Journaling Through the Bible: Do Not Worry

 

While taking care of my mom as she needed intense care during the last weeks of her battle with Alzheimer's, I turned to the Bible more and more often. There were many times I merely flipped through my Bible and read excerpts here and there until something stuck out to me. Then I would sit and read a few verses or chapters and make notes in my Bible as I felt comfort or had questions or ideas.

In addition to reading my Bible for comfort, I also read it to find what I would like to share at my mom's memorial service. Over time, I found four different pieces of scripture that I thought would be appropriate. One is from the book of Luke (chapter 12). 

Do Not Worry 

I am a worrier. So much so that I have periods of very high anxiety where I have trouble with decisions and often forget to turn to God for comfort. I think it is very fitting to want to share the verses in Luke about not worrying. Jesus told his disciples not to worry. God takes care of the birds and flowers. He will take care of us in our need. Do not worry about the treasures here as long as you trust the Father.

As I was talking about what verses I would like to share at my mom's memorial with my husband, he suggested I look at the same advice in Chapter 6 of Matthew.

"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life; what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing." Matthew 6:25 

God takes care of us at all times. I often felt very alone – even with my immediate family helping – as I took care of my mom. As my mom needed more and more care and communicated with us less and less, I worried about everything. If only I would remember to trust God.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6: 33-34

God knew exactly what steps needed to happen in order to provide me with solace and ease my worry.  As our family navigates life without my mom, I only hope we can turn to God and not worry. 

Book Club: Book Review of The Bible Recap Journal

I received a COMPLIMENTARY copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

Do you enjoy Bible journaling? Perhaps you are looking for a new way to journal with your Bible? Bethany House Publishers has released a new book by Tara-Leigh Cobble to accompany The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible. The Bible Recap Journal: Your Daily Companion to the Entire Bible is based on a chronological reading plan for you to record what you learn as you read the Bible. 

About the Journal 

The Bible Recap Journal is a 384-page paperback book where each day of the year has one page devoted to it. It opens with instructions on how to use the journal and additional tools you can use while you journal through the Bible.

It is recommended to start at thebiblerecap.com and then complete the following steps each day: 

1. Complete your daily Bible reading. 
2. Use the journal during your reading – write down where you see God's attributes in today's reading. 
3. Use The Bible Recap Study Guide (find my review here: Book Review of The Bible Recap Study Guide).
4. Listen to the podcast or read The Bible Recap book (read my review). 
5. Use the weekly discussion guide.

I don't think you need to follow all these steps to be able to use the journal, but the more steps you accomplish or complete, the deeper you can dig into the Bible each day. I think the two most important steps are reading your Bible and using the journal. Those things alone will help you as you read God's Word.

Each day in the journal provides you with space to focus upon three parts: 

• Things I loved/learned/noticed 
• Questions/things I want to research 
• God Shot (where you see God on display in your daily reading) 

There is also space for you to write the date. And each page has either a quote from the Bible, a short prayer, or something to encourage you on your Bible journaling process. There are also a few pages of additional journaling pages in the back to write down more ideas and thoughts. 

My Thoughts 

I really like the idea of The Bible Recap Journal, but I am not sure if it is the right book for me to use as a Bible journal. I like the idea of looking for how God is on display in each day's reading. I do not know how easy it will be for me to fill in all three parts each day in the journal. Instead of being so open-ended, I would prefer to have more direction in the journal or none at all. But that really isn't the focus of The Bible Recap Journal. I think the journal will meet the needs of many who wish to dig deeper into the Bible on a daily basis. As you work through each day using The Bible Recap Journal, you will spend more time in God's Word.

Journaling through the Bible: Gentleness

I received a FREE copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

In reviewing How to Listen So Your Kids Will Talk, I reflected upon many aspects of my own parenting and our relationship with our children and God. There were many Bible quotes shared for me to reflect upon, notably those in a chapter entitled "Contain in Conflict." I have found that—especially after moments of having been too angry—looking at the advice offered in the book and journaling several referenced Bible quotes has helped me reevaluate my parenting methods.

I love the recommendation of author Becky Harling to give our children the ability to handle their anger appropriately. To do this, it is necessary to handle my own anger in the same way. I have found the more I read the Bible, the calmer I am when problems occur. I have grown so much since marrying my husband, coming to the Lord, and becoming first a stepmom and then a mom.

"Put a pause in before you react, and you'll have far fewer regrets at the end of the day" (128). - Becky Harling 

There are so many wise words in the Bible that can help us as parents. Reflecting upon Scripture can be so very helpful. I leave you with several quotes to help you on your quest to be a more gentle parent. 

"Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil." Ephesians 4:26-27

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:31-32. 

Journaling through the Bible: Christmas Season

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Our family has focused upon a few different aspects of Bible reading during the month of December. During the evenings, we have read through an Advent reading plan at dinner time, which took us from the genealogy of Jesus through his birth. My husband has been reading through an Advent book with the children at prayer time before bed. Personally, I have been finishing up a reading plan on YouVersion, which includes readings from the Book of Isaiah. December has allowed me to welcome readings from all parts of the Bible. 

Countdown to Christmas 

We are using an Advent plan I had found online several years ago. It takes us through 25 readings from John 1: 1-18 to Revelation 22:17, 20-21. We have had to make some adjustments over the years because several of the readings were too long for our youngest when they were little. There are also a few typos, but in general, this plan has served us quite well. 

"The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him." 

John 1:9-11

Reading a New Book 

My husband picked up An Advent for the Cosmos by Jeffrey Pitts to read with the children this year and in future years. It is a 72-page paperback book with color illustrations for each day of Advent with a Bible memory verse, introduction, a Bible reading, and more. To help you and your family dig deeper, there is a summary and discussion section with questions. Each day's readings finish with a prayer, and then you can listen to a song or songs that relate directly to the day's readings. While most Advent reading plans focus upon the birth of Christ, this book also brings us the message that God sent his son to redeem the world. It brings everything together. 

Monthly Bible Reading Plan 

In order to read the Bible in a year for 2020, I chose to follow twelve monthly plans from YouVersion. I chose the "Let's Read the Bible Together" plan, which is a 12-part series where the participant will read the entire Bible in 365 days. Each month, there were readings from the Old and New Testaments with the Psalms scattered throughout the months. November included the books of Song of Solomon, Ezekiel, Hosea, and Revelation. December featured the books of Isaiah, Micah, First Peter, Second Peter, First John, Second John, Third John, and Jude. My only complaint is that without referring to the month or plan description or scrolling through the days, I did not know which book was going to be up next. I did like that the plan mixed things up, rather than a straight reading of the Bible from cover to cover. 

In 2021, I plan on reading through the Bible chronologically using an item that I will be reviewing soon on A Mom's Quest to Teach. I received The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible by Tara-Leigh Cobble to review from Bethany House Publishers. This is a sturdy, hardcover book that provides 365 days of readings taking one through the entire Bible in a year in chronological order. Readers are taken through the Scriptures as they were written. I have not tried this approach to reading the Bible in one year yet, and I am looking forward to this endeavor.

I love that the Christmas season offers so many ways to journal and reflect upon Bible readings. Whether we read through the birth of Jesus in the book of Luke or we find His story in the other Gospels, there is so much joy brought by the story of His birth. So many Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled when our Savior was born. I have been able to read and enjoy God's Word this month while listening to Christmas music.

Wonderful Blessings of God

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How has the Lord blessed you? I often find that God has blessed me in so many ways when I start counting blessings. I recently discovered an old 2017 calendar upon which I kept track of one thing for which I was grateful each day during the year. As the end of 2020 is approaching, I thought it would be nice to do something similar for 2021. The only change is I want to try to focus upon ways in which God has blessed me each day. It might go without saying that I will be grateful for those blessings, but I like taking a different approach this coming year. 

What were some of the things I was grateful for in 2017? 

In 2017, we had two little toddlers and a teen. It would be the year we received a new washer and dryer (after more than two years without a working washer in the house) and my Aunt (who turned 90 that year) and Uncle helped us by giving us food several times a year. While we were struggling, we still had days when we made crafts, played in the snow, enjoyed homemade cookies, and celebrated birthdays. 

What were some of the things that I wrote down? 

• Breakfast food for dinner 
• Hot chocolate
• My daughter's laughter 
• My husband helping me clean the television/gaming system wires 
• Walking with my son to the library 
• A teen who can mow the lawn 
• Naps 
• Old hockey equipment fitting our older son 
• Children who eat their dinner 
• Time to read
• A good night's sleep 
• A warm house  

How did God bless me in 2020? 

We have had a lot of struggles this year – from needing to replace our refrigerator (we are still waiting for this because there are some key measurements that make getting a new one difficult and there is low stock due to the closure of factories earlier in 2020) to having to replace our furnace. These are both huge financial hurdles to running a smooth household but when I think about it I am blessed that we have a somewhat working fridge and were able to purchase a smaller fridge for the basement.

