My bible journal-illustrated faith

It's been a long time since I last blogged. Life has just been super busy with LOTS of changes some very difficult times especially this past year. A blog post perhaps for another time. What I wanted to share that has inspired me and motivated me this past week is my Journal Bible, and through this process it has  made me have the energy and  motivation again to start blogging again.

Last May I had a life changing event happen and I would say in June is when I really started reading my Bible daily every morning and faithfully going back to Church every week. I was saved when I was 16 but through a relationship I kind of lost who I was and me going to church or reading my bible brought negatively from him. Anyways, after this relationship I made a promise to myself and God that would never happen again, I would be who I was and never let a person define me again or stop me from reading my bible or talking about God. In July my best friend Christine and I purchased Erin Condren Planners and what a blessing that planner has been. The daily weeks columns I do not schedule my day but use it to write quotes  that inspire me, verses that speak to me, and quotes from my morning devotionals. (Like a prayer journal/planner all in one). When I am down or just need inpsiration I look back through my planner, I carry it almost everywhere I go now. I LOVE IT!

 

A couple weeks ago my best friend a I went to a small scrapbook store near my house and she was so excited when she saw on their calendar of upcoming classes that the wonderful Shanna Noel was going to be coming and teaching a class on bible journaling! Click on the link to her bible journal and her blog, it's fantastic!   I was like what?! what is Bible Journaling AKA Illustrated faith and she pulled out her phone and showed me all about it on pinterest and I was HOOKED! That night at home I read every blogpost Shanna had ever written.. Yes I was that excited!  So we signed up for her class.

I quickly went online and after much research and decision making I purchased a journal bible. I chose the ESV double columm version. Take a good look at my "naked" bible cover as it may not be  this way for long. I am currently on the difficult pursuit of finding the perfect sticky back fabric paper to cover with it as I have the perfect idea in my head for my cover if I can find the right materials. I thought about using E6000 glue because I havent found the design Ilove that comes in sticky back, but I am not sure that will work. I am still deciding.

This past Saturday I took Shanna's Class-Illustrated Faith  she is the most sweetest person you could ever meet. The class I knew it would be good but it surpased my expectations. I got so much out of this class and got to meet others who share this passion. She let us use her illustrated faith stamp for our Bible Journals (AWESOME) and she even let us HOLD and LOOK at her bible journal and seeing it in person is very inspiring, just getting to hold her book you can feel the love she has for God and for this journal as it truly reflects her heart and journey. It was very hard for  her to let it out of her site and I don't blame her ONE BIT!

The picture below is my first ever bible journaling page, that I made in class. I have to admit it turned out better than I thought. It is over Colossians 3:10. We listened to a short 15 minute sermon in class and based off that sermon made me think how it related to my life and what spoke to me was "He understands my hurts". This past year was challenging and diffult but I know God understands and has a plan for me and trusting in him my life and this current year has blown me away with lots of opportunities God has given me and people he has brought into my life.

Its important to me to date my pages so I know when I made the entry and it will help me reflect on how far I have come or what I may have been going through or dealing with on that date. At first I was concerned it was a little bare but someone in class made the comment that they left room in case they come back later -days,months, years and something else speaks to them they have room to put it in and I loved that idea! So while this page may be sort of bare I love it! and it leaves more opportunity and room  for further thoughts.

I had decorated the outside spine a few days before class because I knew what I wanted, I wanted to put hot coffee and hot tea because every morning when I do my devotional I am always having hot tea or coffee. I even journaled about it on the inside cover.

While I am still learning I thought I would share some of the items I used on my pages. I stamped my images and letters with Staz on ink (it doesnt bleed through but you can see some of it through the page, but I am ok with that). They also recommended momento luxe inks which work great and come in tons of colors. The black swirls I used are actually rub-ons and those are awesome you cant see those through the page at all.

The le pen set I bought at hobby lobby also work great and do not bleed. The small alphabet set I got at Michaels for $1.50 and they have about 8 different fonts. I love those!

I plan on starting an illustrated faith blog post series here on my blog so stay tuned. You can also follow me on instagram at m78lejeune.