We Have This HOPE

Thank you for your prayers! Please accept this artwork as a gift and remember from where our hope comes.   Hebrews 6:19  (Click on the image below to download your copy.)

If you are able, please give your love offering to the United Way Relief Fund. Every dollar counts! Click the link to give and for more information on recovery efforts:  https://www.unitedwayhouston.org/flood

THANK YOU,
Melly

Click on the image to follow the link to scribe.com and download your copy.

(c)2017, Melissa Garza-Allen

For personal use only.  Commercial use prohibited.   

For commercial license information, please contact sillybeeschickadees@gmail.com

PRESS RELEASE: AUGUST 27, 2017

UNITED WAY OF GREATER HOUSTON ESTABLISHES FLOOD RELIEF FUND AS HURRICANE HARVEY DEVASTATION GROWS

HOUSTON (Aug. 27,  2017) – Because of the devastating and widespread flooding already seen in the Greater Houston area from Hurricane Harvey, United Way of Greater Houston has established a Flood Relief Fund to help with the recovery needs of those most impacted. All monies raised by United Way’s Flood Relief Fund will be used to help with both immediate, basic needs and long-term recovery services such as case management and minor home repair.

“Our first priority will be safety, shelter and basic needs such as food and essentials for those affected,” said Anna M. Babin, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Houston. “Once the community is stabilized, then United Way will focus on long-term recovery efforts. Since this situation is still unfolding, we realize the needs will be great.”

As a leading community resource in times of disaster, United Way invests in first response efforts through its partnerships with organizations such as American Red Cross and Salvation Army. Babin explained that United Way of Greater Houston maintains a disaster reserve fund, which will be tapped for this storm effort, however because of the widespread devastation already seen, the needs of those impacted will far exceed existing resources.

Babin added that, following disastrous storm events like Hurricane Harvey, United Way serves as the convening organization to bring together non-profit and community partners as well as civic and government stakeholders from throughout the Greater Houston area to coordinate recovery efforts, both assessing the needs and providing support where it is needed most.

In addition, United Way operates 2-1-1 Texas / United Way HELPLINE which is the community’s key information source before, during and after a storm.  United Way’s 2-1-1 is the one call for those impacted who don’t know where to call, providing the most updated information on shelters, basic needs assistance and,once the flood waters subside, long-term recovery support.

“We know that damage from a storm of Harvey’s magnitude can be a major setback for individuals and families, especially the most vulnerable,” said Anna M. Babin, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Houston. “We also know that Houston is a very generous and caring community, so we are urging those who can help to please do so by contributing to the flood relief fund.”

To give to the United Way Flood Relief Fund, visit unitedwayhouston.org/flood or text UWFLOOD to 41444.

And a Weird-looking Green Spiky Plant!

Grab your devotional files here and join us on periscope! The artwork for the devotional can be purchased and downloaded from etsy:
cactus, succulents and wildflowers

Cactus Devo Cover by melgarza on Scribd

  Cactus Devo by melgarza on Scribd

Beatitudes Study Workshop IV- Matthew 5:6

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness;
For they will be filled.
-Matthew 5:6

Thank you to everyone who tunes in on periscope and those who are sharing their pages on social media.
You have brought me so much joy and encouragement! 


Click here for Part I- The Bible Study Matthew 5:6 Beatitude Study

Click here for Part II- Matthew 5:6 Creative Challenge 

Beatitudes Study Workshop III- Matthew 5:5

Blessed are the meek;
For they shall inherit the earth.
-Matthew 5:5







Thank you to everyone who tunes in on periscope and those who are sharing their pages on social media.
You have brought me so much joy and encouragement! 

Click here for Part I- Matthew 5:5 Beatitude Study

Click here for Part II- Matthew 5:5 Creative Challenge 

Beatitudes Study Workshop II- Matthew 5:4

Blessed are those who mourn;
For they shall be comforted.
-Matthew 5:4

 






Thank you to everyone who tunes in on periscope and those who are sharing their pages on social media.
You have brought me so much joy and encouragement! 

Watch the periscope workshop here.




SaveSave

Beatitudes Study Workshop I- Matthew 5:3

Blessed are the poor in spirit;
For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
-Matthew 5:3

 



Our first workshop was amazing!
Thank you to everyone who participated.
You have brought me so much joy and encouragement! 

Watch the periscope workshop here.

Beatitudes Bible Challenge Worksheet

Download your worksheets for the Beatitudes Bible Journaling Challenge!

