God's word

Yesterday I sat down to start working on a new design for one of the Sunday Crosses. Typically, I sit down with my sketchbook and the Bible and get to work. God had a little message for me, and I thought I would share that with you. First, I’d like to tell you about how I get ready for a new design. Sometimes I wake up thinking about the next design, sometimes I have a conversation (typically it’s Brad and I in the barn talking when we should be working), or sometimes I’ve had an experience that brings me worry or stress, and I go searching for a verse to help me through it; I’ve realized that anything can trigger inspiration for a design. With all of that being said, it comes down to God’s plan and I just have to find a way to hear it.

My friend @rustiquebychristy made this leather cover for my sketch book. I read this verse every time I open it to start a new design or to practice my sketches.

When I sit down to practice my sketches or to lay out a new design, I take out my sketch book and read this verse. (That’s the beauty of having verses laid out in plain sight. You either consciously or subconsciously read the verses: every.single.time.) I bring out my bible, but I also use Bible Gateway. There are times that I like the wording in a different translation, but I always look up the whole verse.

Christy also made this leather wrap for my bible to help protect it. Here is the link to her IG account.

Then I start searching for a verse. In truth, I keep a list of verses that speak to me. Some days they are about giving my fear over to God, learning how to love my neighbor, or learning how to get over my self-doubt. I keep a list because I never know when I will need that verse again. I have a Pinterest board, post-it notes, iPhone notes, and notebooks filled with verses. Before I started yesterday, I sat down and started scrolling through social media. There are times when I just close them and shake my head. But not yesterday. God whispered to me to take a closer look. I started seeing verses….everywhere. Friends with verses on their shirts, coffee cups, Tik-Toks, bumper stickers, flags, purses, water bottles, and the list goes on and on. When we were younger, we really didn’t see God’s word everywhere. You only saw it or heard it at church. Now it is literally everywhere. At that moment, I realized that God’s soldiers are sneaky. We have quietly been spreading his word every day, all day, fighting evil with love, acceptance, and protection. I’m proud to be a soldier of God.

One of the new cross designs.

I do want to acknowledge that being a soldier of God does not make your life easier. In fact, it seems that you are under attack from the evil-doers of the world, the ones that cause confusion, hostility, and conflict. I am continuously learning and practicing how God wants us to fight his battles. I just want you all to know that I see you. I see your declarations. I see your light.

The light from our barn last night when we were going in for the night.

You are the light of the world. You cannot hide a city that is on a mountain. Men do not light a lamp and put it under a basket. They put it on a table so it gives light to all in the house. Let your light shine in front of men. Then they will see the good things you do and will honor your Father Who is in heaven. - Matthew 5:14-16

God Can Free You

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.
He freed me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4 New Living Translation (NLT)

Letting one worry creep in will lead to fear. One fear will lead to being afraid. Being afraid will lead to isolation. 

When I was a young child I actually didn’t look forward to sunsets. Sunsets meant that night was near. I worried about what the night would bring. What was out there that I couldn’t see. I developed a fear of the dark and I wasn’t sure why. That fear turned into me isolating myself to a fully lit room and even sleeping with all of the lights on every night. One night I remember I just couldn’t take it anymore.. I walked outside even though I was terrified to the point of shaking and crying. I put my hands out and prayed that God would hold them. It was instant! Something I can’t describe happened. The dark lifted and suddenly I could see every detail in the night and understood what every noise was around me.

As an adult I dismissed this as a silly childhood fear. But then I think of how many more petty little worries and fears we have as adults. They call it stress :) And there’s a multitude of advertised cures for this stress. I believe there’s only one cure. God can free you from your fears. Don’t be afraid of anything he can handle. Just ask him to! 

God Bless you all this night.

(originally posted on 1-12-2016 on divinecrosses.com)

This Shovel Keeps Me Humble

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3

This may sound silly, but this shovel keeps me humble. It’s not made of colored carbon with flashy aluminum flanges and a comfortable plush grip. There’s really nothing impressive about it! It’s an old rusty shovel with a worn down hickory handle. But, it fits my hands perfect and it rests right in the callouses it’s made over the years. The first time I picked this up and shoveled dirt with it was over 30 years ago.

