Introducing Jane Butcher!

Greetings! My name is Jane Butcher though to be honest I am more likely to respond to "Ben's Mum!" I've a hard act to follow on from Ben's blog post last week, but I'll do my best.

I came across Bible Journaling a few weeks before Christmas last year. I have an amazingly talented friend called Annie who is a professional graphic recorder. She records conferences, workshops, Bible Studies using visual images, sketches and lettering, her work is stunning and a great inspiration to me.

Between us we stumbled across the Bible Journaling Community on Facebook and I was immediately hooked by this new (to me) way of studying and engaging with my Bible and my Lord. Though by no means an artist in the pure sense of the word I am an inveterate doodler and sketcher and I'm definitely a multi-sensory learner. I am first of all a writer (of sorts) and enjoy writing short stories, funny poems (doggerel) and even a children's novel, but to learn and retain information I work best using mixed methods of study and recording.

I texted my friend who owns our local Christian Bookshop the same evening and within a week I had my own Journaling Bible.

I just pitched in and launched into this new adventure. Unlike many of you I'm not a great planner, I don't practice my page, I sometimes don't even do it in pencil first, I just "go with the flow", I enjoy responding freely and though there have been some "hot messes" to quote our American friends I don't get stressed by bleed through, mistakes or less than perfect artwork. I'm not working towards producing a masterpiece, I'm simply enjoying spending time in the Word, spending time with the Lord, deepening my understanding and celebrating verses which have particular meaning for me.

It is likely that I will leave this for my little great neice Emma Grace who lives in Florida, I may never meet her but hopefully she will get to know me just a little through my Bible.

One of the many blessings that have come from my Bible Journaling is connecting with so many like-minded Christians and being encouraged and challenged by their postings. I also have a Bible Journaling family locally, we've met up a few times in Sale and in Knutsford and on October 3rd will be meeting up for our first monthly Journaling get together at the Salvation Army in Winsford, Cheshire (do contact me for details if you'd like to come along!).

Ben and I are also very blessed to meet up most weeks with his girlfriend and her Mum to journal together around their dining room table.

I have no great wealth of artistic skill to share, merely a love for the Lord, a passion to press in deeper to His Word, and a deep joy in making new friendships as we journey together through Bible Journaling.

With my love and prayers,
Jane

Introducing the amazing Ben Butcher!

Hi, my name is Ben Butcher and I am twenty five and I got Down’s Syndrome.

I’m a Senior Soldier in the Salvation Army and my Corps is in Cheshire.



Well, what can I say about Bible Journaling? 

It started when I saw my Mum doing journaling and I looked at her pictures 

and verses and it inspired me and challenged me to do the same. 

At first she posted two of my pictures and verses for me but then she joined

me to the Bible Journaling Community. I looked at other peoples pictures on 

Facebook and WOW! they looked spectacular!

I love Bible Journaling and it draws me close to God and to see what plans He 

has for me and to go deeper in my faith with Him. I love being part of this group

and my faith is stronger every day and I encounter God in my journey as I walk 

with Him.

This is so wonderful to be part of this amazing, talented, Godly group and I am 

glad to be a part of it. This is revival, BRING IT ON!

Ben has recently told his mum that he wants to be an ambassador or an advocate for people with disabilities to show them that you can still do things and be part of things - he wants people to know that they are important and have something to offer! 

A cluster of pages - by Sarah Anderson

Hi, my name's Sarah and as an art journaler I was thrilled to learn about bible art journaling early last year.  I love playing with paints, ink, stamps etc in my journals and have always felt that this could be a way of also meditating on truths but I find it tricky to add words to my journal pages....

....although I have successfully challenged myself to!  I really shouldn't have been surprised after praying and asking God to give me a new passion for reading the bible that I 'came across' bible art journal pages.  He knows me so well ;)

When art journaling in my bible, I find I approach the pages differently to those in my art journals.  I start with the bible verse (rather than playing with paint etc and seeing what happened!) and spend time playing with fonts and really taking in what I am writing.

And sometimes those pages stay just like that!

Other times though I'll add some imagery and I've found that this helps me link themes through my bible...

...stars definitely being a recurrent one!

Sometimes I journal the verse as it is written in my NIV version but I usually note down a different version such as the wonderful Passion translation, the Amplified version or the Mirror bible, or study notes/reflections of my own.