Silly Bee's Beatitudes Worksheet

June Journal of Faith Challenge- The Beatitudes

Introducing Silly Bee's Chickadees' Journals of Faith!  This month, we're studying The Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount as written in the Gospel of Matthew.

We will examine Matthew 5:3-10 in terms of Biblical lexicon.  Specifically, dissecting their Greek roots, how they relate to each other contextually, and create visual representations of the whole in contemporary application.

Whoa.  That's a whole lot of "huh?"  Basically, we're going to break apart the sentence, define the words, stick them back together (with glitter glue), and make pretty pages.  Dig?  Seriously, I'm not a linguistic or Biblical scholar, but I love to swim.  So, we're not going to dive into the deep end, we're just going to dunk ourselves under water with our eyes open.  Bowkay?  Here's the fun part: you select the beatitude and one creative technique and jump in!


All you need to participate is a blank journal/ notebook.  You can use one you have, or you can create one using original artwork by me!  Simply purchase the digital file linked here, print out in color, add blank pages, bind and trim!  If you prefer to purchase the bound journal, there is a listing for that as well.

The nine workshops will be broadcast live on Periscope- @sillybeeschick.  Periscope promises they'll be saved indefinitely, so if you miss one you can replay it and work on your own time.

See you June 6th on Periscope for Introduction to The Beatitudes 101!

#SillyBeesBibleChallenge

#SillyBeesJournalsofFaith

Joy Jar Post-it Printables

Download the printables here!

Page 1

Page 2

Faith, Hope & Love bookmarks

Click on the file and right click to download your diy magnetic bookmarks!

Bible Journaling - Consider the Water Lilies

Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
-Psalm 46:10

When I think of stillness, water lilies come to mind. Specifically, one particular pond in the middle of the city. There is a restaurant in Houston with an impressive water lily pond. It's a sight to see-- both mesmerizing and calming. Sometimes if I am in the area, I stop by just to stand at the rail and gaze at the stillness.

The jewels of the pond, as they are called, are rooted in rich muddy soil in very quiet water. They require lots of sunlight to thrive, opening in the morning and closing at night. I like to think that we are like the water lily, "rooted and grounded in love" (Ephesians 3:17), with a peaceful countenance (Numbers 6:26) and unswerving, ultimate assurance (Hebrews 10:19-23), focused on the light (John 8:12).

Consider the water lily and be still.

Praying in Color

Hello, friends!  I am putting together my faith journal and am collecting printables for prayers and gratitude.  I made a half-page size printable for praying in color that I thought I'd share.  My binder is a half-letter size, so the file is set up to print two on a page.  There are little honeycombs to color in and a few lines at the bottom for notes. (Click on the image to download.)

Curious about praying in color?  Check out my periscope below and visit prayingincolor.com.

Enjoy!

Ash Wednesday Altar- Worship Arts

Our church recognizes Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent when we prepare for the resurrection. For many, this ushers forth a period of fasting and spiritual discipline.

From The United Methodist Book of Worship-

“Ash Wednesday emphasizes two themes: our sinfulness before God and our human mortality. The service focuses on both themes, helping us to realize that both have been triumphed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 “During some Ash Wednesday services, the minister will lightly rub the sign of the cross with ashes onto the foreheads of worshipers. The use of ashes as a sign of mortality and repentance has a long history in Jewish and Christian worship. Historically, ashes signified purification and sorrow for sins.

“It is traditional to save the palm branches from the previous Palm Sunday service to burn to produce ashes for this service. Sometimes a small card or piece of paper is distributed on which each person writes a sin or hurtful or unjust characteristic. The cards are then brought to the altar to be burned with the palm branches. The ash cross on the forehead is an outward sign of our sorrow and repentance for sins.”

 



 For Ash Wednesday, I re-used the canvas scrolls which were part of the Living Banners last year. I flipped the strips over and weaved them together on the altar, then let the ends hang over the front. On each, I painted a black cross in acrylic paint with a dry brush technique to resemble the ash crosses administered at the Ash Wednesday service. The strips are just pinned together, so they will be available for future use.

 The area above the chancel which normally is draped with banners, is left blank. On the first Sunday in Lent next Sunday, the purple banners will be displayed. (Purple being the liturgical color for Lent.)

For those who observe Shrove Tuesday with pancake dinners, enjoy!

 For more on the United Methodist Church’s service of ashes, click here.

Bible Journaling - The 15th Psalm

Hi, chickadees! This bible journaling page is very special to me. I dedicate this page in honor of all the Alpha Delta Pi diamonds who have helped shape my life and in honorable memory of those before who were trail-blazers for women in higher education and the ideals of Christian womanhood.

