bible journaling — Bible Study + Prayer — t.His

10 Bible Journaling Myths- and How to Overcome Them

Sometimes we will tell ourselves anything to keep us from starting something new or out of our wheelhouse.

If you have been wanting to start Bible journaling, but have been nervous about it, here are 10 things you might be telling yourself…but they are totally not true!

1. I have to be artistic

You don’t have to be a great painter, draw well, or even write pretty to Bible journal. If those things make you uncomfortable, you can use stamps, stickers, die cuts and anything else you can find at your local craft store that you think would look good! I have a blog post about Bible journaling supplies you can use when you don’t feel artistic.

Bible Journaling: Beware of these 6 Spiritual Attacks

When I’ve talked about Bible journaling in the past, I have mostly talked about all the positive feelings I’ve experienced as a result. However, I feel like I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t also talk about some of the negative feelings that you are probably going to encounter in the process as well.

What you’re doing when you’re Bible journaling is a form of worship. It’s something that is going to bring you closer to God and really strengthen your relationship with Him. So, of course, the enemy isn’t going to like that very much, and he’s going to do whatever he can to make you want to quit.

5 Verses to Help You Overcome Comparison in Your Bible Journaling Pages

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” Theodore Roosevelt

Comparison is an ugly game that we all have played at least once in our lives (but more realistically, probably daily).

Envy is usually the result.

We all know that envy is not fun and God isn’t a fan of it.

The internet makes it worse.

It can encourage you and discourage you in the same breath.

We know what everyone is doing, or at least what they want us to know (the good things).

It’s so easy to scroll and scroll and have disappointment and jealousy grow with every thumb swipe.

Bible journaling is one of those things that can very easily make you discouraged. Here you are trying your best to worship and find encouragement and all that you find is that you’re disappointed.

I have been there…often. In fact, that’s the whole reason I’m writing this.

Just the other day, I was scrolling through Instagram looking at other people’s gorgeous Bible pages, reading their inspiring captions, and I got this twinge of “I’m not _________ enough.” You can fill that in with anything.

And believe me, the devil will try to force you to fill that blank.

Bible JournalingAbby RikeJanuary 23, 2017comparison, jealousy, bible journaling Comments

Trusting in the Lord: Psalm 125

Do you have one little word? A word that you try and focus on for the year?

My one little word for this year is trust.

When this word popped in my head originally, I thought it was because of some health issues we’d all been having. Health is the part of life where we struggle most with trusting, so it made sense. But as the year has gone on, I think it’s God telling me to trust Him with a few other things as well--things only He knew about when He gently persuadedme towards this word.

Sometimes we’re presented with tasks or commands, and we aren’t sure if we can do them. Sometimes we’re right; we can’t.

I’m learning that just because I can’t do something doesn’t mean God can’t.

Psalm 107: Breaking Chains

I really like Psalm 107.

“Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story.” Psalm 107:2 says,

The whole chapter talks about 4 different kinds of people and how God helps them: the wanderers, the prisoners, the sick, and the storm-tossed.

They all bear talking about, but 107:14 really stands out to me.

"He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains."

I think this verse is talking in a literal sense of prisoners, but we can be in prison without sitting in a cell. A prison can take form in so many different ways.

Anxiety, depression, addiction, temptation, anger, jealousy.

There are so many things that can make us feel like we’re sitting in darkness. Some things we have more control over than others, but there’s one thing that can bring us out of that darkness—Jesus Christ.

For me the struggle has been with anxiety and mild depression for as long as I can remember. There have been times in my life where it is better, and there are times where I have felt like I was a prisoner to it. I have felt like I had no control over my emotions, happiness, or thoughts. Satan truly knew how to keep me down.

Bible Journaling: 10 Supplies You Need

So you've dipped your toe in the water.

You've started Bible journaling. Now you may be wondering, "What supplies should I use?"

I don’t use a ton of supplies. I have tried numerous things, but I always come back to these.

Everyone has a different style. After you’ve been journaling a while, you’ll probably notice that you tend to gravitate towards certain things. Some of my friends, like me, tend to only use watercolors.

Other's pages look like beautiful scrapbook pages, full of stickers, tip-ins (when you tape in a printable/prayer card/etc), and other types of embellishments!

There isn’t any right way to journal and there aren’t any proper or improper supplies. You should use whatever you love.

That being said, here are the things that I love!

Bible Journaling | Exodus 14:14 - The Lord Will Fight For You

So, most of the time, I just need to be silent.

In Exodus14:10, the Israelites started complaining. This is only the first instance when they grumbled and doubted. They were afraid that they were trapped as the Egyptian army started closing in on them. They started saying to Moses, “See? What did you think you were doing? We told you to leave us alone.” And in response Moses told them to be still, the Lord would fight for them. And He did

Bible JournalingAbby RikeApril 19, 2016Exodus 14:14, the Lord will fight for you, bible journalingComment

How to Start Bible Journaling

In my last blog post I briefly explained WHAT bible journaling is, so your next question might be where do I start?!

When you think you’re ready, it’s time to find inspiration on what to journal. Inspiration can be found in so many places!

Devotionals (I love the Bible reading plan on here, SheReadsTruth, First5, and plans on the YouVersion app)
Sermon notes
Worship songs
Your feelings for the day or season in your life.

Bible Journaling | What is it?

If I told you I knew something that could perhaps help your relationship with God grow in ways that you didn’t know were possible, would you be interested in hearing me out? If I were to tell you of a way to worship and study God’s word in a way some might think was unconventional, would you be open to trying? I hope so! Here goes…

I paint in my bible. Yes, I totally just said that I paint in my bible. I paint, draw, and color in it! I have done this almost every single day for over a year! It has helped me go from never reading my bible…well, pretty much ever…to doing a devotional and translating what I learned to the pages of my bible almost every day.

Be A Woman In The Word Every Day.

1. I have to be artistic

My one little word for this year is trust.

I’m learning that just because I can’t do something doesn’t mean God can’t.