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It seems everybody and their mother is jumping on the Bible journaling bandwagon.
Friends on Facebook are constantly posting photos of their latest pages and they always look so incredible and fun to do.
But then I've also seen posts from other bloggers talking about how this journaling practice is turning God's Word into a coloring book and thus not treating it with the respect it deserves.
If you feel uncomfortable with this fad, then don't do it - and please, if you think it's fine but has a friend who doesn't, heed the words of Paul and don't become a stumbling block.
But if you are looking for a way to dip your toe into the Bible journaling waters, then this book might be just the thing for you:
I have definitely been intrigued by both the Bible journaling and adult coloring book phenomena for a while, so I jumped at the chance to explore both a bit more with this Bible.
I've always enjoyed coloring - I even have a small stack of coloring books that I've been working on since I was a kid - so I figured these two past times would be right up my alley.
This Bible seemed like the perfect vehicle for both activities because it kept the text intact (I wouldn't be drawing over the words!), didn't require any technical skill (the outlines are already there for me) and included plenty of detail to really get in there and color some interesting designs.
Each coloring page is also graced with an appropriate Bible verse, so you don't have to stress over finding a good one to highlight.
When this Bible arrived, I immediately noticed its compact size (it's about 5 1/2" by 8 1/2" and just over an inch thick) and sturdy hardback cover.
I thought the "Wonders of Creation" theme for all the coloring pages was a good one, and each black-and-white drawing was clean and uncluttered, yet provided loads of details to fill with color.
Gv fell right in love with this Bible, too - even though I was a little frustrated at how it all came about:
G had brought in the mail and opened the box containing this book, but didn't tell Gv specifically not to bother it.
Gv saw what looked to be a coloring book for her sitting on the desk, and immediately trotted off to her room with her box of crayons under one arm and this book under the other.
I was less than thrilled to discover her happily coloring away on the floor - I hadn't even seen the thing, for crying out loud - but she was just so tickled with her work, it was hard to stay in a cranky mood for long.
I've since decided that this book will be one that she and I can share - both contributing to the art-filled pages and hopefully reading the text together as she gets older, too.
Now that I've taken the time to color in a few of the pictures myself, I've discovered one thing:
Adult coloring books and Bible journaling just aren't my thing.
For some reason, even though I often enjoy coloring in my childhood books, I didn't really enjoy this.
And while at first glance, I loved the verse selections on the pages, I found that I kind of forgot about them while I steadily completed my coloring task.
So on one hand, this Bible was a bit disappointing for me.
But on the other hand, it's still a Bible, so that means this book is inherently pretty special.
And I'll definitely continue to color in it over time - especially as an activity to share with Gv.
But I probably wouldn't get this Bible again for myself, since I seem to enjoy reading God's Word more than decorating it.
However, I would still definitely recommend this Bible to someone interested in beginning the journey into Bible journaling and coloring - or to anyone who's already in love with the practice. As I said, I think the fact that there are dedicated coloring pages has its benefits, as well as the fact that the pictures are already drawn for you.
Friends on Facebook are constantly posting photos of their latest pages and they always look so incredible and fun to do.
But then I've also seen posts from other bloggers talking about how this journaling practice is turning God's Word into a coloring book and thus not treating it with the respect it deserves.
If you feel uncomfortable with this fad, then don't do it - and please, if you think it's fine but has a friend who doesn't, heed the words of Paul and don't become a stumbling block.
But if you are looking for a way to dip your toe into the Bible journaling waters, then this book might be just the thing for you:
 |
| NIV Wonders of Creation Holy Bible |
I have definitely been intrigued by both the Bible journaling and adult coloring book phenomena for a while, so I jumped at the chance to explore both a bit more with this Bible.
I've always enjoyed coloring - I even have a small stack of coloring books that I've been working on since I was a kid - so I figured these two past times would be right up my alley.
This Bible seemed like the perfect vehicle for both activities because it kept the text intact (I wouldn't be drawing over the words!), didn't require any technical skill (the outlines are already there for me) and included plenty of detail to really get in there and color some interesting designs.
Each coloring page is also graced with an appropriate Bible verse, so you don't have to stress over finding a good one to highlight.