Those ideals of a Christian in relationship with God are further illustrated in the 15th Psalm from the King James Version, our sorority's official scripture:

Psalm 15 King James Version (KJV)

15 Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
5 He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.


The visual elements in the page include our open motto, "We live for Each Other", our official colors- azure blue and white; and the woodland violet our sorority flower. The velvet leaves are from my late grandmother's craft box.

The links below are from the actual creation of the page- in two parts because of course, technical difficulties!  In the introduction, I gave a brief commentary on the history of Alpha Delta Pi.  I hope you enjoy it!  And, you better grab a cuppa and settle in because they are long!

And after a brief technical glitch...

2016 One Little Prefix!

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. - Psalm 51:10
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. - Psalm 51:12

I finally did my focus word for 2016!  I looked it up in the dictionary and it IS in there!  Ok, it's a prefix, but hey I'm claiming it.

My one little prefix for 2016 is re.  I was trying to narrow down my word for a couple weeks and God just kept telling me "re".  I know!  OK, the words that kept coming to me were "renew" and "restore".  That's what I need for 2016.  I need to focus on God's grace and power to renew my joy and restore my soul.

So, check out the Periscope video (warning:  it's lonnnng) and follow along as I journal my OLP and chat about the 1940s!  P.S. Jump to about minute 20 to see the journaling action!

Praise, Worship & Watermelons!

Get set!

As promised, this is the materials list for next week's periscope tutorials.  I encourage you to shop your stash first- you will likely have most of the items already. You may want to make a trip to the craft store to grab some scrapbook paper.

Ingredients:

• Scrapbook paper-
• 2-3 sheets of a floral print
• 2-3 sheets of coordinating paper of a light color (pale yellow, light blue, pastel pink, etc.)
• Notebook paper or graph paper- just a few pages, you can tear them right out of your spiral :)
• White acrylic paint- any craft acrylic will do
• Watercolor pencils
• A few different coordinating washi tapes- I used black and white stripes, a gold stripe, and black glitter.'
• Black pen (I use Sakura Micron and Prismacolor Premier Pens, both you can purchase in sets or individually.
• Fine paintbrush 

Extra stuff:

• Paper towels or facial cotton pads 
• A little dish of water
• Scissors
• A sheet of plastic to place between pages
• Glue- preferably Aleen's Tacky Glue
• Your fingers- this is a little messy!

See you next week!  Can't wait!

Here are some examples of floral prints just perfect for this project:

Get Ready!

Hello, creatives!

I'm planning on broadcasting the tutorials for this layout next week on periscope while I'm on Christmas vacation- date and time tbd. I'll be recreating this design style on the back inside cover end papers, but don't feel that you need to have a journaling Bible to participate. You can work in a hymnal, a blank journal, or even on a separate piece of card stock to hang on your gallery wall!

The tutorials will be in two parts. One for the background and one for the embellishments and both will be uploaded to my blog afterward.  The materials list will be posted in a few days if you'd like to follow along and create with me!

Merry Christmas!
Melly

But God!- Bible Journaling

After I made my super cute tassel of many colors, I thought, Right.  I can’t exactly just tuck it in my Bible and say, “Yay, me!”  So, I went back to Genesis to see what I can learn as an adult from the “children’s story” of the coat of many colors.  What I gleaned was this:

Genesis 50:20 NIV

²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

It immediately made me think of the Bible.  The Bible can be twisted around to try to do evil, but God intended it for good and his plan reigns.  People may think we are silly for journaling and “coloring” in our Bibles, but the Word was intended for good and no one can take away our dedication to it.  Everyone has a different way of expressing themselves as they study (remember creativity!) and we should all appreciate what others bravely, joyfully and kindly share with us here even if it’s not quite how ourselves would do it.

God intended the Word for good!  Don’t let anyone take that away from you.  

Rooted and Grounded- Bible Journaling

Some plants have very shallow roots and they grow horizontally just underneath the soil. Others go deep down into the soil and create a strong support system. The shallow roots can be easily pulled out of the soil, but the deeper roots are supported by the soil even more and are difficult to remove. The soil provides vital food for the plants and the stronger they grow, the more fruit they bear and for some, the greater the shade they provide for others. 

Like plants, we can use the soil to grow deep roots into God's love. When we are grounded in faith, God is able to use us as vessels to bless others more and more. 

I have absolutely no green thumb, so alone, I am weak! Praise God for his grace-filled soil!