Bible Journaling - Christian Blog and Women's Ministry

A new take on Creative Bibles

Megan Kelly Botha — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 16:30:16 +0000

As you probably know, when I first decided to launch our Instagram account (which later lead to the launch of this website) it was mainly to share my Bible notes and my (amateur) bible journalling. It was a space to be creative and explore my bible in a new and colourful way. Recently, Erin contacted me to share the news about an app he is working on – one that I think we can all get excited about.

If you feel inspired to create, journal and explore your bible while still being able to take it with you wherever you go, then you will love the all-new Bible for Creatives app for iPad! Take your Bible everywhere you go and create art, let your creativity flow with journaling, or just make notes. All you need is an iPad and a stylus like the Apple pencil – and the new Bible for Creatives app.

Erin and his wife both love exploring their bibles creatively but much like myself felt they couldn’t always find their crafty supplies (thanks kids!) or that it was just too bulky to cart around on the go. The idea is to create the cleanest and most versatile bible app that lets you explore your bible without limitations and gives you full creative control, meeting the needs of a much larger creative bible community who wants more from a digital bible app.

Things that make this Bible App stand out from the rest:

The Bible for Creatives is not like any other Bible app you have experienced before. It has been designed from the ground up, starting with a blank wireframe, and little by little, they have added the functions to make this the perfect Bible app. Erin says he focused on making the app simple, easy to use and minimal in look and design, giving you enough white space to apply your art, notes and creativity, without taking away from the typical digital bible reading experience of being able to easily access scriptures in your favourite translations, conveniently from your device.

The app gives you complete control on how to customise your bible, right from choosing the amount of white space you feel suits your creative needs in the margin and between the lines of text, to which size and style of the font you prefer, and whether you like to read vertically or horizontally. It’s also got a built-in dark mode (LOVE!!!) or an elegant light theme to choose from. The last step to getting set up, is picking your preferred translation which they are constantly expanding on the choices available so that you always have access to the translation you are comfortable with.

Once you’re all set up, you are ready to draw, write, paint, highlight, and do (almost) whatever you like. Your imagination is the only limit! I personally love the little customisations they have included like an adjustable ruler, the choice to add support lines, background options and a place for you to save and access all your favourite verses.

The fun doesn’t stop there – you can also create as many bibles as you like (this is a great option for families who share their iPad and allows each family member to have their own creative bible, to customise and suit their style). You’re also able to select your design to share on social media easily, search for keywords and have related bible verses come up, as well as have a read-only mode which allows for distraction-free reading.

I love that Erin has thought to include so many features, that I find limiting about my own creative bible – sometimes I make a mess and want a do-over. Now, that’s actually possible and doesn’t mean painting over my design (for reals, I have done this one too many times!)! I also love that I’d be able to be creative from the comfort of my bed without the need for all my paint, stickers and crafting supplies – or better yet, I don’t need to constantly be buying crafting supplies. More than that, I like that I have access to different translations and have the ability to customise my bible to look exactly the way I want.

If you love the sound of this app as much as I do, you can help Erin by donating towards the completion of the app via his Indiegogo campaign. Read more about it here, and be one of the first to try this wonderful and exciting new app that is about to change the way we interact with Bible apps.

Megan Kelly Botha

I’m a coffee-wielding mood reader and romance book collector who may or may not have a slight addiction to buying books. I read a variety of sub-genres within romance, including rom-coms, dark romance, and fantasy. I love sharing my thoughts on books, whether it’s through book reviews, quotes, or recommendations inspired by my current reads. Through my romance book blog, Literary Inspired, I aim to provide in-depth book reviews, curated reading recommendations, and exclusive author promotions. I’m passionate about supporting indie authors and sharing my latest book discoveries with others. When I’m not reading, you can find me cheering on my favorite football team and F1 drivers, crafting, baking with my kids or playing with my pets.

literaryinspired.com/

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100 Days of Bible Promises

Megan Kelly Botha — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 08:54:07 +0000

Back when I first started exploring Bible Journalling, I discovered Shanna Noel, the owner and founder of Illustrated Faith and the Bible Journaling Community. I spent months watching her videos, and wishing they were local as it’s really difficult to get any of Illustrated Faith’s products in South Africa – I REALLY want her monthly kits! Besides her Bible Journalling Supplies, it is her books that I have always been interested in, so when my mother-in-law went to England and asked what she could bring back for me, I quickly made a bee-line for Amazon to find that they had stock of all the Devotional Journals that Shanna has created with Day Spring.

