Dig deeper. Ask, Seek, and Knock. *cue God moment* ;)

💖😃 Good evening y'all. 
You might want to grab a cup of tea or some other tasty beverage. This post grew a bit. lol

As usual, I've got a lot kicking around in my brain. It's also Saturday, so there is always a good chance that I am mulling over this afternoon's Bible study- which I am. Granted- it is worth noting that I submerge myself in some aspect of God's presence every day.  I don't just wait until Saturday to have an epiphany. 😉 Some days it is deep or continual prayer. Sometimes it is through worship and praise. I might also be in Bible study or scripture writing some days. Whatever it is, I am, usually, trying to keep that connection to Him open. Nobody is perfect, though. There are also days when I have plugged my ears or buried my head in the sand. Can I get an Amen? The thing is to keep plugging away and doing our best. He will help us through everything this crazy life entails.

However, I also have the opportunity to gather together with fellow believers who challenge me to go a little deeper and often God uses them to shine light on a perception or angle that I may have otherwise missed. I am part of a few groups that do this. Likewise, I have also been the same for some of them. Iron sharpens iron. (Proverbs 27:17)

(If you don't have a Bible study group, you should find one.  They are everywhere. They are even found online. Well, right now, there are a LOT online because of social distancing. Even without that, they can be found on Facebook or on message boards, there are video conferences, YouTube videos, and, I'm sure, other places.)

Don't be afraid to ask yourself questions about God or of God- ask a lot of them. It deepens your faith.  Questions beg answers. Answers need to be found. To find those answers, you are seeking and searching. When you seek, oh what you will find!!  The answers sometimes will take your breath away. Other times, they may just about blow your mind. The first thing that we need to find is God.

"5Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. 6But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways." ~ James 1:5-8 (HCSB)

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"11For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." ~ Jeremiah 29:11-13 (ESV)

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"9 “So I say to you, keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” " ~ Luke 11:9-13 (HCSB)

I don't know if I have said this here before or not. I know that I have said it to my son. I love to learn just about anything. I find learning fascinating. I love to be amazed and in awe or just plain thankful for the knowledge that others have used to create things that further our search, research, or to benefit us in some other small (or grand) way. Technology, science, life hacks, crafts, inventions. I love it. I can sometimes be like Johnny 5 from Short circuit. lol  Well, almost.  I can't speed read as fast or comprehend as quickly but I am definitely interested in trying.

There is also something to be said for being still. One of my favorite places to go when I get the chance, is to the lakefront. I love being near the water and watching the waves and the birds. I love listening to the sounds the water makes as dances, washes, and ripples. Can't you just see and hear it right now?

 Both of those things have something in common- God. We are created in the image of One who holds all knowledge. He also is the maker of heaven and earth. Everything we think, everything we do, every breath we take in, and everything we see is made possible by Him.

"20 May the name of God be praised forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. 21  He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings. 22 He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. 23 I offer thanks and praise to You, God of my fathers, because You have given me wisdom and power. And now You have let me know what we asked of You, for You have let us know the king's mystery." ~ Daniel 2:20-23 (HCSB)

Even if you had never picked up a Bible or heard that there was a God so powerful and mighty, you would yet be able to believe. We have talked about this in our Bible study group. A question that has come up a few times is: "What are the two books of God?" Obviously, the first one is the Bible. The second is this: nature.

"18 For [God does not overlook sin and] the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who in their wickedness suppress and stifle the truth, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them [in their inner consciousness], for God made it evident to them. 20 For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuse and without defense. 21 For even though they knew God [as the Creator], they did not honor Him as God or give thanks [for His wondrous creation]. On the contrary, they became worthless in their thinking [godless, with pointless reasonings, and silly speculations], and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God for an image [worthless idols] in the shape of mortal man and birds and four-footed animals and reptiles." ~ Romans 1:18-23 (AMP)

How can a person look out in the vast expanse and not see that there must be a Creator?  When you consider the intricacies of living organisms alone, it is astounding. How difficult to give order to the human body and how it is woven delicately together to function in perfect harmony, all parts in symbiotic unison with each other, unless it were intelligently designed. It cannot "accidentally" fall together the same way each time an organism, be it a human or a plant, is replicated.

