Bible Journaling

A cup of coffee and the Bible. What else do you need?

I'm preparing to start a Bible Study for some ladies at my church. In preparation for this I've been doing some research online.

My research involves checking online through Google and Lifeway. Reviewing different studies to do. Looking up hints on how to lead a study, different tools and techniques to use. I also use Pinterest for research. I have a study in mind for myself that I want to do and also one I think I will be doing with the ladies.

In my research I start seeing all this information for Bible Journaling. I'm seeing posts on Facebook of people who have gotten themselves a specific bible to use for this.

I'm thinking, I better research this some more. I may need to get a new bible so I can do bible journaling.

This is what bible journaling looks like.

You can buy special pens, tapes, etc. for journaling in your bible.

I research like crazy on Amazon, Pinterest, and Google.

I come to the conclusion that I have been bible journaling forever. I just didn't know it.

My journaling is not quite up to the standards being used today. I don't draw pictures or use special pens.

I do however 'mark up' my bible.

I underline specific phrases.

I highlight verses.

I make notes in the margin.

On blank pages I write phrases I want to remember. These may be specific bible verses I want to remember. It may be something that came into my head as I'm listening to a sermon. It may be something the pastor said during the sermon. It may be something I read in my research that I want to remember.

This is what my work bible looks like.

Yes, I said work bible. I keep a Bible on my desk at work. I have done this since we moved to Tulsa almost 12 years ago. I reference it, I read it, and I have shared it with co-workers.

I have a bible at home that I use for my studies at home and that I take to church.

I have bibles in my closet that I have journaled in. I had to replace them as the covers became worn and pages brittle and torn.

But one thing they all have in common is - I have journaled in all of them.

Bible journaling is not new. But the act of doing it is. It is more advanced than what I do. I am not artistic at all.

Bottom line here is - don't be afraid to journal in your bible. It doesn't have to look like what you might find on the internet. You don't have to have special materials. You don't need a special bible (although I can see that the bible designed for journaling is nice as you have more room to write). The important thing is just do it!

Highlight away those verses that grab you.

Circle those words that speak to you in a passage.

Underline what catches your eye.

Write in the margins what the verse says to you. Apply it to your life.

Let me know how it works for you.

Blogging

I started this blog back in September of 2012.  I have published over 235 different posts with a variety of topics.

I have talked about myself.

I have talked about my family

I have talked out our search for a new church.

I have shared poetry I have written.

I have shared about family events.

I have vented about work.

Sometimes I just write a blog to amuse myself.  I do that frequently.  And if I am able to amuse you at the same time - well, that's even better.

Sometimes my posts are funny and sometimes serious. Sometimes I actually sit at the computer crying as I write a post that is dear to my heart.

I promote my favorite causes shamelessly. If something is dear to my heart chances are pretty good that you will be reading about it more than once on my blog.

Writing for me is fun. I typically have several different ideas floating around in my head. Maybe ideas for a blog, maybe thoughts for a poem. or ideas for a couple of books I have in progress.  I have a lot of items "In Progress".  Sometimes my 'projects' just flow out of me and I cannot type fast enough to get my thoughts on paper.  Other times they simmer just waiting for the right 'ingredient' (or thought) to finish them up.

If you read;my posts you probably know me much better than anyone who actually spends time with me. I share more here than I do in person.

I love to Google things. You can find so much information out there. Don't believe everything you read but it is interesting to Google an answer to a question you have.  Today for fun I Googled blogging.

MY WORD!! There is all kinds of information out there on how to write a blog. Topics you can you use, prompts, hints, sites to visit, the best blogs.  You name it and the information is there for you to wade through and try to decipher.

You can learn how to start a blog. What the best blog sites are. It's mind-blowing.  I think I will just stick with writing what I want to write to amuse myself and hope that at the same time it amuses you.
If there is anything you want me to write about, please let  me know.  I will give you my opinion, check out what Google has to say about it, and turn it into something to read.  In the same vein, if you have something you want me to write a poem about, just let me know.  I can turn most anything into a poem.  So what is it you want to hear about from me?

