What is Bible Journaling?  Simply put, “As a creative way to express your faith by putting pen to paper”, whether you are drawing directly into your Bible or in a separate journal.

“Bible journaling is about creating while reflecting on God’s Word”

Wait, the Bible is a Holy book and you don’t write in it…It’s the precious word of God.  Where did I get that you don’t write in your Bible? I’m not sure because I remember my Grandmother and my Mother doodling in their Bibles while sitting in church.  I recently stumbled on Bible Journaling and immediately it became one of my many obsessions.  I loved the creativity that people were using to show their faith and picking out verses within the Bible that held meaning to them.  Taking that verse and interpreting into what it means to you.

About a month ago I was at a flea market and to my surprise, there was a booth on Bible Journaling.  I made the statement to the lady about my fear of writing in the Bible and she looked at me and replied: “God only cares that you are spending time with him and not that you are writing in the Bible”.  I walked away realizing she was correct.  God just wants us to spend time with him and his Word.  But if you are like me and afraid to start, then start in a journal or take a blank piece of paper and do your reflection of the word on it.

There is no right or wrong way of Bible Journaling.  It’s about you and God spending time together and as you read the Bible how you reflect upon the Word.  It’s about the joy and creatively expressing the biblical truths as you read and discover.

While reading the Bible there are a few things you should ask yourself:

• ·        What does the scripture say?
• ·        What does it mean to me?
• ·        Which part is most important to me?
• ·        Which words stand out to me the most?
• ·        How can I express the meaning of those words visually?

You will need to decide on how and where you are going to journal.  Will you only journal in the margins or be bold and cover the entire page with your designs.  It’s your Bible so it’s all about you and what you decide.  There is no competition here and we are not going to compare ourselves to others and how they are doing it.  This is about you and God and what you are getting out of his Word.

What do I need to start Bible Journaling?

• A Bible.  Does it have to be a Journaling Bible, absolutely not?  A Journaling Bible would make it easier since they tend to have two-inch margins for writing and drawing but it’s not necessary.  You can journal in any type of Bible and if you are like me then you could use a notebook or sketchbook to journal in.
• A pen or pencil depending on which you prefer to use.

 

Optional items:  Careful, here is where I go crazy with my obsessions.  I love creativity.

• Colored pencils
• Bible Highlighters
• Stamp Pads
• Watercolors
• Acrylic Paints
• Washi Tape
• Stickers and Die Cuts
• Rubber Stamps
• Stencils

And the list could go on and on.  I warned you it could get really seriously crazy.   Just use your imagination.  Maybe your imagination won’t run as wild as mine and be as expensive.  I have issues and God knows all about them.  This is when those Michaels and Hobby Lobby coupons come in real handy.

I’m not an artist, so, therefore, I need all the help I can get.  I decided on the Inspire Bible which is a coloring Bible and has some of the verses already outlined.    Just remember you don’t need to invest in expensive supplies to express your faith.  Just because I have an addiction doesn’t mean you have too.  The art is not the focus, but spending time in God’s word.

 

How do you feel about writing in your Bible?  Do you think Bible Journaling would be a great way for you to spend more time with God and his word?  Tell me what you think by leaving a comment below.