The funny thing about our Bible study today is that we didn't actually study the Bible. lol  Well, not formally. We finished up the book of Luke last week and were discussing which book to tackle next.  In the midst of that, a previous question by one person was brought up to be answered. That led to a discussion and Genesis and that to a question by someone else. That person's question led me to question myself why God, being omniscient (all knowing), would create the earth, that He knew the consequences of, with all its hardship and heartache?

In other words, let us say that I thought about creating a tower made out of Legos or playing cards. I conceived an idea so developed it would take great skill and time to craft it into something to behold. But what if I knew that when I did that someone was indeed certainly going to swoop in and destroy it?  Why bother?  What if God had said that about our world?  Yet....he didn't. If He knows all, then He had to have foreseen what would happen with Lucifer and sin, pain, death, and all the tragedy. His perfect earth would be demolished in an idealistic sense.

However, He created it anyway. Why?  Good question. The immediate response in my spirit was because we were worth it to Him. The cost of the damage to the world (the created thing) was more bearable than living an existence without the fellowship of the living beings that He also created. He created us to have a relationship with us.  He loves us. We are not "worthy" in a sense of being equal to God but that God, saw us as lovable and of value (worth) to Himself.  Beauty was in the eyes of the Beholder.  We are the apple of His eye.

"9 For the LORD'S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. 10 He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. 11 As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: 12 So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him. 13 He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock; 14 Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape."~ Deuteronomy 32:9-14

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"1 The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. 

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 

3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,

for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, 

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." ~ Psalm 23 (ESV)

He loved us so much that was not a great enough sacrifice. In order to be fully redeemed and justified
to dwell in Heaven, a blood sacrifice needed to be given.

"For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life." ~ John 3:16 (AMP)

Wow, God.  Wow to You for giving this insight to me. An even bigger wow to the astonishing and breathtaking affirmation of Your love for us. It was worth creating what would be destroyed. It was worth the time and the effort. WE were worth the time and effort to You, O God, because of that great love.

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💗 Thank You, God, for the ability to not only seek such knowledge but also to be able to obtain and retain it. It is such a truly wonderful gift, especially when we are able to use it to draw closer to You.  You give us SO, SO, SO much.  Sadly, we take it all for granted entirely too often. 💗Thank You, Father, that You love us enough to give us so many things even to have such beautiful creatures and scenery. Thank You that our bodies were designed to perform many fascinating and brilliant things from our brains to our toes. Thank You, Oh God, that we are mighty in Your name. You are the Creator and the Vine. We are but mere branches and tiny reflections of a mighty God; as ripples in an ocean.

Be with us this day.  Help us to receive You today in whatever way we can, even if it is a small crack of light peeping into our worried or wearied souls. Seep into our hearts and let our souls be saturated with a desire to seek You.  You know what goes on inside of us each and every day, Father. You know exactly what hurts there are to heal and how to apply the balm. Help us to be ever conscious, ever mindful, and thankful of not just how you designed and created us but also how we fit into this fabulous and beautiful world that You have placed us into. Help us to live out a life of purpose as close to Your perfect will as we can and to prosper first in our understanding and gratitude. All else will follow. May we delight ourselves in You, heavenly Father. We love you, we praise and thank You. In Jesus' mighty name, Amen.

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👀Wow. I hadn't planned on saying so much. Thank You, Holy Spirit for redirection. What a blessing to be able to approach the Throne of Grace with confidence!  We have truly NO idea exactly what a beautifully miraculous thing that is! Thank You God for choosing us and loving us first before we even had a chance to love You. Thank You for speaking to my heart, as You speak to the hearts of all of Your children each every day. There is no one like You.

Reading your Bible.

Hi 😃

I hope that you are doing well.

I am reading a little bit in in a few different places. I am doing Luke with my Bible study group. We are almost finished with chapter 22 leading to the cross through the arrest. The Holy Spirit has led me to Habakkuk recently and Isaiah. The past couple of nights I have been in Psalms. I may be in any or all of those tonight. 

Once you start to read, it is contagious. The more you know, the more you want to know. Also, The more you know, the more cross references you can connect on your own without having to rely so heavily on other sources. That has happened to me a few times recently and it totally fired me up even more. I was truly getting it! 

Proverbs 4:5-7 says, "5 Get wisdom! Get understanding!

Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;

Love her, and she will keep you.

