I refuse to use the term ‘it is with a heavy heart’ because that statement would just simply be untrue! But the truth is this will be my last time posting on the Illustrated Faith blog as a Creative Team member as my time serving on the team has come to an end. I am not sad about that, we all know that seasons change and we must keep moving forward. I’m reminded of the Dr Seuss quote that says, “don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened,” so let me tell you that I am positively beaming right now! I’m so excited to see what God has in store for Illustrated Faith in the future, and of course there’s no way I’m going to stop journaling my faith either, so I’m looking forward to what else is in store for my own journey!
This place, this people, this movement – it’s become such a huge part of my faith walk (in fact I actually refer to it more as our place, our community and our movement) that I couldn’t imagine where my life would have been without it. I keep filling page after page of my Bible with journaling and art and prayers and dreams. I spend hours in the Word enjoying time with my Creator and I have learned so much about myself in the process. And then, after all that, I also had the honour of being able to share what I’d discovered with so many of you through the magic of the internet!
Today in my departing post as a Creative Team member I wanted to take you back on a reminiscent journey of some of the projects and pages I’ve shared here over the past 21 months of being part of this amazing team.
It was February 2015 when my first blog post went up. This was in the time prior to having dedicated bible journaling supplies and the biggest questions everyone had was what you could use and what you ‘should’ use. Ha! There’s no such thing right?! So my first post was all about what supplies I use on a regular basis, and specifically, what do I take with me when I travel. It’s an interesting exercise to see what I packed then and what I take with me on the road now… many of the same basics are there, I’d just have more Illustrated Faith stamp sets now! LOL!
And speaking of the Illustrated Faith stamp sets, it was only a month later in March 2015 my first video tutorial was posted and it featured the very first stamp set and devotional that Illustrated Faith produced called You Are Beautiful. It’s so fun to look back at these early attempts and see how my style has changed and evolved over time.
A few months later Bella Blvd joined the party! It was such a God-lead partnership that really paved the way for the production of dedicated faith-based craft supplies. For me on a personal level it literally opened up a whole new realm of possibilities when it came to ways I could illustrate my faith, both within the margins of my Bible and outside of that as well. I started creating other projects for the blog that weren’t just bible-journaling pages and which also had a practical purpose. In the photo above for example you’ll see a handful of lunch box notes I made, a set of Christmas cards, and also this handmade journaling Bible for my eldest daughter.
Throughout this year I have continued to fill the pages of my Bible and it keeps getting fatter and fatter! ;-) So much so that when DaySpring joined the ranks as well and began making devotionals that you could journal directly into, it almost came as a relief that I would have somewhere else to decorate lest my poor Bible start bursting at the seams! To be honest I probably still wouldn’t mind… you know what they say…. “I like big Bibles and I cannot lie”…..
I just might need a new one real soon, that’s all! ;-)
So with all that said I figured I have no choice but to use my farewell video to do one last flip-through of my Bible from start to finish. This is the full journey people! This is every single Bible journaling page I’ve ever done to date!
And of course I couldn’t go without leaving a giant big thankyou to everyone here at Illustrated Faith. To Shanna for first trusting me to help wave the IF banner, to Heather who is the most patient team director I know (and believe me… I’ve tested that on regular occasion!), to Elaine who overflows with positive vibes at every turn, to the rest of the team (both past and present) who will remain some of my closest internet friends for life. And then of course there is the whole worldwide Illustrated Faith community of supporters, encouragers, artists and crafters who have lifted me up each step of the way. Thank you all!
No doubt I will continue to illustrate my faith for a long time to come, so you’ll still see me around!
xxx
ESV Single Column Journaling Bible | Illustrated Faith Devotionals | Illustrated Faith God is Preparing You 18 month Planner | Illustrated Faith Praise Book | Illustrated Faith Notebook Journal
Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us, Natalie! Today is my one year anniversary and I’ve loved learning from you and hearing your heart throughout this past year!! So excited to see where God takes you in this next chapter!!
Thank you Rebecca, and a happy Illustrated Faith birthday to you! Isn’t it exciting to see how far you’ve come on this journey already, and how much more shall surely be in store for you. I know I’m excited to see where God is leading me next.
xx
Oh Natalie, I am going to miss you. I look for posts from you each day. You have taught and encouraged me so much!! I know the Lord has great things in store for you.
Thank you Jane! I have no doubt that the next part of my journey will be just as exciting as the one I’m leaving behind!
xx
Thank you for sharing your faith journey with us!
You couldn’t stop me if you tried!! ;-)
xx
Good luck Natalie! Thank you for your art, your faith and your inspiration. You are loved by this tribe!
Thank you Nicky! Mwah!!
xx
Natalie…Thank you so much for all of your “inspiration”…both spiritually and creatively. My story is similar in many ways to yours. God has told me to “Be still” for now. I am excited too to see what He has planned for me. God bless you and your ministry and hopefully you will pop up again somewhere in the future. God Bless…Nancy
Thank you Nancy. I’m not entirely sure where the next part of my journey will take me but that’s ok. I trust that God only has plans to prosper me and not to harm me. To give me a hope for the future.
xx
Thanks Natalie. I enjoyed having a fellow-Aussie to look to for inspiration for while Bible Journalling. Thank you for sharing your heart and your journey. xx
Thank you Kylie. It’s always nice to hear from the Aussies and to know that I’m not the only one down here doing this Illustrated Faith thing!! ;-)
xx
Natalie, you are one of my favourite IF bloggers! Your heart for God and your amazing creativity have inspired me so much. I pray you continue to reap an overflowing of blessings as you continue your walk through life with Jesus. I look forward to still seeing activity on your IF feed though! ;)
Thank you Audrey for those lovely words and prayer. You will without doubt continue to see me illustrating my faith and generally getting creative on my IG and other social media platforms. I can’t help it!! ;-)
xx
Natalie, thank you for always sharing such beautiful words & work. You have been so inspiring! May God bless and guide you on your journey. :)
Thank you!! I’m looking forward to finding out what doors God wants me to open next!
xx
Beautiful closing post. I am going to miss those late night notifications when your videos pop up! We are so thankful to have had you as a patient and responsive teacher. Thanks for sharing your family with us as well. Prayers and well wishes for the next part of your journey!!
Thank you Monika! Your regular encouragement has always meant a lot to me, it has not gone unnoticed!
Mwah!!
xx
So love your videos and the wonderful ideas of praise you create. We will miss you and Junior but hope that you will continue to share your faith and praise as one of the many beautiful women that share on the Bible journaling community.
Thank you Natalie for your faithfulness.
Love in Christ, Cindi
Thank you Cynthia!
There’s no doubt that I’ll keep on sharing my bible-journaling adventures. Now that I’ve started, there’s no stopping me! Thank you for your kind words and encouragement.
xx
Oh dear! So sorry to hear that you will no longer be posting on Illustrated Faith. You are my favorite contributor. And I will certainly miss your lovely Australian accent!
I am not on Instagram, so I will check your blog for any future Bible pages. You have blessed my life these past months. May God bless you on your journey.
Sandy
Thank you Sandy! You will most definitely still see me around posting my faith journaling and illustrated bible pages. Are you on Facebook, because I post there a lot too? My link is: facebook.com/onescrappydoctor
xx