Why God Chose You

I love listening to these messages and sermons by Steven Furtick from Elevation Church.
Be blessed and encouraged. <3

Free Printable Scripture and Prayer Cards

Hey there!
I love many things. One of those is prayer and another is free printables. 😃
I found these on Pinterest and wanted to share the links with you. I will add more links in the future for free printables. I plane to use these in my Bible journaling and prayer binder.  I hope you enjoy them. By the way, they may say "mom" but the scriptures will fit anyone who feels weary, overwhelmed or needs encouragement. Be blessed!

Scripture:
Scriptures For The Weary Mom
30 Encouraging Scriptures For The Defeated Mom
15 Inspirational Verses

Scripture but not cards:
40 Scriptures To Combat Worry, Fear, Anxiety and Panic

Prayer Request cards:
Floral print from With Giggles and Grace

Blank Envelope Template (separate site but also fits above cards)

Here is what I have done so far for my own use.  This is what the above cards and envelope look like.  The patterned paper was free online to print. I plan to add the envelope in the back of my Bible for prayer requests while I am out or just when I am at home and think of it. You could also tuck them into your purse or briefcase, etc. On the envelope, I didn't have any scrapbook paper handy and had already printed the envelope outline onto cardstock. I would recommend decorated card stock if you want to skip gluing the patterned paper over it. I printed the outline on the back side of the patterned paper, then trimmed it up and glued it onto the cardstock. The last step was to fold the envelope and glue it to shape. 

New songs (to me) but so far I love them.

I ran across these on Youtube. I love Bethel Music. I love most of the voices I hear from them. Steffanie is no different. Just beautiful and the heart of worship, also. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did. God bless and have a wonderful week!


Defender - Steffany Gretzinger

I have heard this song before and absolutely loved it the first time I heard it.
I love the words of encouragement here:

Reckless Love (plus an encouraging word) - Steffany Gretzinger

This was another new one to me. I hope that you will take a listen and be blessed. 💗

No Longer Slaves

This is a favorite song as well. It also does my heart good to see such young hearts singing it from deep within. Praise God!

Worship...

💗 So much on my heart and mind that I may not even truly be aware of. Reaching out to Him this morning in thanks, reverence, prayer and praise.🙌

Fill My Cup, Lord - by Hope Montana

Chris Tomlin - Lord, I Need You

Michael W. Smith - Let It Rain

Open the Eyes of My Heart

Here I Am To Worship - Chris Tomlin (with lyrics)

We Were Touched By An Angel

First, let me start by saying that I have, at times, had visions a tiny bit here and there. They would sometimes come so far in advance of an event that I forgot about it until it happened. I don't know that I would call it a premonition. It was kind of like deja vu or a foreshadowing. I used to work at Kmart when I was in high school and early college. One night, I had a dream that I was pushing around a lady in a wheelchair, around Kmart. I can't remember what time of the year it was but, now, looking back, it seems like Thanksgiving or close to Christmas. I was helping her shop. All I remember is that she had short hair, I didn't know her, and she was a really nice, sweet lady. Then, at the end of the dream, I got the feeling of knowing that she was an angel.

At the time it was just a dream. Until I met the woman who would one day be my mother in law. It didn't hit me for quite awhile. Until she ended up being in a wheelchair.  I would take her different places to shop. Walmart, the grocery store, Kmart. Then, one day, the realization sank in. It was when I was reflecting on her character and how kind, considerate and loving she was. Her compassion,  desire and determination to help those around her. Her love of Christ assuring her own spirit, as well as being an inspiration those around her. She was a gem. Invaluable. I thought she must be an angel on earth....Wait, what?!  Cue memory of my dream. A sweet and happy smile crossed my face to realize it.

But now....

I have been wanting to post this for awhile but I just couldn't seem to find the words. My heart kept jumping into my throat.

On June 10th, 2018, we lost someone very dear to us. My mother in law slipped up to heaven around 5:58am. She had been struggling with her health off and on for a very long while. We almost lost her a few times. Thankfully, we were able to spend precious time with her after each one. Until this time. We knew we couldn't keep her here forever and that God would eventually take her home. He had mercy and compassion on her. We miss her deeply but are glad that she is at peace. 😢

It has been a little over two months since then and I am still not able to fully process it. I sort of deal with it and don't deal with it at the same time. It doesn't feel like she is really gone. We enjoyed her so much when she was alive that it is like she is still here. Maybe she really was an angel. By the way, she always mad a fuss about getting the family together on holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas. Christmas was always her favorite.  This season will be our first without her. 💔

I'm sooo looking forward to heaven one day. I am trying to make the most of my time here while it lasts but what a place of beauty to behold up there! Most importantly is obviously God. But how amazing also to be reunited with lost loved ones, and an amazing choir of angels and saints. The view must be breathtaking!  I'm sure there is so much more. Even just the extreme eternal peace of being in the loving presence of our Lord and Savior is enough to make me long for it at times.