7 Wisdom is the principal thing;

Therefore get wisdom.

And in all your getting, get understanding."

Praying is the gateway to understanding. I don't know how everyone else starts their reading time. I try to start by thanking the Lord for the opportunity to read His word openly. There are so many countries where it is just not allowed.

I ask Him to help me have eyes to see, ears to hear, and an open heart, mind, and spirit

to what He would want me to learn; so that I may see what He what He wants me to see,

hear what He wants me to hear and to know what He wants me to learn or to know.

God really blesses me when I remember to pray in this way. Yet, the times that I forget, sometimes it is really difficult to focus or to get the meaning within the passage.

I hope that everyone has a blessed time in the Lord tonight, and especially in reading His word. 　
Blessings to all!

Bible Study: Luke

So, I have a Bible study group that I like to attend. I can't always make it due to work but I go when I can. Right now, we are studying the book of Luke. I am really enjoying being able to be back in the fold. I have missed my friends. However, it is even sweeter with my HCSB The Study Bible for  Women. I just love the layout.

Because I love the layout, the info, and even the blue hue to the pages, I find it extremely easy to just dive in and keep swimming through.  I love just grabbing my highlighters, my sticky notes and some gel pens. I feel like a kid with fingerpaints. lol Seriously.  I enjoy it. For right now and for this Bible, I have no color code. I just contrast so it is easier to pick out things.

I will say, though, that I have figured out why I should also be using larger sticky notes in tandem with the small ones. I had peeked at the Quest study notes while I was doing my study. Then, I was in group and trying to remember where they were to mention them. OOPsie! I got confused which Bible and the exact wording. I will have to write out the notes I want to remember and stick them into this Bible in the future. ;)  Problem solved.  I can even take a composition journal page, I believe would fit in it, roughly anyhow if not, and use the restickable glue stick.

I will leave details at the end if you are interested in this Bible. There are also NKJV and CSB versions.

Here is part of my marking for Chapter 11.  I know, I know. I highlighted a LOT of stuff. However, it is Jesus whom is speaking. How can you NOT mark that as important?  It is not red letter but it is read letter. ;)

I got mine at Christianbook Distributors. Mine is hardcover but LeatherTouch is also an option. Amazon may have it as well.  There are 2 versions from 2 different years. This is the updated one. It seems to have more notes. However, in order to get a LeatherTouch and to figure out the differnces, I got both slightly imperfect at Christianbook on a good sale. I paid about $15 for both together. This is large print not thumb indexed. The old version LeatherTouch is standard print.

Ha!  I added 4 more stickies and made a tip-in since this pic. We had another study and I love making notes of great comments during. This was so much fun. There was some great discussion!

I have already read Chapter 12 for the next meeting. I need to read the study notes in this and my other 2 study Bibles. I have highlighted different topics throughout the chapter and then used a glitter gel pen to underline things that stood out in that topic to me.

If you are interested in making your own sticky notes (out of just about anything- note pad paper, index cards, print outs, then check out this video.

I hope that you enjoy these posts. I would love to hear your comments or questions.

I hope you are having a beautiful week. It's a great day to jump into the Word. ;)

The Learning Bible

So, I finally received my other study Bible. I ordered it on May 13. It was supposed to have been here by 5/24. There was a shipping hiccup and it was a day late. Here it is:

I went for the NIV because it was a bit cheaper.  The CEV was more than twice as much.
The ribbon is only on the cover to hide the inscription. It did not come with the Bible. 

It seems to be in great shape. The spine seems a bit worn but it is also a heavy and thick Bible. 
By my measurements, it is about 9.5 " tall and the spine is roughly 2.5" wide.

Here are some pics inside.  

  

What I love about this Bible is all the pictures, notes as well as a buffet of cultural, history and other info.  I am looking forward to jumping into it.

Here is a list of features and the ISBN number.

I'm taking part in a challenge to only use one Bible this month, so I have not yet had a chance to check it out completely. If you would like a full review, my friend, Cat Woods, has a pretty indepth one here.  She also has a review for many others, including the Quest Bible I received recently on another order.

Restickable Glue Sticks

I don't know how many do and don't know about this, so I'm sharing. 

This is one of my absolute favorite Bible Journaling tools!! 

Seriously, this is in my Bible bag. It goes with me!

