PawsNPrints: Zebra

Searching

Benchmarks and changing seasons in life can prompt us to seek out things about ourselves that can lead in any number of directions. It boils down to what options we discover in our quest and what decisions we make along the route to tomorrow’s tomorrows.

Searching solely doesn’t have to happen. We have a Father who has promised to be with us, and He proposes that when we seek Him first, He will take care of all else that we seek. His Word promises, “…those who seek the Lord lack no good thing” (Psalm 34:10) and “He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

As we choose to seek Him, our faith is placed in Someone far greater than ourselves. That Someone is our Heavenly Father, who is more than able to handle anything we each encounter and has our very best in mind as we allow Him to compassionately lead us and sustain us along our journey.

Greeting Card Design:  BDAY-Zebra –  click here to view in the Kat Kreations online katalog.   The above photo was taken at Mesker Zoo, Evansville, IN.  This design came about when a new customer asked for a birthday card for someone who liked anything zebra.

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PawsNPrints: Turtle

Pressing On

No matter what the world perceives us to be, we can have confidence in who Christ has created us to be. Each of us moves through this life at a different pace. When we know Jesus, we share the same goal. The path may be full of challenges, but the reality of knowing Him surpasses anything that could ever try to distract or stop us. By leaving the past behind (however bright or dreary) and investing every fiber of ourselves into moving forward, we can press on toward the ultimate prize: knowing Jesus intimately, personally, and experientially.

Greeting Card Design:  BDAY-Turtle –  click here to view in the Kat Kreations online katalog. (also GTWL-Turtle)

This photo was taken when Kat was in high school in the woods north of her teenage home where she often played, sledded, fished, and more.

NOTE: The watermark only appears in the online version of the image in order to aid in protecting copyright.  Greeting cards and art prints do not have the watermark.

PawsNPrints: Tapir

Grace in Your Face

Quite often in a volleyball game, a spiker can manage a hit on the ball in such a way that its trajectory heads right for the face of a member of the opposing team. Literally, an “in your face” hit can be a reality for one team and a winning move for another. While a volleyball in the face can come abruptly, sometimes in life, we find other issues that are less sudden but just as apparent.

The grace which God has extended to you through the sacrificial death of His Son is so obviously available! Humanity repeatedly serves up its own measure of rebellion, sending it over the net and into the court of the One who created all things. The Father skillfully receives the serve with a pass of love toward His Son. The Son set the Father’s plan of mercy in motion by His death upon the cross. Then, the Spirit hits the offer of grace in your face, presenting you with the choice of how to or not to receive this amazing grace.

Greeting Card Design:  BDAY-Tapir –  click here to view in the Kat Kreations online katalog.   The above photo was taken at Mesker Park Zoo, Evansville, IN.  This design came about when a new customer asked for a birthday card for someone who played volleyball.

PawsNPrints: Squirrel

All Our Needs

A baby cries out. A parent attends, trying to discern the baby’s need. Whatever is within the power of the parent to provide for the baby’s need is supplied.

You or I cry out. Our Heavenly Father hears our cry even before it leaves our lips. He knows exactly what our need is. He delights in hearing us cry out to Him with our void. He can even interpret the cries we cannot articulate. He faithfully fulfills our every. He meets our needs in HIS timing, not always in ours. His timing is forever perfect. We can rest in His promises, such as that which Paul conveyed: “And my God is able to meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 NIV)

Greeting Card Design:  PRAY-Squirrel –  click here to view in the Kat Kreations online katalog. This photo was taken in the backyard of the horse farm near Camby, IN, where Kat lived in the late 90’s.

NOTE: The watermark only appears in the online version of the image in order to aid in protecting copyright.  Greeting cards and art prints do not have the watermark.

PawsNPrints: Sheep

My Heart’s Shepherd

Jesus said it Himself, that He was the good shepherd and that He knows His sheep. Thought there are many in His fold, our Shepherd chooses to know each one of us intimately and to tend to each of us personally. He searches for us when we try to hide from Him or when we wander off. He rescues us from what can harm us. He tends to every need we have. He binds up our wounds and strengthens us in our weaknesses. He removes our fears so that we can have peace. Jesus is the Shepherd of my heart, my mind, my soul. There is nothing I could ever lack; and I can confidently walk beside Him as He guides me, or rest in His arms as He carries me.

Greeting Card Design:  FSHIP-Sheep –  click here to view in the Kat Kreations online katalog. This photo was taken at a sheep farm near Camby, IN.

NOTE: The watermark only appears in the online version of the image in order to aid in protecting copyright.  Greeting cards and art prints do not have the watermark.

