Memory Verse Magnetic Holder

Memorizing scripture is important in our home. To keep track of the verses we've memorized this summer, I created a magnetic holder using a small clear box from SRM. It's a perfect size for holding 3x4 cards. It was super easy to create with some scrap paper and SRM's faith stamps and stickers.

For the step-by-step process, check out the video below.

For this project I used:

Child of God Clear Stamps | School Days Planner Stamps | Sticker Stitches Halloween | We've Got Your Border Pastel | Clear Mini Box

Lenten Journal Journaling...Preparing

Today is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. My Lenten journey will included journaling in a special notebook I created from an old hymnal.
I removed the pages of the hymnal and added elastic straps to hold folded paper notebooks (dori-style). I used some of the hymnal pages, scrapbook papers, and a few other odds and ends to create a unique place to respond to my scripture and devotional readings for this special season.
I decided to follow along with Sacred Holidays this year and purchased their devotion booklet. It includes a word a day prompt as well as written daily devotions. I'll also utilize my Portals of Prayer and other readings as they come up.
My goal is to be in my bible and journal each day - each morning to be exact - before I jump online to check e-mails and read Facebook and social media posts. It can turn into a big distractor and time waster for me, so it should not be my first focus in the mornings.

 

This morning's word is "messy" and the scripture readings included Genesis 3:19 and Isaiah 61:3. Such a great way to begin Lent. Life can be messy. Relationships can be messy. We ourselves are messy. Our sins contribute to that mess and the black ashes many of us will receive on our foreheads today are an outward representation of our sinful selves. During this season of Lent we are called to examine our messes and repent of them. And then we receive. We cover ourselves in ashes, but God - but God - He sends His Son to us and places on our heads beautiful headresses, annoints us in sweet-smelling oil, and we dress in a garment of praise. (see Isaiah 61:3) 

Want to know more about this sacred season? Watch this video.

Reflecting on a Year of Bible Journaling

It's been almost a year since I began this new way of connecting to the Word through Bible Journaling. I'm so grateful for this process and how God has used it to draw me in closer. God has used the time to rebuild and reform and reestablish how I see myself - as His child - worthy, loved, valued, included, and created for a purpose. That outlook will be important this next year as my family establishes a new home in a new state. (Yes, we are moving again after just 2 1/2 years in this house.)

God reminded me this year that He is trustworthy and faithful. People and circumstances of this world can hurt and disappoint us, but when we put our full trust in Him, our outlook changes and we can face those trials of the world as we keep our eyes on Jesus and our hearts rooted in His love for us. I've experienced some personal hurts this year and broken relationships, but I believe God is using these experiences to make my heart a little more tender towards others and give me courage to step out and trust in Him as I build new relationships in West Virginia. (Yes, we are crossing the border - but only a little bit.)

God has walked with us each and every step as we've investigated and considered this move. For me, Bible journaling has been an important part of my prayer time and discerning His voice as we took each step forward. Truth be told, I wasn't a fan of the idea of moving when my husband brought it up last summer, but I promised to pray about it. God met me there and changed my heart. He also began to line up events that kept leading us in this direction. He revealed Himself to us and let us know he is with us as we walk a new path.
We are excited and looking forward to what God has in store for us in Harpers Ferry, WV. We go forth knowing that whatever happens (for certainly in this world there is bad with the good) we need not fear for we have planted ourselves in faith and our God is near to us.

What a Friend...Bible Journaling

"No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you..." John 15:15-16


I read a devotion about friendship recently (see it here). It talked in part how friendships can sometimes fall apart and how painful that can be. This just tugged at my heart as I have recently gone through the demise of a friendship I treasured so much. Yes, opening up yourself and loving people who are human, messy, and mortal, can hurt when they (and/or we) fail, sin, mess up, leave, die. It hurts - a lot. It's confusing, painful, sad. We can easily become fearful of loving and opening ourselves up to those kind of relationships where we make ourselves so vulnerable.  As I was reading and lamenting my own broken frienship (as well as loved ones I've lost through death), I found the words I needed. The words I needed were the ones found in my bible spoken by the ultimate and true friend - Jesus.

Jesus is faithful. Jesus is true. Jesus is love. Jesus calls me his friend. And when our earthly relationships don't work out as we had hoped, we just have to go hold Jesus' hand and walk with him for a bit. He is our friend. He is the friend that willingly laid down his life to give us eternal life. His love is so true and deep and strengthening that spending just a little bit of time with him fills up our tanks enough to step out again, let go of that fear, and love like he does (or at least keep trying).

As I look at these open pages in my Bible I am so grateful for how God has been pulling me in close. There are several entries on these two pages (many of you ask how you can do this). Using 1/2 pages or smaller areas to respond to the Word is one way. I love how the pulled out passages work so well together. Do you see it? Adding the acetate (clear plastic) insert (this one alread had the "together" printed on it and is from Simple Stories) just adds another dimension and reminder of God's close presence to us.

After journaling this message in my bible and looking through my camera to take a picture I saw peeking through my clear insert another message from my friend, Jesus. "Your sorrow will Turn to Joy" is the heading before John 16:16. Jesus takes any pain we feel - rejection, loss, grief - and turns it into joy. He's that big! He's that kind of friend!

