I painted the Cover Of my Bible because i love paint, i love Glitter and I love Roses..
I discovered the Journaling bible (Mine is the ESV version from Mardel) this summer from instagram and have since fallen in love with reading the Bible. Most times I don't remember what I'm reading, maybe my mind is too distracted or the words are too big or i can't begin to understand what is even going on. I didn't grow up reading the bible so at 21 when I discovered Jesus and the Bible i had a lot of catching up to do.. When I left Rehab and found a church they let me volunteer in the preschool area and that's where I learned the majority of my bible history in words i could understand. David and Goliath, Noah, Adam and Eve....it all made more sense. Those kid stories aren't just for kids!
The inside covers of my bible is where i Keep the important stuff, the stuff i never want to forget. Quotes, art, Pictures, and conversations are on these 4 pages.
I start off my Using my twistable Crayons to highlight key scriptures i love and the pencil in things in my margins that i was to remember or that stood out. That's also where i respond to what I've read. a whole lot of pain grace those margins but a whole lot of restoration is found there too. I'm a very visual person so when i am trying to memorize something i design it (Write it pretty) because i will remember that image in my head and then i remember...you should try it if memorization is hard for you.
I use washi tape, a.k.a. pretty tape, to make bookmarks. I also love Supplies from Illustrated faith and DaySpring!!!
The Pages look pretty bare until i go back in a watercolor on them..
You can purchase my pencil bag on my website, look for the Fabric Pouches, there are a bunch of designs to choose from! My watercolors come from Michaels, they are about $4...I don't like spending money so everything i use is generally going to be cheap.
With Water colors I've found they work and don't bleed too much if you don't use a lot of water. Less is better in this case..
The pages will get wrinkly when you are painting but that's ok, once it dries and you shut your bible the pages straighten them selves out. This morning i read a few pages of Psalms (what you're seeing) and I designed those pages, after that i painted them and then doodled on top of the paint. This process so far along with Blogging about it has taken 3 hours. So, it does take time but in these three hours with Jesus I've learned a few things...
Psalm 9:1 says " I will give thanks to the Lord with my WHOLE HEART; I will recount all of your Wonderful deeds." That made me think of all he's done in my life that I can give thanks for so i wanted to write that down.
I'm thankful he rescued me, Im thankful for the people in my life now, I'm thankful that i have a story of redemption, I'm thankful that i now know a life apart from addiction.
I've been focusing a lot these past few days as i read what words are used to describe God so I've been writing those in my margins: deliverer, refuge, shield, light, rescuer, father, judge, righteous, majestic....
i also have to look up a lot of words so when i do, i doodle those on my pages too...chances are when i read the passage again i will have forgotten the word.
I don't follow a devotional, i don't follow a plan, i just read. Last month I finished the bible... Spring Break of 2012 i found my self reading about 4 books a month and i wasn't actually ever picking up the bible, That's when i felt really convicted. I was read a TON of books about God written by other people but wasn't reading the Real book i should have been reading. I justified my point by telling myself that i really couldn't understand the bible but that's not an excuse. I started reading it and still don't understand a lot but I got a lot more out of it than i didn't understand. My life changed when i made that choice to persevere through bible. It took 2 and a half years but i did it and you can too!
The Supplies i love are:
-Twistables: I didn't see any one else use these first, I've just loved twistable since i was 21 and used them to color while i was in arizona.. I use these to highlight and draw in my bible. I am so glad that so many of you choose these too--i love that i inspired this.
-Micron Pens: These don't bleed and they are the only marker type pens I've found that don't.
-Prisma color Grey Marker: This does bleed but day after day I see Stephanie Ackerman use her grey marker to make her words 3-d...i was inspired by her on that.
-I like Stabilo pens for color, they bleed but i don't mind. My bible isn't perfect just like my life isn't perfect. Some times things are better when you make the mess beautiful.
I also like My 2 erasers, One is a formable eraser, like play doh-- the other is an adjustable eraser. I think i probably got both of those at Michaels.
I'm not a bible expert, I'm not someone who has a lot of answers, i don't understand what i read half of the time but i do know that when i show up and come expectantly God shows up. always. i know that there is power in this book i once thought was a load of crap. i remember the times when people would bring up God or Church and I was the first one to tell them how stupid they were for believing in something so useless. I believed that if there was a God that my life wouldn't be the way it was. If there was a God then My dad would love me, if there was a God i wouldn't be plagued with Eating Disorders, if God was there I wouldn't be sad all the time, if there was a god i wouldn't have been raped and been a drug addict....if there was a God, my life would be Better. it would be happy.
Knowing what I know now I believe that certain things happen for a reason, even bad things...terrible things, because God wants glory and people are sinful. I in no way could have come out of drugs on my own. Or my eating disorder for that matter, i tried... a lot. So why are there bad things in the world? I believe that comes down to our choices. we, as sinners, have the freedom to choose whatever we want and I took full advantage of that preJesus. If i wanted money, i took it. If i wanted to binge and purge, i would. If i wanted a certain man for the fun of it just to say i could, I did...even if that meant breaking up marriages. I did that more than once.. I'm not proud and i made my choice but i know I've been forgiven and my story is proof that a Redeeming God exists and that people can change and no one is too far gone...I just need to constantly remember that.
I believe in God because I have seen his power. I have let him work and it was hard, it's still hard but i will continue to say yes because I believe that no one is finished learning until they die. I refuse to harden my heart to change. I want to be the best version of me and if that means being scared 94% of the time I'm Ok with that because i have people who love me, arms that hold me, and a God who knows all of me and still loves me.
Because He chose to love me, my life has changed..
So, with this blog i hope you are inspired to start doodling all over your pages and doing what works for you. I will continue to do it and post pictures because i have read your responses and emails and comments and some lives have been forever changed because of a 2x2 picture you saw via social media. I hope i can always encourage you and point you back to Jesus. Apart from him i can do nothing...
Here are some pictures that I love and will share...thanks for following my Journey--
my favorite Painting Partner, Kinzee Elaine.
Me, Heavenly Joy, and Bradlee Sullivan at a Wedding on New Years Eve...These people have helped me see the world differently and I'm thankful for that. Photo by Carissa, the person who has encouraged me the most outside of my mom and who has truly changed my life.
((Thanksgiving 2014))
Kinzee and Eli's Christmas Card --- Photo By Karri Wieners (she takes really good pictures y'all)