The Process of Block Printing: A New Love!

Block printing is one of those old art forms that has been gaining new attention—and it’s no wonder why! The process is addicting, and the finished product is beautiful. Simple, yet carrying so much artisanal flair—block prints highlight line, color, and composition. An artistic trifecta!

Let’s talk about how it all goes down.

The Planning

Preparing a block print requires the collecting of a few basic materials (at least). For the kind of art displayed on my site, you’ll need a rubber block. These are offered in all kinds of sizes. You’ll need carving materials—found online or at most art supply stores. You’ll need block printing ink, and a smooth rubber roller.

Assess the size of your rubber block, and consider the type of design you’ll want to create. You may want to take into consideration your intentions for the finished product. Will it be repeated on fabric? Will it be vectorized for digital art? Will you be using it for stationery or art prints?

You’ll also want to begin to think about what negative space will be incorporated into your block print. What do you want to highlight in your design by carving space out, versus keeping solidly present on the block?

I like to outline the design with pencil before I start carving. I know I have the freedom to deviate from my original line as I wish, but it’s nice to have a starting point.

Here’s a picture of some preliminary lines drawn on a recent project:

Planning a Block Print | annalisavsawtell.com

The Process

Once you’ve put some thought and preparation into the block print, it’s time for the fun to begin! The process of carving the rubber block is actually quite dreamy.

Not at all like carving wood (though some block prints are produced by wood), carving rubber is smooth—very, very smooth. The carving tool glides across the rubber, and there is a lot of intricacy and control that’s made possible by this medium. I have noticed that the quality of rubber is a big difference maker in glide-ability, and my favorite has been the brand linked here.

You can continue to carve out all that’s necessary for your block to be complete. I like to do the larger carving elements first, and finish with the skinny detailed lines last.

Here’s a photo of a project that’s midway through carving:

Midway Block Print | annalisavsawtell.com

The Product

Lastly, you get to put your completed block to work. I have enjoyed creating art prints, along with digitizing some of my block prints for patterns.

(I’ll be using the words ink and paint interchangeably. This is what I have used.)

To apply the paint/ink to your block, it’s important to use a very smooth roller—ideally one that’s made for block printing. People often use plexiglass for this step, but what I had around my house was a large, flat serving platter, so I used that to mix my ink.

Because many block prints are single-color works of art, color is key. Mixing until you find just the right color is a fun, and important, part of the process, so don’t rush it!

Once your color is established, you can run your roller over the paint. I like to run the roller back and forth on some paper as well just to make sure it’s a very thin and smooth layer of ink that remains.

Roll it onto your block. Prepare your paper or other item. And press the block onto your item firmly. Apply pressure to each part of the block, being careful not to slide the block around as you go.

Carefully lift the block back up, and wallah! You’ve made a block print!

Below you’ll see a bit of this step:

Block Printing | annalisavsawtell.com

The Possibilities

Block printing is a very versatile form of creating. As mentioned, it can be used on paper, fabric, and more! Below is an example of how this block print was digitized, turned into a pattern, and a mock-up image of how it would look on a baby onesie.

I hope you enjoyed learning about block printing! Have any questions? Feel free to leave them in the comments.

Cheers to Ten Years: Reflections on the Goodness of God

As my husband and I approach ten years of marriage, I’ve been reflecting on the span of our relationship—how it has developed through the years.

I have been considering what has stayed core to who we are as individuals, what has stayed core to who we are as a married couple, and what has ebbed, flowed, and altered as the years have gone by.

To paint you a picture of our early years, we met at a college ministry event—and it’s worth mentioning, it wasn’t a stuffy one. We spent the first five-ish years of our marriage deeply involved in a ministry that made its mission to bring the gospel to every kid. Not just the church kids, or the put-together kids, or the faith-background kids… every kid.

This ministry wasn’t just intended for the strong and the serious—it was one that opened its warmth to the least of these. It was a ministry that welcomed and embraced people from all walks of life, and sought to show them the extravagant and beautiful truth held out in the gospel.

The gospel was central to this ministry, and our lives became swept up in that mission.