A Little Red Cup Doesn't Speak For Me - I Confess "Jesus Saves!"

There has been much dialogue lately over a red cup. My pastor published a short devotion and I journaled this page in response.
Romans 10:8-10 states: "The word is near you, in your mouth and in yoiur heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if yoiu confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
It's not up to a secular business and a little red cup to declare Christ to the nations - it's US who confess with our mouths the faith held in our hearts. It is WE who are called to speak of Jesus and his saving grace!

(These are my pastor's words as he published on our church facebook page.)
“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Romans 10:9-10). “I am outraged as a Christian I tell ya! Outraged!” It seems that for the last few days the word of choice has been – “outraged”. About what you ask? Coffee cups. Yep, plain ol’ coffee cups that are red. Can you feel the rage welling up inside? Are you seething yet? Starbucks cups are red because of the approaching season and that’s ok. Why get all bent out of shape about what is (or is not) printed on a cup. Their purpose is to serve customers regardless of the type of holiday they will celebrate in December. It is their business to sell you coffee and how they package their product has nothing to do with Jesus. They are a secular company, selling a product that is enjoyed by a variety of different people who may or may not share your religious views. When did it become the job of a secular company to share Jesus? Really, when did it become the responsibility of a coffee company to go out into the world and bring the light of Christ? This really got me to thinking about responsibility and confessing faith. As Christians it is our responsibility to share the hope, joy, promise, love, mercy and forgiveness of Jesus – not Starbucks. Paul points out to us that there is a connection between an expression of faith and what our hearts possess. The heart of Starbucks – profit. Your heart – faith in Christ. The mouth of Starbucks – enticement to buy more coffee. Your mouth – a confession of faith in Christ. To place the responsibility of the Gospel on a company with a heart for profit is not at all beneficial or acceptable. From their heart comes a confession of their faith – profit and market share. But from your heart and mouth comes a confession of faith in Jesus Christ and the salvation He won for you on the cross. The coming Christmas season will have all kinds of different messages ringing in our ears. Why add unnecessary noise about cup colors that will simply blot out a more important message? If you want to add to the conversation why not boldly and unashamedly confess Christ who humbled Himself to the point of death on a cross? Why not confess His resurrection from the dead and His ascension into heaven? Leave the secular corporations to their thing and the silly outrage to others while you confess what you believe in your heart….that Jesus saves!

Morning Motivation...Sunday Reflection

Do you know what got me out of bed this morning at 5am? In the interest of being completely honest, it was the thought of a cup of coffee.  BUT immediately following the thought of coffee, it was the thought of revisiting my notes from Sunday's sermon and journaling in my bible (with a cup of coffee).
Yes - I wanted to get out of my comfy bed because I wanted to delve into the Word.  I wanted time with Jesus. I wanted to reflect on and talk about some of the things my pastor said on Sunday.
Do I say this to brag? Absolutely not! I share this because I'm excited that journaling in my bible does this to me and it's done this to LOTS of others (see the 16,000+ members of the Journaling Bible Community on Facebook, the hundreds of bible journaling pins and testimonies on Pinterest, just to start.)  It can do this for you, too.
Very often I'd go to church on Sundays and though I thought I was listening at the time, later I'd have a hard time remembering what the pastor said in his sermon (sorry Pastors).  It wasn't necessarily the pastors, it was more me.  Distracted, daydreaming, making mental lists or plans for later in the day/week. Now I attempt to listen not just with my ears, but also my heart and a pen. Write down notes, references, main points, questions for later. Underline. Doodle. Sketch. Now I look forward (even at waking at 5am) to looking at those notes, rereading scripture, and responding with creative bible journaling.
I'm excited to get "artsy" in my bible, but I know that just getting artsy is not the heart of this motivation. This morning motivation stirring in my heart has been placed there by the Creator Himself. He made me this way and He's drawing me closer this way. I'm honored that sometimes He uses what I create with my hands to bring others in, too.  That's why I continue to post to my blog and Facebook and Pinterest.
Yeah, I like this morning motivation. Keep it coming, Lord. Keep teaching me, guiding me, using me.

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 - 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.

Lent is Over....Bible Journaling is Not

If you only follow me here on my blog, you might think I fell off the wagon during Lent. But, if you follow me on Instagram and Facebook, you already know that I continued and wrapped up my Lenten Art Journal. I LOVE my art Journal and the creative and spiritual ways it connected me to Jesus and the Word during Lent. I LOVED the process and the challenge and the blessing that the daily word prompt, time in the Word and then my translation of the Word into {he}art gave me each day.  I loved sharing it on Instagram and Facebook and seeing and hearing how it blessed others, too. I completed a total of 43 entries in this Lenten Art journal.  Below are some of my remaining favorites that I haven't yet shared here on this blog.  But don't worry, I am continuing with bible journaling and will share some of the those entries here, too.  Be sure to follow me on Instagram and on my Facebook page for more regular appearances :).  xoxo  Be Blessed!

  

Bible Journaling Through Lent: Hope, Cross, Humility, & Grace (and a Shaker Page!)

