Bible Journaling and How to Choose a Bible

I recently happened upon a whole community of people doing what I have been doing for years and didn’t know it. It is called “Bible Journaling” and if you’re creative like me you’re going to love this! There is a lot to cover so you can expect future blogs as well as reviews on different Bibles and tools I come across.

As I’ve explored this community on YouTube and various blogs I’ve seen there basically three styles of Bible Journaling; the notetaker, the scrapbooker, and the artist. I am primarily a notetaker, although I am also an artist and have just bought an Illustrating Bible especially designed for artwork (I have the pink NIV but there are others to choose from). There are also Bibles out there for wannabe artists that have places for you to color drawings already in the Bible. Here is a description of each style.

The Notetaker: I have been taking notes in my Bible for decades wherever I could find space. Along the edge of the margins, at the end of books where there is sometimes more space, and on the extra pages in the front and back of my Bible. Imagine my joy when I discovered Bibles with room for notes built into the margins. There are many different styles and translations to choose from, for both men and women. I have plenty of room to not only write my observations, but notes from commentaries, and notes from sermons or devotionals.

The Scrapbooker: A lot of what I see in the world of Bible Journaling falls into this style because not everyone can draw and paint, but everyone can use stamps, stickers, and cut outs to creatively connect with a passage. There are several ministries that put together devotional kits that include stickers, stamps, and other scrapbooking tools that go along with the theme of the devotional. I will be reviewing some of these devotionals in a future post.

The Artist: Not everyone would consider themselves an artist, but neither did I for a long time. Then I learned how easy it was to express myself with art once I found the right mediums and learned a few basic tricks. Rather than be intimidated by the beautiful art that others create, find your own expression! Even if all you do is create beautiful backgrounds to scrapbook on. I will talk about some of the tips and tricks I’ve learned in a future post!

I want to spend some time talking about the Notetaker today since it is my primary style and the easiest to start implementing without a lot of gear. To start with, this is what my previous Bible looked like…

There just wasn’t enough room in my margins and I always had sticky notes stuck to a page, notepaper falling out, or couldn’t find where I had taken notes on a passage in any of my many notebooks. Frustrating!

My new Bible has 2 inches of lined margins plus I’ve learned how to add note pages to my Bibles when I really need the extra space using washi tape which doesn’t tear the page and can be removed. I’ve used index cards, scrapbook paper, and greeting cards to tape notes into my Bible. I even taped an envelope to the back cover with extra scraps of paper in it for on the road note taking. I will occasionally do a little art or doodle to emphasize a verse, however, mostly I am filling my Bible with study notes. I have also used little pieces of paper to hide personal prayers that are a response to what I am reading, and even have included print outs of artwork that I know relates to a passage and inspires me.

As I’ve been studying in my new Bible I’ve been using my old Bibles as commentaries and copying down previous notes I’ve taken. This means my new Bible is filling up fast! However, just having this new Bible in a new format has invigorated my desire to be in the Word. I still use my Bible software, commentaries, and other resources, but now the best of what I’m learning can be compiled in one place – my Bible.

If you are interested in exploring this world of Bible journaling with me but need a good Bible to journal in, I recommend checking out DaySpring who happens to be having a big sale right now (Memorial Day Weekend 2022). I know that sometimes the amount of Bibles we have to choose from can be overwhelming. When you think about it, we are so blessed to have so many chooses when many people in the world throughout most of history were lucky to have one Bible for their family to share. Here are the three criteria I used when choosing my new Bible.

1. I specifically wanted a journaling Bible verses a study or devotional Bibles. I have plenty of study Bibles, commentaries, devotionals and other tools available to me. I wanted something I could write in.

2. I knew I wanted an ESV translation since I would be using my Bible for academic purposes. However, I also have Bibles in many other translations. If you just need a Bible that’s easy to read, I recommend the New Living Translation.

3. Finally, and this will seem silly, but I wanted a Bible that was aesthetically pleasing. There are so many covers and formats to choose from. If you’re creative like me than having a pretty Bible helps motivate me to engage with it, or at least makes the experience more fun.

At the end of the day the Word is more important than the Bible cover, format, or even translation. However, anything that helps us to engage the Holy Spirit in the Word of God is a good thing! Bible journaling is way to get both your left brain and right brain involved in engaging the Word of God. I want to challenge you to find what motivates you to dig into the Word of God! And comment below to let me know what that is! Whatever motivates you, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Holy Spirit is inviting you to encounter him in God’s Word right now!

Side note: If you are brand new to Bible Study you might want to read my book The Invitation: How to Encounter God in His Word, available on Amazon. It will give you the basic perspectives and tools you need as you begin to read the Bible!