Monday 5 September 2016

Welcome to My Journaling Bible

I have always been a journal lover addict. I often doodle or do little 'works of art' in my journals. However, I've gotten into something that's waaaaay bigger than just doodling in a journal.... I have something to tell you. I own a Journaling Bible (you'll have seen it before if you follow me on Instagram).







Journaling Bibles were new things for me when I discovered them last year. However, they quickly captured my imagination and I wanted one for my own. This happened in May of this year and I've been hooked ever since!

So what exactly is a Journaling Bible?
It's a Bible that has margins. Extra wide margins, in fact. You can do whatever you like with these margins. I choose to do artwork in them. You can get all kinds of Journaling Bibles - I own a Crossway ESV double column one.



Why 'deface' a perfectly good Bible?
Anyone who Bible Journals is connecting to the text. God’s word never comes back void. However, it's easy to read an entire chapter and remember none of it. Bible Journaling doesn't let you do that so much! I take a verse and draw what it means or says to me. It becomes personal. I think it's easy to approach the Word one-dimensionally. This is me engaging actively with it!



One of the really cool things about it is that I'm going to end up with a Bible that can really be treasured. My art isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination. But it's the fact that it's real, it's all there in one precious Book, it was made by me, that makes it special and really awesome. It's going to be something I can hand down to my children.

I love reading Mum's Bible and seeing her notes in it. This is like that, only it's artwork as well as notes.



I do it to spend time in the Word and with God, because I find joy in Bible Journaling. You can spend hours on a verse. Mediating on it. Listening to worship music and spending time with God.




I'm not a particularly amazing artist and I make mistakes. In the picture on the right ("I am the resurrection and the life" you'll notice I spelled 'resurrection' wrong. I mean, resureection? Whaaat? So yeah. My Bible's not perfect and neither am I. :P



(this one is a bit different - I traced the map onto baking paper and glued it into my Bible to make an extra page.)

Journaling in a Journaling Bible is all about connecting our faith with creativity. God is creative (look at the next sunset!) and we were created in His image. Shouldn’t we be able to approach studying and reading His word in a creative way?




I know it might be seen to be 'defacing' the Bible and disrespectful of the Word of God to cover up the text. However, I have another Bible which I use for studying and reading. This Bible is my art Bible. I'm sure that the Lord is blessed through my worship, whether a bit of paint gets on a word here and there or not!


Want to read more about writing in Bibles/highlighting/doing artwork? Here's a semi-recentish post I wrote about that very subject. 

(this is the front inside cover)


Are you interested? 
You don't have to have anything fancy to start. A good fine pointed pen and a set of coloured pencils are all you need!
If you want to go crazy however, there are limitless things you can do. I love using acrylic paints, watercolour paints, stickers, stamps... I've even woven paper into the margins of my Bible. 



Links
There are some really awesome ideas on Pinterest. (Here's my Bible journaling Pinterest board.)
There is a super awesome and encouraging Facebook community.





And that, my friends is my little 'welcome to my Journaling Bible' post. I hope you enjoyed it! :D Bible journaling is honestly the most awesome thing ever. I call it 'illustrating my faith'.

What do you think?
post signature

31 comments:

  1. asfdsjflkdjsfl That is SO gorgeous!! Your drawing skills are phenomenal. I am learning how to do lettering, but I can't quite do it that well yet!

    I have thought about getting a journaling Bible..this looks amazing!

    Great post, Bonnie!! :) ♥

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Megan, you're so kind! Lettering is so much fun and I'm sure you're amazing at it!
      Journaling Bibles are so awesome. Highly recommended.
      Thank you!

      Delete
  2. This is goooorgous! <3 I've wanted a Journaling Bible, although my drawing skills are quite sorry. =P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Rachel! I'm sure your drawing skills are far better than you think. Besides since the art I use in my Bible is worship, I don't picture God 'judging' the art! I'm sure whatever is from our hearts blesses him.

