De-Stress and Be Blessed

In desperate times, we tend to cling to God. We search for answers in the Bible to correlate with what we are going through, we start devotions to add a little inspiration into our lives, and we tune in to our favorite praise and worship channel to jam out to some uplifting tunes, but what do we do when the issue is resolved or when the bad day gets better? Admittedly, I usually forget about that devotional, my Bible tends to get dusty, and you will only find those uplifting songs intertwined in my everyday playlist shuffle. For me, this behavior had to end.

The past few months have been hard on me.  I am in the middle of one heck of a spiritual battle and I am barely functioning with a smile.  I am sure, eventually, when I come out of it, I will write a blog post on how God delivered me, but right now I want you to know how I am “getting through it”.

This past spring, Ash and I purchased 100 Days to Brave, a devotional written by the inspiring Annie F. Downs. We started it and I am almost certain we didn’t make it through day 5. Little did we know that our past selves were purchasing this daily dose of Scripture for what our future held. We both need it now and are going strong. We discuss what we read and complete all of the challenges that the day asks us to do.  Sometimes, it’s hard admitting our struggles to another person, but it’s more about accountability for us and has brought us closer to God and to one another.

Another area that I struggle in is getting deep into God’s word. I had a hard time staying focused when I would sit down to just read. I do this with a lot of things I am reading; sometimes, I have to read that same page 3-4 times before I comprehend what the words are actually saying and other times, I am so focused, I don’t even realize that I got lost in a book for 3 hours. I want to be lost in my Bible, but I really want to comprehend what I am reading.  My friend, Holly, and I regularly discuss our faith-based endeavors and share scripture while at work or via text. She introduced me to something that has completely changed the way I read scripture–and I couldn’t be more excited!

Bible journaling. Have you heard of it? With a Facebook community of 45,298 (and growing) across the world, I would say a lot have, but if you haven’t, keep reading…

Bible journaling has no true definition because it’s what you make it. It is where one might write notes, draw pictures, and add a personal touch to their Bible in correspondence with the scripture. For example, I am currently studying Esther (one of Ashley and my favorite books of the Bible). I read one to two pages at a time and study what is written on those pages only. I will either make a note, draw a picture, or just doodle as I reflect on that page. Oh, the stuff that God has revealed to me!

Personally, I would feel guilty writing over Gods precious words, but some do– and that is totally okay! Holly has her own Bible specifically for journaling. She keeps another Bible next to her and uses both to study the scripture. We both recently punched the new Illustrating Bible from Day Spring and they have big margins, so I don’t have to write or draw over the words. Holly chooses to follow along with her daily devotional whereas, I am studying one book at a time. The possibilities are endless.

 

I have also purchased extra things to embellish some of the pages in the Holy Book as well as markers and pencils. Some choose to use paints, stickers, and even magazine clippings. You can find things pretty much everywhere. I have shopped for journaling supplies both on Amazon and the Day Spring website.

 

Erin’s Bible Journaling Shopping List:

Illustrating Bible – This Bible is the only Bible I currently have for journaling. It has large margins, clear and easy to read text, and the pages are a little thicker than a standard Bible so there is no bleed through. It is spiral bound to add for the extra embellishments.  It comes in Rose Gold, so I was geeking out a bit!

100 Days to Grace and Gratitude – A devotional that I will be adding to my routine. In November the Facebook group will be doing this together so I am currently waiting to start with the online group.

100 Days to Brave – This is the devotional that Ashley and I have been doing together! Our recommendation would be to have a friend or family member do this with you.

Twintone Marker Set (double-sided markers) – These markers come in both bold and pastel.  I couldn’t help myself I ordered both packs right on amazon!

Bullet journaling pens and stencils – I thought this was a great purchase.  Very fine tipped pens in a variety of colors and they come with a variety of stencils.

Prompts, paper pieces, and tip-ins – I just linked the entire page! I bought quite a few different things, but there are also a lot more that I want.  You can even go to your local Hobby Lobby or Michaels and purchase scrapbooking supplies!

Colored pencils – I enjoy coloring and shading my master pieces with colored pencils. It adds color and dimension with out the bleed through!

Washi Tape – Holly recommended this to me and even gave me some to try! She uses hers to tape things into her bible; if she would decide to move that particular piece it can be done easily without tearing the paper.

Water Color Set – Holly told me she personally owns this set and she absolutely loves it! She said that it is so easy to mix colors and the possibilities are endless!

Starter Kit – If you aren’t into purchasing things individually you can purchase a starter kit right from Day Spring!

 

You can probably tell that I am totally into this. Not only is it a great way to study the scriputre, but it is also very therapeutic. So grab a pumpkin spiced latte, curl up with The Good Book, and get crafty!

xo,

Er

PS. We would love to see some of your Bible Journaling work! Tag us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@venturealamode).