I have been working through the 100 Days of Bible Promises which the book describes as, “Set on a journey to live your faith in a form of worship called Bible Journalling. 100 Days of Bible Promises is a devotional journal that highlights a life-changing promise from God’s word each day, and provides space to create, journal, reflect and pray on the gift that God is whispering to your heart.”

Originally, I had started working through 100 Days of Less Hustle, More Jesus, but am constantly reading and reviewing a variety of devotionals for this blog and found myself gravitating towards 100 Days of Bible Promises which has been one of my favourite devotionals, of all time. Every single prompt has been so appropriate to my day-to-day life and the challenges that I am facing, with beautiful prayers to meditate on throughout the day.

Shanna’s books are all so beautifully designed and carefully thought-out. The devotional part of each day is usually brief, practical and helps teach God’s word in a very relatable and is easy-to-understand way, that can be applied to real-life. Also included in each daily prompt is 3 Bible Verses that reaffirm the message of the day and on the second page, you’ll find the featured scripture of the day, a short prayer to meditate on, and lots of space for you to journal, reflect and write out your own prayers for the day. The lovely designs and little touches throughout the journal make this devotional all the more special, so even if you’re new to bible journaling or like me, lack the creativity but still long for pretty journals, your daily reflections and prayers look like beautiful spreads.

100 Days of Bible Promises makes the perfect gift and can be read over and over again – its message is timeless, sincere and helps reaffirm the foundations we build our faith upon. I think that this devotional is especially great for new believers or perhaps those overwhelmed by the very many devotionals available – it’s just such a solid devotional from start to end, that I can’t personally put my finger on anything that it might be missing. It’s beautiful in every way, helps break down God’s promises in a way that is easy to understand, it has Bible verses to reference, and prayers to reflect on while taking it a step further and leaving us with our own space to journal, which helps to enrich our devotional time and really consider how the message applies to our own lives.

I currently own 100 Days of… “Less Hustle, More Jesus,” Grace and Gratitude” and “Bible Promises.” and can’t wait to add more of the Illustrated Faith products to my collection. If you’d like to purchase your own Illustrated Faith products, I have found a local supplier, called Doodle’s Cafe and while I cannot vouch for their service (I haven’t yet shopped from them – but plan on doing so, soon!) I am elated that I can shop more Illustrated Faith products locally.

Megan Kelly Botha

literaryinspired.com/

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Defining your own style of Bible Study

Megan Kelly Botha — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 06:00:04 +0000

A few months ago, I started a new study of the book of Romans. With my highlighters, sticky notes, washi tape and guided Bible Study at the ready, I was convinced that I was going to finally get around to finishing the book of Romans in 40-days.

Spoiler: I didn’t.

In fact, after only 4 – maybe, 5 days – I lost interest and gave up. Actually, I avoided it… for weeks!

This is something I do OFTEN – I gather all my supplies, sit down with the intention of really digging into the word, and then… boom, I give up. And it got me thinking WHY?

I think it has a lot to do with the idea of what Bible Studies should look like, or at least, the thought that it should look a certain way.

For years, I watched my gran study her Bible and saw her write in hundreds of notebooks scattered around the house – she wrote down her prayers, thoughts and learnings from the Bible, and I don’t think I have ever seen her not underline and write notes in the margins of her Bibles. Just reading that, I can imagine exactly how each letter looked in her distinctive, messy, script which she always attributed to years of Bible studies. Her style of Bible Study is so much like her; it’s never in one place, it’s considerate and includes a prayer for everyone in our family, it’s messy, it’s raw, it’s continuous like the conversation she is always having with God. It’s beautiful and it’s her.