      Delete
  3. I love it! I have seen some of your journalings before, and they are all lovely, I don't think I could bare to draw in a bible though, I have only once managed to make myself underline things in some other books before, though I did used to underline passages in my old bible.... I think it is a lovely way to glorify God though and remember those verses! and it will be such a precious thing you could give to your children!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm thrilled you love it! You're so sweet. Yep, drawing and painting etc in a Bible is something that I had to pluck up a bit of courage to do! Underlining and writing things in books/Bibles is such a personal thing, lol.

      Delete
  4. These, are gorgeous! The imperfections are my favorite. It helps to know that in this life there are other's who make little mistakes! Especially in Pinteresty craft type-stuff. :P

    With love and all joy,
    Allie D.
    www.alliesblogdesigns.blogspot.com
    www.friendlovesatalltimes.blogspot.com
    www.sincerelyallied.blogspot.com
    www.spreadingmyjoy.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Allie! The (rather large quantity of) imperfections keep me humble :P

      Delete
  5. I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!
    okay calm.. but really though it is beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awww, thank you! :)
      Journaling is awesome no matter what medium you use.

      Delete
  6. Oh Bonnie...
    I absolutely love what you have done... Journaling in your Bible...what a splendid idea! And your paintings are really beautiful... You are right, one day you are going to look back upon each page and smile at the memories... And what a special thing to hand down to future children someday!!! Oh, loved this post so much...thank you for sharing! Off to look at your Pinterest board now... Although I am not an artist by any means, I do enjoy using stickers and pretty papers...so perhaps I could do my own take! {{smiles}}
    Happy new week, friend!
    Kelly-Anne

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, you're so sweet! :)
      Stickers and pretty papers... hmm, now I know what to pop into my letter ;)
      Love and a hug

      Delete
  7. Your journaling's are gorgeous!!! Love this idea! ♥♥♥

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow, your art is gorgeous! I would love to get a journaling Bible, but since I can't draw, that probably wouldn't be a good idea. xD Yours is lovely though! ♥

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awwww, thank you!
      Honestly, you do not have to be an artist to use a journaling Bible... they are fantastic for just recording your thoughts and what speaks to you from the verses. Also stickers and stencils and stamps are amazing (and I use them far too much :P)

      Delete
  9. That is so beautiful! Such a great way to spend time with God!
    I would love one, but I'd be afraid of messing up when I'm drawing. :(
    How is Michael? :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Paige!
      Don't be afraid of messing up! If I gave in to my fears of messing up I would never do any journaling. Messing up just adds character.

      He is good! He's eating well and giving Mummy some sleep at night which is good! :) Also he is super cute. :)

      Delete
  10. Wow your drawings our amazing! Keep up the work Bonnie!
    Ellie R.
    www.uniquelyyou1.blogspot.com
    P.S your design is gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  11. What? You no artist?
    This is soooooo pretty!!! I've been thinking to get one for about a year now, but am hesitant because I'm very much not an artist. :)
    It's lovely to see your post and your journaling bible!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're so kind!
      Go for it and get a journaling Bible! It's not about whether your art is any good or not, but whether your relationship with the Lord is strengthened.
      Thank you! And thanks for commenting.

      Delete
  12. Thank you so much for doing this post! I then went and got a note book to do this in. I am really enjoying it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awesome! I'd love to see your notebook. It's so much fun.

      Delete
  13. I'll show you on Thursday. It will not be as good as yours though.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Love your familly!!!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Bonnie! I'm kinda behind on commenting...
    I love your drawings! They are so so good. I could just look at your drawings all day. I try to draw little things in my journal, but they are not half as good. You have a real gift for art. :)
    I believe I've heard of journaling Bibles before. Yours is really pretty. Can you post more pictures of it? 😊🙂
    Have a lovely day friend!
    Love,
    Ashley

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Ashley! No worries.
      You're so sweet. Thank you! I think the key is to practice a lot.
      I might post some more journaling Bible photos in the future. We'll see. :) Thanks for the suggestion.
      God bless <3

      Delete

Join the conversation!