1) Quieting Your Heart: 6-Month Bible-Study Journal. Before this one scares you off, it's not a journal that makes you read a devotion or asks you questions. It is a paperback book, each page repeating the same sections: Today I'm Reading, God is..., 3 Things I'm Thankful For, This Is What I Learned Today. I love this journal. I am not a journaler, but this format is so simple and free. You can put anything in the sections and take as long or as short a time as you want. You don't even have to be reading your Bible! In the Today I'm Reading Section, I have even written down chapters of books or you could put articles, magazines, anything. Here's a picture of a page from my journal:
The pages of this journal aren't even colored, so if you want to color them like I did you can, but it's not necessary. (For the record, coloring this page takes me maybe two minutes. I just zing in a little color, I don't take my time).
2. Journal and Doodle Bible Studies. I decided to try one of these this summer and I am hooked. Kari, the creator of the studies, has found a unique way to make Scripture study more personal and fun. I tried her free Ephesians study (you can find it on the right side in the link above). You get a PDF file with the study. I printed it out and put it in a notebook. She writes in her Bible, but that's something I never do, so I just printed out Ephesians on copy paper and stuck it in my notebook. She guides your reading through an introduction and each chapter of the book. There are four sections on most pages: Bible overview (chapter summary), Journal and Doodle, Reflection and Application, Going Deeper. This study is so interactive. She directs you to do things like pick favorite verses, create revealing lists, discover the meaning of original words in the text, and delve into the context. She is thorough and theologically accurate. To me, the best part was the doodling, a unique way to add to your study, whether putting visuals to a verse or setting off different words or ideas. Best of all, these studies are flexible. They aren't divided by days or expect you to get to a certain point. You tick off boxes as you complete parts of the study and whenever you need to stop, you stop.
3. Writing Out Scripture. This isn't a journal or Bible study, this is simply getting a notebook or paper and copying Scripture. At the end of the Ephesians study above, Kari gave ideas for going farther if you wanted to. One idea was to copy out Ephesians by hand. I'd never copied a book of the Bible and decided I'd try it. I am loving it. I have noticed things I never saw before, repeating themes and words, meanings of the text I didn't realize were out of context, sections that easily get passed over. I take it slow. I write in cursive, trying to make it my best, to slow me down. That way I really read what I write:
Many studies reveal how our brains come alive when we write by hand and I have certainly seen that in my copying. This way of interacting with the Bible is also completely free and flexible. It doesn't matter how much time I have, I can write as much or as little as I want. I've put no set limitations on myself and do whatever I can whenever I can.
I hope these three ways inspire you and give you ideas on how to interact with God's word as a busy mama. It isn't always easy, but it's so much easier when you can be completely flexible and fit whatever you do into the days of keeping your kiddos alive!
0 comments:
Post a Comment