God's Love In An Eggshell by Mennonite Press Inc

God's Love in an Eggshell © 2018 by Sharon Bailey All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author, with the exception of brief excerpts in reviews or pUblicity.

Book layout design by E. B. Schmidt / I. H. H. Productions, Newton, KS Photography by E. B. Schmidt / I. H. H. Productions, Newton, KS With the exception of the following images: p. 8 "East Hickory School'·, p. 85 "Trevor Schmid!"', p. 86 "Doug and Julie Conley'·. p. 87 "Rod and Eileen Furniss'· and "Philip Bosha and Jennifer Bailey'·

For more information about this book, please e-mail: IHHProdutions@gmail.com

Quotations marked ESV are from: The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Quotations marked KJV are from: The King James Version of the Bible. Quotations marked NASB are from: The New American Standard Bible® (NASB), © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org Quotations marked NIV are from: THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® NIV®. © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society®. Used by permission of International Bible Society®. All rights reserved. Quotations marked NKJV are from: The Holy Bible, New King James Version. © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Neslon, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Quotations marked TLB are from: The Living Bible, © 1971 by Tyndale House Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018945666

Printed in the United States of America.

31 Ukrainian Eggs that Tell the Story Sharon Bailey E. B. Schmidt

IHH Productions IN HIS HANDS

Newton , KS

In honor of Frank and Audrey Lewis You gave me life, unconditional love and a lasting foundation of faith in God.

Dedicated to Jennifer, Erin, Philip, Matthew and Trevor You have inspired me in ways I never could have anticipated. Love you all.

Special thanks to Erin Schmidt It was a pleasure collaborating with you on this book. Your support and willingness to help with my "special project" while putting your own on hold touched my heart. Your ideas, input, artistic eye and creativity were essential in giving this book life. Thank you for your patience, advice and encouragement throughout the entire process. I am so grateful.

Thanks to Family and Friends Thank you for your help, support and prayers.

CONTENTS

Preface 7 Ukrainian Eggs

8 The Beginning of My Journey

The Salvation Story 12 The Six Hearts The Old Testament 16 God 18 Creation 20 Adam and Eve 22 Noah The New Testament 34 Gabriel 36 The Nativity 38 Jesus 40 The Disciples 42 First Miracle of Jesus 44 Jesus: Light of the World The Christian Life 60 The Gift of God 62 Freedom in Christ 64 The Christian Life 66 Faith in God 68 Love

24 26 28 30

Abraham and Sarah Moses David Daniel

46 Jesus: Living Water 48 Prayer 50 The Lord's Supper 52 Stripes 54 The Cross 56 The Holy Spirit

70 72 74 76

God's Protection The Church Heaven Robes of White

The Masterpiece of God 80 You Our Journey Together 85 Commemorative Ostrich Eggs 88 Meet the Author/Artist

89 Meet the Photographer/ Graphic Artist

Bibliography 92

Ukrainian Eggs You may have childhood memories of Easter eggs and baskets. Many cultures have different traditions involving decorating eggs from simple designs and methods to more intricate ones. My first memories were of writing my name and putting dots on a white, hard-boiled egg using a white crayon. The egg was then dipped in a dye and it was like magic to watch what I had written suddenly appear. This was a wax-resist method, and little did I know that many years later I would still be decorating eggs using this same technique but with different tools. As an adult, Ukrainian-style eggs (also known as pysanky), became my inspiration. They are full of rich colors, intricate designs, and intentional symbolism. Using this method, wax is heated and then applied to an egg using a tool known as a kistka. The egg is then dipped into a dye. As with the crayon , the wax resists (or blocks) the dye from getting onto the eggshell, preserving the color that is under the wax. This process is then repeated several times with more wax and colors. Upon completion of the design, all the wax is then removed by using heat to melt it. As it melts, the magic happens and the design, which had been covered, now appears. The creating of the eggs for this book has been a journey like no other.