I will get there one day. For now, I just need to keep moving forward in the plans that He has for me, whatever those may be. I will do my best to follow. I am trying to seek Him out even more recently. There is so much to be done yet.

😢💓We miss you, Momma.

Another reason for social media...

I know that a lot of people are used to going to Pinterest for pinsperation for Bible journaling, among other things. Instagram and Tumbler are sometimes good resources, too. For those who aren't, or a reminder for those that are, there is another reason besides finding a beautiful design. Sometimes you just run across a verse that you have never come across before that speaks to you profoundly. I had heard this one from Pastor Steven Furtick (also on social media from Elevation Church, Charlotte NC) I listened to but when I saw the Pin for it, I just had to do it. I journaled this one months ago but is resonates with me frequently, including this week. because it was journaled onto my heart.

~~ What is Bible Journaling? ~~

So, awhile back I published a post titled "Which Bible Is Best?"  In that post, I highlighted some common methods of Bible study to be expounded upon later.

Here is the list I cited:

1. Reading and highlighting verses that stand out or speak to you
2. Notetaking inside bible only
3. Notetaking but in separate notebook only (could also include scripture art journaling)
4. Book/ Chapter/ Topic studies
5. Inductive Study marking
6. Study Bible
7. Devotional Bible
8. Bible Journaling (could also include scripture art journaling)

I am not sure that there is a definitive order in which these should be delved into for further info. Most of the first half of the list is pretty self explanatory. However, I do know that I am going to skip to the last one first. lol

I have fallen in love with Bible journaling and think that you might, too, if you haven't already.  I am still in the beginning stages of it, I suppose. I have been journaling for a few months. I know more about the process than I have actually been able to do, due to time or resource constraints. There have just been too many things going on. 

Be forewarned: it isn't something that everyone will be comfortable with. There is one major reason for that. It requires that you mark or tape things into your Bible. 

There are people of differing opinions on that and some are very strong. Some feel no marking should be allowed whatsoever because it is the sacred Word of God. Some are okay with writing and drawing or stickers but not paint. Some are okay with paint but only if the words show through. There are also those that feel that it is okay to cover the words completely, as long as they have another Bible for reading/ study only.  

I happen to fall into the middle on this. I don't see a problem marking up the "text."  My reason is two-fold.  The first is that it is the Holy Word inspired by God. It is living and breathing and transcends up off of the page in a way no other book can. However, it is important to note that the body of the scripture is what is sacred. The Bibles I just ordered from Christian Book Distributors, that should be waiting for me to pick up, were just printed in the last year or so. They are essentially on new paper. The binding is new, the ink is new and the packaging is new. The book itself is not ancient, antique or otherwise valuable. They seem only as words printed upon the page - UNTIL you read them. That, to me, is when the scriptures become more than just a book, perspective wise. Whether you read it or not does not change its truth or actual value but how you view it. However, I don't happen to believe in covering the words. In that respect, it is the soverign Word of God and should remain intact. I feel that whomever picks that Bible up should be free to be led by the Spirit to see a particular passage or verse. If the words are completely covered, this is not possible. I would want, in no way, to stand between that person and what revelation or epiphany they may have otherwise come to.

Having said all of that, what good is a Bible, even if it holds the black and white answer to every problem there ever was, if you don't read it?  In order for it to impact you, you have to become familiar with what it says. Bible journaling is one way of doing that. That leads me to the second reason I am good with marking in the Bible. That is the purpose of drawing closer to God through drawing and making notes of particularly important verses or passages in your journey and your faith walk.

Often my inspiration has, so far, come from other sources. I can explain more about that in the next journaling post. These graphics have mostly come from Pinterest.  The abide entry was through my studying that passage and the ideas for which study tools to add were mine. I also washi taped around one of my dad's favorite verses, Psalm 23. On the following page, I washi'd around one of mine, Psalm 27. It is skinny washi. I believe 3mm. It is about a 1/4" wide.

