Homegrown Hospitality

Documented Faith 2019 Week Three & Four

Happy Week 3 AND almost Week 4 of Documented Faith 2019.

It has come to my attention that I have confused y'all with the weeks and the emails and the verses and what I am doing and what I am not doing so let's start again, shall we?

Today is Thursday, January 17th which technically means we should be on week 4 of Documented Faith but with the way 2018 ended and 2019 started and when I began..well let's just say it got tangled.

Speaking of tangled, today's Early Morning Coffee Talk is a bit of a pin-ball game, plus my pants were on backwards. Nevertheless, I showed up and was glad I did. Check out this weeks "Early Morning Coffee Talk" on You Tube.

 

Here is the Documented Faith Week 3 Verse PDF: Download DF2019 week 3

 

Here is the Documented Faith Week Four Verse PDF: Download DF2019 week 4

Why I Document My Faith

On March 6th, I posted this on social media streams

  without knowing anything except for the feeling.  I have felt "shifts" happening in the past but I don't think I have actually announced them out loud.  For some reason, with this one, I thought I should.  

Okay, rewind back at least 2, maybe three years.

I have been hearing a loud whisper saying "use what you have" and I have honestly been practicing it myself and passing it along, encouraging and reminding you, fellow friends, followers, pinners, posters and readers to in fact, #usewhatyouhave.  I thought that I was practicing, encouraging and inspiring myself and others to, again, #usewhatyouhave when it came to our scraps, stash and unused inventory of stuff i.e. paper, paint, fabric, felt, ink, etc. because we all got too much junk. (remember, I use the word junk in a good way)

Now fast forward back up to a few days ago when I finished reading an AMAZING book called The Hope Quotient by Ray Johnston.  He is the Pastor of Bayside Church in Northern California and he recently visited Saddleback.  (you can watch his sermon here. p.s.print out the sermon notes and grab a pen.) After finishing the book, I went back through it and reread all of the areas that I had highlighted (I highlighted a lot) and came across this: 

"The greatest thing about discovering and developing your gifts is that it frees you to be yourself.  When you find and use your gifts, you will be encouraged to trust God for what is next"

woah.

wait.

#use what I have

my gifts, skills and abilities...

DUH.

I mean, I know this but maybe it is not just about using up all my junk...it is about using MY JUNK. The junk HE gave me and please remember, I am using the word junk in the most kind way. (not like junk as in junkyard or junk mail)

and my shift!?!

Maybe this is part of my shift. 

This is what I call a light bulb moment and it is how God talks to me (besides when I am running or in the shower and have no way to write it down.) When things start to connect, a "light" turns on and/or something "dawns on me" it is really important for me to WRITE IT DOWN so that I remember it because guaranteed, I will forget it and I know that I will need it in the future for myself and quite possibly as a reminder for someone who might already know, but forgot to remember (that is you)

THIS is why I document my faith.  

Love Is..

"Love is more important than anything else.  It is what ties everything together...."If that popped phrase popped out of a fortune cookie, many would read it, be encouraged by it, agree or disagree with it and might even believe it but here is the good news..the end of it reads: Colossians 3:14 CEV which means it comes from the Bible which also means it is true.  Love binds the virtues of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience TOGETHER.  We need to remember that we cannot do one without the other.

To download this weeks Documented Faith verse and PDF, click here:  Download Week 7

How I Am Starting a New Year WITHOUT A New Planner

It seems that our creative world is often more consumed with a planner than the plan. I say that  because I read blogs, Pinterest, scroll through Social Media streams and mostly because I started to feel that way too.  It was exactly at this time last year that  I was perched at my kitchen window like Gladys Kravitz, watching out the window, glancing at the clock, listening for the rumble on the street above ours and desperately needing the UPS truck to make a delivery so that I and a tribe of youngin's could unpack hundreds of boxes to pack 100's of other boxes so that they could get right back out on the road to you all before the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve and we all turned into pumpkins just so we could all have a brand new undated and blank planner to stare at on New Years Day.

