a step-by-step {patience}

a step-by-step {patience}

As I was sketching this one out, I had the idea to take a photo every few steps into the process and post them!

I don’t know if this will be a help to anyone trying to jump into Bible Journaling, but I pray so. 🙂

I apologize that it is all very light, but I sketch lightly in pencil to make erasing more simple.

First I wrote out the words, trying to figure out a pleasing layout [on a scratch paper]

you can see I started with just the first part of the verse…

pencil sketch1…but I realized that I really needed the whole verse….
Patience will leave me “wanting nothing”… that’s important!

pencil sketch2

Then I figured out margins… to help me stay on track and not get too close to one edge or the other.

I wanted flowers on both sides… so I needed to move everything over a little bit 🙂

Here’s my margins and word-guides drawn.

lines:margins

You can see some are wider than others… to accommodate the different sized letters I’d already sketched.

Then I lightly sketched the words… in this shifted over space:

wordsonlyIf you notice the bottom 2 lines… they shift even more when I pen them, because sometimes, that happens 🙂

I like those thin petaled flowers {though I’m not sure how realistic they are}:

Lflowers

They are just a small circle with thin petals coming out… I turn my page as I draw them to make it more comfortable for my wrist.

and sometimes, there are mistakes that won’t get penned 🙂

Then I drew large “blades of grass”

Lgrass Then I added other flowers: just long lines with circles lining it OR a swirly circle…

very simple, but has a fun look when you’re done.

Lflowers2

on the swirly flowers I marked on the stem where I wanted it to stop when I penned over it

then I added a few flowers and “grass blades” on the other side:Rflowers

and some more lines that are smaller ‘grass’

and now the banner with the reference

{I have numbered them, but they will not appear in order–I apologize}:

You should be able to click each photo and see it larger

Just one more little detail, since the top seemed… empty:

topswirl

just a swirly line, very simple

and here’s the finished pencil-sketch:
pencil

and… PENNED, with a Sharpie Pen

allpennedclose up of how the last 2 lines got penned a little differently than the pencil:

because sometimes, it's necessary

because sometimes, it’s necessary

here it is… all penned, erased and ready for coloring!

[you can download and color it for yourself!]

james1-4-coloring

Right Click and SAVE LINK AS and you can download to color!

and all colored: finished

I would love to know if you found this helpful… and if you download and color your own! 🙂

And after you’ve colored it… you can share it on my FACEBOOK page or tag me on INSTAGRAM [@tascha @designing31]!!

EDIT to add: Here is what it looked like when I journaled in my Bible:

patience|Bible

As I was sketching this one out, I had the idea to take a photo every few steps into the process and post them!

I don’t know if this will be a help to anyone trying to jump into Bible Journaling, but I pray so. 🙂

I apologize that it is all very light, but I sketch lightly in pencil to make erasing more simple.

First I wrote out the words, trying to figure out a pleasing layout [on a scratch paper]

you can see I started with just the first part of the verse…

pencil sketch1…but I realized that I really needed the whole verse….
Patience will leave me “wanting nothing”… that’s important!

pencil sketch2

Then I figured out margins… to help me stay on track and not get too close to one edge or the other.

I wanted flowers on both sides… so I needed to move everything over a little bit 🙂

Here’s my margins and word-guides drawn.

lines:margins

You can see some are wider than others… to accommodate the different sized letters I’d already sketched.

Then I lightly sketched the words… in this shifted over space:

wordsonlyIf you notice the bottom 2 lines… they shift even more when I pen them, because sometimes, that happens 🙂

I like those thin petaled flowers {though I’m not sure how realistic they are}:

Lflowers

They are just a small circle with thin petals coming out… I turn my page as I draw them to make it more comfortable for my wrist.

and sometimes, there are mistakes that won’t get penned 🙂

Then I drew large “blades of grass”

Lgrass Then I added other flowers: just long lines with circles lining it OR a swirly circle…

very simple, but has a fun look when you’re done.

Lflowers2

on the swirly flowers I marked on the stem where I wanted it to stop when I penned over it

then I added a few flowers and “grass blades” on the other side:Rflowers

and some more lines that are smaller ‘grass’

and now the banner with the reference

{I have numbered them, but they will not appear in order–I apologize}:

You should be able to click each photo and see it larger

Just one more little detail, since the top seemed… empty:

topswirl

just a swirly line, very simple

and here’s the finished pencil-sketch:
pencil

and… PENNED, with a Sharpie Pen

allpennedclose up of how the last 2 lines got penned a little differently than the pencil:

because sometimes, it's necessary

because sometimes, it’s necessary

here it is… all penned, erased and ready for coloring!

[you can download and color it for yourself!]

james1-4-coloring

Right Click and SAVE LINK AS and you can download to color!

and all colored: finished

I would love to know if you found this helpful… and if you download and color your own! 🙂

And after you’ve colored it… you can share it on my FACEBOOK page or tag me on INSTAGRAM [@tascha @designing31]!!

EDIT to add: Here is what it looked like when I journaled in my Bible:

patience|Bible

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d31fb     d31insta      d31twi

[James] a study in maturing

As I was contemplating my next study, James was one book I kept coming back to… or being recommended.