We have also been struggling with family stress and issues. My mom has been living with us for a while now and things are not easy. She has had declining health problems which impact the rest of the family. We are trying to show her the love that we have for her by taking care of her. We want to demonstrate and share with her the love that God has for her. Even with all the problems that are creeping up because of her failing health, she is a daughter of God. God loves her. I love her. 

I reviewed a wonderful book of prayers – Warfare Prayers for Women – in which there are several prayers that I have been trying to read on a regular basis. As in prayer, "For a Parent with Dementia," there are days when I feel like I don't know my mom anymore. She does things that seem odd to me and she can't explain why she is doing what she is doing. I regularly ask God to: 

"Show us how to deal with her situation and keep her safe. Lord, we need a solution. Please guide us to a doctor or social worker who can convince her of what is best for her remaining years. I love her dearly and am saddened by her regression." (144) 

I am blessed because even though my husband lost his job (more financial strains), he has been home to help alleviate family stress. He has been a tremendous support to me while we are homeschooling our three children. I can almost always count on him to help with a science experiment from our son's astronomy course. 

A science experiment where our children would spin the bottle with the
water in it and then flip it to see an example of a hurricane-like storm.

Homeschooling our three children has been a wonderful blessing. I have seen our younger two children grow and our oldest expand his knowledge. The other night at dinner, our oldest was explaining that his younger brother is learning things he never learned in public school. This was after he remarked that he was dumb and I said jokingly, "I am glad that I am only responsible for three years of your education." I am glad that we are able to homeschool all three our children now so that they can receive the best education for them. While it is not possible to close all the gaps that our oldest feels he has in terms of his public schooling, I can share with him the tools and places where he can find the information he needs. That he recognizes the gaps says a lot about him and his self-awareness.

God's Love 

I am so blessed that even through all of our adversity I can still remember that God's love is always there for me. I could compare it to the waters of Earth. The oceans cover the entire globe and they are so vast. God's love covers everyone and He is more vast than those beautiful oceans.

Journaling through the Bible: Wise Love

As a member of the Homeschool Review Crew, I was blessed with the opportunity to review a four-week Bible study of Philippians by Julie Polanco. I am currently in the beginning steps of this journey through Paul's letter to the Philippians but I am thoroughly enjoying reading more and learning more about the wisdom and advice that Paul has to offer. The Crew will share a complete review of both this Bible study and the Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Romans bundle (which I will start after I complete this one) in mid-November, but I wanted to share this wonderful resource in relation to my Bible Journaling.

I must admit that, as a child, I did not completely understand the letters included in the Bible. Perhaps, this is because I did not have a firm understanding of the history of this particular time period. After viewing Drive Thru History® - Acts to Revelation, I felt a lot closer to the men who journeyed around the Mediterranean during the early years of Church History. I now know how to properly say the names of all the places and peoples. It was with this relatively new knowledge that I entered into the Bible study by Julie Polanco. 

God has started so many good works in my own life and the lives of those in my immediate family. I feel that, through His guidance, I have come closer to Him and will continue to come closer to Him through Jesus until the day of Jesus Christ. This is what Paul wishes the people of Philippi to do – come closer to God. 

"While we were sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

There has been a lot of suffering in the world and in the lives of many individuals I hold near and ear to me – including my own life. I hope that, through the reading of the words of Paul, I can see that these tribulations do produce perseverance. The perseverance that grows in me will hopefully lead to a stronger character. And what will that character bring? Hope. I am more hopeful than I ever have been before even with all the suffering and tribulations in the world and my own personal life. I pray that everyone can find that hope.

May you find hope each and every day!

Journaling through the Bible: Joseph and Boundaries

Note: I received a FREE copy of Healing Family Relationships from the publishers in return for my honest opinion. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

I have always enjoyed the story of Joseph from the Old Testament. Perhaps it was because I was able to connect with his story because of the musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, or it might be because I love to read and study about Ancient Egypt. I found an even deeper appreciation after reading Healing Family Relationships by Rob Rienow. (I reviewed the book here.)

The story of Joseph is one where we see how God can use circumstances – even really awful ones – for His own purpose. Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers. The family that was supposed to love him turned on him. I can't help but wonder how I would react to the circumstances Joseph faced. Would I be able to set appropriate boundaries and let my family back in if they had learned from their mistakes and were truly repentant? I pray that I have the compassion and wisdom to make decisions such as these.

God loves me – no matter how many times I make mistakes, no matter how many times I sin. Can I still love my family even when they make mistakes against me? God shows me the way. 