When this Bible arrived, I immediately noticed its compact size (it's about 5 1/2" by 8 1/2" and just over an inch thick) and sturdy hardback cover.
 |
| The size and heft of this Bible are both positives, in my mind. |
I thought the "Wonders of Creation" theme for all the coloring pages was a good one, and each black-and-white drawing was clean and uncluttered, yet provided loads of details to fill with color.
 |
| I think the illustrations are spot on in this Bible - see how the page looks clean and uncluttered, despite plenty of detail! |
Gv fell right in love with this Bible, too - even though I was a little frustrated at how it all came about:
G had brought in the mail and opened the box containing this book, but didn't tell Gv specifically not to bother it.
Gv saw what looked to be a coloring book for her sitting on the desk, and immediately trotted off to her room with her box of crayons under one arm and this book under the other.
 |
| The black-and-white illustrations are so interesting, even a preschooler will want to color them! |
I was less than thrilled to discover her happily coloring away on the floor - I hadn't even seen the thing, for crying out loud - but she was just so tickled with her work, it was hard to stay in a cranky mood for long.
I've since decided that this book will be one that she and I can share - both contributing to the art-filled pages and hopefully reading the text together as she gets older, too.
 |
| The colors on my page might stay a bit more within the lines than Gv's, but I found the end result here to be a bit ho-hum. (Luckily, the bright pink ribbon place-holder livens things up a bit!) |
Now that I've taken the time to color in a few of the pictures myself, I've discovered one thing:
Adult coloring books and Bible journaling just aren't my thing.
For some reason, even though I often enjoy coloring in my childhood books, I didn't really enjoy this.
And while at first glance, I loved the verse selections on the pages, I found that I kind of forgot about them while I steadily completed my coloring task.
So on one hand, this Bible was a bit disappointing for me.
But on the other hand, it's still a Bible, so that means this book is inherently pretty special.
And I'll definitely continue to color in it over time - especially as an activity to share with Gv.
But I probably wouldn't get this Bible again for myself, since I seem to enjoy reading God's Word more than decorating it.
However, I would still definitely recommend this Bible to someone interested in beginning the journey into Bible journaling and coloring - or to anyone who's already in love with the practice. As I said, I think the fact that there are dedicated coloring pages has its benefits, as well as the fact that the pictures are already drawn for you.
You can order your own copy of this book here! (Christmas is just around the corner - isn't that a great excuse to give this and a set of fantastic colored pencils to someone special as a gift?) Let me know what you think of it, if you do!
Have you been looking for a new Bible to use in a more artistic way? I'd love to hear! Either leave a comment below or email me at lisahealy (at) outlook (dot) com.
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Linked up with: Pintabulous Moms Christmas Linky, Just Another Linky, Favorite Things, Over the Moon, Share the Wealth Sunday, Dishing it & Digging it, What's for Dinner?, Family Joy Blog Link-Up, Literacy Musings Monday, Practical Mondays, Homeschool Nook Link Up, Happiness is Homemade, Merry Monday, Motivation Monday, What'd You Do This Weekend, Meet Up Monday, Totally Terrific Tuesday, Tasty Tuesdays, Little Learning Link Up, Two Uses Tuesday, Hip Homeschool Hop, Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Party Tuesday Talk, Wonderful Wednesday, A Little Bird Told Me, WFMW, Everything Early Childhood, The Mommy Club, Creative Muster, Party in Your PJs,What to Read,I Am Pinnable, Christian Bloggers Link Up, This Is How We Roll, Creative Ways, Hearts for Home, Creative Exchange, 100 Happy Days, Try It Like It, No Rules Weekend Blog Party, Booknificent Thursdays, Thursday Favorite Things, I'm Lovin' It, Inspiration Spotlight, Home Matters, Pretty Pintastic Party, Weekend Potluck, Awesome Life Friday, Creative Collection, The Beautifully Creative Inspired , Bloggers Pit Stop, Weekend Traffic Jam, Pin Me Party, From the Archives, Family Fun Friday, Friday Frivolity, Bloggers Spotlight, Make My Saturday Sweet, Weekend Wind-Down Party,Friday Features Linky, Funtastic Friday , Best of the Weekend, Sweet Inspiration Link Party, Small Victories Sunday