My boys love catching lightning bugs.
I love watching my boys run around the yard on a warm, summer night, chasing after lightning bugs. As the little specs of light flicker on and off against the darkness of night, they dart from here to there, hoping to get ahold of one.
Their eyes are focused. They’re waiting to pounce.
They’re not afraid of the dark because they’re focused on the light.
“The Lord is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid?”
Psalm 27:1
As I watched them, I prayed they would chase after Jesus in the same way. Running around seeking and watching for the light to shine in the dark and then snatching it up with joy!
What if we were light seekers?
What an amazing thought that is. Imagine if we all sat patiently in the midst of darkness, seeking the light that Jesus brings.
Focused on watching for that faint glow.
And then, what if when we saw that light, we chased after it with such gusto and joy, trying to capture a bit of it for our hearts.
What if we put that light in a jar.
Brought it inside our homes.
Kept it next to our beds at night to bring us safety, security, and peace.
Took it to show and tell for all to see.
Kept feeding it to keep it alive.
Well, we can be.
That’s what journaling has done for me. It’s given me the ability to spot the light in the midst of darkness.
How?
I’m in the Word. I’m learning and memorizing Scripture in ways I’ve never been able to do before because of the unique action of attaching an image to the verse.
When we read our Bibles and pray, we become closer with God. We start to spot Him in everything because we’ve invited Him in to every part of our lives. He speaks to us through the words on the pages and beckons us to continue seeking after that light, never letting the darkness consume us.
In Ephesians 5:8-14 we read:
“for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.””
As Christians we are called to live in the world but not of it (James 1:27). As a sojourner mom, I’m aware that I’m just passing through this Earth on my way to Heaven, but we do have to live here……for now.
And there is plenty of darkness around. We aren’t going to be able, nor should we want, to avoid it all.
We are carriers of the light in a dark world.
We are to go into the places where people can’t see their own hands in front of their faces because of the darkness.
But when we go into the world, we need to have a firm foundation that is found only in having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, otherwise we risk being consumed by the dark.
So read up, friends.
Seek out The Light and fill up your jars.
Bible journaling: the details
Finding the perfect verse
There are many ways to find a great verse to read.
- Look up a key word on google or in a Bible app.
- Write down all the verses from Sunday’s sermon during the service.
- Use a devotional as a guide
- Open up to a random page 😉
For this specific entry, I looked up verses about light using the key word “light” in the search bar of my Bible app.
More ideas on how to get started Bible journaling can be found here.
Take it a step further
Once I found the perfect verse, I gathered my art supplies and began to read.
I like to read the entire chapter, sometimes more, so that I am sure to understand the context.
Once I’ve finished reading, I start the journaling process by drawing out the design in pencil. Sometimes I do this on separate paper and sometimes I just dive right onto my Bible page!
I googled images of lightning bugs and found a few that I looked at for inspiration when drawing.
A phone also makes a great lightbox! Simply place it under your Bible’s thin pages and trace an image directly onto your page using a pencil.
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Pens
Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens are my favorite pens to write with. They don’t bleed through a Bible’s thin pages and are rich and dark.
Writing in white
When I write in white, I always use the Uni-ball Signo white pen. The key to this pen is patience.
Go slow and let it flow. Creating small circles while writing increases the chance of a beautiful finish.
Glitter and shimmer
The large white utensil you see in the picture is a Wink of Stella brush. I own the clear one and it applies glitter wherever you brush it on! Love the shimmer and sparkle it gives! And no glitter mess!
Color
I decided to used my Neocolor ii watersoluable crayons for the color!
These are my favorite! They color like a crayon, but when water is added, they turn into beautiful, vibrant watercolors!
Here you can see how the colors were applied, darkest to lightest from the outside in.
Then I do the opposite when applying water, going from lightest color to darkest.
It’s like magic
My favorite way to apply water is with a water brush. They store the water right in the handle and with a simple squeeze, the water is released onto the brush. They are also portable and mess free. No need for cups of water or rinsing the brush out, just squeeze and wipe on a paper towel.
Blend, blend, blend. Slowly add more water to your brush by gently squeezing the handle, being careful to not over wet.
Blend the colors together by starting with the lightest color and making small, circular motions with the brush.
Remember: Don’t get the page overly wet or the page may rip or the colors may bleed.
Lettering and outlining
After the page was completely dry, I outlined all my pencil marks with a black xs Faber-Castell pitt pen.
I finished with lettering. The Uni-ball Signo white pen is the brightest white pen I have found for highlighting and lettering. After I wrote the letters and they were completely dry, I outlined them with a black xs Faber-Castell Pitt pen.
Memory booster
I love that I forever have this image in my Bible. I’ll remember this verse whenever the lightning bugs light up my yard and I’ll remember my boys chasing the light whenever I read the verse.
I always end my Bible journaling by dating the page. This helps me remember when I journaled but it will also be there for my kids to one day also be able to know.
I’m really happy with how this page turned out. Now I’m anxious for summer!
For more information on art supplies, check out this post on all my favorite supplies.
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