When I first started sharing my faith journey, I was very inspired by Bible Journalling. I love seeing how the word can be used to create these wonderful and encouraging spreads and especially like the artsy and creative Bibles that have been handpainted. For a while, I tried my hand at Bible Journalling, bought all the supplies and would attempt to create my own spreads but to be quite honest, I am not creatively talented; I can’t draw, am not much of a painter and while I love beautiful scripts, I am way better at anything from behind a computer! I started getting uncomfortable with my imperfect Bible Journalling spreads that felt rather permanent in my Bible, which I treasure very much, and instead of enjoying the process, found myself getting stressed out and again, avoiding my Bible.

Lately, I have found myself absorbed by these wonderful and thorough Bible Studies. I find it fascinating how people are able to cross-reference, have hundreds of sticky notes, creative tabs, and messy notes that look the perfect amount of messy. I found myself wanting to dive deep into the word so I could also create notes, cross reference, and REALLY study the Bible. I want to get to know Jesus on a deeper level and fooled myself into thinking the highlighters and co-ordinated sticky notes would help me get there.

But, as I am sure you can guess… it didn’t.

I found that I loved digging deep into the Bible and it really helped me understand the things that I might have missed if I were reading without the intention of looking further. However, I also recognize that I don’t always have the energy for such an in-depth Bible Study and my mistake is that I keep thinking that’s the ONLY way to study.

It isn’t.

For years, my style of Bible Study looked a lot like my gran’s. My notes are shared across several Bibles, and multiple notebooks. I have prayers scribbled in old diaries, written on scraps of paper and saved in draft folders. I’d like to think that if my future allows and maybe one day I have grandchildren, that they may stumble upon these early notes and recognize themselves in my own journey like I have, so many times when reading my gran’s notes and studies.

I need to remind myself that there’s no perfect way to studying the Bible; some days, it looks like spending 10-minutes reading a chapter you’ve read 100 times, other days, it looks like writing a phrase taken from scripture and memorising it, and for some, it might look like beautiful spreads or in-depth study notes decorated with highlighters and washi tape. Whatever your style, I hope that the idea of what Bible Studying should look like, never stops you from picking up your Bible. After all, if you really want to get to know Jesus, you just have to open the book.

Megan Kelly Botha

literaryinspired.com/

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Counting Your Blessings with a Gratitude Journal

Megan Kelly Botha — Mon, 07 Oct 2019 20:27:23 +0000

When I was a teenager, I read somewhere that Oprah kept a gratitude journal and every day, she’d write down five things that she was grateful for. From fresh flowers to the kindness of strangers, Oprah shared that acknowledging these things made her more receptive to the goodness in her life.

Years later, I decided to do something similar and started a series on Instagram where I’d share My Weekly Win and challenging myself to look for the good in each week that passed, even during the most challenging seasons of life. As time went by and I took a step back from sharing so much of my life online, I transitioned to a gratitude journal and would focus on highlighting at least 3 things that I was grateful for each day. Over time, this has become a habit and every day, before bed, I make sure to look for the good in the day.

Truthfully, when I first started my gratitude journal, I was doing it with the hope that it would help me dig myself out of a very negative hole that I had fallen into. I was overwhelmed by everything going wrong in our lives and felt out of control. All too often, I found myself asking God for a break, begging Him for a win – just ONE thing, ANYTHING! I NEEDED something to go right, so when Joyce Meyer’s suggested in her podcast to literally count your blessings by physically writing them out, I did, and it’s changed my outlook on life and has made me a more grateful person!

Recently, CUM Books launched a beautiful range of books featuring a 120-day Gratitude Journal called, ‘My Gratitude Journal’ and ‘A Gift Of Grace And Gratitude Devotional’ by Carolyn Larsen which they were kind enough to send to me.

Over the last month, I have been using each of these books together and love how they encourage you to seek the blessings in each day. I find that even on the hardest and most challenging days, spending a few minutes highlighting the good – no matter how big or small – really changes my mood and perspective and forces me to stop looking at all the things I need and rather acknowledge the good that surrounds me and my family despite our circumstances. It quite literally makes me count my blessings and I love it!

[rcno-reviews id=10269 ]

Here are some of the benefits of keeping a gratitude journal:

Increases positivity and makes you happier
Improves Self-Esteem
Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Helps you sleep better
Helps you acknowledge God’s hand in your life

Since I have started recording my blessings and the things I am grateful for, I have become more optimistic – always looking for the good in every situation and even when there isn’t any good, I still have the peace of mind that while this may not be a blessings right now, it certainly will be a lesson one day. God continues to bless me abundantly and I love recording all the ways that he is working in my life.

