Colouring in a Spiritual and Meaningful Way

From a young age I have always enjoyed colouring. Every Christmas my Aunt would buy me a Platignum Colouring Set, and I really enjoyed spending time on Christmas Afternoon colouring in the pictures in the set.

About four years ago I started exploring using colouring as a spiritual tool in my quiet time. I often find it difficult to focus when I am praying, my mind seem to go off in so many different directions and tangents. The first colouring book I purchased was from Lindisfarne Scriptorium. I then read Sybil McBeth's book Praying in Colour. And so my journey in Colouriing as a Meditation and Spiritual tool began.

Sometimes I would doodle my prayers, other times I would take time to colour a picture. My prayer life changed for the better, I became more focused, I started to pray specifically for people on my mind, and because I was focused there have been many times when God has prompted me to do a certain thing or pray for a particular person.

I find it usually takes me about a week to colour one picture, and during this time I focus on my prayers and I have realised that this has been helpful and effective.

The book I have been using for about the last three months is this one:

There is a picture on one side of the page and on the other there is a thought or hymn to help me focus. The paper is very good quality which allows me to experiment with the materials I use.

Here are a few of the pictures I have coloured in.

Some of the pictures are quite simple to colour in, this gives me opportunity not to focus so much on the picture, but more on the person I am praying for.

Sometimes when I am colouring, God quite clearly shows me who I should be praying for. A few months a a young girl called Amy from the Salvation Army had a bad cycling accident whilst she was on holiday in Australia. A Facebook page was set up so that people could join together and pray for Amy and her family.

As I was colouring this page above, I thought about all the people that were praying for Amy throughout the world. God gave me a picture of a patchwork quilt and how all our prayers were being made into a spiritual patchwork quilt, which would be like a comfort blanket that would surround the family in God's love. 

I shared this completed coloured picture on the Facebook page to encourage everyone to keep praying. Amy didn't make it and she is now in her heavenly home that God has prepared for her. As people continue to pray for her family I pray that we all might be enveloped in God's love and care.

I have been a crafter for many years, and like every other crafter buy equipment that I use for a while and then it gets left alone. About 6 years ago I bought some Sakura Gelly Roll Pens, it has given me great joy to rediscover them for my Bible Journalling and Colouring, the picture above and below have been coloured using these pens.

There are still plenty of colouring pages in this book, and I know that God will use this book to bless me and the many others I will pray for as I colour. The last picture I would like to share is this one:

This is still a work in progress, and that is true for each one of us as individuals, in God's eyes we are all still a work in progress. We each need to allow God to work in us every day as He completes the the big picture.

We are all part of that big picture and we all need to be ready to use the God colours God has given each of us to colour in that picture.

As Matthew 5:14-16 in the Message Bible states: 

Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

May God help us to blend the spiritual colours He has given to each of us so we can present to Him a beautiful picture of living together in harmony,

Claire Graham - my Bible Art Journaling Journey

This week's fabulous blog post has been written for us by Claire Graham - it's so exciting to see her Bible Art Journaling journey over the last six months! 

New Wine 2015 is when my Bible journaling journey began - less than 6 months ago! I arrived at New Wine exhausted; desperately seeking healing from past hurts which still had a huge grip on my life and eager to rejuvenate my relationship with God. While I was there I was definitely restored and healed from those past hurts, finally able to move forwards after nearly 18 years and my relationship with God was kick-started as through various meetings and workshops at the arts venue I realised that it was OK to be arty, in fact, better than that, being arty was part of what God made me to be. I'd never really thought of how arty God is before.. but He created the world and it's a beautiful place... think rainbows, autumn leaves and dew on spiders webs just for starters. He also created me, a creative being!

I remember going to a Bible Art Journaling workshop, focusing on lettering and tangling (2 things which I am now completely in love with!) I produced my first official page and experimented with some simple tangles:-

I knew that I wanted to do more and soon I was addicted, journaling some of my favourite verses, picking themes out of the Bible to follow (I officially love stars!) and creatively responding to issues both in the world and at a more personal level.

Then while searching for which journaling Bible to put on my Christmas list I stumbled (definite Godincidence!) upon Advent Illustrated... a book, Facebook group and Instagram tag that gave prompts throughout Advent for journaling. I've officially loved having guidance verses for what to journal each day and a plan which guided my thoughts from Creation to Christmas, I've also loved the discipline of journaling and therefore studying the Bible every day and having to carve time out for that and I've been able to see my skills develop over that time. Here are a few of my favourite entries from the plan.

