A Sweet Retreat!

“Let the [spoken] word of Christ have its home within you [dwelling in your heart and mind–permeating every aspect of your being] as you teach [spiritual things] and admonish and train one another with all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:16 AMP

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18 NIV

These were the verses we chose for our retreat last weekend. Our theme was “Blending knowledge and creativity in the worship of our Lord.” My good friend, Mijean, designed our t-shirts. Together, we were looking forward to sharing our love of Bible art journaling with thankfulness in our hearts.

Mijean and Deb ready to begin the retreat

T-shirt design and theme for our retreat

Nearly a year in the planning, we were blessed to hold the two-day retreat at Mijean’s church, Harbor of New Hope Church, in Mason City, Iowa. The fellowship area in the basement was a perfect size to set up numerous tables and have plenty of room for our various activities. And the kitchen had all the amenities for the meals we prepared.

We had six participants Friday and eight on Saturday. A wonderful group of ladies loving their Lord through worship and enjoying fellowship with like-minded, creative individuals. Each participant received a goodie box with supplies, t-shirt, water, candy, some scripture cards to color, and other fun surprises.

Our formal sessions included a Bible art journaling basics overview, shading with watercolors, learning to emboss, faith art with mixed media on canvas, and an introduction to verse mapping. There was plenty of free time to continue working on individual projects and explore the craft stations.

Retreat participants spending creative time in the Word

Craft stations allowed everyone to try something new or make pretty enhancements for their Bible journaling entries. Mijean has quite a selection of die-cut punches and decorative edge craft scissors for adding fun embellishments. Paints and string were used to create beautiful Cala-lily-looking flowers. Materials available to make bookmarks included washi tape, colored cord, scrapbooking paper, and paperclips. I provided my gel printing plate, acrylic paints, and sketch paper to make some uniquely designed background pieces for borders and to place behind written notes. Hymnal pages could be quickly folded into repurposed page pockets. Additionally, I brought all my stencils, acrylic and rubbers stamps, stickers, distress inks, gelatos, and blending brushes for everyone to try out. I love the opportunity to share my art supplies with others in this setting so they don’t have to go out and purchase new items themselves just to try it.

String flower painting

Punches, decorative scissors, and many other supplies provided fun crafting techniques

Hymnal page pockets and gel printing press artwork adds to a Bible journaling entry

Hattifant’s Triskele Paper Globe activity was a huge hit! Mijean hand-lettered one of our themed scripture verses on a Triskele pattern and copied on cardstock for each one of us to color and assemble as a beautiful reminder and keepsake of our weekend together.

Triskele Paper Globe put together and ready to hang on my tree this Christmas

In addition to breaking bread together for two suppers, breakfast, and lunch, we partook in some popcorn snacks while watching an episode of The Chosen. Praising our God with singing and prayers of gratefulness were, of course, part of our time together as well.

This is the fifth Bible art journaling retreat I have organized, and I feel very blessed that for the last two years, Mijean has taken time out of her schedule to help out and take on some of the preparation tasks and meal prep. I often heard my grandpa say ‘many hands make light work.’ So true!

Here are a few other pictures from our weekend Bible art journaling retreat:

Already thinking about next year’s retreat 🙂

Paper Napkins are Just for Show

A sampling of pretty napkins in my collection

Don’t you just love celebrations? There’s usually family and/or friends, and definitely FOOD!!! If the host is feeling fancy, there might even be themed paper decorations which includes coordinating plates, cups, and napkins.

Our recent Fourth of July gathering was just such an occasion. The red, white, and blue was prominent and festive. Does the food taste better if the ambiance is right??

I remember a craft project my mom helped me with when I was younger that we did at Easter. She purchased several sizes of Styrofoam eggs, pretty Easter napkins, and Mod Podge. Fussy cutting out the design and adhering it to the egg made for some unique-looking eggs in the basket for our table’s centerpiece.