The early years of our relationship were youth-centric. Hardly more than youths ourselves, we knew we shared a strong desire to chase after Jesus and love the world around us in his name. We served to bring the gospel to pretty much any population younger than we were ourselves; we had seen the power of relationship, and the doors that authentic relationship opened for sharing the most loving truth in the world.

While we have come a long way from square dances, pies-in-the-face, and having a hundred high-schoolers singing pop music in our basement… I love thinking about the young “us”. And while our current lives are a bit quieter and steadier than they were back then, our deepest desires have remained the same.

You see, I wouldn’t have described it this way at the time, but my husband and I have always viewed our walk with Jesus as an adventure—an adventure that’s worth inviting people into.

As I’ve explored different sects of faith communities, I’ve lost sight of this at times. My own desire to be “good” has tempted me into the throes of legalism, while my husband has remained steadily committed to the freedom and grace held out in the gospel.

There were years that this really challenged me. I thought spiritual leadership looked like laying a heavy yoke on our family—but instead, he consistently modeled the way of Christ, gently leading us into free and light living.

Anyone who knows Brian well might describe him this way: free, lighthearted, and fiercely committed to the gospel. At times, it felt like this freedom was assaulting my attempt to attain righteousness on my own, but as the years have passed, I have seen how he is the man that God so desperately knew I needed—and the one who I can’t wait to spend another decade pursuing Christ alongside.

Even in the times of our marriage that felt conflicting or confusing, I can look back and see how God was using who Brian is to shape me and refine me into a woman of deeper faith.

God has brought us on a journey to lift his name high.

This was what we wanted from our union when it began, and while these last ten years have made us feel like total opposites at times—he’s an extroverted adrenaline-junkie who could carry on a riveting conversation with anyone, anytime; I’m an introverted quiet-seeker, who could stay content pondering the depths of life in a creative environment for hours alone—it has become clear how God has used our differences for the glory of his name.

What may appear as a contradiction comes together in the most beautiful way as we both embrace--in the unique way God made each of us—a love for the Wonderful Gospel, and our desire to share that glory with the world.

That has been, and remains, a core value of who we are as the pair God made us to be. (That and the critical nature of queso blanco in our lives…)

May we put the light of the Lord on display as we each shine as unique displays of his splendor, inviting the world around us to know and embrace the glory of his Name.

Happy ten, Brian. :) Cheers to the next decade!

Praise the God of Life and Vibrancy!

I woke up one morning and walked into my kitchen. It was one of those special mornings that I had cleaned the entire space well the night before. I share that to say that it was a nice space to be in. Nothing about it was bad.

However, I got this idea to make my coffee and step onto our front step and sit there awhile. (Well, for as long as I had until my kids woke up! A mom never truly knows!)

So, I poured coffee into my favorite mug, (which was one of my spoils from a Christmas exchange years back… I fought tooth and nail for this Paris mug from Anthropologie. I have no regrets.)

I stepped outside and my heart wasn’t prepared for what met me.

The only way I could describe it is that God opened my eyes for how I was stepping into life.

I stepped out of the confines of my home, and into the outdoors. Instantly, I felt a gentle breeze sweep my face. My ears were attuned to bird chirping, frogs croaking, and the whisper of the wind in the trees. The air was fragrant with sweet dew and freshly budding trees, and the remains of a decadent sunrise graced the skies, and my heart began to sing.

A verse that will forever impact me is Romans 1:20, which tells us that God is made known through his creation.

He is a God of life and vibrancy. We may be safe and confined in the four walls of our homes, or offices. And of course, God’s presence may be known indoors as well… but there is no denying that the vibrant, gentle, and immersive ways of God are experienced in a profound way the moment we step beyond those walls.

You can’t step into creation without experiencing it. It is immersive. It is joyful. It is both peaceful, yet unpredictable.

I hope you’re able to steal away into the beauty of all God has made today—and that you’re able experience the full, immersive, enticing, colorful, soothing ways of God.

An Invitation to Light Living (A Look at 1 John 1)

Today, I’m hoping to put some of the beauty of 1 John 1 on display.