     

Maybe it is not to fear that fires you up. Maybe you need to keep going over your identity in Christ because you were always told you were worthless. Maybe you need to be reminded of His promises to get you through the tough times because you need to know something good really is coming . These are the things that help lead you to what to journal. You highlight whatever speaks to you and find a way to illustrate that on the page or put a doodled border around it, etc. Whatever connects you to that scripture at a glance so that you can revisit it again and be reminded of God's response to your situation or a trial or valley that you went through that He brought you up out of is your reason. Or, maybe you want to add maps, charts, song lyrics, or some other study tools. 

         

In  the back of my cover, I added the map of the Twelve Tribes. I also added a map of the mistry of Jesus (not pictured), as well as the Hebrew calendar with month conversions to the January through December one that is widely in use now. It tells what the weather would have been like and they crops, etc. In the front part of my Bible, the other two pics are the books colorized by type (Law, Wisdom & Poetry, Prophets, Letters, etc. The last is a page for marking the Dr. Horner reading plan. I had aspirations of filling it up be have not been able to as of yet. It still has the ability to help me keep track of chapters that I have read. I also like the idea of tabbing sections, such as the Old and New Testaments, for easier flipping. In the above pic, I have actually tabbed the Contents and colorized by type of book. I had later decided to add the bookshelf pic.  The red taped tab is for the New Testament but red symbolizes the blood of the Lamb. I am planning to add a super hero on the last pic because God is my hero and my defender.

Bible journaling serves as a visual reminder of the relationship that you have with Him, your heart's response in worship to Him and His words of wisdom and grace. It could also just bring you closer in your knowledge of who God is and how the earth has gotten to this point so far. All of this works together to help you keep reading, seeking and reaching. The individual's view of the Bible goes from a perfect and sacred document to a personalized love letter and instruction booklet. It becomes something tangible to cling to when they need comfort because they can see the promises and possibly the answers to prayers, if they have noted them. There is so much good to be found in journaling. It can be therapeutic. 

 

 

However, there is an alternative idea method that will still allow for all of that and still not place a single mark in the Good Book.  That is scripture art journaling.  A scripture art journal can be as simple or complex as you want to make it. You can use a 50 cent composition journal from Wal-Mart and illustrate your scriptures in that, if you choose. You could also get a hardback journal of any size, even 8x11 and journal there. You don't even need a "journal."  You could use a 17 cent spiral bound notebook and the result is the same. It is all in what makes you most free to draw close to Him. 

"Well, that is great and all but I don't need to do any of that to draw close to God. I can pray and do that."  Yes, you can. There is no push in this post to convert everyone to what I find joy in.  If  you feel it isn't for you, then, so be it. It is only another means to an end, in terms of worship and study. 

However, if you are still with me and interested in what the big deal is, let me show you.  Maybe you have started hearing about it and clueless what it is. Maybe you have seen items labeled for it at the craft stores. Maybe you have heard of Washi tape but have no idea what that is or why you need it. Or, conversely, maybe you have not only heard of it but have fallen in love with it already and are only reading this post to see if you can find any tips. 😉 

Rest assured, I will follow with another post soon and list some there. I don't want this to become too long and cause an issue with load times on phones, etc. I think I have hit that point already. I will give a part two with types of methods and ideas of supplies you can use, as well as where to get things.

💖Be blessed and have the beginning of a wonderful week.  

Good morning!

Hello again. I finally got some of the posts out of my head and onto the blog. I still want to do a Bible Journaling post as well as another specific post but for now, I must put them on a temporary hold.

I will leave you with one of my current favorite songs.  I hope you like it and that you are having a blessed week. 💖

~~ Sermon Notes Binder ~~

Part four of the Faith Binder Series.

So this one is probably one of the easiest and most straight forward of them all. There are not a lot of moving parts to this one once you have done the Bible study binders. 

I need to upgrade my binder to match the others. It is currently the blue one pictured above that says "My Bible Notebook".  That spine cover is from the tabs at Do Not Depart. 

The Moroccan tile printable paper I used for the other three is here. 

The divider tabs are done the same way as in the Bible Topical Study binder. 

The tabs are done much the same way as the subheading tabs for the Apostles (the gold templates I used for this binder are found here.)  in the Topical binder post and as the tabs in the Bible Book Study binder.  

The biggest differences are the names on the dividers and tabs are in a different font, Janda Celebration, 72pt and 16pt, respectively. 

I felt the black I used on the gold tabs was a bit too dark for me. So, I used Word to list all of the last names of the pastors I wanted to highlight. 

