Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Encouragement

It has been far too long. But, I will never forget the years of Blogging and Card making that I so enjoyed. I have had about four Books made with some of the years I liked the best on my blog. A lovely keepsake.
I hope you are all well in the present crisis. I have thought of lots of ladies who I had a special connection with like Lin, Franziska and Nancy to name a couple. 
My main occupation as you know is working alongside my husband in our Missionary work but as you also know I LOVE to paper-craft. I have an Etsy Shop which is doing very well and that fills my need to be productive! I need to do something tangible that bears fruit on earth and for heaven!
I have come a long way since my card-making days. I have learned so much from ladies who are experts in their field of making Junk Journals, Ephemera and other forms of papercraft. It is so fulfilling still to use up scraps and collage, probably my favorite thing to do.
On the family side, we now have four granddaughters and three grandsons.. We are blessed indeed.

I just wanted to share a word that I recently read from Derek Prince which really touched me. The fact that we can be plagued by fear at times and another time we can be at peace.


How to Overcome Fear

When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. Psalm 56:3–4 

One thing I especially appreciate in the Bible is its honesty. It faces facts. It pictures life as it is. It takes account of human weakness. David does not make false claims for himself. He does not say, “I will never be afraid.” Rather, he acknowledges: “There may come times when I will be afraid. But when those times come, I will know what to do. I will trust in God and I will praise His word—His sure, unfailing word. Trusting and praising will overcome my fear.” 

In the life of faith, there is often a conflict between two areas of our being: our spirit and our emotions. In our emotions, we go through all the reactions of fear, perhaps even of panic. In vain we struggle against it. It grips us.

But there is another area of our being—the spirit— that will not yield to panic, that does not accept the dictates of emotions. The spirit within us says, “I will not accept the verdict of my emotions about this situation. I will turn to God. I will remember what His Word says. I will find the promise of God that meets my need. In my emotions I may feel fear, but in my innermost being I trust, and that trust imparts to me a security and confidence that are much deeper than my emotions.”

In such a situation our personality may be compared to a river on a windy day. Our emotions are like the waves on the surface—troubled and tossed. But in the innermost depths of our being, the life of our spirit flows on in untroubled peace.

Faith’s Response Lord, I thank You for the peace deep inside me that is not affected by the winds on life’s surface.


14 comments:

  1. Jacqueline, it's lovely to come across your post today! I can't believe how fast the years have flown since we first connected, and how different our world is now. Thanks for your words today, and a Happy Belated Birthday!

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    1. Never will I forget you, Lin.. so many years! Thank you for the birthday wishes! Thank God we are still healthy and can find lots of happiness in crafting and our families, we are truly blessed!

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  2. Hello, Jacqueline! Thank you for putting into words what I feel so greatly in my heart. God is our refuge and He is faithful and true to his Word. I sometimes worry about what is happening all around us today, but with the Bible to ground us, we can put our worry to rest and trust in the Lord to see us through. Take care and may God bless you and yours.

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    1. Thank you, Joy! Loved reading your words! How we must cling to the Word of God in these times. Hope you are well!

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  3. Good to hear you are doing well and still creating too. How wonderful to have all those grandkids too, truly blessed! Stay well and safe!
    The Lord continues to give us the strength and brings peace at these uncertain times!

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  4. Thank you, Connie! I enjoyed reading your words. So happy to have contact with other Christian women as they are few here where I live.

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  5. Thank you for sharing t his Jacqueline - I so appreciate it. It's lovely to 'see' you here again, too - I often think of you
    Stay safe
    Blessings
    Maxine

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    1. Hello Maxine! I remember you, too! Hope all is well in New Zealand. Thanks so much for your greeting. God bless!

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  6. So good to see you pop up in my blog feeds! May the Lord continue to bless you and your husband as you serve Him in France.

    A friend and I have just returned from 11 days of encouraging women in the south-eastern part of Western Australia (from Perth to Esperance and Kalgoorlie and several places in between), with the theme of Hope in Troubled Times for her messages (I was her driver). Distance can make it difficult to meet regularly with other Christians but we were encouraged by the number who took the time to attend and said they appreciated our visit.

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  7. Hello Steph, thanks for sharing and being a blessing to others! Yes, distance is a big problem here in the South of France too. Nice to hear from you.

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  8. I happened upon this post today, Jacqueline, and it is perfect timing! Thank you so much for the encouragement, you are such a light in the world and your gentle presence is so uplifting. xoxo gail gammon

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    1. Dear Gail, thank you so much for those comforting words! I am so glad that this little message was a blessing to you. xx

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  9. So happy to come across this post today and know that you are still creating and that you and your family are well! I was hoping this was true! I recently moved my craft area to a different room and I made sure my little collection of Jacqueline cards and tags from you were still on display! They still inspire!
    barbara lassiter

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  10. Oh Barbara you are too kind!! Thank you so much!!

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Thanks so much for your visit - I so appreciate it!