ATC 9-of-20 in Prompts series

creative artist Trading cards (ATC)

 

Who do you thank?

Why do you thank?

Were you trained you to say, “thank you” by your mom, a teacher, or someone who loves you? Have you thanked your parents, children, loved ones and those you don’t know? When, where and how often do you give thanks? Do you think it’s a good idea to thank in-person, by face-time, text, telephone, voicemail, email and handwriting on paper to be delivered by post mail? Have you enjoyed regularly spending time together with others, prayerfully thanking the good Lord for his steadfast love? Which emotions do you feel when someone thanks you? Are you tolerant when someone forgets to thank you or when they take actions which hurt you? Have you been surprised by gratitude expressed by someone who received your thank you note?

Front ATC 9-of-20 in series

Watercolor painting consisting of triangular shapes having a stained glass look surrounding a blood red Greek letter tau, T-shaped cross, in the center. Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! (Psalm 118:29) Mixed media glued-on printed blue paper cut pieces from the Zion Lutheran Church in Mayer, Minnesota, sunrise service bulletin titled EASTER, The Resurrection of Our Lord, March 31 2024—6:30 AM. Allelulia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Allelulia!

 

Thanks be to one God in three persons, the mystery of the Trinity!

With the universal Christian Church, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod [LCMS] teaches and responds to the love of the Triune God: the Father, creator of all that exists; Jesus Christ, the Son, who became human to suffer and die for the sins of all human beings and to rise to life again in the ultimate victory over death and Satan; and the Holy Spirit, who creates faith through God’s Word and Sacraments. The three persons of the Trinity are coequal and coeternal, one God.…more on Beliefs.

ATC back number nine of series.

Title of the piece: Psalm 118 Triune • Media used: watercolor and printed paper • Date created: 4.20.2024 • Artist name and signature: Elizabeth Knaus • Group or swap information: Creative Trading Cards • Artist contact info (website, email, etc.): freshretrogallery

Trade art, tell Truth and treasure others.

Twice blessed, two or more are touched during times of introducing artist trading cards to friends and family, young and elderly. We may thank our Creator for designing us to take on the challenge of creativity and for time spent in social moments.

I’m passionate about telling of tender-loving Jesus. After all the transgressions, tests and trials of this temporary life transform into the sinless new heavens and new earth, I truly want to see or meet you there in that tranquility. Do you want to prayerfully tip-off people about Truth? Talk about the power of the Holy Spirit who opens eyes to see, mouths to talk, minds to listen, learn and remember the gift of the faith in Christ is for us to have present and eternal blessings. No matter how touchy the subject feels, it’s thoughtfully telling to kindly inform people that forever is infinity, either way—with or without Christ. Those who’ve chosen to turn away from the faith that saves will be taken into the terror of everlasting torment.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

The Spirit’s true guidance—the Word and Sacrament’s forgiveness and encouragement—supplies trusting contrite hearts filled with thanksgiving for Our Father’s mercy in life strengthened by grace in Christ.

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! Psalm 118:1 …Read or listen to the rest of 118—it’s well worth your time.

ATC blanks with printed backs

ATC size is 3.5x2.5" natural parchment style paper for artist trading card with Ps. 118 Triune stained glass art painting, ninth in series using Prompts by FreshRetroGallery.

Take time.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 …Read or listen to the chapter.

Thinking creatively is therapy for building up tenacity in tough times. Try something new, whether it be talking to a pastor, trying a Bible study, threading a needle, tossing out trash, shaking a tambourine, drying someone’s tear with a tissue, roasting a turkey to celebrate the national day of thanksgiving, or treating friends to a gift of Prompts for Creative Artist Trading Cards (ATC).

Prompts for creative artist trading cards (ATC)

Topics, sketches, talk links and more…

Index for books of the Bible Sketches

Zephaniah Bible Sketches

God sings a song of affection over His creation! 

 

Our Lord calls us to sing a new song of thanksgiving to Him!

 

God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. Bible Hub

Sadly, some angels chose to rebel and fell away from God. Satan the Tempter is the chief fallen angel, the father of lies and evil demons. Eve fell for the lies. Adam took it further when he disobeyed God. When God questioned him, he could have honestly, humbly, swallowed his pride and told the truth. Instead, Adam blamed both Eve and God for his own problem. Eve blamed Satan rather than admitting her mistake. Blaming others is not good and there are consequences for refusal to own your own failures. 

Often, we don’t recognize the many ways we fall short of God’s standards. On our own, we can’t recover from guilt—we’ll never do enough [of what we think is good] to make up for our own brokenness. The curse of this world we live in is because of sin. Before creation, and while everything was perfect until pride entered the picture, God knew failure would happen. He’d already planned one Way back to Himself.