I'm really looking forwards to continuing my Bible journaling adventure, I'm going to carry on with Seasons and Advent Illustrated (the new name for Advent Illustrated) following the weekly prompts through the book of Esther and beyond, to learning new techniques, to playing with my Christmas presents (Journaling Bible, stamps, chameleon pens, etc!!), to growing new friendships through a mutual love of Bible journaling and to growing my relationship with God as I journal, doodle and draw.

Many thanks for sharing with us this week Claire - such a blessing to hear your Art Journaling story - and looking forward to hearing much more from you!
If anyone else would like to share your Bible Art Journaling journey with us on this blog, or if you have something on your heart to share, please do get in touch with Deborah Gregg, Sarah Anderson, Jane Butcher or Sharon King - we'd love to hear from you! 

Barns and Barntangles! - by Deborah Gregg

Hi everyone, it's Deborah again this week. I thought I'd just share a little bit about 'Barntangles' today, as they are such a lot of fun and are great to incorporate into Bible Art Journaling!

For those who might not already know about this, Barntangles are simply doodles and patterns, like in the header at the top of this blog and the Bible Art Journaling UK Facebook Group page. They are usually done in black ink on white background but really, there are no rules, so feel free to use colours and whatever pens or other art and craft mediums you like! Some patterns are very easy, others more intricate, but they are usually easy to learn and really fun to do.

So why do some of us call them 'Barntangles'? They are fashionably and more commonly known as Zentangles (TM). However - I personally don't like the restrictions and 'rules' around official Zentangles (TM). And as a Christian I'm wary of anything 'zen' due to Buddhist and Far Eastern philosophy connotations. But doodling - well I'm afraid I can't see how anyone can trademark that! People have been doodling and drawing patterns since cave paintings and pyramids...

So, it was at the very first Bible Art Journaling for Beginners Workshop that I ran from my home, that I asked my lovely bunch of new Journalers for ideas of what we could call it, when a group of Christians get together to Bible Art Journal together? As a scrapbooker, I would sometimes go along to a 'Crop' to meet up and craft with friends, and I thought that 'Bible Art Journaling Gathering' just wasn't punchy enough!

The group chose the name 'BARN', and the acronym stands for: 

Bible 

Art 

Reflective 

Nourishment

I love that so much! Isn't that exactly what Bible Art Journaling is all about, reflective nourishment of our souls, along with relaxation of our minds and bodies, and encouragement in our spirits, especially as we share with one another. So we can go along to a BARN event. If there isn't already a group near you, why not invite a friend over and BARN together, and start a little BARN group?

*Please feel free not to use 'BARN' if you prefer another name! I just wanted to explain what it is, and where it comes from and what it means, in case you hear some of us talking about BARNs or Barntangles*

So to finally get to the point (thank you if you are still reading....!) - that's why some of us like to call our Zentangle style doodles when used in Bible Art Journaling: 'Barntangles'.

And here's some Barntangles I drew at a BARN!

I find that they can be a great way to think about a verse, as you doodle while praying and dwelling on something that God has shown you from His Word, it really helps you to relax and reflect on the passage. It sinks in.

You can learn Barntangle patterns from the internet, sites like Pinterest or www.tanglepatterns.com have hundreds of patterns and step by step instructions to try them out. By the way, the official patterns all have funny names (like Mooka and Cadent!), it doesn't really matter but it can sometimes help you to find them. I have a little notebook with squared paper, that I use to practice new patterns and copy out the instructions, then I can refer to this when Barntangling a verse or page in my journal or Journaling Bible.

Be free to create however you like. It can be great to Barntangle the backgrounds around lettering, like in the group header 'JESUS', which is one of my journal pages.

Or you could Barntangle the letters themselves, like this page:


Or shapes and line drawings can be filled with Barntangle patterns to use as decorations.

I personally like the black on white or coloured background, but I have seen beautiful artwork from some of you using coloured pens in your Barntangling - please just have a go however you want to, and post pictures in the group!

I'll close with a challenge:
If anyone feels inspired, please try to come up with some 'Christian/Bible themed' Barntangle patterns and post instructions on how to draw them in the group! I know that would really bless us in our Bible Art Journaling, as we spend time reflecting and being nourished by God's Word.

Can't wait to see what you come up with!

Love in Christ,
Deborah