I love how new books, like my opportunity to read and review Healing Family Relationships, have allowed me to look at a favorite Bible story again. I have shared it with our children while using Bible Study Guide for All Ages (Reviewing Bible Study Guide for All Ages) as well as when we were reading through the various children's Bibles we own. I look forward to reading the story of Joseph each time I read through the Bible. Now I have a new perspective on an amazing Bible story.

Journaling through the Bible: Pride

There are many avenues on which I could journey in the Bible when reflecting upon pride. On many occasions when individuals who have become famous through the Bible stories put their own will before God's. When they felt they knew better than God, the men and women of the Bible made choices that would bring misery, destruction, and loss to many. Even though our Keyword Study Bible only lists pride five times, there are many more times it is referenced. 

In Psalms, we read: 
"Therefore pride serves as their necklace;
Violence covers them like a garment." 
Psalms 73:6

Most people are familiar with another definition of pride: 
"a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements" or now "confidence and self-respect as expressed by members of a group, typically one that has been socially marginalized."

I don't think there is anything wrong with taking pride in one's accomplishments. After all, why wouldn't I praise my sons or daughter when they complete a difficult homeschool task or assist someone through community service? But one thing I have learned is that I do have my thanks to offer to God at all times. He has blessed our children with the ability to complete difficult assignments. Through the examples of Jesus, our children are giving back to the community.

No matter how foolish and ignorant we are – God is there for us. He loves us. He keeps our hearts and souls safe. God will direct us and provide us with all we need. God is my rock. He is my courage and strength. 

I started reflecting upon Psalm 73, pride, and strength when reviewing a children's book – Psalms for My Day. There was a lovely illustration and excerpt from Psalm 73 along with an explanation and prayer to say with our children. 

My Bible has verse 26 illustrated in the margin and I began thinking about what verse I would like to try to illustrate myself. 

I am thinking about trying some watercolor paint on my verse but I am not sure yet. I think I just need to put my trust in God that it will turn out okay in the end. And if it doesn't? I can always start over. 

Let Me Add My Own Words of Prayer

Lord, it is so hard to put my trust in you. I wish I knew why so I seek your wisdom and help. I want to throw away pride and say goodbye to violence. I want to be ready to live without and leave behind abundance and security in the world. I pray that we put others first.  Lord, please accept my hand. I need you. 

Journaling through the Bible: Wait

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It seems like so much of my time of late has been waiting. This lockdown has put so many of our family's plans on hold. We are waiting till restrictions lessen so that we can gather help to move furniture and belongings. We had a timeline for future plans. Now all the deadlines have passed and we couldn't meet any of them. So we wait. Writing a new timeline is impossible as we wait to hear when our state will completely reopen.

Where can I seek encouragement as I wait? Psalm 130 is an excellent place for me to start.

Waiting for the Redemption of the Lord 

"Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord; 
Lord, hear my voice! 
Let Your ears be attentive
To the voice of my supplications.

If You, Lord, should mark inequities,
O Lord, who could stand? 
But there is forgiveness with you,
That You may be feared." 

Psalms 130: 1-4

Can the Lord stand by me and give me the strength I need to wait? "My soul waits for the Lord." I am eager to hear His response. I pray for the day when we will no longer have to wait for things on earth.

Waiting is so difficult – even for adults. Reminding myself of God's mercy and redemption is so important. Sharing that knowledge with my children is important. We can all weather this storm of waiting with the Lord's help.

   

Journaling through the Bible: Mother's Day

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The Bible provides so much wisdom for mothers to pass along to their children. Our own eyes can be opened as to how we can parent our children through the examples provided by God. In the past, it seemed like many more parents would seek the advice of their Bibles when they had trouble raising their children. Today ,we have a plethora of resources to aid in parenting but sometimes it is best to return to the Bible for wisdom and advice. A great place to look is in the Book of Proverbs: 

"My son, if sinners entice you,
Do not consent." 

Proverbs 1:10 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, 
And lean not on your own understanding." 

Proverbs 3:5

"The wise shall inherit glory, 
But shame shall be the legacy of fools." 

Proverbs 3:35 

"A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, 
But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken." 

Proverbs 15:13 

"Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it." 

Proverbs 22:6

Building love, patience, kindness, joy, peace, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in our children is one of my goals as their mother. If I can teach them to hold these character traits in their heart, then I will feel I have been successful as their mother.