PawsNPrints: Monkey

Profound Gratitude

There are those times in our lives when someone does something for us that seems so difficult to convey a genuine thankfulness. Words don’t feel like enough for the indebtedness perceived. Gifts seem like a meager means. If only the other person could just know our heart and just… KNOW what we want to get across.

This challenge doesn’t just happen between people. When we really, really consider the sacrifice, the offering, the gift that our Heavenly Father gave us … what He gave up for us … How difficult it can be to find a way to truly say “thank you” to Him!

Greeting Card Design:  THANK-Monkey –  click here to view in the Kat Kreations online katalog.

This photo was taken at Mesker Park Zoo, Evansville, IN.

PawsNPrints: MonkeyCaught

Caught in the Act

Grandmas and moms have a keen sense of hearing. From three or four rooms away, they can hear the sound of a cookie jar lid moving before supper time. The response is often, “Get out of those cookies. You’ll spoil your dinner!” Busted! The cookie perpetrator is caught in the act.

What if the kind of action were converted to something positive? What if our Heavenly Father were the One to notice our smallest acts of kindness, obedience to His will, faithfulness to His mission for each of His children?

What if we were “caught in the act” of loving the hard-to-love, serving the hard-to-put-up-with, or choosing to do His will instead of follow our own desires? What would we hear Him say?

To the Israelites long ago (who often had their hand in the cookie jar in some way or another), He said, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you…” (Isaiah 46:4 NIV).

How good and gracious is our Father … even when we wander from His will!

Greeting Card Design:  BDAY-Monkey –  click here to view in the Kat Kreations online katalog.

This photo was taken at Mesker Park Zoo, Evansville, IN.

PawsNPrints: Geese

Leading Through Serving

Some leaders view their role as one which allows them to take from the organization they lead, amassing all the perks and privileges afforded them, including a title, the status, and the service of others to carry out their goals. Another kind of leader considers what he/she can put into the organization. This leader receives whatever is needed for his/herself, but primarily seeks to make the organization great, to serve its needs, to build up, assist, and empower its people. The difference in these two kinds of leaders is in their focus: The former kind of leader is self-serving and self-centered, while the latter is others- serving and others-centered.

Once, a great and all-powerful leader chose to give up his rights to all that was within his grasp. He took on the very nature of the lowest of subjects within his organization. He gave up being treated like an executive for the opportunity to scrub the dirty feet of those he led. He put up with insults and torture from the very ones he could’ve done away with. The irony of this is that this servant leader’s following has continued to increase exponentially each year that passes! He truly modeled the most effective means of leading those willing to follow: Jesus chose to become a human being, although He is deity by nature, so that He could serve the organization He created in the beginning. He sought to serve each person in His enterprise, so that they could benefit from His unlimited resources and His incomparable care for those who choose to follow Him. By the way, His organization is always accepting new applicants … just ask Him for a position and you’re in!

Greeting Card Design:  MINAP-Geese –  click here to view in the Kat Kreations online katalog.

A friend in ministry requested this card design. As with any special order design, once created, it became a part of the card designs offered in the Katalog.  The photo used on the cover was provided by Susie Kutch.

PawsNPrints: Cows

Peaceable Kingdom

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit … The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him … The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together … They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord …” (Isaiah 11:1,2,7, 9) NIV

In our Heavenly Father’s master plan for revealing His love for His created ones, He chose to come to earth as a baby human born into the family line of Jesse. (See Matthew 1:1, 5-6.) At the core of this plan, the life of His Son, Jesus, would become the ultimate peace offering in order to bring together a holy God and His fallen, sinful people. Jesus himself said, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NIV)

Peace on the inside, peace all around; peace with our Creator; peace among creation–it’s the nature of a peaceable kingdom with Christ Jesus as King in the center of hearts of all who know, love, and follow Him.

Greeting Card Design:  CON-Cows –  click here to view in the Kat Kreations online katalog (also THINK-Cows). 

For one summer, Kat did some house/animal-sitting that included dogs, cats, sheep, fish, and plants.  This photo was one of many during that time.

PawsNPrints: GotBDay

Waiting on the Lord

‘Ever watch the clock when you’re waiting for someone to come or for something to happen? Just how slow can those clock hands move, anyway?!

When it comes to waiting on the Lord, what a challenge! Yet, for those who choose patience (relying on the wisdom that knows that God will be faithful to His promises) there comes a great reward. The one who waits gets to cry out like David in Psalm 40:1, “I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry.”

May your trust in our Lord’s provision grow with each choice you make to trust Him and to wait for His timing.

Greeting Card Design:  BDAY-GotBday –  click here to view in the Kat Kreations online katalog.

NOTE: The watermark only appears in the online version of the image in order to aid in protecting copyright.  Greeting cards and art prints do not have the watermark.