Shortly after I started Bible Art Journaling, I was introduced to the “napkin technique.” A coat of Mod Podge on the Bible page followed by applying a piece of a fancy napkin, and securing it with a top coat of Mod Podge produced a creative centerpiece on the page.

As you will see from my pictures, this technique takes a little practice and a little finesse. I have also learned that muted colors or pastels with more white areas work best. Another tip I want to share with you is that most luncheon/dinner napkins are three ply. The first ply is usually simple to peel away. To separate the second and third ply, if you make a small tear in the napkin, it is easier to find the layer to pull apart.

First attempt with this leaf-patterned napkin I did not get the third ply separated and found it to be too dark.

Second attempt with the same napkin, the inner ply, which I used, had a faint imprint of the pattern and was more transparent so I could still see the text underneath–which was my desired outcome.

Another one of my earlier attempts. The text I underlined is visible, but the brown lines of the napkin design are too dark.

I liked the idea of this napkin for the Fruit of the Spirit verse, but the overall color of the napkin was too dark.

Should have tested my pen with what the Mod Podge would do over the top of it, but I did really like this napkin design. The napkin was from a church ladies meeting where I gave an introduction to Bible Art Journaling, so it holds a special reminder of that day as well.

Can you tell I like butterflies!? I saw this package of napkins at a TJ Maxx and had to buy it! I can’t pass by a napkin display while shopping and not stop to see if there might be something worthy of using in a Bible Journaling entry. Napkins are as dangerous for me as art supplies. 🙂

Except for one wrinkle in the top left flower, I finally nailed the technique with this one! I added some Distress Ink and colored pencil marks around the edges as well as some green leaves and stems and really tied it all together.

Napkins aren’t just for laying in your lap, wiping fingers, and dabbing at the corners of the mouth. They have “depths of purpose and layers of meaning to saturate everything you do.”

Fireworks: The Colorful Booms of Life

NOTE: The following devotional is one I wrote in 2006. My daughter is now 23 and enjoys the fireworks displays; however, my Goldendoodle is less than thrilled about them.

“Can they stop now?”  “I only like the color but not the noise.”

These were the mutterings of my 7-year-old during our town’s Fourth of July fireworks show.  I turned from the show to see my daughter with fingers in her ears and a grimace on her face yet watching the sky intently for the next burst of color.

It occurred to me then that our walk of faith is much like the traditional fireworks display.  We may encounter some loud explosions and big bangs along the way which God allows for building our perseverance or due to the presence of sin in the world.  But in the end, we can be assured that our eternal home will be breathtaking. 

The chemistry responsible for the awesome bursts of stars and cascading streams of colors in a pyrotechnic event is complex and requires great care to make.  This parallels the great care God took in making us.  “So God created man in his own image.”  Genesis 1:27.  “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb…I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”  Psalm 139:13-14.

Some of life’s experiences will be more colorful and spectacular than others, and some will cause us pain.  I wish there was an easy way to explain this to my young daughter, but I don’t always comprehend the reasons myself.  “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”  Luke 18:27.

Leaning on the everlasting arms of God and trusting in the holy spirit are as much icons of the Christian life as the American flag and fireworks are of the Independence Day celebrated in the United States.

Some of my Fourth of July Bible Journaling Entries

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36 CSB- Illustrating Bible by DaySpring

“So Christ has truly set us free.” Galatians 5:1a NLT – Inspire Journaling Bible

“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” 2 Corinthians 3:17 KJV

My accompanying journal entry for my first July 4th Bible art creation.

May God bless you on this Independence Day! Everyone stay safe as you celebrate!

God Bless this Nation

Bible Art Journaling – Digital Style

The image below is my first digital Bible art journaling creation. I have been Bible art journaling in various physical Bibles for five and a half years. I have seen some other people’s digital journaling designs, so it is not a new concept, but it is new to me.

