Is Bible Journaling Just A Trend?

Hi there, I know this is a weird topic coming from me but the truth is this post has been on my heart for a little over a year now,  I wanted too speak about it from a point of reflection and prayer not just from reaction or emotion.

A little over a year ago I stood in front of someone who was super excited about bible journaling and Illustrated Faith, I thought this person “totally got it” and was on the same page as me – we were working together on a project to share bible journaling with more people when they looked up at me and said …

“well …you do know that bible journaling is just a trend…right?”

I stood there trying to smile and nod but everything in me wanted to talk back. I didn’t have the words, I just froze. Look. I got what he was trying to say to me, I know people are SUPER excited about it today, and that might not always be around, I get that. I understand that he was trying to protect me. But honestly –  to me, it felt like he was saying  that reading your bible is just a trend and he was undermining what GOD was doing here, I could clearly see the HUGE things He had put into place to make this happen so I would NEVER call it “just” a trend. It’s God – He has made it gone viral, He has shown it to thousands upon thousands of people, He is the reason it went viral on Pinterest from that very first blog post. Also…

 I don’t think you understand – bible journaling is how I read and understand my bible!

Bible journaling is not “just” a trend. For the first time in my life I UNDERSTAND the word, I crave the word and I am constantly looking for ways to better grasp it, to apply it to my life and to share it with others!

I knew that if I was experiencing this question that you were too, which is why I wanted to reach out to you today and let you know that WE TOTALLY GET IT!!!! This is not “just” a trend, this isn’t something we are doing because we went viral on Pinterest –  this is something we are doing because HE has called us to! Something we PRAY over each day, something I lay at the cross with each step of the way! Yes, it is “HOT” right now, YES overnight we went from me sharing what I was doing in my bible to a company that puts out colorful faith based products and has partnered with AMAZING companies,  but that doesn’t take away from exactly how important bible journaling is to my everyday life, and to many of yours as well! We aren’t doing this because it is trendy, or a fad (some may have and that is OK!!) we are doing it because

Jesus is our heart and this love letter makes our heart sing!!!!

It’s God.

Not “just” a trend.

I look at the picture in this post with the last 14 months of prayers, learning lessons, diving into devotionals, huge #wowGod moments documented in the margins in my bible. I see two well loved, well read and well worn  bibles. I know that before bible journaling 14 months of reading my bible would have looked very different. I know that before bible journaling my bibles often collected dust. I know that before bible journaling the only reason I bought a new bible was because I thought “maybe this bible will be easier to read” instead of buying a new bible because I had filled it to the brim! I know bible journaling isn’t “just” a trend for me and I have heard SO many of your stories that reflect the exact same thing!

I have watched God move mountains through bible journaling…so the next time someone says they might try “decorating their bible” because that is trendy or ” this is just a fad” – just know they don’t GET IT, and that is ok. Bible Journaling isn’t for everyone, it is for those of us that are creative, or are visual learners, who are able to comprehend on a different level when we write things down, we GET it. We are open to sharing, learning and growing with those that want to GET IT too, but we know deep down that this ISN’T “just” a trend that is going to fade !!!

We LOVE you, and we are SO very thankful you have joined us for this journey! And we can’t wait to see what God does next!

xox Shanna Noel

p.s. we totally get that God uses trends to touch lives please don’t take this post as us taking anything away from that! #wowGod

p.p.s.s. the “he” in this story isn’t my husband lol he “got it” long before I did :)