Grandson Memories

You ever have times where someone is on your mind? Thoughts of them keep popping up in your head for no reason?

It could be a childhood friend you haven't seen for years.

Maybe a cousin you have always been close to.

Maybe a parent whom you've lost.

For whatever reason, thoughts of them keep popping up in your head. Well, mine has been my oldest grandson. Don't know why but for the past several weeks he is just always in my head.

This is one of my favorite pictures of the two of us.

Here's a picture of the two of us earlier this year.

I've written poems for all my grandchildren and keep them in a book along with papers they have sent me or notes they write.

Here's a few pictures of Richard's book.

Each grandchild has their own book. Now some have more in it than others depending how many things they have sent me.

I was looking through Richard's  book and came across this poem I wrote one time after a visit to their house. I had flown out and was scheduled to take a mid-morning flight back home. My grandson was about six at the time.  We were spending the morning in his room doing one of his favorite things at that time -- making a tent.


                                                             RICHARD'S TENT

                                         "We make a great team," my grandson said
                                               As he fashioned a tent there on his bed.
                                    He worked and worked to get the blankets just right,
                                            Wanting to hide us from everyone in sight.

                                                I sat on the bed and read my book,
                                                   Every so often he'd take a look.
                                       Where there any gaps where people might see?
                                            We wanted to hide, my grandson and me.

                                                      Adjust the blankets once again,
                                                        Must not let any light get in.
                                                He got in the tent and beside me sat
                                               'Till he saw light and had to fix that.

                                            "We can move to the other end," I said;
                                           And quickly moved to the end of the bed.
                                         He worked some more and tried once again.
                                            When all of of a sudden Tom walked in!

                                   "Why aren't you with Grandma?" I heard him say,
                                              "You know she has to go home today."
                                                  Then from inside the tent I spoke.
                                                Richard thought it was quite a joke.

                                             The tent Richard made had hidden me,
                                                   And inside it no one could see.
                                             Tom left the room and then once more.
                                    "We made a great team," my grandson did roar.

Written for Richard
By Grandma (Kathie Marrs)
       June 6, 2001

I've Got Your Back

                                      I'VE GOT YOUR BACK

I'm sure we've all heard that phrase. Perhaps someone has said it to you or you have even said it to someone. But what does it mean?

    The Urban Dictionary defines it this way: 
                  1) An expression assuring someone that you are watching out for them. Comes         from making sure you are safe by watching what's behind you when you're busy looking       ahead.  


That's a comforting thought isn't it?  Someone making sure that you are safe. You don't have to worry about what's coming at you from behind you can look out for the dangers ahead.  Makes it a little bit easier to take that step into the unknown or uncomfortable.

Who's going to have your back? Does your mind go to family or friends?

Of course it does! Family should always have your back!  That's what families are for.

My grandson and I call each other Best Buds. We know we have each other's backs.  If Grampa starts a tickle fest with him who is my Bud calling? Me of course!  And do I assist?  Well, of course I do! I'm his Best Bud.  That's my job.  He does the same for me.

Friends? They aren't much of a friend if they won't cover your back. If you don't think you can depend on them when needed, you better rethink your friendship.  

How comforting would it be to know there is someone who always has your back? You don't have to ask them and you don't need them to tell you.

YOU JUST KNOW THAT YOUR BACK IS COVERED

You do have this assurance. God is there for you. He has your back. 

Isn't it comforting to know that in the unsettling times, scary times He is there for you?

You have to do something that is out of your comfort zone but you know you need to do it? Don't worry - God has your back.

Standing up for what you believe in to others who don't believe? Don't worry - God has your back.

Going out into the unknown to spread the Gospel? Don't worry - God has your back.

No matter what situation you find yourself in He is always there for you. You may not realize it and you may forget it from time to time, but He NEVER forgets.

Yes, having friends and family to turn to is comforting; but sometimes they are not right beside you to protect your back so it's good to know that God is there watching out for you.  Every situation you face becomes a little bit easier to deal with knowing that someone is there with you.

   

Do you have this assurance?