“Bold power and glorious majesty are wrapped around her as she laughs with joy over the latter days.” Proverbs 31:25 TPT

This verse from Proverbs always reminds me of my mom. When I moved her to be closer to me in 2010, I worried about taking her out of her home town where she had lived her whole life. She was always the social butterfly, meeting friends for coffee or Bible study, and thoroughly enjoying conversation and fellowship wherever she went. After various health issues, she became less mobile and needed more care. Living two hours away, I couldn’t always get to her when she needed something, so I found a townhome just a few blocks from me and settled her there.

Mom was an avid letter writer and greeting card sender, but I wanted her to have more immediate access to some of the friends she had left behind. Against some initial protests, I brought her into the digital age with an iPad and a Facebook account.

I never thought of mom as being tech savvy, but to say she took to the iPad like a fish in water would be an understatement. There were still questions and several late night calls of, “I clicked on something and can’t see my post;” but for the most part, she loved it! She even named her iPad ‘Isabella’, and would occasionally remind me to ‘plug Isabella in.’

Not only did mom connect with old friends, but she made several new ones. She would genuinely be concerned with each person’s posts and comment accordingly. She became a digital encourager and cheerleader for her friends even though she couldn’t be with them in person. She never missed posting a daily Bible verse on her Facebook page.

At her funeral in 2014, strangers came up to me and introduced themselves. “I never met your mom in person, but we became friends on Facebook. She helped me through a difficult time in my life.”

This first attempt at digital Bible art journaling is a tribute to my mom. She made it into the computerized world after years of paper and pen, so I decided it was time for me to step out of my comfort zone and learn something new as well.

Using my iPad mini 6, I created the image using the GoodNotes app and Procreate®. I first downloaded the American Standard Version (ASV) translation of the Bible into GoodNotes. Positioned on the Proverbs page above within the GoodNotes app, I highlighted the verse and took a screenshot to import into Procreate®. In the Procreate® application, I then added color, journal notes, and the dress image.

We’re never too old to learn something new and can even laugh with joy over these latter days.

Only One Color

“The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever.” Isaiah 40:8

I recently watched a mixed media process video where the artist, Michele Bowden, recommended “abandoning outcomes.” She said, “When you are creating, it doesn’t always turn out the way you envisioned it.”

process + prayer + play > outcomes

Michele Bowden

Such an inspiring thought! And one I want to remember going forward. So many times, I have an idea in my head of what a finished page will look like. Sometimes it comes to fruition. Sometimes it surpasses what I imagined. But most of the time, it’s not quite the desired result. Such was the case in the above image in my Illustrating Bible by Dayspring when I colored the page for Isaiah 40:8.

In February of 2020, I participated in a Bible art journaling challenge. One of the Facebook groups I follow (Bible Journaling Tips & Tricks), posted a series of challenges. Members could participate at their own pace and share their creations within the group page. I like to engage in other groups’ Bible art journaling experiences to step out of my comfort zone and think outside my own practices.

Challenge #4, as it is labeled on my page above, could be on any verse in the Bible as long as the page was decorated in a monochromatic theme. I was fairly certain I knew what that term meant, but I looked up the definition to be sure.

monochromatic - containing or using only one color.

I used distress ink, stencils, washi tape, and markers of varying shades of green to create my monochromatic page. Green…the color of grass which withers. Green…the color of flower stems and leaves which fades.

Green is associated with nature and represents new life. I love spring time when the winter browns turn green and trees bud with fresh growth. It’s my favorite time of year when we seem to move out of that black and white movie into colorization, like when Dorothy gets to Oz.

I liked how the background of the page turned out, but I wasn’t enamored with the flowers that I drew freehand over the top. Occasionally, I wonder if God feels the same way about his creation. The background of our existence is created in His image. But as we go through life, our free will and sinful human nature obscure God’s intended vision for us. Fortunately, for us, ‘God REMAINS forever’ our only ONE. HE can take us out of any season of our life and color us with renewal to get us back on our intended path. We need only to be still, remain faithful, and stay in the Word.