Complacency is vain confidence in—our behaviors, objects, processes—anything or anyone other than God.

Fallen human nature wants to replace or cancel our need for God. Corruption makes us apathetic and slothful—not caring about God’s Word. It magnifies personal desire, performance, money, affiliation, or someone we know. None of these arrogant behaviors make us right with God. Putting trust in anything but God alone makes for an indifferent attitude which allures us astray from the Truth toward perfectionism, envy and toxic selfishness. We are not forced to repentance, we are called to the Truth which leads us to it.

Zephaniah 3:17

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17

 

Romans 11:29, Zephaniah 3:17, Psalm 34:5

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Romans 11:29.

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17.

Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. Psalm 34:5.

Jesus came, uncomplaining, to set us apart from the world.

He suffered for us, died on the cross, bodily rose from the dead and ascended to heaven where He intercedes to defend us. He did not sin, yet took the punishment for our sin and shame. Those who move forward in Christian living are joyfully content to be judged according to Christ’s righteousness.

In Baptism and by the Word of God, we receive the gift of faith to believe our hope is in Christ Jesus, our Prophet, Priest and King, to save us from God’s wrath over judgement that we are sinners. Scripture claims we are to expect divisions and many bad things will get even worse before the end of time on this earth. Then, there will be punishment for those who denied the Holy Spirit. The Good News is: Jesus will return for those who trust Him! Now, we are waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promises.

“Only through the second Adam, Christ, were the ravages of the fall and its consequences (God's wrath and displeasure, temporal death, and eternal damnation) abundantly made good and the means of pardon and grace provided for all men”

Christian Cyclopedia

By the faith given and grace received, we have

• a merciful relationship with God, trusting His plan of forgiveness in the blood of Jesus
  
• power to grasp the gift of faith which believes Christ is the only Way to true peace and salvation
  
• grace to face God with the repentant heart He creates 
• refuge from His anger over all types of sin
• humility to pray for all people—self, loved ones, and enemies
• insight and wisdom of His will 
• contentment with God’s gifts and answers to prayer
  
• His gifts of growth in the faith
• desire to thank and praise Him
• encouragement to share His love
  
• joyful, wholesome confidence to trust in Him through the good and bad times

Believers—all who receive the true faith in Christ—have been made ready for death in this world and will never really die!

When Christians die, immediately their spirit is with Jesus in Heaven. They continue to live in the spirit, singing in harmony with God until the day of judgement when their bodies are restored to eternal perfection in a right relationship with Him.

Good texts, tunes, video and info

• Hymns, Ballads, Chants, Truth
• Worship: God Serves Us
• Theological distinctions between Law & Gospel
• Intro to Zephaniah
• Zephaniah overview video

1 Chronicles Bible Sketch

Give thanks!

I’m praising the Lord for the opportunity to go to church in person for the first time in three months! Covid-19 stay-at-home orders are slowly being lifted! While we waited for the re-opening, we were thankful for people and technology that brought online forms of worship services and Bible studies. God gives us abilities and ways to carry the mission forward and draw people to Himself.

Rhubarb is in season in Minnesota! Thank God before a meal or after dessert. Scripture tells us to pray without ceasing.

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” 1 Chronicles 16:34 ESV Bible verse sketch markers doodle hand-lettering.

Thanksgiving is more than general gratitude

Thanking our Creator requires humility because we’d rather think we’re entitled to things. Provisions of food and shelter, protection, mercy, grace, healing and comfort are just a few gifts of God. 

“From a biblical perspective, if body and soul, house and home, wife and children, and the like are to bring us any real satisfaction or joy we must first reckon with the punishment that our sins deserve. Without mercy, without forgiveness and grace, without Christ, there is nothing much to give thanks for since it is all going to be destroyed or sent to perdition.” —David H. Petersen (read more)

Our help is in the goodness of our Lord!

The Holy Spirit works in us so we may listen and look at life’s situations from a full perspective and know God deserves all the glory for everything good.

“But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.” Psalm 10:14 NIV

His steadfast love endures forever!

Jesus is Lord. In Christ we receive the mercy and everlasting loving kindness of our Creator.

