Hybrid Print and Pray Bible Journaling | Let’s Use Traceables! | James 1:17

Hi friends! It’s Cristin here and I have a fun page to share with you using *traceables* from the Print and Pray Shop. You’ve probably noticed that the digital shop is divided up into several organized categories. You’ll find these subgroups on the right side of the screen (or on the bottom if you’re on a mobile device). Today, let’s focus on traceables!

These products can be used underneath your journaling page and traced over – the thin pages of a bible help with this. Or, as I like to do, you can use them as a paint-your-own elements set. I grabbed Elaine’s set, Put a Bow on It, and printed the sheet of bows so I could paint them to match Shawna Clingerman’s Advent Gift Tags (2019).  I love the idea of using bows in my Christmas journaling!

My preferred paints are just acrylic paints – whatever brand/colors I have that match what I’m doing. I painted the bows using two two shades of one color for each bow. On the “highlight” areas, I used a lighter color, and a darker color in the shadows. This part was VERY FUN!! Turn on a movie and paint away. I forget how much fun it is to paint my own embellishments! Look at the sheet of finished bows:

On certain areas, I did use a blue Illustrated Faith pen to go over the lines I painted over. There were not many, though. In some spots, my printer ink smeared a little into the paint. I didn’t mind it and tried not to overwork an area.

Next, I hopped over to James 1:17. You’re probably familiar with this verse:

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (ESV)

I love this! Last night was my work office party, and the (nice) white elephant gift exchange is always a highlight of the night. Will you get a box of tea? Fuzzy socks? Coffee? A few of the most popular items were a jar of homemade salsa (with a bag of chips), and a Dutch Bros (local coffee chain) Hydroflask paired with a full punch card. I ended up with a Starbucks gift package (2 mugs and coffee), and a package of Ferrero Rocher chocolates.

With some gifts, even those from people who know you and love you, sometimes you end up with next year’s Goodwill* donation. When the Lord gives gifts, they are Perfect and Good! In my journaling, I asked God to open my eyes to the perfect gifts He gives so I can have a heart of gratitude (and worship!).

I love thinking about how God loves us and hears us and he knows us. How much we have for which to be thankful!

To finish off these tags, I used some silver chenille stems (aka pipe cleaners) as the tag string. A little glue stick and washi tape and it’s good! Thank you for joining me here today, friends. Tag me on Instagram if you decide to try out some traceables, because I want to see! @plyswthscissors

*Non US Readers: Goodwill is a donation thrift store where you take your unwanted items and they sell them for charity.