Print and Pray Hybrid Bible Journaling | Forgiven and Free | Matthew 6

Hi friends! My name is Becca and you may know me from instagram as @writergirl5786! I am so very excited to be joining the Illustrated Faith blog while the lovely and wonderful Elaine is on maternity leave!

Today, I want to share a song that my friend shared with me last week that has just wrecked my heart. After letting this song and these lyrics marinate in my heart for a few days, I knew I wanted to put them in my Bible! What followed was an amazing crafternoon of worship and art!

First, I would love to invite you to listen to Cody Carnes’ song, “Nothing Else.” 

Then I hear a song like this. “I’m sorry when I’ve come with my agenda. I’m sorry when I forgot You’re not enough…You’re all that matters, Jesus…I just want You.” It forces me to slow down–to look at where my heart is really at.

Am I trying to tackle all my issues and life on my own? Am I trusting that He is going with me through each day? That He will provide exactly what I need in each and every moment?

That is what this new life we’ve received really means. It means that we get to do LIFE with JESUS. Not just the special quiet moments. Not just the moments that are full of creativity and fun. Every moment. The moments that are hard and anxiety ridden. The moments of sadness and hurt. He will always be there with us. Get caught up in His presence and trust that He always provides. We don’t have to ask for blessings. We just need to want HIM. He will take care of the rest. Every single time.

So when I took this page into my Bible, I knew I wanted to rest in one of my favorite passages where Jesus talks about how the Father always provides for us—even more than the flowers and the birds! He tells us to just seek Him and He’ll provide. This Scripture in Matthew 6 immediately made me think of Brianna Showalter’s new printable set, Forgiven & Free, with all those lovely birds and flowers in amazing bright colors!

Shanna’s little typed flipbook of sermon notes totally inspired me (find the video on the Illustrated Faith Facebook page!). So I took some coordinating journaling cards and typed up the lyrics of this amazing song. My paper-clipped in lyric booklet is hiding my journaling.

I knew I didn’t have an alpha sticker similar to the style that Brianna had used in the printable, but I dug out an old stamp set that fit well! Then I stamped that in some VersaMagic chalk ink and did some watercolor shadowing like Brianna did, using a Neocolor ii Crayon.

Printables can so easily fill my Bible pages with gorgeous artwork and brilliant colors–I love that! I printed all these on full sheet clear labels so that they just melt into the page. So thankful for the amazing Print and Pray artists who design for us and allow me the time to focus on my heart, His words and spending time in His Presence.

So, I encourage you today—take a few minutes. Listen to this song. Get caught in His presence. Open up your heart to Him. Let go of all the things that don’t matter. Sit at His feet and rest in the assurance that He is taking care of all your needs. Remember that our heart’s desire is HIM.

Additional Supplies: olive and pink MT washi tape (Amazon) | random letter stamps | Thatched Straw VersaMagic Chalk Ink | Vermillion Neocolor ii Watercolor Crayon | wet brush | Staz-on Black Ink | Studio Calico Journaling Cards | Typewriter | Tim Holtz mini attacher | handheld sewer | TAB punch | Tim Holtz wordfetti | random baubles and paper