Chronicles contains ancient genealogies, lessons learned from family history, and prophetic hopes for the future. (watch an illustrated summary)

My church’s sanctuary is designed to optimize acoustics so voices—confessions, prayers, sermons, songs of thanks, praise and all types of musical instruments are beautiful there. Chronicles inspired J.S. Bach (read more)

• Bach Violin Concertos | Classical Baroque Music
• Hymns by Johann Sebastian Bach in the Lutheran Service Book, CPH
  • Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light, LSB 378
  • Tis Good, Lord, to Be Here, LSB 414
  • O Sacred Head Now Wounded, LSB 449
  • O Jesus So Sweet, O Jesus So Mild, LSB 546
  • A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, LSB 657
  • The Ancient Law Departs, LSB 898

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Father in heaven, to You alone do we owe thanks and praise. read more

Pray: Lord, we cannot see the possibilities of Your big picture of love that endures forever if we refuse to open our eyes. Take away our unhealthy assumptions that we know everything when, in truth, only You are all-knowing and have sacrificed all to save us. Forgive us when we forget and decline opportunities to listen well. Put Your genuine love to work within us to discern when to speak and when silence is effective in order to hear and empathize with others. Put helpful words in our mouths to give Your grace to others. Thank you for understanding and holding us while we endure hard things. Thank you for every gift of goodness. Amen.

Thanksgiving for modern appliances and electricty

I posted an antique called a sad iron (or flat iron) in my Etsy shop today. Imagine having a couple of these, heating them on a wood burning stove, ironing with one until it cooled down, then switching it for a hot one! Metal handles had to be gripped with a thick cloth. In order to get the heat, imagine chopping the wood and hauling it in and building a fire. Even though many garments don’t need much ironing these days, I still love the comfort of cotton which does. Plugging in the iron and catching up on ironing feels like a luxury after thinking of the pioneers who worked so hard to accomplish the same tasks.

To get the clothes clean, pioneers pumped and hauled water, heated it on the stove and dumped it in a big tub. With organic lye soap which they’d cooked themselves, they physically washed by hand, with the use of a washboard, hand cranked clothes one-by-one through a wringer; then placed them in another tub of fresh water to rinse and cranked each garment through the ringer again! After all this, they threw the heavy water out the door. Not being able to toss them in a dryer, they hung all the garments to dry. In retrospect, I realize Life is Good as I took breaks from the computer to throw another load into the computerized washing machine and dryer. We should never complain about laundry in this day and age!

My husband is a picker, similar to the guys on the popular show “American Pickers”. Today he was restoring of one of his “finds” called an ice box, a modestly sized piece of solid oak furniture, well built with shelves and galvanized tin interior lining. It has a door where you place a big block of ice that was purchased from the iceman. The ice had been laboriously sawed out of frozen lakes. A drip pan was placed behind a wooden door at the bottom which had to be emptied every day. As I approach my modern refrigerator and dispense cubes of ice and filtered water without even opening the door, I think, what a blessing! I could go on, but you get the idea.

Happy Thanksgiving!

How to make Lefse, a delicious Norwegian tradition!

Make mashed potato, whipping cream, butter, salt and sugar mixture. This can be done a day ahead and refrigerated. Make sure it is completely cooled before adding the flour.

Cut in flour. Knead with hands.

Form into logs. Cut a slice.

Store logs in refrigerator while you continue. 

Put the pastry cloth on the round board.

Set up your working space.

Make a patty.

Sprinkle flour to prep your board.

Use a special rolling pin with teeth. Have a dry toothbrush handy in case the dough gets stuck in it’s teeth, Uffda-namen! 

Roll from center to outside carefully trying to form a circular shape.

Grill should be piping hot! Use one stick to put it on, the other to turn it and take it off. It’s great to do this as a team.

Flip a little bit over the edge of a flat stick, then rotate the stick to wind the dough onto it.

Rotate the stick to unroll the dough onto the grill.

Grill lefse until bubbly. Then use the stick to scoop it up in the center. Lay it back down on the other side. 

Scoop up the lefse after it is grilled on both sides.

Have a stack of several thick cotton cloths ready. Use a clothes pin to make a handle on one corner of the top half of your stack of cloths. 

After removing lefse from grill, place the round flat between the towels. Cover immediately to keep the moisture in as you continue to roll them all out and while they begin to cool.

Cut a piece in half. Butter and sprinkle with sugar.

Fold it in half and then roll it up. Ya! This is the one you eat right away to make sure it is good enough to serve family and friends.

After they have cooled uncover, fold each piece in half and stack. Then cut the stack into 3 wedges, leaving a hinge on the center section. The outer wedges form their own hinge from the first fold. I forgot to take a photo of this. Freeze it if you are making this ahead of time or if you have made more than you will eat in a few days.

Cook the meal, set the table. Gather the group. Give thanks to God for all the blessings he provides.

It’s ok to hold the lefse in your hand while you butter, add sugar and roll it up to eat with your meal. Pass the plate and let everyone prepare their own.

Serve lefse with turkey that has been roasted in a cooking bag with apple-raisin stuffing, mashed or riced potatoes, gravy, squash, cranberry-orange-apple relish, green bean hot-dish, home-baked rolls, dill pickles, olives, radishes and/or other veggies, water or milk, wine, coffee, pumpkin pie with whipped topping.