An A-Bridged Version

I had to walk across a bridge everyday going to elementary school. (No, it wasn’t up hill both ways). But, I think, in an attempt to keep me from lingering too long on the bridge, my mom told me trolls lived under the bridge. I’m not sure I believed her, but it worked. I hurried across both in the morning and the afternoon and didn’t dilly dally over that bridge.

Bridges take us across water, over trains and traffic, and sometimes into territories unknown. We can walk, bike, run, drive, skate, or slide from one side to the other of a physical bridge. But what about the metaphorical bridge? How do we get from one side of our fears to the courage of exploration and risk? How do we take the leap and find out if the bridge of time and energy will span far enough to get us to where we want to be–where we think we want to be? What if after we cross that bridge, one side is both alike?

A bridge is trust. You are trusting that when you start the journey over the bridge, it will stay intact and you will reach the other side. I have to admit, after the 35W bridge collapse in downtown Minneapolis on August 2, 2007, I am a little more worried than I used to be when crossing a long bridge over a body of water. But that just means my prayers are a little bit more fervent upon approach. Because my trust comes from my faith in God.

And while my faith in God hasn’t always been first and foremost, God has never left me, and is always there when I put my trust in Him.

I bridged the gap between not trusting God in all things to always trusting Him by immersing myself in the Word. My journey of learning about Bible Art Journaling to teaching and leading others in the practice has deepened my relationship with my Lord and Savior and kept my trust first and foremost.

“Those who know Your name will put their trust in You.
For You, O Lord, have never left alone those who look for You.” Psalm 9:10 NLV

Over the years, I have used various bridges as focal points in my photographs, as I find the linear perspective to be very pleasing to the eye. I have used many of these images combined with Bible verses for my Facebook page Scripture Picture Moments by Deb.

Swensrud Park, Northwood, Iowa

Julien Dubuque Bridge, Dubuque, Iowa

Swensrud Park, Northwood, Iowa

Aerial Lift Bridge, Duluth, Minnesota

Meredith Willson “The Music Man” Footbridge, Mason City, Iowa

Meredith Willson “The Music Man” Footbridge, Mason City, Iowa

Linn Creek Greenbelt Covered Bridge (bike path), Marshalltown, Iowa

East Park, Mason City, Iowa

The bridge is only scary if your eyes are not fixed on Jesus.

What’s on Your Reading Table?

Books I’m currently reading.

My mom loved books! She loved to read, and she loved to write. She wrote a monthly column for her hometown newspaper for several years. Quite frequently, she would ask the question in her column, “What’s on your reading table?”, and then she would go on to share what she had on her own reading table.

In honor of my mom’s passion for reading, I wanted to share my lovely stack of books. At the top of my collection is “The Illustrated Words of Jesus for Women” by Carolyn Larsen. This was a birthday gift from a very good friend of mine this year, and even provides opportunities for coloring! My friend knows how much I enjoy using my colored pencils.

A daily devotional with things to color and room to journal! I love it!

“Women of the Word” by Jen Wilkin is the book my Wednesday morning women’s group is going through. It’s helping us to study the Bible with both our hearts and our minds. I’m enjoying learning about this approach to Bible study, and I especially love the women in my group. A lot of thought-provoking questions after each chapter guiding us through some inspiring discussion.

The “Forgiving What You Can’t Forget” book and companion journal by Lysa Terkeurst was a gift to myself. After a devastating and heartbreaking event that occurred with a family member nearly a year and a half ago, I’ve been seeking a way to find peace and make sense of what happened. This book and the journaling prompts have been very helpful.

And finally, after several years, one of my favorite authors has come out with a new book. “The Lady’s Mine” by Francine Rivers has been hard to put down. So, it probably won’t remain on my reading table very long.

On another reading table, I have 66 books of various genres. Of course, I’m referring to my Bible.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

A special Bible art journaling project for one of my groups I lead included coloring a printout of a Bible bookcase and talking about all the books in the Bible as we colored.

