I know that many of you (probably more like most of you) are following along on Instagram, but just in case you aren’t, I thought I’d pop in and talk about my Bible for a minute. It’s been a while since I shared any pages or processes with you, so I thought you might like an update on how things are going on that front.
2015 was a huge year of personal growth for me and an even bigger year spiritually. Through the Illustrated Faith movement, I found a way to connect with scripture that I had never even considered. I’ve talked at length about how adding color to these pages changed my life, but I wish I could put my hands on your shoulders and look deep into your eyes when I say it because some of you are hesitating to jump right in and I’m betting that if you just let go of that fear and hesitation, God would move in your life in mighty ways.
The last year has been so rewarding and among those rewards are friendships and fellowship that I might never have known otherwise. I have a few people in my life, who were already close friends, that have benefited from this same experience. I have other friends, who I might not ever have “met” outside of this movement, who now send me daily encouragements and hilarious middle-of-the-night text messages (thank you, time zones). Just this month, I started attending a small group connected to our new church, full of women I don’t yet know, but who are excited about journaling. I missed the first week and was crazy nervous the second week, but I know that this could only have worked out for me according to God’s time.
Last August, I challenged myself to post a page from my Bible every day for the entire month and it was so much fun, but after that month I was glad to take a step back and not feel so pressured to produce. Having an Instagram account that is shared by the blog and the Bible and every day life is sometimes hard to manage and I often worry about stepping on toes or alienating followers. I had to come to a place where I was happy with what I was sharing and let go of the frustration and hurt feelings every time I saw that follower number drop. A year ago today I had a little over 600 people following along, but with almost ten times that many viewers this year, the feeling of overwhelm is so much heavier.
I stepped away from daily journaling (and regular sharing) during the fall and I rarely posted pages from my Bible at all during the months of December and January. I was continuing to see God at work in my life and in this community, but I felt a necessary pull to stay out of the spot light. After an extended break and with my “Bible-versary” approaching, I knew I wanted to jump back in with two feet and really seek after what all God was trying to teach me in this new year. I could have waited for lent, but I felt God tugging me a little earlier in the year and starting on February 1, I committed to a single page in my Bible for every day of this month. Our pastor spoke at the beginning of the month about devoting the first fifteen minutes of each day to a time of bible study, worship and prayer. I am making it my goal this year, to really focus on those first few moments and start my day with some intentional time of spiritual growth. I’m working predominantly in my second Bible and I’m trying to be minimal in the materials I’m using, really focusing on the message instead of a lengthy process. These mornings have yielded some of the sweetest times and a few of my favorite pages to date. I’m looking forward to continuing this process as we move through lent and towards the resurrection of Christ.
I won’t be sharing any in depth process videos during this time, but I will be periodically checking in to let you know how my studies are going and to share a few of my favorite pages each month. You can always find past tutorials and process videos on the Bible Journaling page in the category drop-down menu above!
