Reading, Writing & Pondering

  Do you journal or art journal in your Bible? This new Filament NLT Wide Margin Journaling Bible from Tyndale House Publishers has so many great features for both journaling and reading the Bible. With this Bible, after you make your purchase, you also have access to the Filament Electronic Bible App.  What is a Filament-enabled Bible? Filament-enabled Bibles offer a seamless fusion of traditional reading and cutting-edge technology. The Filament Bible app is your gateway to a deeper, more enriching Bible-study experience. This Bible mixes paper reading with computer technology for those who want that experience. Seamlessly connect every page of your Bible to a treasure trove of resources, including : o     25,000+ study notes for understanding o     350+ videos for insight o     40+ maps and infographics for context o     400+ profiles and articles for enrichment o     1,500+ devotions for daily inspi...

Tyndale House Publishers has had Inspire Bibles available since 2016. I bought one early on as I like to journal and art journal so this Bible was up my alley. I would have loved the Inspire Bible for Kids if it had been available when I was growing up as I loved to draw and color, besides growing up going to church and Sunday School.  The Inspire Bible for Kids is aimed at children ages seven to twelve.  Whether on their own or together with family, Inspire Bible for Kids invites children to meaningfully engage with each other and God’s Word. This Bible contains the full text of the New Living Translation and so much more to help boys and girls learn from the Bible and bring it to life. Inside this Bible, it has wide margins for taking notes, journaling and for coloring in over 400 ready-to-color line-art illustrations that are in the margins, throughout the Bible and on the end papers.   It also has all of these features:  300+ devotional readings and trivi...

    Both the Prayer Journal: 30 Days on Humility and 30 Days on the Gospel were written by Erika Allen. Allen writes in such a way that these daily readings would inspire women of all ages. They could also be read by women of various denominations. They encourage you to read the Bible prayerfully--which I really like. I also like how these slim volumes are so beautifully decorated both inside and out by Ruth Chou Simmons. They are simply gorgeous besides the solid Biblical content inside. They have thick cream-colored pages inside with plenty of space each day for journaling. I haven't tried markers but pens and pencils don't bleed through and work well for both prayer and even doing some prayerful art journaling in these books.  These slim volumes are a good size to slide into your Bible case alongside your Bible or into your purse for study away from home. If you know someone who might like them, they would work well in a gift basket to cheer someone who is ill or needi...

  Do you know a young girl who might like a Bible to journal in? The NIrV Journal the Word Bible for Girls is aimed at ages six to ten. This Bible has a beautifully illustrated hard cover with lined side margins for taking notes, drawing, coloring, or doodling. There are 100 verses for tracing to help with print and cursive penmanship and Scripture memorization. It both encourages creativity and it also works to help young girls learn better penmanship. While this Bible is directed at young girls, it is a nice Bible for almost any girl or even an older woman. I would use this Bible myself. It is just the Bible text and that text is a very readable 8.5 print size that is quite dark and easy to see on the page. I like the lined margins as there is a lot of space to take notes to to use this Bible for Bible art journaling. The pages are fairly thin so I would use colored pencils or pens that do not bleed through the paper for whatever I wanted to do in the margins. This Bible is also ...

        The Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls Gift Set would be a wonderful gift for any young woman in the eight to twelve-year-old age range. This Bible is not only pretty but it comes with 4 colored pencils and six sticker sheets in the gift set, which is also beautifully boxed.     This Bible has thick white paper that is designed to be used for writing or drawing with wide, lined margins for notes and reflections. The print is dark and an easy-to-read Comfort Print typeface that is 8-point type. This Bible also lays flat when opened fully. Some of the pages have lines in the margin and others have Scripture picture verses to color. There are also some pretty full page pictures to color. I think any colored pencils would be fine for this Bible. I have not tried pens or markers but they may be okay to use without bleed through if you test a small corner since the pages are fairly thick. The Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls measures 8.25...

  This Beautiful Word Bible Journal (Mark) from Zondervan is a nice quality, pretty Bible book journal.  The Beautiful Word Bible Journal: Mark is a nice size to carry anywhere. It also has larger 9.5 point type. It has wide margins with plenty of space to type. Colorful, illustrated art verses line some of the margin edges and still have space to write next to them. In this book, these are already a vibrant color and not and outlined type to be colored in. To be clear, the decorated verses are already illustrating this journal. However, you could still use the wide margin space to create your own Bible art journaling pictures if you so choose or you could use them to take notes and write reflections on what you have been reading. I think it could be used in a variety of ways. Right now, several books of the Bible are available as NIV Beautiful Word Bible Journals: Mark, Matthew, Luke, John, James, John, Romans, Acts, Ephesians, and Psalms. They are fairly inexpensive so it wo...

Do you like to do Bible art journaling? Or maybe you want a Bible with plenty of space to make notes in? The new Artisan Collection Bible from Zondervan is simply gorgeous both inside and out. There are a few different gorgeous cover designs available but all are created using a layered alcohol ink painting technique. I received the beautiful blue as posted in my picture above but they also have a cover done in shades of pinks and one with pastels with a bit of gold mixed in all of the colorations. The Bibles also have two satin ribbon markers and gilt page edges. Each one is unique and SO pretty. I have another Bible that I purchased a couple of years ago with pre-printed pictures to color in the column next to Bible verses. However, I have been wanting to try my hand at making my own art journal pictures. I also want to be able to write notes on the lines next to the text. For my first one, I used a picture from an art journaling help book so it isn't completely origi...