I have this helpful resource page, that I colored, pasted onto a back page in my Inspire Bible.

What’s on YOUR reading table?

God Shines Forth

Rural Iowa Winter Sunset

On my way home from leading a Bible Art Journaling group and had to take several pictures and a video of the beautiful sunset. God’s canvas is a thing of beauty!

Praying and Coloring Come Together

Do you want to learn to pray better?

Do you want to pray longer?

Do you want to be able to pray with more focus and purpose?

In my post entitled Prayer is the Key, I talked about prayer being the key to communicating with God. That can be easier said than done. Just like everything else that comes naturally, we have to practice and be comfortable with prayer in order to make it a daily routine. But where do we start? Being in God’s Word everyday definitely helps. In fact, there are lots of great resources to help us pray better right in the Bible itself. The book of Psalms is filled with great examples of prayers.

“Listen to my words, Lord,
    consider my lament.
Hear my cry for help,
    my King and my God,
    for to you I pray.” Ps. 5:1-2

“Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
    that I may follow it to the end.
Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
    and obey it with all my heart.
Direct me in the path of your commands,
    for there I find delight.
Turn my heart toward your statutes
    and not toward selfish gain.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
    preserve my life according to your word.
Fulfill your promise to your servant,
    so that you may be feared.
Take away the disgrace I dread,
    for your laws are good.
How I long for your precepts!
    In your righteousness preserve my life.” Ps. 119:33:40

And in Luke 11:1-4, Jesus directly teaches the disciples how to pray:

“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’ He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: “Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
    for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.”‘”

Somewhere in the middle of the 2020 pandemic, I learned about a concept that incorporated coloring while praying from the amazing gals over at Visual Faith Ministry. With my love of Bible art journaling, the praying-in-color idea was a natural fit. As I experimented more with it, I learned how helpful the combination of coloring while praying can be. Suddenly, my prayers had depth and meaning and even became eloquent at times. I was able to stay fixed on my prayer instead of having my mind wander. I’m a visual learner, and now, with a visual prayer life, I have found praying brings me more comfort and peace than ever before.

In January of this year, I started creating specifically guided pages to use in my prayer life which helped me stay focused and kept me in that beautiful conversation with my Sovereign Lord even longer. I knew I couldn’t just keep this breakthrough to myself.

So, I set a goal to design and develop a prayer guide workbook that anyone could personalize and use as a tool to help them pray with more focus and devotion.

I circulated some of the pages of the finished workbook to individuals in my Bible journaling groups, and here’s what they had to say:

“I sat down with a clouded mind and God gave me clarity through this. Thank you, Deb. Hope to see you publish this book soon! I believe this will help many people…many many people to Encounter God. Thank you for this opportunity. It’s just so Awesome. I feel God.” ~ Sharon

“I thought I made a mistake, but wanted you to know that it was the best page that I could’ve taken…

…because God works in mysterious ways…I needed to hear the music that I was listening to today.” ~ Barb

“Wonderful format! Gets you started! Very interactive! It helps set you up for specific prayers, and the book also has pages that allow you to create your own format. Simple pictures make it easy to complete in one sitting. Two thumbs up!” ~ Angela

This genuine feedback, in addition to several positive verbal comments, was all the affirmation I needed to propel me toward my goal. So, in July, I published “A Palette of Prayers: a pray and praise activity guide to personalize and color.” It’s currently a print-on-demand book available from Amazon and very reasonably priced at $9.95.

You definitely don’t need this book to enhance your prayer life! BUT, I encourage you to look into it at the link above if you are interested in praying better, longer, and with more focus and purpose. The introduction page and a sample page are visible in Amazon’s “Look Inside” feature.

Filled with 30 different pages to personalize and color, it includes scripture motivation and brief directions for making the most of each page. It will creatively guide you through your personal prayer time and help strengthen your faith.

For further inspiration, check out my blog post from last November entitled Pray in Color which includes a digital image to print and color and an accompanying video from my YouTube channel.