Pizza Pizza

I love Italian. This is my birthday week. I had Italian three nights in a row.  YUMM

Even New Food Night this week was Italian. We had pizza. We had lots of different pizzas.

Lily set the table. Didn't she do a good job?

See how she made the napkins look like a little bow tie?

Now for the food!

Gary made the Pioneer Woman's Baked Potato Pizzas.

He baked some potatoes the night before. Pizza night he scooped some of the potato out and then added pizza sauce, toppings; pepperoni, hamburger, Italian sausage and topped with cheese.

Good stuff right there.

Mr. Rick brought over a never before ordered Pizza Hut pizza.  This pizza had chicken, mushrooms, spinach. Very good

Miss Annette made a Taco Pizza.  The sauce was a combination of sour cream and taco sauce. Add all the basic ingredients of a taco - what is not to like about this? Everyone loves tacos.

I made Spaghetti Pizza.  I cooked up some spaghetti and drained it.  To this I added an egg, some milk and Parmesan cheese. I split this up between two pies and baked it for about 15 minutes. Then I added pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and shredded Parmesan cheese. One pie had pepperoni and hamburger and the other pie had hamburger and Italian sausage. Bake again and enjoy.

K.C. made a dessert pizza. Salted Caramel Apple Pizza. 

She used pizza crust and then sliced apples very thin. This was topped with some caramel sauce to which she had added some salt. Top it all with a cinnamon, butter crumb  mixture and let it bake while we eat all the other pizzas.

Oh my gosh! I cannot begin to describe how good this tasted. 

So if you love pizza but want to be a little bit adventuresome, try one of these. Be sure to let me know how it turns out for you. 

Burger Night

I have a few New Food Nights to catch up on, so let's get started.

I checked my notebook and photo folders on my computer and WOW! it has been a while since I posted our food nights. Well, don't worry, we didn't go hungry.  We ate every week. 

Let's go back to July. Yes, two months ago.  I'm sorry 

I love cheeseburgers. A greasy dripping juicy cheeseburger.  It is always my go to at most restaurants. We decided to do a burger night. Gary put a twist on it. 

We started our meal with a simple salad brought by Miss Annette.

I love salad.  I should eat more of it.

Then the burger.

Not a cheeseburger.

Remember, Gary put a spin on it? He made a turkey burger stuffed with dressing and cranberry chutney on the side.

Thanksgiving in a sandwich!

I was hesitant (those food police in my head). I love turkey. I love dressing. Can do without cranberries.

I was surprised! 

The sandwich was very good.  Yes, I would eat it again.

What do you have with burgers? Well, potatoes of course.

Mr. Rick brought some crock pot potatoes with cheese.

How yummy do these look?  They were better.  I love potatoes and cheese.

We ended the meal with cookies made by Chris. He made these in his crock pot.

Very good - almost fudge like. 

See - I told you we ate well!  You know that tryptophan in turkey makes you sleepy. That may be why it took me so long to blog about it.

How about you?  What's the most exotic burger you have ever tried?

Vegas Wedding Weekend

What a weekend we had!!  We had another wedding in the family. One of our daughters got married over the weekend in Vegas.  Of course we were there!!!  They had the details all worked out. Booked a chapel, everything scheduled all we had to do was show up and enjoy ourselves.

Gary has just started a new job so we could not take an extended amount of time. We left after work on Thursday. We were driving out. Gary had the van stocked with plenty of water, Pepsi, Lipton Peach Tea for Chris and books on tape.  We were set for an 18 hour drive!  Since we were leaving after work we set our first goal for Santa Rosa, New Mexico for Wednesday night. This would leave us about a 10 hour drive on Thursday.

We made our goal about 10:30 (we  had gained an hour when we crossed into New Mexico) and got checked into a small hotel.  Older hotel - nothing fancy but clean and cheap. All we needed as we planned to be back on the road by 6:30.  Bed was comfortable and we slept well. What we didn't know, since we checked in after dark, was that the railroad track ran right behind the hotel.  Good thing Gary was already up and in the shower the next morning when the train came by. This would have been a very harsh awakening.  LOL

Onward to Vegas!

