Open the Bible and point method.

Have you ever challenged God to do that?  "I'm going to open my Bible and the first verse that pops out will tell me how to solve all of life's problems."  Yeah, right. 



Jeremiah 29:11

When there is a problem at work, you go to your supervisor.  When the kids need help dealing with a situation at school they go to Mom or Dad.  Naturally, we look to our Maker for help when we are without answers.   Is there a Bible verse that has spoken to you during a trying situation?  A special passage that moved you when you needed it most. 

During our Sunday Bible class, several believers said that it was hard for them to want to read the Bible on a daily basis.  However, they also admitted that when they were faced with hard circumstances they turned to His Word for help. 

God tells us that we are to come to Him for peace and assistance in times of trials.  David did it over and over.  If you have read any of the Psalms you will know that many of them are requests for help.  Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible and it's very insightful into how we can use the Word.  "Let my tongue sing of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.  Let Your hand be ready to help me, For I have chosen Your precepts."  The Psalmist is telling me that he has relied on the Lord and studied His word, so he is confident that the Lord will help him.

So where have you found comfort and guidance?  Have you found words or art that adequately express the emotion you have for that verse?  Be blessed and let His Word speak to you today.

Matte who?

Art journaling was my passion just before diving into Bible journaling (or journaling in my Bible).  While learning about art journaling and all the sorts of mediums, I began using lots of matte decoupage and matte gel medium to glue and seal my projects and pages.  They are, both, wonderful products.  The gel is just more thick than the decoupage.

Well, I got to wondering....could I actually use decoupage as a sealer for my Bible pages.  So I took the risk and tried it on the very first page of scripture in the Bible, Genesis 1!  I applied a thin layer of my favorite matte decoupage, Aleen's, to the entire page and dried it with my heat gun.  When I do this, I always put a piece of parchment paper under the page to prevent the next page from gluing to the page I am sealing.  Then, I colored around the edges with some up & up watercolor gel crayons and Crayola Twistable Slick Sticks.  These work much like gelatos and are much more affordable.  They just aren't as high of a quality and don't come in the variety of colors.  This part of the process takes more experimentation and is just a matter of artist interpretation.  I really like the gold Slick Stick color because you can add just a couple scribbles of it and it will add a slight shimmer to the area where you "paint" it. 
After drying with the heat gun I added some number stickers from Mambi to label each of the days of the Creation.  The pages is still a little crumpled looking, but it will smooth out a little while the pages are closed and under the weight of the Bible itself.  It's a simple page, but I like it.   Trust your instincts and try something new!

"You're gonna ask God to do what?"

Beware: this post is like my inner dialogue written out!  Posting, Bible study, and just about anything has been really difficult lately.  I suffer from depression.  Many of you, unfortunately, have probably been there. 
Spring has finally gotten to my part of the world, but, to me, it just feels like one more thing to deal with.  All the closet cleaning, planting, painting, muddy shoes, wet doggy feet, and so much more. 
I have been waiting for this fog to lift, but I also haven't been in The Word much.  How can I expect things to happen and resolve when I have forgotten who to talk to when things get tough?!
 It's like the stereotypical adage of a woman, when asked "what's wrong?" answers "Nothing."  God knows all.  He knows what I am going through.  But I still need to bring it to Him.  I need to make sure my heart is right, too.  If I am truly seeking Him and what He wants for my life, then I can come to Him with any burdens and sorrows. 
I was listening to a recording by pastors Francis Chan and James McDonald the other day.  The Holy Spirit convicted me of the way I have been dealing with some personal situations lately.  I realized that I was hurting one of God's children with my bad attitude and hurtful words.  Francis Chan talked about a church member who came forward for prayer in dealing with an illness.  When Francis talked later with this young man he asked him if he had any issues that would be keeping him from being completely open with God.  The young man shrugged off some little issues and then muttered something about his girlfriend.  Francis found out, through some probing, that this man was living with his girlfriend and was not in a sexually pure relationship with her.  I loved Francis' reaction.  He said something like, "And you want me to go to God with you and ask for help?!"  He remarked, "That's like you sleeping with my daughter and then coming to me to ask for a favor!"  Man, that hurt. 
Things aren't miraculously wonderful today.  However, I, now, know that I need to begin with my own heart and my own relationship with God.  The Holy Spirit tends to slap me upside the head like this sometimes.  Probably, because I need it!  Later that day, I was going through a class from Shanna Noel.  At the end of the session she challenged me to find a verse about peace and strength.  I had lots of trouble finding one.  After looking through an old art journal I found a note about relying on God in rough times with 1 Peter 4:12-13 noted next to it.  After looking up the verse, I quickly got out some art supplies and went at it.  I was interrupted many times and had to make dinner. (I can't get those kids to stop eating!)  After many breaks I was fairly happy with what I was taught and what I had made that day.