Okay, I almost just had an anxiety attack typing that.

Truth be told, all of the above ran through my mind this past October except for the fact that I would not have 100's of planner/binders to wait for, unpack, repack, ship out and scream Happy New Year all at the same time and all of that DID give me an anxiety attack and is what caused me to realize that I was more obsessed with a planner than the plan and why I will always use my mess as my message.

See the full circle there?

It is okay that I am not starting off with a blank, undated, brand spanking new planner/binder on January first because if I did, I would have to write things down like and well shoot, I can do without that list for a little bit longer.

In all seriousness, yes, it does feel a little wonky starting a new year without a new planner for Documented Faith BUT that's part of THE PLAN (you know, that plan I don't know the details to) and I believe that because I have said from the very beginning, it is not about the products, it is about the purpose. I will say it again:

It is not about the products, it is about the purpose. 

The Core Purpose of Documented Faith 

It is not about a religion. It is about a personal relationship with Jesus. It is about developing the habit of spending time reflecting, reading, worshiping, learning and memorizing God’s word in a creative way.  Documented Faith was created to remind, encourage and inspire each other  to record, illustrate, document and journal our everyday moments, how God is working in us and through us, what Bible verses speak to us and how they apply to our situations, reminders and inspirational quotes and most importantly, how our relationship with Jesus and with others is growing. There is no start date, no finish date, no right way or wrong way to do it...just the gentle, persistent encouragement in the way of an email with a verse that lands in your inbox once a week. That's it. What you do next is up to you.  Some take the verse and create cards and share them with others.  Some rewrite it in another translation in the margin of their Bible, some just read the verse. 

 

 

 

While it is super fun to have a brand new something to document in, the reminder is that we can do it on a piece of paper, the margin of a Journaling Bible, a binder, planner, post it note, 3 x 5 card, on our sermon notes, etc. and I am confident that every single one of us reading this right now has something to write on.

Just remember, it is okay that we do not have a new Documented Faith Binder YET because we can just use what we have until the new one arrives and YOU will be the second one to know when it does!

The Daily Five

In the same way that Documented Faith started, I am now introducing you to My Daily Five.  When I shared what Documented Faith was a few years back, it was simply an invitation for you to "follow along" with me as I creatively documented my faith.  Sometimes it was in the form of an altered playing card with a verse or quote:

sometimes a page in my art journal with layers of paper, paint and ink:

often times a doodle in my planner and/or binder:

a message in the margin of my Bible:

or a little stitched piece of fabric:

but it was always shared as encouragement and inspiration for you and how you might document your faith in a creative way. The same goes for My Daily Five.  The five things I do daily in order to stay in order, aligned, focused and what happens during the times where I fall off the wagon, when my wheels fall off and when I fall apart.

 I do not want to confuse you.  

This is just another part of Documented Faith, sorta like a page divider with a tab marked "Daily Five" in my planner or binder and like I mentioned above, just like in the beginning of Documented Faith, I am inviting and encouraging you to to join me. My blah blah blah, two cents and sassy words come to you via email, will be posted here on the blog and shared via IG and FB with the hashtags #documentedfaith365 and #thedailyfive.  

I am not the boss of you so I am not going to tell you what to do. You choose what you do, when you do it, how you do it, etc. I am simply going to share with you how and what I am doing in hopes of encouraging you to create some healthy habits for your mental, relational, physical, spiritual and creative life. 

Are you ready for some inspiration and encouragement? Let's do this together. IMPORTANT: IF you are already getting my Documented Faith emails, you are all set.  If you want to get on the list, all you have to do is click that "Join Our Email List" button below and put in your name and email address. 

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Additional ways to follow along with Documented Faith and The Daily Five:

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephanieackerman1/

Follow the Documented Faith Page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/documentedfaith/

Join the Documented Faith Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1555537877994436/

Use the hashtags when sharing on social media streams:  #documentedfaith #documentedfaith365 #thedailyfive 

 

 

Entertaining & Hospitality

This is week 46 of Documented Faith 2016 and we are into a new month with a new focus word.  This month we will be looking at the word Hospitality.