Do you keep a record of your blessings in a gratitude journal? What is something you are grateful for, today?

Megan Kelly Botha

literaryinspired.com/

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Daily Prayer Journal Printable

Megan Kelly Botha — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 13:37:46 +0000

Each Friday, I will be sharing freebies for you to download, print or share. From devotionals, cards, bookmarks, to reading plans and wallpapers, you can expect it all!

This week’s freebie is a Prayer Journal Printable that can be used to track your daily Bible reading, what you’re grateful for and write down your prayers. I started journaling my prayers a while back because I love being able to go back and seeing how many of my prayers have been answered!

Megan Kelly Botha

literaryinspired.com/

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Bible Journaling on a Budget

Megan Kelly Botha — Tue, 21 May 2019 06:00:21 +0000

When you first stumble upon Bible Journaling, you might find yourself feeling overwhelmed by all the mediums and supplies that the internet makes you believe you need – well, at least that’s how I felt. However, don’t let that take away from WHAT Bible Journaling is! Loads of people just use a pen and some sticky notes, but if like me, you want to get a little more creative and colourful, then it’s helpful to know where to shop, what to look for, and how to budget for Bible Journaling supplies.

Journaling Bible

The cost of a journaling Bible is no joke! I have purchased two for myself, one being the My Creative Bible and the second being the She Reads Truth Bible, both of which I feel were great purchases but might be out of your budget, especially if you’re just starting out. A good option might be to buy one of these Scripture Journals that retail for R99 each (and often go on special for R60.) Although it will cost more to purchase each book individually (in the long run), it might be more doable purchasing one book to try out Bible Journaling and see if it’s something you like, before investing in a bible.

Craft Supplies

We aren’t really spoilt for choice when it comes to products designed specifically for Bible Journaling here in South Africa, and besides the small selection of products that CUM Books have recently launched, I struggle to find dedicated supplies. However, our limited options has challenged me to get creative and the best place to go is The Crazy Store!

I am not joking when I say that at least 80% of my Bible Journaling supplies come from the Crazy Store. Of course, they’re not marketed as Bible Journaling supplies, but you will be surprised by just how much you CAN get from their craft section and at ridiculously low prices!

My Favourite Supplies:

Of course, it always pays off to shop around! I have found a few good steals at the bottom of sales bins, especially from stores like CNA, Typo and Game where their stationery isn’t usually that affordable. Typo is especially generous with some of their sales!

If you’re up for a long wait (roughly 2,5 months), you should also check out Wish! There are loads of stickers, stencils, stamp-kits and lots and lots of washi-tape! A lot of it you can get for dirt cheap (or even free, just pay shipping!) but if you’re impatient like me, well, shopping around is loads more fun!

Have you found any good places to stock up on Bible Journaling supplies? Comment below, I’d love to add to my stash!

Megan Kelly Botha

literaryinspired.com/

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Bible Journaling Kit for Beginners

Megan Kelly Botha — Mon, 20 May 2019 06:00:09 +0000

I have been a fan of Bible Journaling for the longest time, but never really thought of myself being creative enough to try it. After purchasing My Creative Bible at CUM Books, I decided to play it safe and would quite literally only colour between the lines, thanks to the beautiful designs already in the Bible. Over time and hundreds of YouTube videos later, I finally felt brave enough to try my hand at designing my own spreads, which has been exciting, fun and somewhat challenging!

I recently discovered that CUM Books is now offering Bible Journaling Kits which I was very kindly gifted by my friend, Luchae from My Spreadsheet Brain. I might have let out a little squeal when I saw she included it in a stack of books. Ok, I lie… I did let out a squeal!

The kit comes with everything you need to start Bible Journaling and makes for a great gift! I personally have found it challenging to find dedicated Bible Journaling supplies locally and wish we had the likes of Illustrated Faith and Day Spring available so that we could take full advantage of their beautiful products. However, I do feel a kit like this from CUM Books is a step in the right direction and perhaps they’ll explore the idea of offering their own monthly kits and expand on their Bible Journaling section.