1 Peter 4:12-13

It was like the preverbial bandage that got ripped off the wound.  But then there was this smooth and clean skin underneath.  God's discipline is not always easy to take, but it brings about some amazing growth and joy.  I encourage you to really dive in to the Word.  Let it speak to your heart and hands.  Don't let rules and restrictions keep you from creating what your heart is speaking to your Father.  Be blessed.

A popular word

Matthew 28:19 Go make disciples, baptizing &
 teaching them to obey

I guess I picked a trending "Word of The Year" to guide my Christian walk throughout 2015.  GO.  However, inspiration hadn't really hit me until this week.  Dozens of pins with globes in Bibles have come across my Pinterest feed.  But, I am secretly a non-conformist.  I didn't want a globe being the only idea that conveyed one of the most important instructions in the Bible. 

When I came across the "Logos 365 Challenge" from His Kingdom Come I was already in the midst of reading "Follow Me" by David Platt.  My husband and I have studied it as part of an eclectic mix of 20 to 50 somethings study group.  It's awesome.   This book and study make it abundantly obvious that I am not keeping up my part of the bargain with Jesus.  He saved me.  The least I could do is tell people how exciting and wonderful my life has been since. 

I was also at a crossroads in my life.  Feeling stuck doesn't even begin to describe it.  There had to be change, but first it involved me getting out of my physical and mental rut to get my groove back.  So, the word "go" seemed fitting for the personal, physical, and spiritual focus for my year.
 


Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans
I have for you

The approach of April and the end of my Sunday School study caused me to feel like I needed to cement this idea on to paper.  Well, Modge Podge it onto paper anyway. 

I had used an atlas on another spread a few months ago so I didn't want to just repeat the look for Matthew 28:19.  Thinking about the sphere of influence that I have in "making disciples" gave me the idea to look in my car for a map of our city.  Score!  There was a downtown visitors guide in the side pocket of my rockin' mini van! 

The map served as my color palette and off I went.  You can see the process in one of my first youtube videos.  I am learning as I go, so please bear with the glare from the white pages.

Do you have a "Word of The Year?"  Share what and why in the comments below.  I would love to hear what you are doing to explore that theme so far this year and if you have journaled it in your Bible.

My Bible art flip through.

Spring Break.  There is no break for this momma.  A few years ago I realized why mothers go through the "empty nest syndrome."  It's because your life is in constant overdrive for 18+ years (or 28, in my case) and then you are left with all the wreckage. 

I have not been able to enjoy much art/me time in the past month.   So, I thought I would share what I have done in my Journaling Bible during the past six months or so. 

You tube and I haven't gotten very acquainted yet.  I had children and a dog making lots of noise while I tried to record.  An attempt was made to try to change the audio and it didn't quite work out how I would have liked.  However, that leaves me something to do in about 15 years from now.  When I feel like I don't have anything to do.  Enjoy and Easter blessings!

How do you keep up?