From an early age, I learned about what hospitality looked like from my mom and Aunt Dotties examples.  A door was always open, everybody was welcomed in and 9 times out of 10, there was food involved. I have to admit, as much as I loved all of that when I was younger, as I got older, I really confused "entertaining" with hospitality and oh my gosh, they are NOT the same. On the contrary, they are completely different and as I typed out this weeks message, I realized that.

Entertaining takes a ton of effort, planning and energy.  

Hospitality doesn't. You just do it.

Entertaining can be exhausting and draining.  

Hospitality never is, and again, on the contrary, it is quite opposite.  

It is refreshing, healthy, welcoming and essential.

In each weeks Documented Faith verse & message, I include a printable. This week, I found a quote on Pinterest by Melissa Michaels of The Inspired Room Blog based on Hospitality and I was inspired by the globe drawing she had done, so I redrew it adding in my two cents.  You can Download Week46, print it out and add in color.

If you are new to Documented Faith and would like to receive the weekly verses delivered to your inbox, just register your email here. There is NO pressure and it is free.

To download all of the 2016 Documented Faith weekly verses, head over here.

To take a look at the Documented Faith Companion Kits, click here.

Documented Faith Week 44 and DF MONTHLY 2017

This is week 44 in 2017 for Documented Faith.  We are continuing to focus on the word HARMONY and boy-oh-boy, do we need it. To download this weeks verse, message and printable, hop over to the DF page and click on week 44.

If you are new to me, my blog or Documented Faith, welcome and just start here and now.  No excuses that it is week 44.  This might be your week 1 or your week 17. What I am trying to tell you is that it all starts when YOU start. 

Speaking of starting, a new year is right around the corner and I want to talk a little about what Documented Faith is going to look like in 2017.

DF WEEKLY - The weekly verses will continue to be delivered right to your inbox every Saturday.  If you already get them now, you do not have to do a thing.  If you would like to get them, all you have to do is register your email and name here.  There is no charge, no rules and no pressure.  It is a verse and a little blah, blah, blah from me.

Week 1 begins on Sunday January 1st, 2017.

DF MONTHLY - I am excited to share that there will be a MONTHLY Documented Faith Online Workshop. The cost is $20.00 per month and includes the following downloads.  Please note: nothing will be shipped for this.  It all comes right to your inbox.  This is GREAT NEWS for all of my International friends!

• a video tutorial of a mixed media journal page
• a printable of background art that you can use on your projects
• a download black and white doodle for you to print out, add color and add to your planner, binder or Bible
• a printable booklet with that months verses and journaling pages.

I created a few examples for you to see based on this weeks verse. Currently the black and white printable is attached to the weekly verse,  In 2017 it will be part of the monthly online workshop.

Below is an example of the mixed media art journal page created based on week 44's verse.  In the monthly workshop, there will be a simple video outlining the steps on how I created the page as well as how I add color to the B&W page and add it into my journaling Bible. Each month will feature a new art journal page and b & w doodle.

Here is an example of the background art printable.  Please note that the watermark will not be on your printable. This is a high resolution image of original artwork that can be printed out on your home printer and used to create with.  It is not for resale, duplication or distribution without written consent.There will be a pdf download of the focus word and verses that go along with the word.  There will also be a full color cover page for you to print out and use. Pictured below is an example of the color cover.  Please note that the watermark will not be on the monthly artwork printable.  On December 1st registration will open and you will get the first month sent to your email on January 1, 2017.  Monthly subscription cost: $20.00 per month.  Once you subscribe, your card will be charged $20.00 once a month for 11 months.  You can cancel at any time PRIOR to the beginning the following month. .  To receive an email reminder of this registration, simply click the button below: 

 send me a reminder!