So, what makes this a great kit especially if you are new to Bible Journaling? The kit includes all the basic supplies that you’ll need to get started:

4 Washi Tape Rolls
Black Ink Block and Stamps
24 Column Inserts
2 Clear Sticker Pages
2 Opaque Sticker Pages
6 Glitter Gel Pens
6 Metallic Gel Pens
Journaling Template

As you can probably imagine, I was excited about the washi tape, stickers and gel pens but I especially like that CUM Books thought to include the ink, stamps and ink block. The stickers and washi-tape are beautifully designed, and I am hopeful that they’ll expand their current offering.

The gel pens were probably the product that surprised me the most, as I thought I really didn’t need anymore, especially as I already have about 40 others, but I hate to admit that these pens are so incredibly smooth and vibrant, that they’re basically everything I didn’t know I needed from a gel pen.

The column inserts are great too, especially if you don’t already have a Journaling Bible with designs printed inside, as these are a great addition to colour and stick when you don’t feel up to designing an entire spread.

Another surprising product that I get a lot of use from is the Journaling Template which basically works to protect your page from felt-tip pens, gel pens and paint going through the page. Before discovering this gem, I’d often have colours soak through the pages, which makes it tricky to design on consecutive pages.

In addition to their Bible Journaling Kits, CUM Books have recently started offering washi-tape, stickers and gel pens that can be purchased on their own. While the range is still limited, I can’t wait to see it expand to include more options for us, Bible Journalers.

The Bible Journaling Kit retails for R550 from CUM Books and there are 2 variants available (see here and here).

Megan Kelly Botha

literaryinspired.com/

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My Creative Bible KJV

Megan Kelly Botha — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 06:00:58 +0000

For the last year or so, I have found a new interest in Bible Journalling. Now, let me start by saying that I am not a creative person. In fact, I am too controlling to find enjoyment in things like painting and drawing and freak out whenever things don’t quite look the way I want them to. For years, I have diligently added to my Bible Journalling Pinterest board, and was quite okay with the idea that I’d probably never try it for myself. Well, that was until I found My Creative Bible – the Bible I didn’t know I needed!

My Creative Bible gently introduces you to the world of Bible Journalling. I felt so much more comfortable with the idea of merely colouring in the nearly 400 hand-drawn scripture accompanying illustrations, than trying to attempt my own designs. I personally find colouring-in quite enjoyable and like that it doesn’t require a great deal of attention. Instead, I can listen to a Podcast, pray over The Words I am reading, or just let my mind wander. However, after spending a great deal of time filling in these pages and finding confidence in myself (or rather, giving up on the idea of Bible Journalling perfection) I felt inspired to try my hand at painting, drawing and creating my own designs too!

My designs never quite look the way I picture, and I need to practice my lettering but I do feel like My Creative Bible has been a pivotal point in helping me understand the benefits of Bible Journalling and encouraging me to grow in my faith. It’s also helped me get over the expectation of everything being picture perfect, and embracing coffee spills, ink splotches, messed paint and bad spelling – Bible Journalling is not about the pretty designs, but rather about becoming familiar with The Word of God.

From a practical point, the pages of My Creative Bible are a bit thicker and are made of high-quality cream paper with a standard black text size of 8.65. I find that ink does occasionally bleed through, but it’s usually only when I have coloured over and over something. If I stick to doing one layer of ink using BIC felt-tips, highlighters, or even acrylic paints, there are is no concern for bleeding through the pages. However, in learning to embrace imperfection, I have also learnt to make the best of a bad situation by painting the back of those pages, or covering them in washi tape, so that I can still use them despite the ink coming through the page.

My only gripe with this Bible is that it’s KJV (this is personal) but I really struggle to understand this version and constantly cross-reference with my NIV so that I can understand it better. I’d personally love My Creative Bible in an NIV or ESV version, as I feel that if you’re going to create a Bible as an introduction to Bible Journalling then it would be a good idea to have an “easier” or more widely understood version.

Regardless though, I highly recommend My Creative Bible to anyone who is just a little bit interested in Bible Journalling. It’s a great way to get started and you’ll find that their designs make it really simple to understand, remember and reflect on The Word.

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Megan Kelly Botha

literaryinspired.com/

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