Can I share with you how much I am savoring my time with the Word? This Lenten journal project has been wonderfully sweet.  I treasure and wonder over how my heavenly Father uses the very gifts He's given me to draw closer to Him. He's made each of us with such care and knows exactly what will strike a chord within us to grow that desire to be closer to Him.
Today I'm sharing my latest few entries, days 21-24.

Day 21 - "Hope"
Scripture: Psalm 71:5 For you O Lord are my hope.
Scrapbooking Supplies - papers, feathers, arrows, banner from Simple Stories "I AM" collection,
letter stickers and letters cut with Cricut

Day 22: Cross
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:18 But the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Technique: Sharpie, water color pencils, white splatter  (inspiration from this Zenspirations pin)

Day 23: Humility
Scripture: John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease
Technique: Scrapbook paper: Bella Blvd (black triangles) Pink Paislee (yellow);
arrows cut with Cricut  (Southwest Cartridge)
in Design Studio; hand lettered, Sharpie marker and water color pencils

Day 24: Grace
Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith.
And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God. 
Technique: hand lettering, Sharpie Marker with shadowing from water color pencils;
hearts cut with Cricut and inserted behind plastic - it's a shaker page! Border is washi tape.

I pray you are blessed and inpired to spend your own sweet time with your Savior!

So, What's Your Story? "I AM" Layout

Recently my pastor asked the question, "What's your story?" in a sermon. It made me think. A lot. What is the story of my life? I'm a wife, a mother, and so many other things, but is that the story? Pastor was preaching on 1 Peter 1:3-5.  As I went through this scripture on my own later, the thing that struck me was all of the ways in which I define myself and my life are important and meaningful, but they are not the most important things about my story.
Long before I was a wife and mom, I was known and chosen by Christ. I became His daughter in the waters of baptism and am a full heir to an imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance. (1 Peter 1:4) My life's story is based on how God sees me. After all, He is the founder and perfecter of my faith (Hebrews 12:2) and He knows all the plans for my life (Jeremiah 29:11).  The plot of my life's story centers around acknowledgement and confession that I am a sinner, but that God in His mercy forgives me and accepts me.  By grace through faith I have been saved and redeemed and live this current life knowing I am secure in the promise of eternal life.

I shared some of my bible journaling on Facebook and my Pastor commented, "So, what's your story?" Because I'm an artsy gal, I turned my answer into a scrapbook page. I don't scrapbook myself very often, but thought this was the perfect opportunity.  Here's my story...

The I AM collection recently released by Simple Stories lent itself
beautifully to this self-focused and reflective page.
I often personally struggle with how I see myself.
This page is a visual reminder to me about the truths of who I am.

This is my real story, and I'm sticking to it! 

So, I ask you.  What's Your Story?

Try these links for more inspiration:
Joyce Meyer's "Knowing Who I Am in Christ" scripture verses
100 Bible Verses "Who Am I in Christ"
my Pinterest Board I Am

Bible Journaling...Journey Toward God

In December I stumbled across a new (to me) idea that made my heart skip a beat.  Bible Journaling. The practice of bringing my faith into my crafty, creative life and my crafty, creative life into my faith has been familiar to me for awhile, but this was a little different somehow.  I've always highlighted or written my notes in my bible, but I've never doodled or drawn or added stickers and such. In December I was browsing Pinterest and found photos of bibles that were beautifully and meaningfully embellished.  Then I found a blog or two and then a whole community of bible journalers on Facebook.  Whoa! I was drawn in - literally.  I purchased a journaling bible.  It's an ESV translation with wide outer margins for notes and so much more.
Why did this discovery make my heart skip a beat?  God gave me a gift in my creativity.  This is just one more way that I can use it to draw closer to him and to then share the good news with others. When I work in my journaling bible I am spending more time in the Word. I process God's message(s) to me as I focus on a verse or passage. Sometimes I share my work, which I believe God uses to bless others.  One post of mine in the Bible Journaling group on Facebook reached over 1,000 people.  Go God!!!
A few Sundays ago I began bringing my journaling Bible to service and opened it during the sermon to take sermon notes. I sketched and wrote and doodled during the sermon.  It really helped me focus and hone in on specific messages for me.  Later during the week, I went back and read more and colored in my notes.  Again, a great way for me to further Bible study.

Writing, drawing, painting, coloring is not new.  Just type in "illuminated manuscript bible" in the google search bar.  This has been done for centuries.  A more recent endeavor is the Illuminated Saint John's Bible Project.  Creating art next to the Words of the ultimate Creator. It couldn't be more appropriate.  On the Saint John's Bible website, it is written, "it is our hope that the Scriptures will open up to you and that your journey here will become a journey toward God."  Aha moment.  Bible journaling is not about the art that gets created.  It's about the artist and the one who created her (or him).  It's about what happens in the process.  It's the Holy Spirit speaking, revealing, drawing me in as I listen and process and create and when guided, to share with others and pray the Holy Spirit works with and on them, too. Amen!  

Learn more about Bible Journaling:
St. John's bible project site
A great blog - Shanna Noel
Bible Journaling Community on Facebook
My Pinterest Board