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What Does Stitching Have To Do With It

I knew the question would come up at some point "What does stitching have to do with your faith?"

The answer can be as simple as saying either "It has nothing to do with stitching" OR "God created me to create things with a needle and a thread." I instantly add in the reason, the excuse for piles and all the praise right back to Him...and then, as simple as it may be, I do my very best to complicate it.

I am really good at that.

It is a skill.

It is not really a bad "complicate" all the time what starts like this:

ends up complicated looking like this through the process...

But just like life, out of the piles, tangles and knots, God created me to look past the scraps to create things like this :

I stitch and then use the examples I create as a spring board to teach you, share with you, encourage you and hopefully inspire you to take a closer look closer at the "YOU" God created you to be, well and stitch, duh.  The experiences I have in the beginning, through the process and what happens as a result of my stitches have everything to do with faith and THAT is what I document.
While I may "do the work" of designing, stitching, reminding, teaching, encouraging and sharing, I do not take credit for all of the stuff that comes out of my head and through my hands...

That is all God.

 To see what dies I used to create most of the projects pictured above, just click on the photo.

When Art & Faith Collide

Whether you journal, document and illustrate your faith in the margins of a Bible, on the pages in your planner or on a post-it note, the most important thing is that you are doing it. You are in the Word and when art and faith collide, great things happen.

Now with that said, be prepared for the dang enemy to rear his ugly head right in the middle or most likely, before you even start because he does not want good things to happen. He is going to do a really good job helping you compare your work with others, encourage you to hesitate starting because you might mess up and possibly even focus more on what products you are using rather than the purpose.

Sound familiar?

I feel pretty confident to say that it happens to all of us and continues to regardless of how long we have been creating in and by faith.  Here is the good news: he (the enemy) is not the boss of you and when (not if) you start comparing or continue to hesitate starting, just recognize WHY and WHO is prompting you to second guess, procrastinate and compare.  Once you have done that, re-align yourself with truth, remember the purpose and then get to work. (permission granted to give him the hand, the middle finger emoji or just shout out "NOT TODAY")

If you are new to Bible Journaling and documenting your faith, me, my blog or back for the 7000th time, I invite you to join in with me and a big ol' group of women from all over the world in my weekly Documented Faith group.  Each week you get a verse emailed to you and you choose what you do with it.  Some pray about it, some create around it and some people just read it,  Again, there is no right or wrong way to participate, just that you take time to get into the Word. There is no timeline and really no excuse not to join in.  It is free and all you have to do is register your email address. Register here.

I am also have a self paced online Bible Journaling workshop and a 25% off coupon code for you! Yay x 2!  Check out the details and register for instant access here.

 

P.s.If you just looked at the photos and didn't really read the post, you can register for a weekly email here and my self-paced instant access online Bible journaling workshop has a coupon code for 25% off the registration.  This code is right there (lift your eyes up just a little the the peach colored code) and you can check it out here.

Documenting Your Faith

There is no one way, right way or wrong way to document your faith.  It is not about any one product or even a finished project.  It is about the purpose and the process.  It is about documenting the ups and downs & ins and outs of your everyday life and the how's, when's and where God is working on you, in you and through you.

When life, faith and art collide something happens.  Maybe it is a feeling, a memory, something physical, relational, amazing, tragic, beautiful, life changing, big, small or right in-between, that is what you want to document. It can be in the form of a written journal page, a photograph, a quote or verse that is taped into a page in your planner, a painting created on a canvas or a doodle on an envelope.  The important thing is that you document it so that you can remember it, refer back to it, pray about it and thank God for it. 

Documenting your faith can be done with a pencil, pen, needle and thread, paintbrush, crayon, camera, marker, typewriter, keyboard..whatever you have, heck..it can even be a tattoo.

Documenting your faith can be done in a margin of a Bible, on a journal page, planner page, post-it note, note card, index card, on a canvas, block of wood..whatever you have.

The most important thing to do is do it.