Sometimes in the midst of working on multiple devotionals and projects, I forget to Bible journal simply because something impacted me in a big way. But, I recently heard a thought-provoking sermon in church that had us looking at how we deal with pain in our past. As expected, this sermon dug up a lot of old thoughts and feelings that I thought I had released, but apparently had not. In an effort to continue to dig through the feelings and emotions, I journaled a page in Psalm 56:8-9…
“Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll — are they not in your record? Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I will know that God is for me.”
God keeps a record of our past pain. He knows every detail of our suffering. He is not afraid to confront it, and neither should we be. Naming our pain, instead of trying to hide it away, brings it into the light and takes away its power. This was one of the challenges our pastor spoke of, along with multiple other ways that we often try to avoid facing the pain of our pasts.
Sermon: “Unhackable #2 – Unhacking Your Past
While dealing with a very serious subject, this page was still fun to create because I was able to use so many different stamp sets from the my stash. I began with a light pendant from an older By the Well 4 God set. After stamping the image, I shaded it and the surrounding area using Distress Oxide Inks.
Using Distress Oxide Inks as watercolor is a really interesting technique to try. While the colors do not blend in the same way that true watercolors blend, the chalk like finish they have creates a very smooth look to the page. I enjoy painting with these inks by simply pressing some of the ink onto an old cutting board and adding a touch of water with a watercolor brush. I was able to achieve some very nice, soft blending and interesting color mixes when using it this way.
After laying down the yellow representing the light of the lamp, I mixed four other darker colors to represent the darkness of our pasts. The page was very saturated at this point, so it is important to be careful! The Illustrating Bible from Dayspring is especially temperamental when using water, so you don’t want to over-work the page or it will tear.
The other main elements that I wanted to include on this layout are from the “His Story” stamp set, a more recent release from By the Well 4 God. I used my Tim Holtz stamp positioning tool to stamp out a typewriter, ink well, and calligraphy pen onto white card stock. Then, I used the same technique of painting with Distress Oxide inks to add color and shading to each stamped image. I also used a metallic gold Prismacolor pencil and a bit of glitter to add some shine. Once I carefully cut out the images and adhered them on, the page was nearing completion.
For the title, I decided on a set of typewriter font stamps from Recollections. I spaced the title across two different sections of the page, creating a triangle with the paper pieces that I had already adhered to the layout. This was a great way to ensure that your eye moved around the page. Additionally, I stamped out and painted a small notecard that would serve as my journaling spot.
I love Bible journaling, especially for pages like this. I like being able to work out my thoughts, feelings, and prayers on a page through my own creativity. I love how working with my hands helps slow down my brain to really meditate on a verse. Bible journaling has so many benefits beyond just studying the word, the biggest of which for me is its ability to slow me down. What’s the most recent thing that you have been journaling about?
Keep it creative,
-The Scrappy Wife
Supplies Used:
- The Illustrating Bible from Dayspring
- Distress Oxide Inks (mustard, fossilized amber, stormy sky, salty ocean, weathered wood, and grape preserves)
- Versafine Onyx Black Ink
- His Light 2 Stamp Set from By the Well 4 God
- His Story Stamp Set from By the Well 4 God
- Recollections Alpha Stamps