A few weeks ago I was walking down the hall after MOPS to retrieve my youngest.  One of the moms came alongside me and said that she had seen some of my Bible pages on instagram.  She made some very gracious and sweet compliments and then wondered how I did it.  More specifically, she wondered how I made time to journal.  There was a journaling challenge that I had mentioned in a previous post that she had joined.  I was honored and excited that she would consider these groups just upon my opinion.  However, she was feeling pressured by the journaling challenges.  Yet again, I felt honored (and a little prideful) that she thought I had it all together enough to be doing this wonderful artsy stuff all the time.  NOT! 
I hadn't done any journaling in weeks.  How could I appear like an artfully talented momma of four to this young mother?!    There had actually been one of those cartoon rain clouds following me around for a few weeks.  My husband, of course, asked, "Did I do something?"  I, honestly, couldn't give him a definitive answer.  It's not him, it's not the kids, it's not the weather.  Then I realized.  I had been letting the voices of comparison, self-hate, and uneasiness settle into my heart.
None of us have it together!  Do we?  That's what we are here for.  Earth.  Life.  It's training for the life of "all together."  That's the perfection that I'm striving for.  I have no idea if I will have the artistic creativity that I desire when I get to Heaven, but I have a feeling that it won't really matter.  While I am here, in this town, with this imperfect life, I will use my art to keep sane and praise my God. 
So when this young lady asked how I could find the time to keep up with frequent journaling I explained my stance on it.  "Do what you feel led by the Spirit to do.  Journaling challenges are great prompts; ways to get the creative juices flowing."  As mothers and women we feel compelled to do it all and do it amazing!  "I do what I can when I can," is my stance.  Sometimes, my sanity depends on it and sometimes my family depends on me.  I have to trust that the Lord will give me the time to come to him in this form of worship when it's appropriate.



Romans 3:25 and Romans 5:8

Today was the first day in a weeks that I was able to take a few minutes to do a very simple page from the Take Me Deeper challenge.  It only happened because the weather broke and my kids went outside for a few minutes to play.
When it comes to Jesus's death or the sacrifice on the cross I just don't have the words or means to express that depth yet.  My artistic abilities are basic so I decided to let music speak for me.  An old illustration and  hymnal page were layered with ink and washi tape.   The tip-out leaves me the freedom to change the page whenever the ability comes or the Spirit moves. 

My three year old came in after having enough bike riding to hold the Bible open for a picture.  There was a rainbow on the page coming from the prism in the window.  She and this prism have a history.   We have been catching rainbows since she was old enough to sit upright and touch them on the carpet. 
Take heart mommas of little ones.  Life will let up a little, every once in a while.  Don't always try to catch up with dishes and laundry.  Spend some time at his feet Martha.  When God calls you to come to Him, you will be replenished.  Dawn and dishes don't bring soul fulfilling joy (no pun intended).  Take time these coming weeks of Lent to see how He stirs your heart.  Whether it's writing it down, drawing it, taking a photo, or stoking the rosy cheeks of a small person.  Art is what He has created that stirs joy within your soul.

DIY Bible tabs

It's about 2:15pm as I sit down to reflect on the day.  Wait, the day is really only a little over half done!  Anyway, I reflect on all that was accomplished this morning.  Up, dressed, makeup and hair done, four loads of laundry, breakfast for four kids, one preschooler dressed and pig-tails on head, sink full of dishes washed, lunch made and cleaned,

blueberry cake made, trip to dentist to fill my first cavities, pictures taken of Bible tabs, reading of Berenstain Bears books, and one preschooler quietly napping.  Dare I say it?  Life is good!  I better knock on some wood right now...tap, tap, tap.  Any second, the neighbor will start his dual exhaust truck and wake up the napper or the dog will eat the cooling blueberry cake or something.  Days don't normally go this well.  That's why I am relishing the quiet moment to sit and reflect with you.

Now back to business.  The debate in my head as to whether or not I should add tabs to my Journaling Bible has been going on for a few months now.  Busyness has kept me from settling this debate until yesterday.  I decided, on a whim, that I would finally put in tabs.  Then it took some time to decide.

 First, I thought I would print tabs that I saw on a Pinterest search.  But, I wanted something a little less formal and tidy.  Is it okay to have an un-tidy Bible?  Well, I hope so.  Secondly, I thought about stapling these acrylic letters from American Crafts to the corresponding chapter, but I didn't have nearly enough J's or M's or E's.  Have you ever taken a good hard look at the Contents page of your Bible?  Interesting material there.

I settled on these mini tags from DCWV.  They ended up looking much better than I had imagined.  AND with 180 pieces, I was bound to have enough for all 66 books of the Bible.  I glued one to each side of the title page for each book.  The question remains if I will write the abbreviated book titles on the tabs or not.  It looks so colorful and cute right now.  It would be like tattooing a baby.  On that note.  Find something that works for you in your journaling Bible.  Tabs or no tabs.  Organized or eclectic.  Let it be yours.