I saw it referenced many places; and when I turned to it in my Bible, I noticed a note I’d written… sometime in the past 15 years:

Maturing Spiritually

Yep, I think I need this- {over and over again!} 🙂

I have no idea how often I will post, but if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, I will post any Journaling I do there first.

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[James] a companion chapter [Psalm 15]

I was searching online for any ideas on studying James and came across Bible Study that seemed to delve into it quite deeply.* And the group leader recommended referencing Psalm 15 as a “primer” to studying James.

This intrigued me, so I am beginning with an overview from my own personal thoughts… after reading the first chapter of James and then reading Psalm 15.

PS15_1 copy

Keep in mind, my premise behind this study is learning about growing in Spiritual Maturity as a believer.

v~1: LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle?

who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

In the Old Testament, the Tabernacle and God’s Holy Hill were very specific places that the Israelites held as His Dwelling and places for their worship.

Today, as a believer, my person is now the dwelling of God, in the form of His Spirit:

[What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Corinthians 6:19]

Did you ever do something wrong and felt a twinge? Did it make you “uncomfortable in your own skin”-as the saying goes?

In contemplating these thoughts… I believe that in order to dwell peaceably with my own self {and His Spirit which dwells within}, I must take heed to the answer given in the following verses…

With prayer, I believe these thoughts will give us a launching point into studying about

Spiritual Maturity!

James-series

*I’ve not read through more than the introduction, so I am not comfortable linking straight to it. If I refer back to it during my study, I’ll give an update on it when I’m finished.

My next post will have a free download/printable.

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[James] beginning to answer {Ps 15}

And a free download at the end…

James-seriesIn my last post, I alluded to a relationship between Psalm 15 and the book of James…

Verse 1 of Psalm 15 asks a very interesting question: Lord, who shall abide in they tabernacle…?

holy hill copy

We begin to see the answer with verse 2: He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

I like to break sentences apart and examine individual phrases (did I ever mention I was an English major in college?) as well as define words to their most basic meaning in order to understand.

So this verse tells me that if I am to dwell in God’s Holy Hill (His tabernacle, now ME)…

I must:

walk uprightly

to walk means to go the way of, a manner of life, traverse.

uprightly means whole & entire, sound or perfect, in accord {agreement} with truth and fact, with integrity, wholesome and innocent.

work righteousness

work means to make or commit or do.

righteousness is  justness of law; what is right; proper weights & measures [balance]; ethically right.

speak truth in my heart

truth is the state of being true, something accurate based on reality {in this instance, I would suggest that Scripture is our only truth… feelings and emotions will lead us astray every time. We must line up with Scripture}

in my heart… my own heart. I must not try to deceive myself. I must be so in-tune with Scripture that I recognize a lie, whether I try to tell it to myself or another is trying to sway me.

Is my manner of life whole and full of integrity?

Do I walk in agreement with the Truth of Scripture?

Do my works commit justice of law? Are they ethical?

Are my deeds properly weighted or balanced? 

Is my mind and heart so saturated with hearing and learning and mediating on truths from Scripture that I recognize a lie when the deceiver brings one to me?

These are all weighty questions I am asking myself… and I am trying not to deceive my own heart.

Because, as Jeremiah writes in chapter 17: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

…and when I do NOT do these things… my Spirit {God’s Spirit IN me} is troubled and there is no peace in God’s Tabernacle!

FREE DOWNLOAD BELOW

Right Click the image and select Save Image As to download

Right Click the image and select Save Image As to download

This was my first attempt as using watercolor pencils.

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Let’s connect on FACEBOOK!

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I’m also on Instagram!
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and I’m on Twitter!

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[James] let us be strengthened {Ps 15}

James-series

The last post broke down verse 2… in answering the question from verse 1: LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

If you missed it, there were some weighty questions I asked myself at the end.

And the thoughts are continued in the next few verses….

3~He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.

4~In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.

5~He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

I would like to just say up front, these are not easy or very comfortable points to talk about…

Becoming a mature Christian is not an easy path, but God does have a few promises that I would like to point out before I continue:

…lo, I [Jesus] am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Matthew 28:20

Paul often ended his letters with:

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. 1 Thessalonians 5:28
The Lord be with you all. 2 Thessalonians 3:16
The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen. 2 Timothy 4:22
Grace be with you all. Amen. Titus 3:15

from Peter:

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 1 Peter 5:10

and a few promises from the OT that apply:20150702-untitled shoot-006

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24
My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word. Psalm 119:28
…the joy of the Lord is my strength. Nehemiah 8:10

 

Our God WILL be with us; He will strengthen us; and He will fill us with His grace… as we meditate on His Word and place our hope in HIM. 

…and these are only a bare scratching of the surface of the promises of God’s help for us when we trust in Him and study and apply His Words.

So, my friend, let us be STRENGTHENED by our God

for this task of maturing spiritually 🙂

Psalm 139:9,10

Psalm 139:9,10

 

We will delve into the actual verses in the next post…

I would love for you to share a favorite promise in the comments.

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Let’s connect on FACEBOOK!

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I’m also on Instagram!
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and I’m on Twitter!

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