all things new

As you already know, I opened the Etsy shop yesterday and it was just looking a little too plain jane to me. I wanted to add a little color to a print. So, naturally, I spent the day ignoring my children and allowing my husband to enjoy them on his last day off for the weekend. I toyed with painting with watercolor and getting it pretty for a print. It was fun, but there are some things I will definitely do differently next time.

It's no secret that something that gets me really excited is the idea of God restoring what is broken to something new. To souls: God takes people in soul-crushing, I-can't-breathe sort of impossibly difficult situations and gives them hope. To lives: God takes people who have caused great harm, or awful things have been done to them and shows them there's still joy to be had. To sickness and disease: God comforts us by telling us this is only temporary, one day sickness will be no more. In good times: God promises even the good is merely a tiny glimpse at the shadow of how things were created to be. Even in creation, God says that what we see now is fractured, that the mountains and trees will be even worship their creator. Until the day all of these things are completed, he's allowing us a vision for how he's pushing back what is dark to reveal more joys. Sometimes this vision is as subtle as being reminded that the good parts of your day are a gift from a good Gift Giver. Other times this vision is more obvious when we get to see believers walk in an unwavering hope when things around them seem to be crashing down. 

Being a believer doesn't mean that all of a sudden everything is happy and easy. It does mean even when it's not happy and easy, you have this deep-rooted, nothing-can-take-this-away-from-me kind of joy in the knowledge that God is still good and he is still actively involved in our lives.

There's a song we sing from David Brymer that we sing often at church called "Restoration". I can't help but completely lose it during these lyrics thinking of specific people or situations that show how God is actively restoring what is broken to something better. Our God is good. 

You bring restoration

You bring restoration

You bring restoration

to my soul

You've taken my pain

called me by a new name

You've taken my shame

and in it's place, You give me joy

You take mourning and turn it into dancing

You take weeping and turn it into laughing

You take mourning and turn it into dancing

You take my sadness and turn it into joy

hallelujah, hallelujah

You make all things new

All. Things. All things. All things are made new. It's one of those things that I think 2 Corinthians is talking about when it says, "But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed." If someone doesn't know Jesus, there's this veil keeping them from seeing how the Lord is restoring and when it's lifted you can't help but sing "HALLELUJAH! You make all things new!!!" 

It's like telling someone that doesn't see color that grass is green then trying to explain it to them. You can compare it to other things, explain how you see it, even give scientific explanations as to how the light bounces off something to make it look green, but that person has no idea what you're talking about because he's never seen the color. I am just so thankful I have this God-given vision.

Anyway, I digress. I warned you: It's something I get really excited about. Back to the start, I started doodling this picture a couple of weeks ago, and thought it would be a perfect one to test out my mad elementary-school-level coloring skills. It's a little messy and far from perfect, but I like it that way. The imperfections make it fit even more with the quote. This one is about to be added to my makeup desk.

I love it. If you want it too, you can find it here. 

HAPPY MONDAY!!

Question of the day: What helps you see that the Lord is making all. things. new.??

A