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Find Inspiration In Your Busy Life

Does your life spin out of control sometimes? Do you ever feel the need to get away and regroup for a little while? Do you feel the need to find inspiration in your busy life?
If so, that simply means you are part of the human race. The awesome thing is that inspiration comes in many forms and is different for each of us.

For me, quotes and inspirational thoughts are very motivating to me, so I have started a journal insert dedicated to that. But another thing that is a very integral part of my life is my faith. I’ve grown in many ways since becoming a Christian at the age of seven. Sunday School & church attendance were a regular part of my childhood, and then Bible studies & small group participation as an adult.

Faith Journaling

And then a few years ago, Bible journaling showed up on the internet and I thought I’d give it a try. Well, anyone who knows me knows that I can’t even draw a decent stick figure. So the idea of making art in a journal Bible was a challenge that I hesitantly accepted after much delay and consternation. At the time, I owned my brick & mortar scrapbook store and went to a trade show in Utah where I took a class with Shanna Noel of Illustrated Faith. I had so much fun using her products and working on the project in that class. I found inspiration to add to my already busy life.

So as any good retail store owner would do, I ordered several journaling Bibles so that I had them available for purchase at my store. I also set up a sample Bible with a different washi tape on the first page of each of the books of the Bible just to add some fun color to it. I mean – who doesn’t love washi tape, right?! And then I knew it was time to start on my own journaling Bible – partly for myself, but also so I’d have it as a sample to share with my customers.

First Attempt

Well, I did all the research and knew I should use gesso to prepare the page. The first mistake was a clear gesso that dried so terribly gritty that I couldn’t possibly have colored over it with any kind of nice image at all. Then when I finally found a good clear gesso (Prima has one and so does Dina Wakley made by Ranger) and tried my hand illustrating in my Bible, I hated the result. Who was I kidding? I am no artist! So months went by and my frustration grew. I so desperately wanted to combine my Bible study with my crafting, but it just wasn’t working for me.

Second Try

I came across Kari Denker who does Bible studies online and shows how to doodle as you take notes. She has some amazing Bible studies and I did several of them and learned a lot. I’d encourage you to check out her wonderful information and doodles at https://www.stonesoupforfive.com. Although I loved the studies, it still lacked the crafty aspect that I love after decades of scrapbooking.

Faith journaling doesn't have to be done directly in a Bible.

And Then the Charm

And then one day looking at information from Cori Spieker, “The Reset Girl”, https://www.theresetgirl.com. I came across some of her YouTube videos on her faith journaling. I was smitten – talk about finding inspiration in the midst of a busy life! And the absolute best part is, that it is perfect for my Moleskine journal inserts. It was one of those moments when you think to yourself “now, why didn’t I think of that?” So my faith and crafting are now combined in my faith journal insert.

So my inspiration may be different from your inspiration for your busy life. If yours is poems, or songs, or quotes – whatever it is, the process could be very similar to what mine is. This is a brief description of my process.

Sometimes my studies are on a specific book in the Bible, sometimes a topic or theme – whatever is currently on my mind. I read through the verses that I’m focusing on that day. I think through them, study and reflect on what I can apply to my life or what verses made an impact on me. When I have some thoughts together, then the crafting begins.

after reading the verses, I choose diecuts and washi tape that coordinate with my thoughts

My Process

With those ideas in mind of the verse(s) or notes I want to write down, I choose:
~ Washi tape – to put on a few edges of the 2-page spread
~ Tombow markers – to do faux calligraphy or color in letters or words
~ Diecuts – to decorate the pages

1) First, I apply the washi tapes to partially frame the 2-page spread.

2) Then I choose 3-5 diecuts to add to the page next.
~ Keep in mind how much space you’ll need for your verse or notes. It’s easy to go overboard with the diecuts and not leave room for your important thoughts for the day. My favorites that I use are from KaiserCraft and they are available in packets called “Collectables”. I keep a variety of packets in my supply basket (Longaberger, of course) so that I can quickly flip through my options and choose a pack that works with my theme.

3) Then I write in notes, quotes, or verses – whatever I learned from that day’s study.

4) Next, I go back with the Tombow markers and add color wherever I want emphasis, to highlight something or just to add some nice color.

brightly colored diecuts and washi tape are used to decorate the pages of my faith journal

Options Are Good

Another YouTube video on faith journaling in a bullet journal is by Elyssa Nalani from 2018 (Bible Study Bullet Journal Set Up). Hers is more of a continuing study and she uses pictures that she prints from Pinterest. This is another style, and one that I plan to try soon.

