A new journey begins with the first step. I have been wanting to try Bible Art Journaling for awhile. but I had lots of excuses why not to start.
1. Should I do art in my bible?
2. I don't have the right bible.
3. What if I mess up and make a mistake?
4. What if I don't have the right supplies?
5. Is my art good enough to put in my bible?
I also felt the desire to have other ladies join me in this journey. Again more excuses.
6. Shouldn't I be an expert before I ask anyone else?
7. What if they are afraid of taking the first step too?
8. Are they even going to want to do it?
9. What if they think I'm crazy for asking?
10 And the biggest one- what if they all say "no"?
Then the other night I felt God answering those concerns.
1. I respect the bible as God's word. I know I'm not going to put something that would ever disrespect his word. I feel like he would rather I open my bible, meditate, reflect, and add my thoughts and art then to have a bible that looks the same as it did when it came from the publisher.
2. While I would like to have a bible specific for journaling, someday. I felt God was telling me to use what I have now. I'm not guaranteed tomorrow, so start today.
3. This was a big one. I don't like making mistakes. With my crafting projects in the past if I made a mistake I could always find a way to "cover" it or throw it away completely but I wouldn't be able to do that in my bible. God reminded me that I am a work in progress. Mistakes remind me that I am not perfect only God is perfect and it is my pride that wants to be PERFECT.
4. I have a lot of art supplies, and I don't know which ones will work and those that won't. I decided that I would experiment with my supplies in an old book of poems. So that is what I did. This is what I did using chalk, black stazon ink, colored pencils, white ink and white acrylic paint.
5. My art doesn't have to be good. That comes back to my pride issues. It doesn't HAVE to be good. It just has to have meaning to me, and it has to make contemplate on what God is saying to me at that time in his word. That isn't to say that I won't try to do my best, and hope to get better. One step at a time on this journey.
6. I was thinking that people won't want to join me in this journey if I don't know all the answers first. Pride again? Probably. Then God reassured me by bringing to mind when my kids were little and I was homeschooling them. When I didn't know the answer, I would say "I don't know that, lets find that answer together."
7. If they are afraid of starting, I hope to share how God has encouraged me.
8.9.10. God encouraged me with the old song. "if none go with me still I will follow." I don't know what God has planned. I did ask several ladies at my church and they all seemed interested in at least finding out more.We are planing to meet this Friday evening.
I started this last Sunday, September 6, 2105 with two pages. One I simply wrote "Amazing Grace how sweet the sound" God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble. Praying that God will not let my pride get in the way of what He wants me to do. I used Sharpie fine pen and colored pencils.
I made a more detailed entry with this drawing of a lion. Daniel could have let fear keep him from praying but he didn't. He put his faith in God and let God overcome his fear. When Daniel was in the lions' den, God shut the lions' mouth. Praying that I will step out in faith like Daniel. I sketched the lion first with a pencil then I added Sharpie fine pen and colored pencils. When I finished, I was kinda critical of my lion. It didn't turn out how I had imagined it. But the more I looked at it. I kinda like it. My lion kinda looks confused. But if you had your mouthed closed by an angel that God sent, wouldn't you look confused too?
I am excited to see where this journey will lead.