Then, I cut them out of the printed page and centered and taped them over the gold and where they would still show when the were all together. I did the multi-tape trick again. I love shortcuts sometimes. 😉

The teal color in the background is what I will probably use for character traits in the topical binder. 

I had just printed out a bunch of random topics. Then, I decided to color code the subheadings in the People subject to avoid the need for even more dividers. Under this theme, I will have to redo the tabs to colorize instead of confetti them. They are from the same site as the gold ones. I really like the double sided design, as you can tell. 😄

I skipped the washi tape on these dividers, since there is essentially already a decorative border. You will find the printable stationery that I used here. 

And the finished product, drumroll please.....

I love how they turned out and I hope that you do, too. If you like the idea for this binder, I forgot something (which totally happens sometimes), or you just wanted to say something positive in the comments, feel free to leave a message. 

Be blessed and have a great week!!

~~ Bible Topical Binder ~~

Part 3 of the Faith Binder Series

So, here is the second Bible Study binder and the 3rd in the series of Faith Binders.  The War Binder (Prayer Journal) and the Bible Book Study were the first two. Check back later for the Sermon Notes Binder and any other subsequent binders. They will be tagged with a "Binders" label in the side bar. 😉

For more explanation on the techniques used in this post, refer to the Bible Book Study binder. 

I chose to print my paper for the cover and spine rather than buy it. 

I was partial to this Moroccan tile and grabbed it in multiple colors here. 

I like to pick up binders at the thrift stores because they are a lot cheaper. I can get a 3" or something similar for a dollar or less sometimes. 

The Bible Study, God's Promises, and Hebrew/ Greek tabs are from the 

binder tab set found at Do Not Depart.  They are slid into standard dividers for school and office use. 

The rest of the set is split between my other binders. They used to be in one binder but I couldn't leave it at that and had to totally customize the ideas to fit me. This is part of the result of that. I may actually have a binder for each tab. lol  I am probably not joking. ;) 

On to the dividers...

I used washi tape to add pizzazz to the plain white cardstock that I picked up from Walmart. 

Mine happens to be Neenah brand and is about $4 for 80 sheets.  

You can find the cardstock in  lots of other places, too.  

I generally scout out Dollar Tree frequently for craft supplies, 

including the Washi (or decorator tape).

Here are the tabs I chose. 

They are from http://plantolovethislife.com/great-freebie-tabs/

I printed 2 copies so that I could glue them together and have matching front and back. 

Bible studies are split into 10 categories to encompass all topics.  That was the easiest way I could think of to index every single topic... Headings and subheadings. It makes sense in a couple of different ways, including how meticulous I can be. 😜

• God/ Trinity - Attributes, Roles (Father, Physician, Savior, Holy Spirit, etc)
• People - Authors, Disciples, bystanders, anyone of importance
• Things - Angels, demons, money, material things
• Places - Geographical location, facts about the cities
• Events - Important events that took place and are worth noting. 
• Culture - The laws of the land, beliefs of that time and place
• Emotions - Jealousy, hatred, joy, sadness
• Principles - Doctrines, tithing, loving one another
• Actions - How to love one another, murder, theft, rebellion, 
• Character Traits - Discipline, persistence, laziness

I wrote my topics on them and them taped them to seal from dirt and tears.  

For taping tips, refer to the Bible Book Binder.

Here is a sample of the subheadings. I chose to print stationery patterns onto my cardstock. 

I put it back into the printer and used Word to print the names in the center of the pages. The divider font is cafe & brewery, 48pt and the small font was part of the tab creator mentioned below.
I don't remember it.

Then, I printed some customized tabs and taped them on. I chose yellow for the disciples because yellow is my color for church history. They were the beginning of the original church, so it made sense.

(Note: If you use the site linked above for tabs, the colors of the tabs shown are customizable after the page loads, you will see a color box, for instance, pink. If you click it, you can change the color. You can even save your tabs to your pc or just print them.) 

I had just printed out a bunch of random topics. Then, I decided to color code the subheadings in the People subject to avoid the need for even more dividers. Under this theme, I will have to redo the teal tabs (not shown here) to colorize instead of confetti them. 

I already have plans of doing pink for the women. I have a lot of labels printed already but am waiting on ink to be able to print the dividers. The pic I have chosen for that is a simple floral and has a slight pink to it.  I didn't find it on the site to share with you today. I found all the pics for the Apostles, the women, and the one for my Sermon Notes binder all on this site above. 

To finish the binder off, I separated the Old and New Testaments with tabs.

