Embarking On MAY {Sketchbook Tour & Project Glimpse}

Hey Y’all!

❤ Been a bit ❤

I hope everyone has been doing alright during these past few springy months . . . My gang and I have (mostly); despite some wacky schedules, bunch of birthdays, traveling & a few sick-y spells, we’ve been hunky-dory 😉

BUT . . . we’ve got some ground to cover today! Just a teeny sketchbook tour a lil’ glimpse of another b-day project for another sister of mine ❤

So! Here we go.

1. A Pen-Pal Binder

This thing was fun to make . . . the process went a lot faster since crafting the last one I made (which was also my first ❤ ).

For my sister, I wanted colors that popped & yet were beautiful (like her personality lol 😉 ), so I chose some durable, thick sunflower wrapping paper on Zazzle which turned out to be *dreamy* — and simply reused some bits & bobs in my stash of craft supplies to taylor it off.

I also reused the paper templates for the binder’s “innards,” with the exception of replacing some of the floral doodles in the corners and headers with some nautical designs (since my sister LOVES ocean-themed things ❤ ).

It was SO much fun . . . ❤ ❤ ❤

Here are a few pics of some of the pages . . . ❤

And — because my sister is a poet (and story-writer ❤ ), I added a Poetry Prompt Page . . . ❤

THEN . . . because we’re always messing with happy mail one way or another, I created a page with inspo for that ❤

And lastly, because she’s a doodler (whether she likes to admit it or not 😉 ), I put a little challenge in here for an *if she feels like it* kind of a day ❤ She thought that was pretty cute and funny lol . . .

❤ ❤ ❤

I ordered some adorably beautiful stickers on Etsy to put in the sticker pouch . . . she really liked them ❤ (And I do too . . . I may have to go back and buy some just for me lol! )

Phew! ❤

1. A Sketchbook Tour

Next up . . . a brief bit of sketchy-ness ❤

I’ve been doodling a little bit, but most of my time has been poured into watercolor illustrations for Megan Raugh’s new children’s book featuring Henry the Fish & his array of hats (and adventures 😉 ).

So. Here’s a glimpse into what I’ve been up to:

These next four doodles were the ones I created for Alyssa’s Pen-Pal Binder ❤

And this last one . . . yes. This last one ❤ Is a character sketch for a children’s chapter book I’m praying & thinking about writing. I’ve been in brainstorm mode for a while (after several years of doing *nothing* lol), and the threads are beginning to get stitched together 😉 We’ll see how it goes.

Oh — & one more important thing . . . ❤

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been needing this verse. Like, desperately. I feel like there are So many things whirling out of control . . . so many worries, so many fears. So many things.

I realized yesterday that my brain needed grounding. But not just in fluffy “oh everything’s going to turn out okay” or “recite positive affirmations” kinds of things. Those things are wimpy. I knew I needed real, solid, honest-to-goodness truths straight outta Scripture to anchor my spinning mind & emotions.

Anything other than God’s Word cannot provide real, true, lasting comfort & direction.

So I found (or rather, “rediscovered”) this verse. And its story.

Read along with me right quick the circumstances behind the birth of this desperate prayer:

"After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites,[a] came against Jehoshaphat for battle. 2 Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom,[b] from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, Engedi). 3 Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 6 and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. 7 Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8 And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, 9 ‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment,[c] or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’ 10 And now behold, the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy— 11 behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

13 Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. 14 And the Spirit of the Lord came[d] upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”

18 Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. 19 And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

20 And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.” 21 And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,

“Give thanks to the Lord,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.”

22 And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. 23 For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another.

The Lord Delivers Judah

24 When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked toward the horde, and behold, there[e] were dead bodies lying on the ground; none had escaped. 25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found among them, in great numbers, goods, clothing, and precious things, which they took for themselves until they could carry no more. They were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much. 26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah,[f] for there they blessed the Lord. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Beracah to this day. 27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat at their head, returning to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies. 28 They came to Jerusalem with harps and lyres and trumpets, to the house of the Lord. 29 And the fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around."

{ 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 }

Did you catch the desperation? The helplessness? The “circumstances are spinning out of control” kind of cry?

And what does Jehoshaphat do? He proclaimed a fast and set his face to seek the Lord.

So that’s what I did ( and am doing) too. Seek Him, cast it all on Him . . . because He can handle it. Way, way better than any of us ever could even attempt to.

Maybe there’s something weighing heavy on your mind, your soul. Maybe things are crumbling around you. Maybe you’ve got a whole array of armies, enemies, drawing up for battle against you and those you love . . . and you feel powerless against the onslaught . . . against this horde.

Remember what Jehoshaphat did. Remember what the Israelites did. Pray. Fast. Sing. Worship Him & do the next thing He wants you to do . . .

And remember what our Lord did.

So trust in Him, and trust in His faithfulness and capability.

I hope you ex-out of this post, this tab, this email etc. encouraged & hopeful . . . with your eyes on Him ❤

Until next time . . . ❤