Journaling: Learning to Color Outside the Lines

Calling all you Bible-readers out there (non-readers, it’s never too late to startJ). Do you ever find yourself in a rut with your daily devotion time? Maybe you just don’t feel like you’re retaining what you’ve been reading, or some days it seems like more of a chore than anything else? Red flag; reading the Bible should never feel like a ‘chore,’ and you shouldn’t feel guilty when life happens and maybe you get a little behind. Don’t let that discourage you and prevent you from picking it back up again and diving back into God’s glorious word.

            I’ve found that the way you take notes and reflect on the Word makes all the difference. I’ve sorted through a few techniques, and I’m still trying to find what works best for me. I tried journaling and categorizing my notes by favorite verses, meaningful words, a quick summary, and how the chapter or passage applied to my life. For a while it worked great, but it started to become somewhat monotonous.

Truth be told, it reminded me of school, and that’s when I knew I needed to switch things up. I’m an arts and crafts kind of gal, so after a quick Pinterest search (great resource, by the way), I found a more creative approach! I began using stickers, stamps, markers-you name it, and started writing down the most important parts to ME. That might be a verse, a few words, a main idea or theme, a picture, recap of events, or a number of other things! I love it because I can get crafty with it and make it more personal. It’s more of an artwork than just a black and white journal without any personality to it.

I’m aware that this won’t work for everyone and if the traditional journal works for you, by all means keep on doing it! However, for anyone out there that might find themselves in a similar situation to my own, and want to try something different, I encourage you to give it a shot. Sometimes you have to color outside the lines a little and keep your options open! Try combining your passion for the Word with another hobby-you’ll be surprised with what you might come up with. If you’re struggling with getting started, the internet is a great resource for some ideas. I’ve also attached a few pictures of my new system of journaling in case you find it helpful!

 XOXO

Mary Kate