I hope you enjoyed this post. If I overlooked anything, you liked the post or have other ideas for things that could have been done, let me know. ;)  

💖Be blessed and have a wonderful day!!

~~ Bible Book Binder ~~

Part 2 of the Faith Binder Series.

So. Entirely too much time has passes since my last entry.  I work full time and have lots to do outside of that. I am pretty whooped sometimes and don't know where to start because there is so much that I want to share with you. Today, I am just going to jump in. It doesn't have to (and probably won't be) perfect. It just needs to jump up here and be available. lol   I plan to change the name of the blog eventually but that takes copyright, etc. SO, since that isn't a fast way to get things done, I will keep that part on the backburner for the moment and plug along as is. ;)  Let's go!  😎

The first thing that I want to share with you are my Faith Binders.  I have a Prayer Journal (or War Binder) that you have already seen (but will be updated). I also have the Bible Topical Study, Bible Book Study, and the Sermon Notes binder.

I like to pick up my binders at the thrift stores. A lot of times I can find the big ones really cheap. Sometimes they are only about a dollar.  I will at one point also have a dedicated binder each for devotionals, written prayers, and other things as I see fit.  For now, I wanted to show you how I created/ organized my binders to give you ideas either to start one or maybe some tips that will make it easier for your own. If it is too much detail for you or you want to create one but feel the need to condense it somehow, that is up to you. 😉

For now, let's focus on the Bible Study - Books.  Here is the finished version of mine.

Eventually, as I fill it up, I will need to split it into 2 binders, Old and New Testaments, to have room in the binder for everything. If I continue it for the next 20 years and run out of space, I will probably split it into sections of those testaments. An example of that would be the Law, Major Prophets, Minor Prophets, etc.  Then, in each of those binders, I could either grow the size of the binder and/or break them into volumes.  Since I haven't much in it yet, it is fine in one for now. (Don't you love how I am already Back to the Future and haven't but the idea in my head yet? 😜 Oh well. It's called planning ahead and at times I don't do enough of it, so I'm good with that. OCD you say?  Yeah, well, maybe a little of that, too, and a bit of perfectionism.)  On with the blog. hehe

Firstly, you can use any decorative paper that you want for your cover and spine. I simply did a search on Bing to find "free printable paper". I know that sounds like a redundant phrase but it pulls up free digital scrap paper designs.  You could also either search for "free digital scrap paper"or for "free printable decorative paper".  I chose a free Moroccan printable tile background found here. I also saved it in different colors to mix and match. This helps all of my binders kind of blend together.

If none of that appeals to you, or if ink is an issue (I will try to update with a link below), I'm sure that any such scrap paper from Hobby Lobby, Michael's, etc would do just fine. Whatever floats your boat.

The first thing that I have included are blank Bible study worksheets.  That way, I can grab a clean one and go. {Some good ones are found at BibleGirlPodcast in the link on the right for "Grace Book Bible Study Downloads."  I also like these but the object is to find what works for you.}  I also have a Study Helps tab from the printable tabs at Do Not Depart. This is where I have extra charts, maps and such.  Also in this section, are articles on Methods of Bible Study, Inductive Bible Study, as well as symbol charts and color codes from various sources to give me ideas on what and how to mark.

On to the dividers. I use plain white card stock by Neenah (found at Walmart for around $4 for 80 sheets, I believe).  I found these free printable Bible tabs at ministryark. I chose a washi tape that I liked to go down the edges for a splash of decoration and color. I ended up running out of that washi and had to finish out the OT with another. The NT is all one, though. I generally keep an eye out at Dollar Tree for the washi tape. The round tabs for OT and NT are the same tabs I used for my Topic Bible Study binder.

On to the application of the tabs, I used Scotch 3M Packing and Storage tape.  In the beginning,  I largely used it because it was sturdy and it was what I had on hand.  I have learned that I love it for tabs.  It is forgiving in most cases, as I can pull it up from the page and straighten the tab. I use it to tab my Bibles, also. It leaves the regular paper sturdy and dirt free.

                

1. I took the tab and put it longwise with the tape.  

2. Then, I cut the tape the size I wanted it (to the left and right of the tab only), lined it up onto my cardstock, and folded the clear side (that is above the tab) over the tab to seal it to the edge of the divider.  

3. I smoothed out any air bubbles, making a tight seal to the tab.  

4. Lastly, I trimmed the tape that was sticking up past the tab, making sure to leave the tiniest edge so that I was leaving a little seam to keep it sealed.

