Joyful October

 Where has the year gone. It is the 10th month of the year. The following devotional thoughts I put together for my younger sister who is struggling with  the thoughts that she does not feel any joy or peace in her life.   

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Joy is a deep, supernatural gladness given by the Holy Spirit that does not depend on easy or happy circumstances.

 Joy is a conscious, disciplined decision to trust in God's goodness and maintain inner contentment rather than letting external circumstances dictate your emotions.

 In the Bible, peace (shalom in Hebrew, eirene in Greek) is much more than the simple absence of conflict; it is complete wholeness, well-being, and harmony rooted in the presence of God

Peace is always a choice because Peace is always present. Jesus is always with us, thus His peace is always present. We simply need to choose to rest in it.

You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in you,
all whose thoughts are fixed on you! ~Isaiah 26:3

Our thoughts and attitude we always control. So is choosing peace instead of worry, anxiety, or fear. But this needs to be learned, practiced, and repeated so it becomes a habit. Our natural tendency may be worry or anxiety, but we can learn to choose peace instead. It’s always present because Jesus is always with us. Let’s not lean on our own understanding, but trust God is in control and choose peace.

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Now I hope you enjoy the kit I designed for you all this month. 

  You can download the elements HERE

and the papers  HERE 

 

Joyful September

 This month I chose to use Psalm 33:3 for the theme of my kit.  

Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully and shout for joy. 

When I did a google search on this verse the following was revealed:

Meaning of the Verse : A new song: Fresh praise reflects new experiences and ongoing revelations of God's goodness.

Play skillfully: Excellence matters, and using one's best abilities honors God.

Shout for joy: Worship should be full of genuine gladness and triumph.

Also I looked up my Matthew Henry Commentary and this is what I found there:  Holy joy is the heart and soul of praise. Thankful praise is the breath and language of holy joy. Every endowment we possess, should be employed with all our skill and earnestness in God's service. 

 

I am definitely not a good singer but I definitely enjoy "making a joyful noise unto the Lord".  Our Lord desires and deserves all the praise we give to Him.  

 I hope you all enjoy my kit this month as I did enjoy putting it all together.

You can download the papers HERE

and the elements HERE 

 

 

Digital Scrapbook Blog Train - September 2026

 Welcome to September  and the blog train for Digital Scrapbook which you can find HERE 

 Again this month I have created a mini kit which I hope you all enjoy using. 

 You can download this mini kit HERE

Digital Scrapbook Blog Train - August 2026

 Welcome to August and the blog train for Digital Scrapbook which you can find HERE

My contribution is just a mini kit which I hope those who download it will enjoy. 

 You can download this mini HERE

and make sure you go to the website HERE to find where you can download other designers kits taking part in the blog train.  

Joyful August

 The year is moving along very quickly. I have decided to take part in two blog trains that happen on the site of Digital Scrapbook so I will share one on those that starts at the beginning of the month in the next post . The second blog train happens in the middle of the month.

Now for this month's Joyful kit, I will share the following devotional thoughts I found on the internet.

There are many verses in the Bible about the mighty right hand of God. God's might and power, His authority and sovereignty are all represented by His "right hand". It is His right hand that protects us, upholds us, and gives us victory over the Enemy. God's right hand spread out the heavens, and rules over the stars.

God's "Mighty Right Hand" isn't just a metaphor for super-human physical power. He isn't a muscle-bound hero in a comic book or legend. His might right hand is not an eternal fist. God is the One who holds the entire universe in His hand. It is open. He doesn't hold us in a choking grip; He holds us in the same gentle hands that hold a newborn chick or delicate snowflake. God's mighty right hand is also our safe haven. God's hand guides and directs, as well.

God's mighty right hand is always directed by His love. His love cradles us, defends us, lifts us up, encourages us, works alongside us, and welcomes us into His arms !

 You can download the elements HERE

and the papers HERE 

JOYFUL JULY

 The following words are not mine as I gathered them from two different websites. 

Lifting up your soul is an intentional posture of surrender, pointing your mind, will and emotions away from the weight of worldly anxieties and fixing them on God. Rooted in the Psalms, this daily practice acknowledges your dependence on His grace and invites His peace to fill the spaces you offer to Him.

We have an example of soul lifting being stated in the negative in the twenty-fourth psalm. As the psalmist asks who can ascend the holy hill of the Lord and stand before Him in worship, He knows only those who are cleansed in Christ can make that journey. "He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully"(Psalm 24:4) . If one turns his heart toward the falsehood of idols and makes vain promises ( most likely about religious duties), he cannot then also truly raise his affections toward God. So guarding your heart from temptation so you can worship is one way to lift your soul to God.

Lift your soul to the Lord by looking to Him for guidance. In Psalm 143, the psalmist is asking the Lord to answer him quickly. He needs direction from the Lord. He prays, "Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I life up my soul." When you come seeking the Lord for guidance in life's matters, as it were lifting up your heart compass to find God's due north direction for your life, that is lifting your soul to Him.

May your soul be ever lifted up to the Lord.

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Now I hope you enjoy what I have designed for this month:

 You can download the elements HERE

and the papers HERE 

 

JUNE 2026 - Something for you

 To those who visit my blog, thankyou and welcome.  This month there will be no "Joyful June" kit as last month I had a busy time with making greeting cards to sell at a market my husband and I attended. I do not sell many cards but I wanted a good display to add colour to our stall at the market. Ken's woodwork is not very colourful.  When we do these  markets we do not keep any of the money we raise, it all goes to Barnabas Aid. This organisation helps the persecuted Christians throughout the world - both in practical ways and spiritually ( bibles etc). 

I do have something to give away this month and it is something I created for my own use. Each year I create a calendar for the following year. For 2027 my calendar is featuring photos I have taken of insects over the past years.  If you want to see more of the ones I have been making for this year you are welcome to visit my gallery at Ginger Scraps  HERE for previous years and for the 2027 ones  HERE in amongst all my other layouts I create for the challenges at Ginger Scraps. 

What I am giving away is the monthly frames I have designed which I hope some of you do download, use and enjoy using. 

 You can download the January to June templates HERE

and the July to December templates  HERE