This chapter of 1 John brings forth themes of fellowship, light, and life. He begins to teach readers what it truly means to be in fellowship with God and one another. Walk with me as we explore and celebrate a few of the beautiful truths displayed in this chapter.

You might find it nice to have your bible open to 1 John as we go through this. As you trace along the text, we will expand on each little section of goodness.

Jesus is The Word of Life

John opens this chapter of his book (1 John) by describing Jesus as the “word of Life”. Flip the pages of your bible a few chapters earlier, and you’ll see similar language used by in another portion of scripture written by John. Read below:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life,and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness,and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5 NIV

Jesus is the Word of life. He comes speaking life. He has spoken life from the beginning, when he created the world alongside Father God, and he continued in that life-giving nature through the cross—not wishing death upon us (though our sins deserved it), but instead, choosing to sacrifice himself to conquer death on our behalf.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17

Jesus entered the world as a man, not to condemn, but to save. Not to bring us the death our sins deserved, but to gift us the life we don’t deserve. Jesus is the Word of life.

Fellowship with Jesus

After John boldly proclaims what he has witnessed—that Jesus is the Word of life—he explains that he has come to proclaim the truth about Jesus in order that the recipients of his writing would be able to find fellowship with him, just as he has fellowship with God and Jesus.

Fellowship is a word thrown around in Christian circles, that doesn’t often make it’s way to the common speech of the world. It seems worthwhile to dig into this word, that we may gain a deeper understanding of what exactly is meant by the word fellowship.

After all, if this word represents something that believers are welcomed into, and if it’s something that can be enjoyed with God, it feels important to know what exactly this word means.

Growing in deeper knowledge of the truth affects us for good. There is a wonderful reminder in Phillipians 1:9-11 that as our knowledge of God grows, our love and discernment expound. Growing in our understanding of God, and our relationship to him, touches down in our everyday life and impacts the way we think and live.

Now, onto the word fellowship. The ideas behind fellowship are that those who are in fellowship with each other are associated with one another. They experience joint participation in things, and are in community with one another. In verse 3, It’s almost as if John were saying, “I want to proclaim the truth to you that you can come and participate with us in this Christ-filled life. Come, join and participate. We have chosen to live life in association with God, and we want to proclaim the life of Christ to you, that you may too.”

He says that writing this proclamation of Christ is intended to make his joy complete. (Verse 4) All things truly are better when shared, aren’t they?

Fellowship With the God of Light

John had begun his letter stating that he is proclaiming Christ in order to invite readers into fellowship. He takes this a bit further by diving deeper into the truth that he chooses to proclaim:

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5 NIV

If readers choose to step into fellowship (or association or joint participation) with God, it’s important that they know this means choosing a life of light. John goes on to say that if a person claims to have fellowship with God, yet continues to walk in darkness, they aren’t really living out the truth being proclaimed at all.

Walking in the light with God, means taking all your shortcomings, sins, failures, and “yuck”, and being honest with it. It means bringing it out into the open, and believers are able to do this because they know the truth about who Jesus is—that he is the Word of life! We can bring our sin to the light safely, because we know the grace that awaits us there.

Do you see how understanding the truth about God and bringing ourselves into the light go hand-in-hand?

As we grow in our knowledge and understanding of the character of God (see Psalm 145:8 for a glimpse), we come to believe that we can truly bring the ugliest sides of ourselves into the light, and find forgiveness.

If we don’t step into the light, we leave our disgusting sin in the dark, growing and multiplying, never allowing it to be purified by Christ. It reminds me of the mold that plagues Minnesota basements—expanding and destroying as it hides in the britches of darkness.

May we accept the invitation to be purified by our loving and generous creator—the one who sent Jesus to speak life over us. This is what it means to be in fellowship with the God of light—to be in a right, and purified, relationship with him. We are living in acceptance of his gracious offering to cleanse us from our sin, as we acknowledge our need for this cleansing.

It All Begins with Jesus

Coming into agreement with the truths that God generously so shares, will provide us with healing we never knew to be possible. It all begins with Jesus.

