s been teaching me with the hope it might encourage you in your walk of faith.

Facing fear.

I’ve been a fearful person since childhood, even before my father died (shortly after my 10th birthday), but especially more so after that. This has carried with me into adulthood, yet strangely I did not realize how much fear had a grip on me. Following some difficult circumstances, the presence of these fears became more obvious and demanded that I address them. Through prayer (as well as the help of a wonderful counselor) God has graciously been helping me see how my thoughts travel quickly to places they shouldn’t go. It has not been easy to go to Him immediately with these fears and ‘take captive every thought’, but as I do I have found I am able to rest and delight in Him more consistently.

Exchanging lies for TRUTH

Uncovering the many lies I’ve believed over the years has been a key way God is teaching me to abide in Him. One at a time God has been showing me these lies and impressing on me His truth. It’s been quite a long process and not an easy one either. Many of these untruths have been with me a long time, and to be totally honest, I wasn’t fully aware they were even there. But I believe my prayer to abide is what allowed God to open my eyes to seeing them, and I look forward to continuing on this journey of exchanging lies for His truth.

Insignificance. One of the lies God has been uncovering is how my thoughts often berate me with the message that what I do lacks any real value to God. Although this is something I’m still working through, there are two lessons God taught me that will remain etched in my mind.

The first. . . I will often ask the Lord if there is something specific He wants me to do, something I am ‘missing’. One day while praying He impressed upon me to ‘do the things you love to do’ (i.e. caring for my home, creating, etc.), and ‘take Me with you’. This painted for me the perfect image of  1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

Quite often I make a division between the ‘sacred’ and the ‘secular’, drawing a line where God didn’t intend for one to be drawn. Reminding myself daily that  ALL I do is for God’s glory is helping to loosen the chains of shame and bondage I place on myself for not ‘doing or being more’.

The second. . . Last October while visiting my daughter she asked for help to decorate her home for Fall. My first thought was to make a wreath, and there were hundreds of pinecones in her area. Unfortunately due to all the rain they more or less resembled soggy cigars. I collected some anyway and googled ways to bring them back to life. Turns out, after a quick bake in the oven and a light brushing to remove the remaining dirt they became like new! I was beyond overjoyed with the transformation of these pinecones!!

As I was admiring the before and after, one a sticky, gooey blob and the other a perfectly beautiful pinecone, I heard these words… “Isn’t there something more important you should be doing than this, just sitting here delighting in a silly PINECONE?!?”

For the first time ever, I recognized this thought as a lie and squashed it. Immediately God impressed on me, ‘this is how I delight in you’. I was blown away.

That image of the dirty pinecone, the process of heating it to burn away the impurities and the gentle brushing to clean it off, along with my joy in seeing its beauty. . .  coupled with the thought of God delighting in me as his child, as He, by His grace, refines me day by day to be molded into His image. Nearly all my life I ‘knew’ of this truth, yet it was clouded by lies buried deep within me.

Psalm 147:11 says…’the Lord delights in those who fear him,who put their hope in his unfailing love.’

While I’m still on the journey of allowing God to weed out years of fearful and wrong thinking, my take away is this.

  • Romans 12:2 says, ‘Be transformed by the renewing of your mind’.
    This is a daily battle. Our minds are powerful, our thoughts can attempt to kill us everyday or speak life into our souls!
  • We can’t do this alone. God knows us better than we know ourselves! We were made to delight and abide in Him. If you struggle as I have to do this, it may be because deep within your mind there are strongholds or lies. Ask God to reveal them to you and to replace them with His truth. There is nothing more life giving than being set free to delight and rest in the God who made you.

I’ve attached a printable ‘Freedom Banner’ that I made for our mantle this year for our Fourth of July celebration.
I thought it was actually super fitting to go along with this post as I’ve shared about our ultimate freedom to walk in fellowship with Jesus Christ!

‘For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.’  Galatians 5:1

Blessings,
Judi

Printable 4th of July Freedom Banner

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Hello!

I'm Judi, momma to 5 incredibly inspiring girls, my 'creative little women'. I make craft & sewing patterns and illustrate paper goods. I also blog a bit about making things & life, in hopes to encourage your creativity & heart... read more

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Fun fact: I love to create sewing patterns! Many y Fun fact: I love to create sewing patterns!
Many years ago I was introduced to essential oils and was immediately hooked! So much so, I wanted to take them with me everywhere... however, they’re expensive, and the bottles are glass😳
At the time, there was little to no storage options, so...
I developed various bags and pouches and sewed some for me (and hundreds upon hundreds of wonderful customers) ...only to realize that sewing oodles of the same thing was not my passion😕
HOWEVER... after publishing my patterns I had the opportunity to help new sewists by answering their questions and soon found a new passion!  I LOVE helping women discover the joy in making!!!
This year, after a loooong hiatus, I’m excited to begin working on half finished projects, as well as new ones I’m dreaming up, and I’m excited to share my journey with you🥰
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The website information is below if you desire to order.
Thank you @lkmarcus for remembering our sweet boy. Not a day goes by, even 29 years later, that we don’t remember him and the imprint he left on our hearts💙 We are  beyond thankful for the hope we have of seeing him again because of Christ!!!♥️
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I first found @vashtiharrison through her wonderfu I first found @vashtiharrison through her wonderful Skillshare class on Illustration. Because I loved her illustrative style I began searching for her work and found these amazing books! I’m SO excited to read these with my grandchildren. Thank you Vashti for sharing your talents and heart with the world.♥️
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Five years ago my daughter Olivia spent 5 months a Five years ago my daughter Olivia spent 5 months at home after college searching hard for a job in her field (food science). We prayed for God to provide, not having a clue where it might lead her. I remember so clearly the day she had her first phone interview with Nature’s Bakery... she came flying into my bedroom so excited she was bursting and jumping up and down! ‘Mom, I SO want this job! I didn’t even know a job like this could possibly exist!!!!’ She could hardly contain herself and was grinning from ear to ear!!

Though it meant moving our girl hundreds of miles away, we have thanked the Lord over and over for allowing her to have her dream job with wonderful people to work with...
Fast forward 5 years, she is currently their only food scientist and has the blessing of developing baked goods day after day, and she LOVES her work!! This email came to my inbox today announcing what she has been excitedly talking to us about for 18+ months!
Thanking the Lord again for allowing her to joyfully use the gifts He put inside her. And last but certainly not least, blessing her with a wonderful husband to share her journey with!!!♥️
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Now here’s some really great business advice! Th Now here’s some really great business advice!
This is my daughter Hannah, and while I’ve never heard her share this ‘lesson’  before I know it must have made a huge impact. I have seen her live it out in her business day after day after day. She’s one of the hardest workers I know!!!♥️
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@hannahjudithmakes 
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Are there things you wish you could do but your th Are there things you wish you could do but your thoughts say ‘I can’t__’, or ‘I wish I could __ ‘, and you stop there? 
Truth be told, I’ve always encouraged my girls in any creative avenue they wished to pursue, but I’ve let ‘I cant’s stop me many times over.
One of my visions for this new year is to learn how to paint, and I’m so excited! Worship music is blaring and I’m learning color theory!!🎨
What about you? What’s something you want to learn? Stop the ‘I can’t’ thoughts and start finding ways to learn how! Who knows what might blossom inside of you!🌸
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Meet Snuggles the Snowman, a sweet little friend w Meet Snuggles the Snowman, a sweet little friend who will warm up any corner you set him in.
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Made by @hellograciemakes and available in limited quantities. Follow the link in bio⛄️
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