Bible journaling. If you haven't heard of this new trend yet, then let me be the one to fill you in. Bible journaling has taken off with far more gusto than the journaling Bible publishers ever expected. So much so that when my April birthday came around, my husband could find NO journaling Bibles anywhere in the great big Metroplex in North Texas. Finally, a kind hearted LifeWay Christian Store employee told him that the demand far exceeded the supply and ALL the companies were sold out and having to work hard to produce more. They would not become available until JUNE.
Yep. Three months of a journaling Bible drought.
Because all the cool kids were doing it.
If you want to submit to peer pressure (and I hope you will), then let me be your guide.
What is Bible Journaling? When I was a little girl, I doodled during church. That was the old fashioned way to keep quiet in Big Church. Think of Bible journaling as doodling for grown ups. (Or teenagers or kids--it's fun for the whole family!).
Bible journaling is basically just creatively doodling Bible verses using lettering and simple images. It's illustrating the Word of God through lettering, doodles, sketches and artwork, as well as using scrapbook type supplies like washi tape, stickers, and the like.
It's a hobby.
But, I'm finding it's also a really great spiritual discipline. It's a great thing to add into your routine for studying Scripture and meditating on the Word.
So, in other words, it's a deeply meaningful hobby.
Why should I take up Bible Journaling? Well, if you are a rebel and you're not swayed by the "everyone else is doing it" angle, then let me offer some other reasons you might want to explore this art form.
It's fun and relaxing as a great creative outlet. You don't have to be Da Vinci or some great artist. And EVEN if you don't consider yourself very creative, this is still a great thing to do.
By the way-- for the record-- I don't EVER buy it when someone says they aren't creative. We were all made in the image of the Greatest Creator. We've all got it in us-- we just display it in different ways. This is not an art contest. It's for your own benefit. So don't be stopped by any self-imposed limitations.
Bible journaling is an incredibly helpful way to meditate on the Word of God. My time in Bible study has deepened in ways I can't explain ever since I started to doodle and hand letter the verses that stood out to me. In other words, once I started playing around with Bible Journaling.
As you look at a verse and begin to illustrate it with cursive or regular handwriting and then maybe add a simple image and color it it, you are taking time to BE STILL and know that he is God (Psalm 46:10). You are hitting the pause button on your crazy chaos and just thinking on and soaking in the Word.
It's a great way to help hide the Word of God in your heart (Psalm 119:11). For real. When you are taking time to illustrate a verse, you are actually doing Scripture memorization. I am a very visual learner. I can literally picture how I illustrated or journaled a verse by way of helping me to remember it. If you've never had the experience of a verse coming to mind just when you needed God to speak into a hard time, then you are missing out. And Bible journaling is a great avenue to travel by way of memorizing Scripture.
This last reason to Bible journal is like combining all my loves. It's a great "hobby" to enjoy with other people. We recently bought our daughter a Journaling Bible. She loves it! Anything that is common ground for me and my girl is pretty awesome. Artsy? The Word of God? And connecting with others? YES, PLEASE! It's a perfect trifecta. Aside from being a wonderful mother/daughter thing to do, it's a great reason to gather your girlfriends or even people you barely know and get together for a common purpose, with the hidden agenda of connection.
What is this Journaling Bible you speak of? So, here's what a journaling Bible is and why it's different than your regular Bible. The publishers have printed a Bible with extra wide margins--some even lined to make lettering easy like when you were in kindergarten. You can letter, doodle and create in these margins. They come in various Bible translations and various font sizes and various price points.
Here are a few examples:
Black micron pen, $3.49 at Hobby Lobby. Use your coupon!
(Oh, and share your finished works with me! I'd LOVE to see what you do!)
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