It begins as the good news about forgiveness and healing, found in Christ, is shared with us (just as John proclaims at the start of this chapter). Then, we may choose to step into the light and accept the purification offered to us on the cross. (We also have the freedom to reject the notion that we require forgiveness and continue to live our lives in the darkness.)

This is the reality that John outlines in verses 8-10:

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. 1 John 1:8-10

Knowing who God is, in his holy and perfect ways, naturally results in us seeing ourselves as we really are: sinners in desperate need of grace.

But the story doesn’t end with us accepting our own desperation: our holy and perfect God is also merciful, compassionate, and kind… and the best part? He loves us! So very much! He meets us, even in our fallen states, and offers life.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 NIV

As we accept the reality of our sinful nature, we can step into the light and let him restore us. No moldly basement souls here, just cleansed and redeemed souls, in fellowship with God himself. We participate with him and join together with other believers, as we share the message of this good truth with the world. It’s all just so wonderful!

Anyway, that’s all for now. I hope you enjoyed exploring 1 John 1.

**If you have any questions about entering into fellowship with God through faith in Jesus, I’d love to chat with you. You can contact me here.

With love!
Annalisa

God Made You Good: Embracing God's Sovereignty, Knowing Your Worth

There is a recurring theme we see in Scripture when it comes to God and his creation. While there are plenty of soft, happy, bubbly truths throughout the Bible, what I actually want to open with might come off as a little bit harder. It’s the reality that when God discusses what he has made, we see a strong and overwhelming authority asserted.

While words like strength and authority don’t always have the warmest connotations, embracing God as The Supreme Creator may actually be one of the most joy-inducing, life-changing realities you ever encounter.

Before we dive into why, let’s talk about what. What does the Bible say regarding this topic? There are a few areas we could explore (like Psalm 104 or Jeremiah 18), but the place I’d really love for us to spend some time is in Job 38.

There’s a stunning account of the Lord speaking in Job 38. As you recall Job’s story, you may remember that he was a godly man who endured heinous trials. If there were ever a person we might expect to question the Lord’s plans, it’s this guy. As Job questions, he is rightly humbled with a reminder of God’s mighty role as Creator of the Universe. Read below for a snippet of the Lord’s response:

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone—
while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy?

“Who shut up the sea behind doors
    when it burst forth from the womb,
when I made the clouds its garment
    and wrapped it in thick darkness,
when I fixed limits for it
    and set its doors and bars in place,
when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;
    here is where your proud waves halt’?” Job 38:4-11

It might surprise you to hear that this rather firm passage of Scripture has provided one of the most tender moments I’ve ever encountered of God in his Word. Because you know what? God is willing to assert himself as the masterful creator, which brings us to another key truth:

God didn’t just form the world we inhabit. God made us too.

Is it our right to question what God has made? Or even further—to call what he has made bad? We may not do this overtly, but when we hide, suppress, or bury the nature of who God has made us to be, we are actually hiding, suppressing, and burying a unique reflection of God. We were each made in his image.

This passage from Job really hit me. I hope it hits you too with the loving conviction that God is your creator.

We have a tendency sometimes, as people, or as Christians, to act like embracing ourselves as good is an act of pride. It’s an upside down interpretation of the truth laid out in Scripture.

Here’s the truth we see in the Bible: God made his people and said they were very good—inherently valuable. Sin is like an infection—poisoning a healthy body. But because of God’s love for us, he sent Jesus. Christ removes our infirmities by paying our death penalty on the cross, and God sanctifies and restores us to the good creation he intended us to be. We encounter some of that good, healing work on this side of eternity. And we will ultimately experience it in heaven, where all is restored. When we are living in the light of faith, we are able to shine as God’s creations—being restored daily to our original glory, even as our bodies endure the sin of the world. (2 Corinthians 4:16)

Here’s the falsehood that we (often unwittingly) embrace: We are awful sinners. We try to do good, but we keep screwing up. Embracing Jesus means counting ourselves as bad or as lacking in worth. We are to live lowly existences. That’s what it means to be a good Christian.

