Bible Journaling Wrap Up...

I just wanted to share a few recent entries from my Bible. I've signed up for Stephanie Ackerman's Bible Journaling and Lettering Class (HERE) and love her lettering approach, which you can see in these three entries. There is so much inspiration right now online, but the heart inspiration found in the Word overpowers the art that come out.  I praise God for what He's doing in my heart and all who are discovering or rediscovering Him through Bible Journaling!

Created after reading Illustrated Faith Bloom devotion booklet. Inspired by galaxy technique presented HERE.  I used Micron pen, Signo white pen, water colors, Mr. Huey's opaque white mist on this page.

I completed this page after reading Rebekah Jones' challenge on her blog. It's colored pencils and Micron pen in my bible.

This was a result of another Stephanie Ackerman lettering tutorial. Micron pens, ink transfered with watercolor brush from Tim Holtz Distressed ink pad.

Bible Journaling - It's Not About the Art

I've been reading several posts lately in various Bible Journaling forums that go something like this, "I'm a horrible artist, but here's my latest page." or "I'm not as good as all you gals, but this is the best I could do." or "I wish I could draw/paint/write as good as all the talented people I see here."

I want to shout, "IT'S NOT ABOUT THE ART!!!"

It's about God.

It's about God speaking to you.

It's about God using the very way He created you to draw you in closer to Him.

It's about reading and interacting with God's Word and letting that Word soak into you deeper.

It's about relationship-building.

Then, after God inspires you, just maybe He'll use you to inspire someone else to dig deeper into His Word. To seek after Him. That's why we share our he{art}. 

I love how God is using Bible Journaling to create a new longing for Him. I'm honored that occasionally He uses something that I've done and shared to stir another to open her Bible that perhaps has been closed for awhile. 

It's not about me.

It's not about my art.

It is about Him and His Kingdom.

Bible Journaling - Trinity Sunday

 Truly, truly, I say to you,
before Abraham was, I am.

In John 8:58, Jesus clearly declares his divinity with this statement. This last weekend was Trinity Sunday in many churches of the Christian faith. In our church, we confessed the Athanasian Creed. This creed especially points out, in detail, our understanding of the Holy Trinity. Through scripture, God reveals Himself as three distinct persons, yet one unified God. We may not be able to fully comprehend this wonderful mystery, but in our faith, we believe. 

In my journaling bible this week, I've completed two pages where I've dwelled on the mystery of the Trinity. The page to the right I complete after Sunday's sermon. My "I Am" stickers from Simple Stories again found a home in my bible, as well as a few paper scraps, stickers, and die-cuts from that collection.  I also used my Micron pen for words and doodling and some miscellaneous alpha stickers to round out the margin message.  The colored background is acrylic paint, scraped across the page and then a few splatters with a brush on top of that.

I completed this page in John also.  Sunday's gospel was John 3:1-17, so I added the Celtic Trinity knot to this page.  I printed one out from online and then traced it. I recently purchased a set of Prismacolor colored pencils and this was my first use of them in my Bible. I really like that they are soft and easy to layer and blend. The colors are strong, but I can still easily read the text underneath, which is important to me when I bible journal. Finally, I outlined the knot with my Micron pen and then wrote out a section of the Athanasian Creed into the margin. 

Once again I find that this way of studying and meditating on scripture connects me so personally to the Word. It may not be for everyone, but I know it's creating in me a longing to open my Bible everyday to see what words and messages are waiting to be revealed.