Sometimes it is not easy to find the words to pray for our children. Soon I will share a review of Warfare Prayers for Women: Securing God's Victory in Your Life in which there is an entire part devoted to praying for children and grandchildren. The prayers range from praying for the unknown born to stepchildren closing with a declaration: "I declare that my children will see the light of the Gospel of Christ" (118). 

This Mother's Day, I pray that my children will not only celebrate me as their mother but also celebrate God today and every day. I want to be a good example for them as a mother and follower of Jesus. I pray that they will find as much wisdom in reading the Bible as I have found myself.  

May Peace and Mercy be Upon You. 

Journaling through the Bible: Listen to the Teaching of God

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Sometimes I feel that life has a way of encouraging me in the most unusual ways. I had previously marked off pages 824-825 in my NKJV Beautiful Word Bible from Zondervan with an index card for some reason. There were no notes on the pages. So, I am unsure what verse was speaking to me. Why did I put an index card at this point in my Bible?

When I was seeking wisdom and guidance because something was troubling me, I turned to these pages – finding the index card. Isaiah 28 was speaking to me. The one heading in particular – "Listen to the Teaching of God" – jumped out at me. Wow! This is what I needed and wanted. I wanted to listen to the teaching of God. I craved His advice and wisdom.

Just what was wrong? I have come to a point where I questioned what movies I want to watch at this point in my life. I have already begun veering away from horror movies (not that I was really interested in movies with lots of blood and gore) and other R-rated movies just by my own choice but now even movies I thought were okay were troubling me. So much inappropriate symbolism that I had previously not seen, had not understood, or had ignored until my eyes were opened. I have to stop and think what DVDs do I want to get rid of off my shelves? What does God want me to do? What does God want to direct me to do?

"Give ear and hear my voice,
Listen and hear my speech.
Does the plowman keep plowing all day to sow?
Does he keep turning his soil and breaking the clods?
When he has leveled its surface,
Does he not sow the black cummin
And scatter the cummin,
Plant the wheat in rows,
The barley in the appointed place,
And the spelt in its place?
For He instructs him in right judgment,
His God teaches him."

Isaiah 28: 23-26

The verses are also about a plowman but God gives us all advice. I do not think this advice is meant just for a farmer. I need to prepare my own soul. God will instruct me in right judgment. So while it hurts that I am discovering the dark side of entertainment, I know that I will be better for letting go and moving away from works that focus upon evil.

Journaling through the Bible: Trust in the Lord

"Those who trust in the Lord..." Why is trust such a difficult thing? It should be very easy when we have example after example in the Bible about God always being there for us. In the past few weeks, I have found myself yearning to find the truth in God's word. Looking through my Bible for words of encouragement and inspiration. I stumbled across Psalm 125 when I was looking for something to help me through a stressful day.

"The Lord surrounds His people,
From this time forth and forever..."

What a comforting image. I can picture God around me – all around me. I, as a mountain, with the Lord's strong presence providing me protection from the wind and the rain of cruel words that fall around me. I needed His comfort and His protection. As a family, we are moving through some changes. Knowing that God is there helps as what we once thought we would be long-lasting is no more.

As I try to provide protection for my children, it is so important to remember that God protects me. He protects my family – my children. They are His children, too.

"Those who are upright in their hearts" will find favor with God. If, as a mother, I can turn my children away from the wrongs of the world and the wrongs they commit as children, then I can turn them towards God. He will always be waiting for us; providing strength to all His people.

Journaling Through the Bible: Honor

During the month of November in Sunday School, our first grader was focusing upon Honor. He brought home papers that we read together that speak of letting others know that we see how valuable they are to us, the world, and to God. What a wonderful thing to focus upon, especially before Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

Along with short readings asking our son to think about how to treat others and offering suggestions for daily prayers, we read verses from the Bible like: Romans 12:2; Romans 12:3; Romans 12:16; Romans 12:10; and Proverbs 3:27.

During November, we talked about putting others first and not holding back to show how we care about others. For our younger son this might mean that his sister gets to pick what board game to play or which television program to watch during lunchtime. These are simple ways he can put his sister first. 

Going through the readings and exercises with our son opened my own eyes to the things in me I also need to work on right alongside our son. I need to ask God for His help to put others before me. This is a "me first" world but it should be about others first. What a great way to honor others!

While it is important to not overlook my own needs and care, I need to look towards how I can give, agree, value, and help others more each day. What a balancing act for any parent! 

Prayer

Dear God,
Please help me to put others first.
To give more of myself.
To agree more often to fun (and reasonable) requests of my children.
To show how much I value my family.
To provide help where and when I can.

Amen.