The Inspire Catholic Bible from Tyndale House Publishers is another gorgeous Bible in the line up of creative coloring and journaling Bibles from Tyndale. While I am not Catholic, I have several friends and family members who are Catholic and so glad to have this Bible available to them. Some of the key features of the Inspire Catholic Bible : There are over 450 Scripture line-art illustrations to color throughout the Bible. There are two-inch-wide lightly ruled margins with space for personal reflections and your own creative art journaling. The paper through the Bible is a heavy weight quality paper that is designed for journaling. Finally, the font size is 8.65, which is larger and more readable than other journaling Bibles. At the same time, this is a good size for carrying to church, the coffee shop, Bible study or anywhere else you want to use this Bible as the dimensions are 6.125 x 7.875 inches and it is two inches thick. Also, the Inspire Catholic Bible ’s New Livi...

"Shine Brightly for Jesus!" it says on the cover of the overwrap on the new Inspire for Girls paperback Bible. As a young girl, I would have loved this Bible to put my creative spirit to work shining for Him. The Inspire Bible for Girls, paperback edition, is much nicer than I expected for a paperback. The cover is a firm, heavy paper and I like that it has a slip cover to protect it. I would think this Bible would stay quite nice over time with care and the protection of the slip cover. I was a little surprised when I received this Bible that it was a little smaller than I expected at 6 1/8" x 7 7/8." However, I think I would have liked that size quite well to carry back and forth to church as  young girl. I have the adult-sized version of the Inspire Bible that is larger but it isn't one I carry to church.   The Inspire Bible for Girls is a pretty, feminine pink and teal color that I especially like. Not only is the outside pretty, but the i...

The new CSB Notetaking Bible from Holman publishers is just gorgeous at first glance. While it is more important to read your Bible than look at it, this Bible just invites me to pick it up and read it--and journal in it. While the print is 8 point type and not real large in this Bible, it does boast a single column text with 1.75 inch margins for notetaking. It is also not real large, at 8 inches long by a little over 6 inches wide and 1 1/2 inches thick, so it would be great to carry to church for sermon or Bible study notes. It is also a beautiful Bible for those who enjoy Bible art journaling. The pages aren't real thick but they would work great for colored pencils or using gesso to treat the pages for using markers or paints that would bleed through.The Bible has some great extras--a concordance, Bible maps, and a one-year reading plan. The CSB stays as literal as possible to the Bible's original meaning without sacrificing clarity, making it easier to engage wit...

Here's Some Happy: A Coloring Journal to Lift the Soul by Gina Graham is a large formatted beautiful coloring journal. Gina Graham has designed beautiful and whimsical pictures, some with Scripture verses and some without, in this journal that measure 10.1 inches square. There are plenty of lines amidst the pictures of birds, animals, flowers, adorable people, and other whimsical designs. They are indeed happy pictures to color and they are all on thick paper to minimize bleed-through. I have read that coloring reduces stress and these designs feel especially stress-reducing to me. Journaling also is said to reduce stress. Putting the two together in this gorgeous book should make for some "happy" to think about. People of all ages could enjoy this book too. The designs aren't too tiny for those of us who like larger designs like I do. This is a real feel-good coloring journal that would be fun for anyone who enjoys both coloring and journaling. I highly...

Reading my Bible and journaling at the same time helps me to process better what I am reading and allows me to use my creative side. The NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Large Print Bible allows all of those things to happen for me: reading my Bible, blank space to journal and pictures to color. Best of all, Large Print means this beautiful Bible is printed in a 10-point type size for easy readability. The Beautiful Word Large Print Coloring Bible measures about 9 3/4 by 7 3/4 inches.  The NIV Beautiful Word Bible is also done in a thicker white paper so artwork and journaling are less likely to bleed through. It also has a gorgeous floral fabric cover. Coloring Page with space on one page to journal or create your own picture and the other side with a coloring picture. Beautiful Full Spread Coloring Page in the NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible Three Large Print Journaling Bibles side by side: The Inspire Large Print Edition from Tyndale House Publishers in New L...

I don't know about you, but I have found the new Christian coloring books help me quiet my mind in the midst of a busy life. I put on soft Christian music that I like and just relax and focus on God and coloring. The new Drawn In Bible Studies are created to combine coloring and Bible study either alone or in a group setting. This Drawn In Study of Ruth includes 4 sessions, and introduction, and a section detailing How to Lead a Drawn In Bible Study. This Bible study is written by Eugene Peterson and include portions of The Message Bible along with the study, coloring pages, and questions.  I worked on the study alone, but I could see where this would be beneficial to do in a group setting as well. I thought the questions reflecting on Ruth made me think and do some soul searching. It would be very helpful to have the support of other people and reflect on this story for mutual encouragement, praying for one another in the study and building relationships as you share your st...

The Joyful Inspirations Coloring Book by Robin Mead is a beautifully illustrated coloring book brimming with cheerful, whimsical designs. The Joyful Inspirations Coloring Book has 96 pages of well drawn illustrations to color. I like Mead's renditions of people and animals with cheerful faces and large, bright eyes. I also like her illustrations of  summer beach scenes, churches, flowers, butterflies, birds, sunrises/sunsets, and so much more--many of which have Scripture verses that accompany them. This is just a wonderful coloring book to turn on your favorite playlist and relax with. I also especially like that Mead includes a page at the back of this book that list her favorite coloring products along with tips for using those products to create your best work. She also has a page with ten coloring tips that I found helpful. I tried blending some oranges and yellows to create the ball part of my sun in this picture. I hadn't done that previously. I plan to try that ...