This worked really great but I don't have the most patience. lol  I found a slightly faster and easier way. If it works for you, here ya go:

          

The next step that I took was to add the OT and NT Tabs on their own dividers for easier use.
I printed 2 copies so that I would have front and back matching.  I cut them out and glued them together.

The same method was applied to them, except I only covered the circular portion with tape the first time, to seal it from finger prints. I cut a small strip of tape, large enough to cover the base of the tab. I cut that longways in the middle, making 2 pieces. I used one for the front of the tab and one for the back. Now, the entire tab was sealed to the divider. I repeated the process for the NT tab. 

  

 I will most likely add subheadings for chapter numbers as I go through them. There should be some way to keep the notes from melting into one another.

~~ Voila!  My binder is completed!! ~~
(For now, that is, until I find another way to even further customize it. lol)

Hopefully I will be able to find the time somewhere to be able to start filling it up. My first entry into it is the Bible study our home group was doing on Philippians. I had printed out a bunch of the lessons from it. I need to still see if the rest are available, as I had not finished printing them and we are on a new study. 

So, now you have ideas for your own Bible Study binder.  Leave a comment below if you enjoyed this post. If it helped you in anyway, gave you ideas, or if you have ideas to share with me, please let me know!  

If you are interested in the Bible Topical Study binder, click on over. 😉 

Happy Monday!

I promise I am working on more than just music links. It's just taking a little bit but the payoff will be worth it.  ;)  For now, I do want to share a few, though. This first song was given to us as a parting thought to meditate on last week in our Bible study.  Listen and be blessed. <3

"Day after day, night after night
I will remember, You're with me in this fight Although the battle, it rages on The war is already won I know the war is already won"

 I have had this next song kicking around in my head for a couple of days. I love it.  I hope you do, too.

"Oh, God, You don't need me, but somehow You want me
Oh, how You love me, somehow that frees me To open my hands up and give You control I give You control You want me, somehow You want me The King of Heaven wants me So this world has lost its grip on me"




I love the idea of starting the day with some Bible and exercise. Maybe I can make a habit out of it. ;) I hope, anyway.  I don't know if you knew that there were videos with Christian music to dance to?  This is a great song to get you revved up for the day. Get your blood pumping. 😁




I was going to title this post, "Good Morning!!" but that is another workout entirely. lol  Enjoy!
I think Wally from WayFM did. :0D



That's all for the moment.  Keep checking back. :D

A light hearted bonus video. ;)

Okay, I know this is silly but that is okay, too.  Our son was greatly exposed to Veggie Tales and I still love them. LOL  I have no shame in that. That is my inner child shining through. ;)  This song has crossed my mind at least 3 times out of nowhere already this week and it is only Tuesday.  I haven't listened to them for quite awhile. It might be God's sense of humor reaching out to me. I have been praying about some things and maybe He's reminding me that He is bigger than any of it. And in a way to make me laugh.  I love Him so much!

Enjoy. :0D

God Is Bigger Than the Boogie Man- VeggieTales

Oh How He Loves You and Me!

It's easy to get to a point of wanting to turn away from people sometimes, especially those we dislike. However, Jesus said of us, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you."  (Hebrews 13:5)

He also says in Mark 12:28-31 - "‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (NASB) 

I was reminded of this second verse earlier this week.  God died for those whom I don't get along with just as much as He died for me. He loves them just as much as He loves me.  He has commanded me to love them also. 

Dear Father God, I realize that it is I who need to see others through Your eyes and not my own. Please help me to love them the way that you love them and also help them to love me the same way.  In seeing each other in this way, may we  fulfill Your desire that we get along peaceably in love. 

When You're Running Out Of Everything

Good morning all.  💗 This is an excellent message series. The messages are only about 15-20 minutes each. They pack a bit of a punch but in a good way. If you want to be blessed, listen to this message. It has very practical answers for why the brook dries up in our lives (whatever the brook signifies for you).   There are 3 parts in total but only still less than an hour.

How Great Is Our God?

Simply. Amazing.  Everyone should watch this. Talk about perspective....

So Will I & Reckless Love

I was on Facebook this weekend when someone mentioned the song "So Will I."  I had never heard it but they had such a deep, instant connection, that I went to listen to it. It is beautiful.  I happened to click on Amanda Cook from Bethel.  There was another song on after it that I loved just as much or more, called Reckless Love. I love them both so much.  I am sharing them so that you can hear them too. Our Heavenly father is too amazing for words. 💘💗💘  Listen and be blessed.



