Sunday, April 1, 2018

BIBLE JOURNALING UNDER FEATHERS Psalm 91:4

"He will cover you over with feathers and under his wings you will find refuge."  "Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him." A picture is worth a thousand words and this stamp from House Mouse called, "Doverly Love", says it all.  Where else would I ever want to be? but with a God who comforts me, protects me and keeps me close to His beating heart.  And one day, I and all my mouse friends that I can befriend to go with me, will meet Him face to face.  In the meantime, we live protected, cuddled under his wing to face whatever the day brings.

There is a power in knowing God's Word.  He speaks of it here:

 "so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

This is my second attempt at Bible Journaling.  Once you get over a few things, this turns out to be a lot of fun!  Below are a couple of Mind Obstacles that some of us might need to think through.  

Obstacles
1. I can't mark in my Bible, that would be desecration!
Thoughts:
I guess I got over this a long time ago.  I learned to mark passages that spoke to me when I studied them. I underline, use brackets for paragraphs, highlight favorite passages, insert dates and names of pastors for favorite sermons, create chain topics by putting the scripture address of topics that correlate throughout the different chapters and books sequentially creating my own Bible study. I learned that these marks made my favorite passages easier to find, cemented them in my memory and created meaningful messages and memories for me.  I can't imagine NOT marking important and relevant gemstones that I find.  It's like Hansel and Gretel's bread crumb trail that takes me back to where I need to go and what I need to know.  My Bible is so much more personal to me now that I have scribbled in it all these years. And imagine what a legacy for those that come after you.  I would love to have a Bible that my grandmother had written her thoughts in as she went through her life.  To me, that would be better than a diary. 

2.  But stamping, drawing and water coloring?  How could I? I'm really not very good at those things. I might create something I don't like.  I might mess it up.  
Thoughts:  

a. You probably will.  On the other hand, as you create more, you will have visible evidence of your growth in your new found activity. 

b. You might choose to purchase a new  Bible for artistic venues, the pristeen version, for reading Bible and second for creating.  There are a lot of Bibles on the market that are made for Bible Journaling with wider margins for room to create or even better, an interleaved one which has a blank page between every page of text.  More room for study notes AND beautiful or not so beautiful meaningful creations.  

I am absolutely THRILLED that this "hobby" has caught on and is becoming so popular.  Ladies are interacting with scripture passages and finding fun while absorbing the precious words written to us as the guiding light for our lives.  They are making creations based on the very foundational building blocks of life that were sacredly written for our increase in knowledge and wisdom.  Our first glimpse into the realm of the Heavenly Father in Genesis 1 is the story of His creations.  We are created in His image to create.  


So, I hope Bible journaling flourishes for a long time.  Go forth and create!!

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