While Christ exhibited a lowliness that we would be good to emulate, it’s crucial to have a right understanding of lowliness. Humility doesn’t mean we count ourselves as worthless—humility is embracing ourselves rightly in view of God’s magnitude. Humility is placing ourselves under true authority and living the lives we were purposed for. To believe that we are worthless is a lie. To believe that we are created by a loving and intentional God, who has scripted us with purpose, is the truth.

The idea that we are created intentionally by God is outlined beautifully in Psalm 139. One verse stands out:

Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:16

Read how C.H. Spurgeon commented on this verse:

An architect draws his plans, and makes out his specifications; even so did the great Maker of our frame write down all our members in the book of his purposes. That we have eyes, and ears, and hands, and feet, is all due to the wise and gracious purpose of heaven: it was so ordered in the secret decree by which all things are as they are. God's purposes concern our limbs and faculties. Their form, and shape, and everything about them were appointed of God long before they had any existence. God saw us when we could not be seen, and he wrote about us when there was nothing of us to write about. When as yet there were none of our members in existence, all those members were before the eye of God in the sketch-book of his foreknowledge and predestination.

The idea is that before we were even created, God had a blueprint in mind.

He not only crafted you limb-by-limb, but in the original context and culture of this piece from Psalm 139, that phrase inmost being was often used to refer to your innermost longings and desires. Kind of like how we refer to our gut today.

Here’s what C.H. Spurgeon said about Psalm 139:13:

Thou art the owner of my inmost parts and passions: not the indweller and observer only, but the acknowledged lord and possessor of my most secret self. The word "reins" signifies the kidneys, which by the Hebrews were supposed to be the seat of the desires and longings; but perhaps it indicates here the most hidden and vital portion of the man; this God doth not only inspect, and visit, but it is his own; he is as much at home there as a landlord on his own estate, or a proprietor in his own house.

He knew what he was going to make us to be. To seal this truth in, let’s do a little activity. Just for fun, insert your name into the following sentences.

God knew exactly how he wanted to create _________.

God envisioned _________ before he set to work on creating him/her.

_________ was made with purpose and intention.

That was maybe a little bit cheesy, but so good and so true. Part of growing in our faith and embracing truth, is embracing that God made us with purpose and that we are his good creations.

Are you quiet and thoughtful? Are you outgoing and vivacious? Is your mind analytical and structured? Are you a free-flowing creative thinker? Are you drawn to warm colors or cool colors? Would you spend your ideal Saturday morning in or out of the house? Do you exude kindness? Are you fiercely committed to justice?

While we all seek to employ godly attributes and righteous living, the manners in which God displays his splendor in each of us varies widely. Perhaps this is why the Apostle Paul was so passionate about Christian freedom in the book of Galatians. When we submit ourselves to legalistic (man-made) rules and regulations, we may be stifling the unique glory God seeks to display in each of us.

It’s okay if you and your friend are drawn to serve in different areas and in different capacities. It’s okay if you and your neighbor enjoy different kinds of books and podcasts. It’s okay if you would rather run a 5k on thanksgiving instead of lounge around in your sweatpants! (Okay… that one might actually be a little crazy… JK.)

You get the idea. It could be deep or shallow matters. The point is that God made you to be you.

I hope that as you embrace this truth today, you feel encouraged in love to walk in the light. I hope you’re able to embrace who you are as God’s beloved child and not be ridden with false shame when your personhood differs from those around you. I’ll end with a portion of this verse from Isaiah:

…They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor. Isaiah 61:3

As a child of God, you were made to be a unique display the Lord’s splendor.

With faith in our Savior Jesus, as you step into the restoration and sanctification of the Holy Spirit, may you embrace your own created self as good.

God made you good.

Offering Jesus What's Most Special to You (A Reflection on Matthew 26:6-13)

Today, I had the opportunity to share Matthew 26:6-13 with a group of about fifteen three-year-olds. Nothing will cause you to boil a story down to its main point like the need to hold the attention span of a room full of toddlers.

In this particular story, we see Jesus hanging out at a friend’s house. (It says he was in the home of “Simon the Leper”—which is a beautiful little detail we could expound on in an entire additional blog post… but we’ll do that another day.)