At 5:33 Cory starts talking about the testimony and story behind the song.
It is totally worth hearing.  The lyrics are in the Show More dropdown.

The chorus: "Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ‘til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still You give Yourself away Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God" 💗

This version of Reckless is more melodious and beautiful on its own.
Lyrics are on screen for this one.

Which Bible Is Best?

:0)  Hi all.
This is a rather long post but you will quickly see why. I hope I don't lose you in all the information. If you have any questions or think of something I may have left out, please feel free to let me know in the comments. ;) 

I wanted to explore different types of Bibles, study methods, and possibly a few different types of worship but there must be some things that come in proper order.  The most important thing is to first look at the Bible you will be using.  The short answer of which one is best is whichever one will get you to keep reading. ;)   Let's look at some deeper insight that might help you figure out what that is.  Here we go....

Paper or Digital?  Paper provides something tangible to see and to carry that doesn't require power during storms and won't be compromised in a hard drive or internet loss. However, the digital Bibles provide a buffet of resources such as commentaries, multiple translations, look-up features and highlighting, among others. With some, such as Olive Tree, you can use it on multiple devices. Any notes or highlights that you make are saved to the online server and can be accessed from any of those devices, even if it wasn't the one where you made the change.  Some prefer this as a method of backup as well as portability. It is constantly readily available and able to be updated.  Then, there are those of us, like me, who appreciate those features but just still prefer something I can hold in my hands.

Do you have a Bible?  What translation is it?  Do you feel a different one would be more beneficial to where you are going with your study?  What is your focus or purpose?  Obviously, you want to get closer to God.  Yet, there are different methods of doing that. This post will give a bit of an over view of some of these methods. I intend to do a couple of follow up posts with more in depth information on some of them. In some cases, there are related topics to uncover, as well. But we will focus on that later.

For now, here are some common study methods:

1. Reading and highlighting verses that stand out or speak to you
2. Notetaking inside bible only
3. Notetaking but in separate notebook only
4. Book/ Chapter/ Topic studies
5. Inductive Study marking
6. Study Bible
7. Devotional Bible
8. Bible Journaling

Clearly, some of these options will not require anything other than a standard Bible. This could be one that you already have. Yet, if you are going to take notes in the margins, do inductive study or Bible journaling, you may want a Bible with specific features.  The most important of these is translation.

What difference does that make?  Well, it can make quite a lot of difference, actually. There are different types of translation. You need to have one that you can easily understand, so that you will want to read it.  I love the King James language but even for me, as an English major, it was still a bit difficult to get through in some places.  When I was given an NASB, It was like getting new glasses.  The word breathed and came up off of the page for me. This made me eager to keep reading. I nearly blasted through Genesis. I still hit a bit of slow down in Leviticus or Numbers but that wasn't the translation. That was the nature of the passages.  Geneologies, long building descriptions, and censuses, etc tend to be harder to get through for anyone, no matter what.

There are two main types of translation:
Word for word translations, such as the KJV, NASB, NKJV, and ESV  are as close to the original text as possible, striving to literally translate word for word.
Conversely, the thought for thought (paraphrase) translations, such as NIV, NLT, and Message, seek to relay the concept without the literal word translation. 

The pitfall of the thought for thought is that you, essentially, have to rely on someone else's interpretation and hope they have the context correct. With the word for word, you can draw your own conclusions about where the author was going with the words spoken or what God was really saying.  Here is a link to a comparison chart of the most common translations.

The next thing that you should decide is what your purpose is.  Inductive study is one option. That is a process of observing the text, interpreting its meaning and then deciding how it applies to your life. There are many acronyms out there for inductive study. One of the more popular ones is the  S.O.A.P.  method.  This stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer. I have also seen P.O.W.E.R., S.P.A.C.E.P.E.T.S., F.E.A.S.T. and others. Here is a list if you want to see which one you might want to use to approach your study.  I'm sure there are probably even more than those, or will be. lol

If you are going to do inductive study, are you going to simply highlight and underline or are you going to do symbols?  The size and style of the font may make a huge impact. Some Bibles are only 7pt in size and do not leave much, if any, room to do symbols. You may need to consider a large or giant print text. I did as much for mine. Even at 11pt, it is definitely bigger than my other Bible (8pt) but I don't think it is truly giant. I might still be able to do symbols but, depending on the ones I choose, it may be a tight fit. 