There are so many things that you can use this to stick into your Bible! 

I have also used it to make a master to do list and put it into my planner, so that I can move it with me through the week. Sometimes, I take a regular piece of notepad paper and write random things and put into my Bible. One of those is a list of books that I am currently wanting to write out.

They are pretty cheap. Amazon has them but it is cheaper and faster to go to Office Depot, if you have that availability. They are only around $2.50 there.

What is your absolute favorite tool? Any crayzee tips that we might not have thought of?

"Isn't One Bible enough??" And Buying Tips

A common question is "Why does anyone need more than one Bible? Isn't one enough?

The answer is dependent upon each individual. For some people, one Bible is enough. However, there are benefits to having more than one, even in the same translation.

😄My husband never seemed to understand before but I think he is starting to by now (I hope).  He is a "one Bible is enough" person.  I don't knock him for that.  I think one is all that is necessary.  That is enough to allow you access to God's Word to be able to read it and write it on your heart.  However, I definitely see the benefits of having multiples.  

The reason so many collect them and/ or feel a need to have more is because the extra helps and content are different.  There are devotional Bibles that are more leaning toward prayer and making you think on a heart and principal level. There are study Bibles that go in great detail about timelines and other facts about the culture, etc.  There are journaling Bibles that allow you to doodle and draw pictures to help you remember a verse or a time that was meaningful to you that God spoke to your heart.   Some people use journaling Bibles to write their notes on the side margins, instead of a separate notebook.  

I have multiple NIV but each has a different reason why I go to it.  It is easier to find what you are looking for with themes.  The Leadership Bible has where to find examples of leadership in the Bible. Another is for highlighting verses about my word of the year, all in one place, so that I am not sifting through different kinds of markings to find all of them by topic.  One is a devotional Bible dedicated to focusing on or improving your prayer life.  I just ordered 2 more from Amazon.  One is The Learning Bible and has tons of cultural and geographical info, etc., and the other is Quest Study Bible.  The last one has TONS of questions and answers to help your understanding of what you are reading.  Some only feel lead to have one Bible and there is NOTHING wrong with that.😊  These are just reasons why some keep buying more.  I hope this helps.

I told my husband, "Look. Collecting Bibles isn't your thing and that is fine.  You have things you collect and there are definitely worse things that I could be into." I think he finally somewhat understands at least. That doesn't mean he agrees.  Any time I mention wanting a new one, he says, "ANOTHER Bible?!" 🙈 lol Oy!

I don't pay full price, either. I try to limit myself to between $10 and $15. It is actually more like between $5 and $10 unless there is a special reason (like gifting).  I got my ESV Journaling single column at ChristianBook when it was 10.99 (marble) and I got the large, print thumb index version, of The Study Bible for women (HCSB) for my mom, slightly imperfect for 14.99.

Instead of getting the same Bible for me, I got the older version smoke leather (imperfectly imprinted) AND the hardback  large print not indexed- (I prefer to tab myself) -slightly imperfect- BOTH for about $15 total. This is the best way for me to expand.

You have to look SUPER close to the top left corner to see the tear in the spine. 

There is also a tiny wrinkle at the bottom. I haven't really noticed anything else. 

The imperfectly imprinted is when they engrave it but it isn't right. They cut the name out and put a similar piece of leather to kind of cover it. This leaves a cut mark on the cover of the Bible. You can see where it is cut out but the integrity of the book is absolutely fine. Here is how I handled that. ;) 

 I lucked out and found The Power Of A Praying Woman through Goodwill on Amazon for $4. 

I had seen The Life Application Study Bible, I believe, quite awhile back on Amazon (hardback) for about $5. I missed out because I didn't act quickly. I'm not trying to make a list.  I just wanted to help anyone else who might be wanting another Bible but wasn't aware of the types of deals you can get.

Places like Lifeway and Half Price Books are great but I know that they are a bit out of my range right now. Though, some LifeWay stores are closing. I'm sad at that but maybe, for those areas, it would be a good time to buy. 

A great option is to go imperfect or used. Most of them, I can't even tell they have anything "wrong" with them except a spine dent or wrinkle. The used The Power of A Praying Woman Bible was in mint condition but no box. I also like to browse the $5 sales. I'm hopefully going to be using some of these Bibles above more often with the reading plan. 