So that's me!  I'm looking forward to being able to share step by step photos to creating pages in my bible on the blog but we also have a Bible Art Journaling UK Facebook group where we all share what we've been creating.  Just contact us and we'll let you know how to join

Happy Tuesday!!
Sarah


Contact us with your ideas and feedback:
Deborah Gregg, Sarah Anderson, Jane Butcher, Sharon King and Mandy Lockey.
You can leave a comment below,  message us via Facebook or email us at the following address:
Bibleartjournalinguk@gmail.com

About Bible Art Journaling - by Deborah Gregg

So what is Bible Art Journaling all about? I thought it might be helpful to start with a quick basic overview to help explain what we do and why, there may be some of you reading this who are quite new to all this, and maybe you have just found our blog somehow and are wondering what it's all about.

As Christians, when we read our Bibles and pray, we often find that we are drawn to particular words, verses or passages in the Bible that are particularly meaningful to us. We find that this is often how God may speak to us through the Bible by the Holy Spirit.

We may then decide to write out a key word, a verse, a passage of Scripture, the lyrics to a hymn or worship song, a prayer, some thoughts and reflections etc, and decorate the page in many, many creative and artistic ways!

Some of us like to create some visual artwork in an Art Journal, maybe something like this:

And some of us like to create some visual artwork in a special Journaling Bible, or sometimes in a regular Bible, maybe something like this:

It doesn't matter how artistic - or not – you think you are. It's about being open and willing and just enjoying the experience of spending time in the Word of God and being creative in your response to what God has been showing you.

It's been proven that you are more than twice as likely to remember something if it is also linked with an image. If it's an image that you've created yourself, then just imagine the impact on your thoughts and memory! So Bible Art Journaling can help us to learn and remember key verses and really get the Word of God into our hearts and minds.

We appreciate that this may not be for everyone, but we are definitely finding that more and more people are interested in Bible Art Journaling, and are keen to have a go!

If you'd like to join the Bible Art Journaling UK Facebook Group, please contact us and we can let you know how to join!

Love in Christ,
Deborah

Contact us with your ideas and feedback:
Deborah Gregg, Sarah Anderson, Jane Butcher, Sharon King and Mandy Lockey.
You can message us via Facebook or email us at the following address:
Bibleartjournalinguk@gmail.com

Hello and Welcome!

Welcome to the Bible Art Journaling UK’s very first official blog! (Cue trumpet fanfare ba ba ba baaaah!)

A small group of us have felt led to start this blog as an offshoot of the main Facebook group, and we have loads of ideas and yet also no idea how this is going to evolve – all we know is that God is leading the way so buckle up, pray with us, and let's go! :-)

We are aiming to write a weekly blog for you all, in which we will share in a bit more detail than we can normally on the Facebook group, all things Bible Art Journaling related!

So what are we aiming to do here? Here's some (slightly ambitious) ideas, in no particular order:
• To share God’s Word with you, what is on our hearts
• To encourage and build one another up in our Christian faith
• Talk you through some Bible Journaling pages that we may have created, both in separate Journals and in Journaling Bibles, posting lots of photos and explaining things step by step, in a bit more detail than Facebook posts can often allow
• Over time, build up some really great resources for you including things like product reviews, tips and ideas, mini tutorials, Frequently Asked Questions etc.
• Give links to other relevant and interesting blogs and websites
• Share some great Bible Art Journaling products with you, hopefully arrange some giveaways, through links with some great Christian art, craft and gift companies
• Create a gallery of Bible Journaling artwork for inspiration, blessing and encouragement (and yes we would love your contributions!)
• You will be able to sign up to receive new blog posts by email in your inbox if you want, though we will also post a link on Facebook for each new blog post.
• You'll be able to comment at the end of each blog post if you want to join in with the conversation…please do!
• You can share the blog link to others who may be interested, via Facebook and email
• And last but not least we will be having special guest blogs – mainly written by some of you! (How exciting is this?!)

How you can help support us?
• Pray! Please pray for guidance, protection and for wisdom as we get things going!
• Please message us with any ideas, offers, useful contacts, and suggestions which will all be prayerfully considered
• Let us know what you think – we are going to need your honest (and kind) feedback and encouragement!

Love in Christ,
Deborah

Contact us with your ideas and feedback:
Deborah Gregg, Sarah Anderson, Jane Butcher, Sharon King and Mandy Lockey.
You can message us via Facebook or email us at the following address:
Bibleartjournalinguk@gmail.com