I was inspired by Latina Crafter's Be a Blessing stamp set sentiment Beauty from the ashes taken from Isaiah 61:3
Today, I have a better understanding of this scripture. I am not sitting on a pile of ashes.
Forgiveness and accepting His blessings is not easy when we are busy beating ourselves up over and over with our guilt, worry, mistakes or the 'what ifs'. It's torture.
Several years ago, I sat with a group of ladies in a Bible study, we were discussing about our worries and forgiving ourselves. The ladies in the group perhaps didn't understand or weren't ready to share, when I asked, "how do you let things go and say 'Ok God it's all in your hands and I won't worry or I forgive myself?'" No answers. So I said, "I hand over my worries, but I then quickly take it all back." I basically tell God, "oh no wait, I wasn't done worrying about that wait, let me torment myself over my mistakes a little bit longer".....again no answer. I am just an ordinary human trying to understand His everlasting love and forgiveness. I know in my heart, one day I will stop the cycle and give my worries to Him and stop taking them back. I am a work in progress.
Before I started to layer, I took my eBrush with Sharpies and sprayed the surface with red followed by a metallic bronze. I used Latina Crafter's, heart, star and cirlce stencils and eBrushed blue, red and pink.
The wood frame was gold, but I added embossing paste, added a bit of black ink and then rubbed Gold Metallic Lustre paste.
I sprayed a bit of gold on the gorgeous Prima flowers and love how this cluster turned out. Hope. Saved by His Grace. Out of the ashes, out of grey skies, there is blue skies. His everlasting love.