So yes, originally, my goal was to create in a journaling Bible, but I ended up not feeling comfortable with that plan. But that was far from a fail in my viewpoint. I’m so grateful I found these other options and am having so much fun learning and creating in my Moleskine journal!

What about you? Is there something that inspires you to give it a try? If at first you don’t succeed, try a different idea. What will you decide to add to your anthology of traveler notebooks – quotes, Bible thoughts, inspirational themes? Think through what inspires you and choose something to find inspiration in your busy life. I hope you can get started on a new creative adventure this week!

If you’re looking for another idea, be sure to read this post:
https://yourlifeinjournals.com/create-your-own-junk-journal

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Do You Have a Morning Routine?

So how do you start each day? Are you the kind who jumps out of bed before the alarm rings? Or do you hit the snooze button over and over again? Whichever type you are, once you are up and at it, do you have a morning routine? Not being a morning person myself, the whole idea of a morning routine has been a long-time coming for me. But I see the validity of so much and untold numbers of books expound upon this strategy.

Foundations

As a building’s foundation is the basis for the whole structure, so your morning routine is to the rest of your day. We’ve all had those mornings where something didn’t go right and it threw us off the remainder of the day. Sometimes it is bound to happen as we can’t control everything, right?

One of those books that has helped me the most is “The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod. If you need inspiration to develop a morning routine, I highly recommend you buy it and get started right away! One of his comments is:

“When we fail to make time for personal development
we are forced to make time for pain and struggle.”
~ Hal Elrod, “The Miracle Morning”

Hal’s book explains his method of “S-A-V-E-R-S” that he does each morning ahead of starting his day. If you enjoy self-improvement and personal development books, this is a great one to read!

Now Matters

One of my favorite phrases from Hal’s book is this:
“Now matters more than any other time,
because it is who you are becoming each day based on
the choices you are making and actions you are taking
that is determining who you are going to be
for the rest of your life.” ~ Hal Elrod, “The Miracle Morning”

I find that so very powerful!

Morning Focus is a journal I write in each morning for the “scribing” portion of the SAVERS process. It’s been tweaked as time goes by, but here’s some information if you want to start a similar journal.

Format Options

There are endless options for how you do your morning routine. When I first started, I had a separate page for each of the SAVERS topics where I wrote out the description of each. I also found a really pretty floral date stamp that I use on each page. Originally, I wrote whatever came to me that morning of the current thoughts and situations in my life. Putting those thoughts out on paper – the good, the bad, and the ugly – was a good start for me. Sometimes it was positive things, or thankfulness for a special event, or sadness over a disappointment.

Then last year, @Amy Hale on InstaGram shared her morning routine. I liked her format so much, that I it’s the one I use currently. For me, it gives a little more consistency in what I write each day. It also gets my thoughts started in a broader sense since there are specific categories to write about. Obviously, you can choose whatever fits your personal needs and preferences.

the morning focus moleskine is mainly writing in a few categories - no decorative stuff in this one

Praise

My Morning Focus starts with two short phrases of praise. As a cancer survivor, my first “praise the Lord” is always for another day, because each day is truly a gift. The second is something as simple as rain, or sunshine, etc.

Thanks

The next block is “Thanks”. This is where I write out specific things from the previous day that I am thankful for. That can be thanks for a person, something I accomplished, an event I went to, or all of those things.

Confess

Third is “Confess”. Sometimes this is very personal and other times it’s about things going on in someone else’s life I care about. Basically, anything that is heavy on my heart and I feel the need to express it. That can be very cathartic to write out those details.

Pray

The next topic is “Pray”. This is a great reminder to think of others and their needs. Sometimes writing these out can spark a thought of what I can do to help or reach out to someone.

Today

The last item is “Today” where I write out in short summary what my plans are for the day. Obviously, I use my weekly bullet journal for the specific details, so this is simply an overview of the day.

I keep this journal very simple and basic – there’s not even any washi tape – ha! However, I do add color to the flowers on my date stamp and then highlight each of the topic names. Then I go back and read/pray through each item just to allow everything to sink in a bit more.

That’s It

So that’s it! The scribing part of my morning process takes about ten minutes each day. I’ve found it’s such a great start to my day to get me focused on blessings, along with challenges. Taking time to think of others and their needs provides perspective before I start on the tasks of my day.

How about you – do you have a morning routine that gets your day started right? If not, I challenge you to read Hal’s book “The Miracle Morning” and then start your own morning journal. And just a little footnote, after you read that, be sure to get his newest book called “The Miracle Equation”. If you’re anything like me, it will be life-changing and I just finished reading it one week ago!

And speaking of new, be sure to read the next post: https://yourlifeinjournals.com/planning-for-new-growth