Sometimes a used Bible really has been used. It is up to you to decide if you are comfortable with possible markings from the previous owner.  I, for the most part, am good with it. I just figure it is coming "pre-loaded with character". lol  

I think that it is interesting to find out what that person was drawn to. What spoke to them? Did they leave any notes that will water my seeds of faith, like it did their own?  

My recent Quest Study Bible did come somewhat "pre-loaded" with regular orange highlighter. It bled through in some places.  I have not had a proper chance yet to see what passages they highlighted. I only know that, according to the reading plan, they had read quite a bit and maybe even consistently. However, the only books that have any heavy highlighting are some of the Gospels and a little bit in Ezekiel. For about $4.50, that is fine by me. I can still benefit from the rest of the information just fine.

 

 

I am still waiting for The Learning Bible.  It has had a major shipping hiccup.  It was scanned into the original USPS facility. It shows Denver, Co. (last week).  After 4 days of not moving so much as 2 hours instate, in any direction, I contacted the USPS. They told me to contact the sender because they didn't see it in the system. This was Friday afternoon. 

So, the seller (from Amazon) said they would contact the carrier. Fast forward through the weekend. I contacted support near the end of day on Monday. They apologized for not having been able to get to the bottom of it sooner but they would let me know. 

They contacted me to tell me that the USPS was working to find a way to get the info updated on my side. I don't remember the exact wording. It would seem to me that nobody has scanned the blasted thing since it arrived. Support told me it had been scanned internally but not specifically for the tracking ticket. 

Well, today was the last day of the original shipping window. I haven't heard anything since early this week. It is now Friday. I ordered on the 13th of May.  My Quest Bible was ordered the same day, with the same wait window and was delivered successfully (on May 16th), a day earlier than the expected window start time of  May 17th-24. I hope it is finally here today. If not, I think it is time to cancel. 

Blessings to you and I hope you have a beautiful start to a very blessed and beautiful weekend!


If you would like a full review over this Bible, my friend, Cat Woods, has one here. She has many other reviews and other types of videos as well.

On my wishlist...

 <3 I did not get these Bibles but I really like them. I just wanted to share in case it helped anyone else.

As I said in the previous post, the prices at Ollie's seemed on par with Christianbook to me. The upside was that I could see them, hold them, and look inside of some of them. Some were sealed.

I almost got The Everyday Life Bible from Joyce Meyer. They had it in paperback. It was only $4.99. I got excited but when I skimmed through, I didn't feel it. You know what I mean. Some Bibles you just feel a connection to. I am not cover picky on most Bibles and some I love that they are paperback. It makes me feel like it truly is a textbook. I was a study nerd in school, so I feel ready to dig in. However, I really thought before this was one I would rather have leather and I was right. Just my opinion. Having said that, if it was the only way I could ever get that one, I would have snapped it up at that price.

The first one that I looked into that I loved was the Zondervan Study Bible. Each translation and/ or publisher seems to have their own. I was curious about the differences. I picked it up and was in love with this one. The first reason is that it is a "chunky monkey." 😂 I don't know how to describe it. It just "felt" full of knowledge!! LOL I like that the footnotes are in a green background so that there is contrast from the scriptures. I like the color images sprinkled throughout. I just generally liked this one.

 

I have heard of both the Know The Word and the Apply The Word. Sometimes I forget which is which. They had the KJV Word Study Bible in store. 

The last one is the Faithlife Illustrated Study Bible. It's another great one. I love the pics of the fishing boats and the architecture/ structures. That is something I haven't seen so much of so far.

These are just a few of the Bibles on my wishlist. 

Do you have any Bibles on your wishlist? Which one(s)?

Today's Scripture Reading/ Study.

Yay!  I was able to focus in my study Bible to just read chapters Luke 1-10. 
I was listening to it through Bible Gateway and following in my Bible. 
😁 I had no time to get distracted by reading the notes or I would be lost.  

I not only finished that but rewarded myself with studying and reading the notes in chapter 10 for Bible study later today. I'm happy. I also put some stickies in for things I wanted to remember. The thought bubble is from a verse I came across while doing a scripture writing plan, Cultivating A Quiet Heart. 
I love it. The green ink is what was laid on my heart while I was reading it. I had some people flash through my mind. Holy Spirit lead me.

~~ 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. 😉