The Bible is a collection of books by many authors and written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Christian church accepts it as the authoritative Word of God. The Scriptures of the Old Testament are the sacred writings of the Jewish people. It begins with the account of Creation and the fall of man , and goes on to show the history of God choosing a special people to call His own. They go through slavery, find the Promised Land and lose it, are taken into exile and return. It is, however, also a book of promise. Through this people , He will send a Savior into the world and establish a mighty kingdom. The Old Testament is preparation for that Savior.

9idwn and C(5ue Garden of Eden

God's creation was perfect in detail and beauty. Adam and Eve were created in the image of God, for fellowship with God. The Garden of Eden was prepared especially for them. It was the perfect setting in which to live, a place which provided for all their needs, and where they could talk with God face to face. How beautiful that garden must have been! We are also created in God's image, and He wants to fellowship with us. Genesis 1 :26-28 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness" ... so God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them ... (NKJV) Genesis 2:7-8 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed. (KJV) Genesis 2:18, 21, 22 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." And the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, He took one of the man's ribs ... Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib He had taken out of the man, and He brought her to the man.

(NI V)

Genesis 3:20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve ... (KJV) Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill all the earth ... " (NASB)

Flower - Beauty, love 20

Butterfly - Life, creation

A Man Who Walked with God Unfortunately, the perfection of the Garden did not last. Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, and their lives were never the same again; the fellowship with Him was broken and all humanity was forever tainted with sin. In Noah's day, as in today's world, wickedness was rampant. God decided to cleanse and wash away the sin of the world by a great flood that would destroy it all. Noah, however, because he walked in the ways of the Lord, found favor in God's eyes. God chose to save Noah, his family and a remnant of creation from the catastrophic flood. After this event God used a rainbow as a sign promising that He would never destroy the world in this manner again. The Bible speaks of another great judgment that will be coming, but we, like Noah, can be saved from the sin that surrounds us. The answer today is still the same: walk with God in obedience to His ways and have a close personal relationship with Him. Genesis 6:5-19 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart ... But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD ... Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God ... And God said to Noah, "Make yourself an ark of gopher wood ... And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you." (NKJV) Genesis 7: 16 So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the LORD shut him in. (NKJV) Genesis 7: 12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

(KJV)

Genesis 8:6-16 So it came to pass ... Noah opened the window of the ark ... He sent out from himself a dove, to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground but the dove found no resting place ... And she returned into the ark to him ... and he waited yet another seven days and again he sent the dove out from the ark; then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth ... so he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore ... Then God spoke to Noah, saying, "Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons ' wives with you ... " (NKJV) Genesis 8:20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord ...

(NKJV)

Genesis 9:8, 11, 13 Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him saying: '~s for Me, behold I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you: ... never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth ... I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. " (NKJV) 22

Dove - Peace

Rainbow - Covenant

Meet the Author I Artist A native Pennsylvanian and mother of two, Sharon Bailey grew up south of Pittsburgh, PA in the small community of Large. She earned her B.S. in Christian Education with a minor in Bible from Nyack College in Nyack, NY, and completed her Elementary Education from Clarion College in Clarion, PA. Thirty-two years of her life were spent serving the community as a kindergarten teacher in the Forest Area School District in both the East Hickory and Tionesta Elementary Schools. She feels blessed to have worked a job she truly loved and is now enjoying her retirement. Sharon served for forty-five years as pianist/organist in local churches, and now volunteers to play at a local rest home. Teaching a women's Bible study also brings her great joy. Although she no longer teaches large-group Ukrainian egg workshops, Sharon occasionally instructs smaller groups and does public displays and presentations.

Meet the Photographer I Graphic Artist Daughter of Sharon, Erin Schmidt grew up in the small town of Pleasantville, PA, and currently resides in Kansas. She earned her B.S. in High School Mathematics Education with a minor in Psychology from Geneva College in Beaver Falls, PA.

She is a talented photographer, musician , writer, artist, and founder of I.H.H. Productions. Like her mother, she also creates Ukrainian eggs and teaches workshops. To see more of her work or to order prints she has created of images found in this book, visit: www.ebschmidt.com