Stephen King's audio book Dr. Sleep had been our companion since we left. Very intense book.  My favorite author!  We continued our drive. I'm very excited as I know I will get to see two of my daughters that I don't get to see very often. And what's even  better - one daughter whom I usually see once a year - this will be the FOURTH time I have seen her this year!

The drive is pretty normal for us all the way to Flagstaff as we make it frequently. This time though we are headed on west - exploring new country.  We arrived in Vegas about 3:00 pm.  We got checked into our hotel and then wandered around.  We were meeting the bride and groom for dinner along with his parents at 5:30.

We let Chris loose on his own.  Beware Vegas.

Our other daughter arrived late that night - I stayed up to give her a quick hug and then went to bed.
We do not party as late or as much as our daughters do.

Friday morning we just hung out. We told Chris he could explore but to keep track of where he was and call us if he needed anything. We finally got everyone together and decided to do the monorail - now we have to find Chris to join us. This proved to be interesting.  Chris doesn't like to read and has never made it a priority. He catches the first couple of letters of a word and then decides what he thinks it should be. Gary spent about 20 minutes on the phone trying to track him down from behind the 'place we watched the show last night' to 'the place where I ate'.  Fremont Street became Foundation Street.  And he was actually outside the hotel not inside.

A fun day of exploring started. Gary, Chris and I had never been to Vegas so we were all agog.  Chris decided he really likes this place.  On his own exploring that morning he took in many sights and experiences. He had his picture taken with two Vegas show girls. He showed his sister the picture but said 'don't tell Mom.'  He also got one shoe shined.  He wears orange tennis shoes and they were a little scruffy looking. Someone offered to do one for free. Chris let him. He did not want to pay to have the other one cleaned though.  He was pretty proud of how well that one cleaned up.

Vegas has taken it out of Chris.

Saturday - WEDDING DAY!  The bride and female family gathered in one room to get her hair and makeup done. She had a good friend who offered to do this for her. Tarinda set up a small buffet of food and a bar. Mimosas, champagne, Bloody Mary's, bagels, cream cheese, meat, cheese.

My girls take after Gary when it comes to food.

They also take after my brother Wayne when it comes to drinking.

We finally get her dressed and she's beautiful!!

Now off for some pictures around the hotel and with family before a limo ride to the Chapel.

Charlie had a convertible dress. It was a long dress with small train. The skirt detached to become a short dress. This created some unique situations. She wanted to keep it a secret from groom and guests. Anyone who happened to step on the train would cause it to come unsnapped - even the bride herself could cause this. We made a security guard around her as she walked to protect the skirt from becoming detached.

It's a testament to my daughter and new son-in-law on how much they are loved and respected by their friends. This destination wedding had 37 guests from out of town. (10 of us were family) They had friends from Washington, Kansas City and of course many from their hometown of Buckeye, Arizona.

The ceremony went off without a hitch. Adam could  not read the vows he had spoken and ended up ad-libbing and as Charlie said "when did he become a comedian?"  There were tears by bride and groom and of course myself and I even handed Gary a tissue.

Limo ride back to the hotel - now it's time to party!

But wait!  Gary and I have to head home tomorrow and we are driving it straight through.  Gary decided he would go to the room at 8:00 and get a few hours sleep as we plan on leaving at 2:00 am for our drive home. I join the wedding party and we head to Fremont street.  What an experience!   I head back to the hotel about 10;30 to get some rest before we head out.

2:00 am - we are wheeling our luggage down the hallway to the van passing Toby Keith's when who do we see?  The bride and groom and a few friends still celebrating.  One more good bye, tearful hugs and we are on our way home. We will take turns driving and sleeping.

We finish our Stephen King book between our sleep shifts and 18 hours later, two different time zones (where we 'lose' 2 hours of time) we are pulling into our driveway at 10:45 pm.  We have to be up early for work the next day.  The wedding was wonderful, the time with family even more so and we are happy to welcome a new son-in-law to the family.