I’ll be honest, when I was little I never looked at those dirt piles as fun for long. Especially when I knew I was going to be moving that entire pile one shovel full at a time. I used to watch my friends ride by on their bikes trying to get my attention. I’d wave if I had a free hand and tell them I’d be along soon, in my disgruntled voice. I always looked at them as better than me for not having to move dirt after school. But, as I’ve grown older, I now see that those piles were character builders. I get great satisfaction from taking one shovel full of dirt at a time and carrying it across my yard to fill those holes in the grass. You’ll almost see me every afternoon as the sun sets carrying this shovel. To this day if anyone needs any dirt moved, I’ll show up with my trusty hickory handled shovel that has an iron forged blade sharpened by all the dirt it’s scooped. It’s nothing to look at. But, this shovel keeps me humble.

(originally posted on May 24, 2017 on divinecrosses.com)

Memorial DAy

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13

God bless those who have give their life and given their life’s work to serve us and protect our Freedom.

Enduring LoVe

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:7

The beginnings of a special Enduring Love Cross. 💜

A Cross PenDAnt

I made my first cross pendant when I was age 10-11. It wasn’t fancy. I wore it with a jute chord around my neck. It didn’t take long to replace that jute chord for itchy reasons with a ball chain from a light pull chord.

Why did I make It? I wanted all the kids in the neighborhood to know that I was a saved Christian without them having to ask or guess. I didn’t make it to put in my pocket or hide somewhere else. I wanted to openly profess my Love for Jesus without having to shout it. Much the same as people wear their favorite college football teams on their shirts. It’s to show where you stand. 

I most likely removed and lost that first cross for fear of being teased and persecuted by the other kids. Also, because little boys don’t make jewelry, right? I wont feel that way again. I won’t live in fear of persecution anymore. I will proclaim that I love Jesus in any way I can. 

I hope that some one seeing that cross around my neck will know instantly I am for a Jesus and just maybe in that instant they will not have a fear of standing with me away from a church building and talking about our Savior with me. 

Keep in mind also when you are seen wearing a cross around your neck you are held to a higher standard by other judging eyes. If it’s in your pocket people wouldn’t know that you are Christian right away of course! And, you may even be more likely to act inappropriately if they don’t hold you to a higher standard or “classify” you as teller of truth or a “goodie goodie.” That’s the easy way though  isn’t it? To hide that you are a Christian until You are ready for others to know? 

That’s not what Jesus said we are to do. Jesus says in red right here in Luke chapter 8 verses 16-17. 

“Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it with some object or places it under a bed. But he puts it on a lampstand so that all those who enter may be able to see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor secret that shall not be known and come into open view.”

Let your light shine! They will find out one way or another that you are a Christian. Go ahead and let them have that first impression. Then show them with every moment after through your actions who your savior is and what Jesus does through you.   It’s not the easiest way in today’s world, I know. But, it will get easier when you realize you are part of a huge army of Christians who refuse to hide that they are for Team Jesus. Just like you! 
https://divinecrosses.org/pendants

Who Is Divine Crosses®?

Who is Divine Crosses?

-definition
Children of God, witnessing and spreading the glorious message of His sacrifice on the cross.

This business may be listed in mine and my wife’s name with the state of Florida. But, it is not ours. It is our heavenly Father’s to do with what He will.
This business has a manual for success called the Bible.
It has a motto..
“Thy Will Be Done”
My position: Cross Maker/Carpenter
That is all I will ever be and I love that!
Yes, It is a Ministry! What makes it a Ministry is all of us working together with one purpose in mind. It is not my Ministry. It is Ours together! It is growing into a powerful one too! To God be the Glory!
So, Who is Divine Crosses?
You are… We are!!
Please share any photos you may have in the comments. Show us who is Divine Crosses!

(originally posted on August 23, 2017 on divinecrosses.com)

It Put Things in Perspective

God is amazing how he reaches out to you. It was an emotional morning walking through the old wood shop I grew up in the day before we close on it…

I came home and unloaded some things that I just thought I couldn’t leave behind. Grace got out and ran to the neighbor’s house. They came out to let me know. She’s hard to miss. Big frantic white dog sniffing everything as fast as possible.

Little background. He is British and she is Chinese. They are an awesome couple and we are blessed to have them next door. I was invited in for the first time.  I’ve never had English Tea or Ginseng root and had them both in the same sitting. And.. out of nowhere I’m learning bible verses in Chinese. Here is the Divine message: they showed me how they crossed oceans leaving everything behind, with only their suitcases in hand. Here I was worried about leaving a tiny piece of wood or a some memory. They literally left it all! It put things in perspective. You never know where God will lead you and you have to be willing to make that journey no matter how difficult or far. No matter what you have to leave behind… It may be just 45 minutes up the road or across an ocean. Thank you Lord for letting Grace get out. I needed that message today.

(originally posted on February 3, 2017 on divinecrosses.com)