The Night Before

It's the night before my very first Bible journaling class.  I am excited and nervous.  My class will be made up of people of all ages.  This should be fun journey together.  I pray that God will use me to inspire and encourage creativity and a passion for His word.

Below are the handouts I will use for the first class. There is probably a better way to attach these to the blog, but I haven't figured it out yet.

Illustrated Bible Journaling

Bible journaling is a unique way to study the Bible, meditate over the scriptures, and connect to God in a visual way.  Our God is an invisible God, yet he has surrounded us with the beauty in creation. He gave us eyes to see with and hearts and brains to respond to colors and lines and shapes.  And He has made each of us to be creators as well.  We create families, relationships, homes, meals, jobs, and sometimes art.

Some of us are artists, some are not. But we all can be creators in different ways. That is what this class is about. Every week we will choose a passage to discuss and to illustrate in some way.  Journaling is like a diary - a place to express your thoughts, your hopes, your faith, your prayers.  In this class we will use pictures, words, colors, and textures to do that. Some weeks we will use actual illustrations and other weeks just colors and words. 

“Creativity is a God-given ability to take something ordinary and make it into something special or extraordinary. It is an openness for doing old things in new ways.  The creative spirit is part of our heritage as children of the One who created all things.  And nurturing our creativity is part of our responsibility as stewards of God’s good gifts.”

Emilie Barnes

Every person in the class is free to do whatever you want with the lesson.  I will have something for you to trace and color.  However, you may want to create your own illustration or change my pattern in some way.  I will try to create some options in every lesson so that you can express your own individuality.  I will also encourage you to add your own words, your own thoughts.  Let’s remember that this can be very personal and not everyone will want to share what they have done.  Respect each other’s privacy. 

This is not a place where we will debate politics or Biblical interpretations or the difference in denominational doctrines.  This is a place that we will love the scriptures  and use our talents to glean personal messages for ourselves.  I will say on the front that I believe the scripture is God-breathed and that every word in it is sent from God for a purpose.  We will not debate that issue in this class. Not that they shouldn’t be talked about but this isn’t the forum.  Those issues that we disagree on are not the determining factor of our salvation.  I want this class to be a place of inspiration and personal worship.  I want you to come here to be encouraged in your faith.  I want us to care about each other.

The class will be from 6:30 - 8:30 each week.  You may stay for one hour or for the entire time.  Some people will be coming from other classes at 7:30 so I will repeat Bible discussion and journal instructions at that time.  You may begin the lesson in class and finish it at home.  Or you may want to finish it the following week.  

I hope and pray that each student will:

Learn to spend time with God in a unique way, expressing the creativity He has given all of us.

Pray for our class.

Be inspired to dig deeper into scriptures.

Fellowship with other Christians each week in a joyful way.

Invite others to this class.  (I can move this class to a bigger space if necessary.)

Will learn that everyone is capable of being creative.

(Some of the above content was copied from Illustratedfaith.com.)

Scriptures about creativity:

Exodus 35:30-36

Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.

1Timothy 4:14-15

Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.  Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.

Supplies for Journaling Class

What you have to have:

Bible or Paper

Micron pen - 01, 02, and/or 03

#2 pencil

Colored pencils

Ruler or small t-square

Tracing paper

Manilla File folder - used 

Optional - you do not have to have these items.  I will have these things available in class for you to try.  Also, you might have some of these things at home and you could begin to collect them.

White Vinyl eraser

Vinyl stamps

Stickers

Press on letters

Lettering books

Laptop

Markers that don’t bleed through pages of Bible- no Sharpies!

Watercolor pencils

Decorative papers

Acrylic paint

Watercolor paint.

Bible coloring books or coloring sheets from the Internet