If you are notetaking only in your Bible, there are many Bibles that have wider margins on the sides and bottom.  This is ideal if you like to do sermon notes, definitions, or outlines in your Bible.  Some people like to make a note of the date a specific passage spoke to or impacted them in a major way. 

You can also, as I do, use the note taking Bible as a journaling Bible.  In my case, I wanted a journaling Bible and wasn't willing to wait for one designed for that purpose. I caught an NASB (my preferred translation) NoteTaker Bible on sale for $7.99 and jumped at it. Bibles can be expensive and I was anxious to start. I can still journal in the margins with 1.2" of space but it isn't as spacious as the 2" journaling specific Bibles. I sometimes have to shrink the graphic I want to use. However, it does still function in this capacity. I don't really regret it. More space would be nice, however, I tend to look at it as the same amount of space but divided between side and bottom instead of one. Technically, it is more. 1.2" + 1.2" = 2.4"

This leads me to Bible journaling.  Some may be unfamiliar with this concept. It is becoming more and more popular with the passage of time. This is a way to use your creative outlet to depict the scripture for your refereence. I will talk about this in more detail on a future post. The nutshell is that you can use many mediums to "decorate" or "personalize" your Bible. It is also a way to express worship through art. In my case, I like all of these ideas but I also prefer to look at it as writing the Word on my heart with a visual reminder. For lists, laws, promises, etc. It helps to have a picture in mind for some of these or just scriptures that you want to focus on.  Not everyone will be comfortable with this method of study because some don't believe in writing in the Bible whatsoever.  Some do but don't believe in covering the words whatsoever.  It is totally a choice and all options are up to you.

There are 3 main types of  Bibles designated for this purpose:.

1. Traditionally blank margins, lined or unlined. 
2. Coloring or Illustrated Bibles - these may leave some margins for you to decide how to use but also have plenty of things for you to color if you aren't too artistic.
3. Interleaved - Every other page is blank. This leaves an entire page for you to design or decorate instead of just two side margins that are separated. 

If you are using a study Bible, you may not have much room in the margins but you will have lots of information provided to you about culture, laws, timelines, and possibly commentaries, etc. 

Lastly, devotional Bibles are similar to study Bibles but, instead of timelines and historical types of information, the added content is more of a "food for thought" in the form of a story that sparked a personal epiphany, etc.  The devotions are something that shed light on a meaning, or perspective on the Bible's context.

Both devotional and study Bibles can come with the sermon notes, devotionals or thoughts of popular preachers, teachers, and speakers. Some of these include T.D. Jakes, Joyce Meyer, Kay Arthur, Charles Stanley, John MacArthur. 

Once you decide each of these things, you will get closer to having the "perfect" Bible or as close to it as possible, for this season or stage of your life. It is also possible that you may have more than one  in use at a time but for different purposes. I have an NASB for journaling but I also have an NKJV for inductive study.  I know other people who use one or more devotional Bibles, in different translations, and then also have a journaling bible or what have you. There is no wrong way to get into God's Word. If you feel like one Bible does it, that is all you really need. Feeding your faith is the most important thing to get out of all of this. Your approach is the only difference the rest of it makes.

I hope that I provided some insight that helped you to decide which Bible was best for you or that I may have given you thoughts or ideas that maybe sparked an interest into other forms of study. If you still aren't convinced or want to see more possibilities, keep watching for the follow-up posts on Inductive study and Bible journaling.  I will update this post with the links for easier finding once they are available. ;)  

There are many places to buy your Bible.  My favorite is Christian Book Distributors. They have frequent sales and you can get some awesome buys on Bibles, gifts, movies, books, other things as well. 

Dayspring, LifeWay, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million are some other ideas but certainly not the only ones.  As it is not too far past the holiday, as of this writing, some of these sites are running clearance sales. That may or may not extend to Bibles. Dayspring, for instance has up to 70% off on selected items, some of them being Illustrated Faith supplies for Bible journaling. 

Thanks for hanging in there with me to the end. I hope you have a truly blessed day/ week. <3 

Happy New Year 2018!!

Greetings all. 

I would have said so much sooner but I have been quite sick for the last couple of weeks. Dratted flu first and now Acute Bronchitis and Sinusitis in its wake. I am getting better now, though, and much wanting to get back to blogging. I have been trying to get some things together both in my head and on paper before I bring them in to publish. 

I have so much to share with you and need to make sure I don't lose bits of it. lol  Or lead you in circles trying to follow my train. ;)  I hope to get some more posts up really soon. 

Until then, God bless and I pray you are all healthy, wealthy in heart, and wise through His understanding.