Hello friends! Elizabeth, here from @thejoyfulsojourn on Instagram and YouTube, sharing with you how I used the October Glow Bible Journaling Kit to integrate bible reading and writing into my daily routine. You don’t need a “faith planner” to incorporate spiritual disciplines into your daily walk. I love a simple planner with a monthly layout and horizontal weekly spreads, where I can explore my creativity and journal about what I’m learning at church and what I’m reading every day.

 

 

Today we’re focused on the monthly layout! Every month, I select a theme that is relevant to the season or an area of my life where I need to be challenged or encouraged. For October, my focus is on God’s faithfulness (because – amidst all of life’s traumas and dramas, I need to be reminded that I have not been abandoned, that God is in control and cares, and that I have seen His faithfulness in my life in the past and present, so I know He’s got me in the future- even when I don’t understand or can’t see it yet)!

Once I’ve identified the topic or theme for the month, I look up scripture verses about it! You can find scripture writing guides online, but for October, I decided to see what ChatGPT had for me (we’ll see how this goes)! I simply asked ChatGPT to provide me with a 31-day monthly scripture writing plan, where the scripture verses are on the topic of God’s faithfulness.

 

 

 Now it’s time for creative play! I have SO LOVED using Cocoa Daisy for faith journaling, whether it’s the October Glow Bible Journaling Kit or rub-on transfers from the October Glow Creative Kit or October Glow Deluxe Journaling Kit, they all work so well together. Remember- you can use any of the kits for bible journaling, not just the one labeled as such.

 

For October’s spread, I used the October Glow Bible Journaling Kit  and washi tape from the October Glow Creative Kit, keeping the decorative elements to the perimeter of the layout. I appreciate that the October Glow Bible Journaling Kit  has everything I need to set up this undated planner, from the alpha stickers at the top for days of the week, to the date stickers across the page. This is where you have fun! All this spread needs is a scripture verse assigned to each day of the month. Beyond that, you’re free to stamp, sticker, and tape to your heart’s delight!

 

 

One of my favorite elements of this spread was taking the word and quote strips from the October Glow Bible Journaling Kit and placing them ‘wonky’ in the right margin. Since I didn’t need a task list on this layout, it’s the perfect place to play! If you’ve ever struggled with using the strip stickers, stack them! They make a beautiful tapestry of inspiration for any planning page.

  

Once you’ve decorated the perimeter of your monthly layout, assign one scripture verse per day, and you’re done! What I do after this point is the spiritual discipline part – every day, look at your monthly layout and the assigned verse for that day. Grab your bible and read the verse out loud. Then pop over to your weekly or daily planner page, and write down the full scripture verse. Reading it out loud and writing it down is an easy way to let the words sink into your heart. And if you’re able to do it at the beginning of each day, even better! Let them be a shield for all that the day brings.

 

If you can make time for more than one scripture verse a day, do more! My hope is that this is an encouragement to the moms out there running on empty, or those who are new to bible reading and don’t know where to start. The key is to just start. One verse a day. And see how the routine takes shape, how you prioritize it, learn to value that time, and expand its time in your life. Happy planning, blessings on your faith journey, and we’ll see you next time!

Share with us by tagging @cocoa_daisy on social media or posting to the Cocoa Daisy Fan Page. Make sure to visit our Pinterest page and the Cocoa Daisy YouTube Channel for more inspiration.