When I had my first journaling bible get together at my house one of the ladies said “ya I found out about this awesome thing through marine_parents on instagram. So the moment my house was quiet that night I searched for her and instantly fell in love. April has a heart of gold and loves to spread little gold hearts all over the instgram community. The moment I started this website I knew I wanted her to be a part of it so I was so excited when she said YES!!!! Please welcome April!
i keep my bible on the dining room table. like, permanently. it’s always there…. we only use three of the six table spots for meals & other activities because my supplies are always spread out, at the ready. i like keeping my bible open so i can work in it throughout the day. since i started journaling artistically in my bible just a few months ago [how time flies!], my daughter amelia has really taken notice of my constant interaction with the Word. coloring pages are her JAM, so we are pretty much speaking the same love language of art here.
last week, after i picked her up from school, i asked her if she wanted to help me in my bible. if i could bottle up the look on her face…. the way her eyes opened wide and in awe of this moment that was going to happen when we got home…. it was the single best mom moment i’ve ever had. and i say that in all super seriousness, y’all. [hold please, as i have a little bit of a cry sesh just typing this…..]
at home, we opened up to proverbs 22:6 — train up a child in the way [s]he should go, so when [s]he is old, [s]he will not stray from it. [parenthetical additions are mine].
we chatted for a few minutes about the importance of having a faithful mommy & daddy to guide her into a loving, personal relationship with Jesus so that when she grows up, she will be firmly rooted in Christ! then i let her go. she chose a few favorite colors to draw our little family, flowers & numbers [math obsessed child that she is]. i also adore that she wrote her name so that i would know it was her work. a few little stickers from mom & the page was done!
a few days ago, i had amelia work another page for me. she was seriously ecstatic to have been approved for a second go around on bible journaling with mommy!
this time, we worked in psalm 127 — verse four says, “as arrows are in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.” [AMP version] i set aside a few applicable stickers for the page & let amelia try a new medium for her art worship. and yes, i totally marked this page with her mickey mouse washi tape!
supplies | heidi swapp roller date stamp | hero hues ink pad | mickey washi tape | frixion pen | october afternoon daily flash stickers | crayola crayons | american craft dimensional sticker
if you’re not quite ready to let go of an entire page in your bible, pray about it. this will seriously be the biggest deal to your kids. amelia obviously noticed how important my bible was to me & never asked to color inside it until i invited her. and when i saw how important that made her little four year old heart feel, i couldn’t believe i had waited so long to bring her into the fold. don’t be afraid to get messy for the sake of your kids’ salvation! have fun with them & turn it into a moment where you can pull a verse out to speak into their little heart. they need Jesus just as much as we do, sisters.
Thank you so much April! This put tear in my eyes as I read it! Spoke directly to my heart! I hope this encourages you to share your journaling bible with your family, April is right they need it as much as we do!
xo- Shanna
Love this so much, and I totally agree! Our kids will naturally want to mimic what they see us spending so much time doing. That’s one of the reasons why it’s so important they see us worshipping, praying, reading etc. I was so excited when my 8 year old asked if she could do some Bible Journaling too. She’s got her own Bible so I just supplied her with some stamps and pencils and let her go at it. Seriously awesome moment!
I love seeing your kids do it too Natalie, the gems are my favorite! Such a symbol of how Jesus sees them!
i totally agree, girlfriend! i definitely want amelia to remember me being in the word in front of & praying alongside of her more than anything else!
My granddaughter has colored in my Bible – she is only two so it was more of a scribble, but I will treasure it forever. I hope she is just as interested in looking/reading/coloring in the Bible when she is older. I love Amelia’s drawings and the lessons that go with it.
you are so sweet robin! those scribbles will soon turn into a more focused interest as long as she sees you in your bible! it’s such a precious little treasure!
Such a beautiful article. I could just imagine her little heart overflowing with joy at the opportunity to share in the fun of digging into the word! :)
Isn’t she the cutest?!
thank you so much, carolina! it really was such a great time together. i don’t know who’s heart was overflowing more — hers or mine!! ;)
This is such a beautiful and lovely idea. I pray one day I will be able to share this special time with my little ones. Such an amazing way to help them explore God’s word in a practical way!
xox yes!
I haven’t done this with my son Jude but I do sometimes let him write me little notes in my Bible. I also have some of his love notes taped in its pages. My “Jude verse” is Psalm 30:5 so I have a love note taped right next to it. What a treasure! :)
Love that!!
love notes!!! that is absolutely darling!
totally going to do this!!! This totally opened my eyes to the importance of involving the kids!
I had to do this with my daughter and she too, lit up! Thanks for sharing, April!
i am sooo happy to hear that!! thank you for sharing your experience with your daughter, coralee!
This is seriously amazing to me! I am so thankful you shared it and that you are being such a great testimony to you daughter. I grew up with very loving, christian, godly parents. I remember as a kid watching my mom dig into the word. She would wake early and read her Bible. She would sit with her Bible for hours and journal. I remember this so clearly. In my teens I walked away from the Lord but I still remember how diligently she pursued God. I honestly thing that that is why I continued to seek after God and try and find him. I love the WORD so much and I can honestly say that love and example came from my mom. You are a great example to your daughter and I know it will rub off.
Have you ever thought of getting a Bible she could work in more often?
I’ve been encouraging my grand kids to be creative in so many ways. I can’t wait to get my journaling bible so I can invite them into this with me too!!
My almost 8 year old son is very jealous of my journaling Bible. I gessoed pages in his Bible and he created on those but he still wishes for his own journaling Bible. Little does he know that his own journaling Bible is waiting for him on his birthday in October. I’m so excited to see his face when he sees it! I even think he will be happier to receive it than the “electric scooter” he’s been asking for.