Cracking open a new bible can be incredibly daunting. Whether it’s your first or your fourth creative arts worship bible [or maybe your tenth!?! *cough* SHANNA! *cough*], it can be a little mind-numbing to stare at all of those blank pages and think, “Where do I start? And what if I mess up??”
Well first & foremost, sweet friend…. you can’t mess up when you come into the presence of God. So go ahead & shake that silly though off. ;)
For me, I know I’ll always want to start with my life verse. I haven’t always had this verse, maybe just for a handful of years now. But it’s an excellent way to dive in because it’s my happy place…. a verse I’m heavily familiar with & a space where I know that God meets me.
I usually reserve a few favorite, well-hoarded journaling supplies for this type of entry. The “HEart” badge is one I saved from this years Revival Camp series because I knew I would want to use it for something oh-so-special. My life verse totally fits the bill there!
So I’m digging in today with y’all in Acts 17:28.
For in Him, we live and move and have our being.
Not in ourselves, not in our artistic works, not in our first or fourth or tenth bibles ;) Only. In. Him. This verse is an amazing reminder for me to daily die to myself and let God show up in my story. Without Him I am nothing, and that’s a truth I desire to live by honestly.
I grabbed some pretty paints [it seems like my heart + mind are feeling fall-ish for this colorway I created], and swiped down some quick swatches. I made sure each layer was dry[ish] before I layered down more color so that nothing mixed [too much]. There is beauty in the imperfection, whether this is your first entry or your 365th entry ;) No worries!
Next, I pulled my two special, well-hoarded pieces of ephemera & created a pretty tab piece at the top. I also used some big puffy letters to make a focal point that tells me what this margin + verse combo is all about. So when I’m flipping through my bible later on down the road, I can immediately zero in on the topic!
Finally, I journaled a prayer & date stamped my page. Never, ever, ever — for any reason — no matter what — ever…. forget to date stamp. Seriously, friends! It’s so important to document our walk IN Christ & WITH Christ in our bibles. We can look back on these posts & see exactly how we’ve grown since October 27, 2018!
So if you’re ready to crack open a brand new Illustrating Faith bible & you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by all that beautiful, empty margin space…. flip to your favorite verse. And if you don’t have one just yet, feel free to use mine ;) It’s a good one!
additional supplies: Studio Calico Mega Stamp | Bella Blvd Wonky Puffy Alpha | Acrylic Paint
How do I find an illustrating bible? All of your supplies are blank. Lee McBride
Do illustration bibles come in spiral bound? Lee