Jesus was hanging at the table when a woman came in with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume. She poured it all over Jesus. This woman was taking something incredibly valuable to her and offering it to Jesus. Maybe she thought he would enjoy the scent. Maybe she felt like it was more symbolic for herself—simply wanting to give all that she had to Jesus. We don’t know the extent of her intentions, but what we do know is that Jesus found her doing this to be absolutely beautiful.

Many in the room didn’t understand the woman’s act. Matthew 6:9 tells us that the disciples thought she would have been better off selling the perfume and giving the money to the poor. They found her act to be wasteful and a poor judgement call. Thankfully, Jesus came right to her defense.

“Why are you bothering her?” “She has done a beautiful thing.” “She did this to prepare me for burial.”

Did you catch that last part? There was incredible significance to what this woman had done. This woman played a vital role in preparing Jesus for his death. In giving him her perfume, offered in love, she was actually anointing him before he took to the cross.

The Bible doesn’t say that the woman knew this was the purpose of her actions. If she did, that’s wonderful. If she didn’t, it’s amazing to consider how we can be spurred to love Jesus in a particular way without even understanding the magnitude of what we have done.

As I was telling this story to toddlers, keeping my sentences short, and the ideas as simple as possible, this is how it was described:

“A woman loved Jesus so much. She wanted to give Jesus something very special to her. She poured her special oil on Jesus.”

This story had me thinking about what was most special to me. Were there parts of my life that reflected the woman in this story? Maybe you can ask yourself the same question. Are there things that you pour out daily that might be misunderstood by others?

Do you give up your time for your children?

Do you sacrifice time to serve people needing extra help?

Do you bring meals to people?

Do you create? Do you write? Do you sing?

Often, the way we serve Jesus doesn’t look like what the person next to us might choose to do. And yet the beauty of it all? Jesus sees our hearts. He sees our intentions to love him. He sees our desires to help our families, our friends, and those in need. And if others don’t agree… he comes to our defense.

That’s who he is. He defends those who have given him their hearts.

We see that in this story, and it’s how he is described in so many other parts of the Bible. He is our defender, now and forever.

May you offer your gifts to Jesus with courage, serving Christ despite how others may perceive what you do. And know that the one you serve is both kind and fierce—kind to see your heart, and fierce to defend you.

The Daily Walk With Jesus: Living Lives of Hopeful Surrender

What peace and power comes from the art of the daily surrender—

There are many things a person can surrender their control over. The Bible has a lot to say about the dreams, desires, and wills that God has planted in the hearts of his people. Right alongside, we are no strangers to the worries and anxieties that can plague our daily life.

On either end of the spectrum, from the positive to the negative, thinking too far into the future can be overwhelming. God has so much for us today. Aligning our hearts with the present moment, in faith and trust, can bless our days and give direction to our steps.

So, how do we do this? How do we surrender our lives to Jesus?

For me, it began one simple morning. I was thinking about dreams that God has laid on my own heart—dreams that felt a bit unattainable in my season of life with young children. I wasn’t sure how to balance my desire to love my kids well, maintain our home, and chase after these God-sized dreams… I felt discouraged and overwhelmed.

That’s when I felt a nudge in my heart. The phrase, “one day at a time” is all I could ponder. If we can offer our one day to Jesus, we can trust that he will use it for his glory. This isn’t even about just chasing dreams—but trusting the author of dreams, and his desire to use our one life for his glory and the good of others.

“Jesus, this day is yours” is a good prayer to begin with and a posture of the heart to have.

As humans, can we even handle more than one day at a time? One day is bite-sized and attainable, and I wonder if it’s what God intended for us all along. The night arrives every 24 hours, and our days reset after a nighttime of slumber.

Everyday, his mercy is new. Everyday, we get a fresh start. Everyday, he is willing to meet us with fresh sustenance to guide us.

Some scriptures that help encourage my heart in the art of the daily surrender are written below:

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Psalm 143:8

We can pray this, and we can trust this. Ask God to make you aware of his still, small voice, guiding you along. And know that you can entrust your life to him. He is so good and trustworthy.

Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established. Proverbs 16:3

Part of the daily surrender includes truly committing your work to the Lord. If he is in charge, and it is ultimately for his glory, then you can commit it to him and know that even if it doesn’t look like what you imagined, or isn’t fulfilled in the way that you expected, he is establishing your plans according to his perfect purposes. May this truth bring you peace and build your faith as you watch his plans unfold for your life.

May the favor of the Lord rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 90:17

Now, this particular scripture comes at the end of a psalm that is focused on God’s eternal nature, and our finite nature. (A whole post on that here!) As we humble ourselves before God, and remember that we truly exist for him (and, also, that this is a good thing because he is infinitely kind), we can lay our lives at his feet, asking him to establish our days.

All in all, I hope reading this is able to encourage you to take a deep breath, and know that God is kind, faithful, and trustworthy. We don’t need to be overwhelmed by the big picture of our lives because we can take it in stride, hand-in-hand with our Maker.

Love to you!

Annalisa

For further reading: Psalm 126:1, Matthew 6:34, Exodus 16:21, Lamentations 3:22-23

PS: Keep your eyes peeled on social media for a mailing list option. Coming soon! Exclusive devotional content to your inbox!

PSS: I made an art print along this theme. Check it out in the shop. Titled: Garden Walk at Dawn

Mothering for the Glory of Jesus: How Our Shortcomings Point to the Cross

I was driving my son to preschool today, telling him the title of the song we were listening to: “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”. He gave an audibly excited inhale and said, “we love to learn about Jesus!” What an encouragement to my heart this was—because isn’t this the goal?—to hear my son’s perception of Jesus as one who is good.

The world often misconstrues Jesus, or Christianity, as oppressive and unkind. Religion becomes an unattainable set of rules, faith becomes a heavily-burdened conscience, and the church becomes a congregation of hypocrites. This is so far from the wonderful and beautiful truth about who Jesus is and the life he offers us. The scripture below begins to paint this picture for us.

I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly. John 10:10

I am so glad that my son is starting to see the beauty of Jesus. And before you think this is one big boast-post about how my awesome parenting got us to this point, I’d love to share some of my reflections that followed. How did we come to this moment? What has the message of Jesus been in our home?

I’ll give you a hint: it had a lot more to do with my own weakness on display as opposed to strength. I started noticing a pattern early on: the days I really devoted myself to praying over my children’s spiritual growth ended up being the days I found myself needing to apologize more and celebrate the grace of Jesus with them. I think somewhere in my mind, I thought that the more I prayed about my parenthood, the more I would start seeing patience, kindness, and joy flowing out of me. And while the Holy Spirit has certainly brought about fruit in all of these places, something else has grown too. I have grown in an awareness of my own shortcomings, and that will always bring one to a place of clinging to the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

I thought that in order to lead my kids to Jesus, I would need to shine up my behavior. In a way, I thought that my own glory would lead them Jesus, but our perfection isn’t a prerequisite for our usefulness to Jesus. My good days and bad days can both be used in order to bring glory to the king. Jesus died for us while we were still in sin and it is our faith that brings about righteousness. Enhancing my children’s faith in the saving work of Jesus is actually the best thing I can do—not only for their salvation—but even for their own righteous living.

Jesus knew this on those days that I lost my patience, and couldn’t help but keep falling short, that he was going to be the hero of the story that day. He was going to put his saving grace and love on display for my child.

God brings about our holiness—but he does it by increasing our faith. We grow in our understanding of God’s love, and the love we show increases. (1 John 4:19) Things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control—all those coveted spiritual fruits we hope to see—are produced by the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit gives life. The flesh counts for nothing. John 6:63

We could study every law and command found in Scripture and still never come to Jesus, place our faith in him, and experience the power of the Holy Spirit—and all the overflowing life that comes along with it. This is exactly what Jesus spoke to the Pharisees about in John 5:

You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. John 5:39-40

Coming to Jesus means abundant living—enjoying the fruit of righteouness—and standing before God in confidence, on the basis of faith. Belief in the saving work of Jesus means the Spirit flowing through us like rushing, living waters.

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. John 7:37-39

This has always been a message that confused people. John 6 describes Jesus being questioned by a crowd about the work God wanted them to do. I can almost hear their cries. Just tell us how to have God’s approval! What Jesus says is astounding—

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:28-29

Jesus tells them to not work for what fades away but work for what brings about eternal life. Work to cultivate faith. And this is the good news: we can cultivate a beautifully vibrant faith in our home and in the lives of our children without attaining perfection ourselves. Jesus shines through all our broken places. He is glorified in the midsts of our shortcomings.

As we walk out our motherhood today as believers of the good and true gospel, may we rest in the finished work of Jesus. May we celebrate all that he is and share with our children the glorious grace that is lavished on us.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are… 1 John 3:1

We are children of God, judged through the lens of Jesus’ sacrifice. Accepted and loved. So go—celebrate God’s laws, teach them to your children, uphold them as good messages from a loving and gracious God—but don’t let the law outshine the cross. The law was intended to point us to Jesus. May we point our children to Jesus in the same way as we fall short.

Fading Into The Background: How Our Finite Nature Glorifies The Eternal God

One day, I just woke up and looked in the mirror and thought, “Wow… I look tired today”. I figured I had better get some extra sleep or eat a few more vegetables in order to be looking sprite the next day. Wrong-o... That was just a little introduction to the process of aging.

As you know, aging is a process by which you wake up morning after consecutive morning and, guess what, you still look tired! Your hair grows thinner. Your body gets wobblier. The little area underneath your eyes darkens. And while there are things you can do to nourish and energize your body each day, the fact is that we are all going to go from 15-to-75. There will be changes. We will grow older.

Now, this might sound like bad news if we didn’t have such a good God. As Christians, we don’t need to be afraid of the truth because we can trust in the goodness of God in all circumstances. The truth is that we do age. We, and all of creation, go through this process. And there is good purpose in this.

Sometimes, we wish aging weren’t so. Just this morning, I found myself praying for just a little more beauty. I realize this might sound like a weird thing to pray for, but this week, it was like I could see my youth fading before my eyes.

Fading lillies

I had purchased some lillies earlier this week, and I watched them transition more each day—fading from red to cream. In the same way, I could see the vibrancy of my own features fading. My heart wasn’t feeling ready for that. “Just a little more youth, God?” But as soon as my heart had asked this, his gentle spirit reminded me that this is the way it is. This is the nature of our time on earth.

The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the LORD. And so it is with people. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:7-8 NLT

As you see in the Scripture above, we fade beneath the breath of God. He is over this process. And while our pride may be pricked by this notion, Psalm 90 helps to bring a gentleness and ease to the idea.

We find true comfort when we gain a better grasp of our own lives in orientation to the eternal nature of God. This beautiful psalm opens with the proclamation that God has been a safe place for mankind from the beginning of all time.

“…you have been our dwelling place thoughout all generations…” (90:1)

“…from everlasting to everlasting, you are God…” (90:2)

We remember who God is as the psalm transitions into the reminder of who people are. It describes how God turns mortals back into dust. People are constantly being swept away while new creation springs up. (90:3-6) And God tells us that considering this process can actually bless our time on earth.

Paying attention to the true reality of our numbered days gives us a heart of wisdom: we are able to seek the Lord with fervor, knowing that while we are fading away, his unfailing love is renewed with each passing day. (90:12-14)

We are able to sing songs and find gladness when we turn our attention on the eternal nature of God’s love.
It is this truth—that we are finite and God is infinite—that can cause us to turn to him each day asking him to determine what we are to do and how we spend our time. We get to surrender ourselves to him, asking him to establish the work of our hands. (90:17)

We have always been created for a greater glory. For the glory of God. It is in our fleeting state that our lives, while short and imperfect, might point to the majesty of an all-loving and all-powerful God.

There is actually a deep sense of peace that can be ours when we stop striving to be more than we are and find rest in the God who is so much greater.

When we remember that we exist for God’s glory, it takes the pressure off. We can turn our hearts to him and commit our daily work to him, and trust that he will accomplish his purposes through us.

We find love and meaning, joy and peace. And it colors all of our days.