I am a natural planner. I’m pretty sure I was born this way. Even as a young girl I remember always wanting to know what was going on and what to expect next. And that desire has stuck with me throughout my life. I love to dream and plan and set goals. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but oftentimes my desire for the future has held me back from truly appreciating and thriving in the right now.

In the past couple of years especially, God has really pointed out this tendency in me. This realization was a bit sobering. When I get to the end of my life, I want to know that I have truly made the most out of every season I’ve been in, and not just wished for what was coming next.

It can be too easy to get caught up in the mindset that “the grass is greener on the other side” and then start wishing to be on the other side of so many things. Wishing to be finished with school…to land that dream job…to meet “the one”…to be married…to have kids…to live in a certain town or state…to own a house…to get a raise…for our babies to sleep through the night…for our toddler to be potty trained…for that next opportunity to come…for Friday to just get here already. We can spend our entire lives wishing for the next thing that we think will make us happy, but once that thing comes we are already too caught up in looking toward the next best thing that we forget to truly enjoy what is right in front of us. I don’t want to live that way.

If we constantly buy into the lie that the grass is greener on the other side then we will never enjoy our lives. We will just continue to be miserable. The truth is, the grass is greener where you water it. When we are caught up in looking for the next best thing, we neglect where we are right now and then it’s no wonder that where we are right now starts to look a little brown and withered.

Picture a tree that is planted in the ground. If the tree isn’t well tended to, then it will only grow shallow roots and will become susceptible to drought and could more easily wither up and die. But then picture a tree that is planted and then looked after and well loved, this tree will grow deep roots that will help it survive even in the harsher seasons. This tree will thrive and bloom where it’s planted.

I want to be like that second tree. I want to grow deep roots, bloom, and thrive where I am right now. No matter what that season looks like, I want to make the best of it. I want to cherish these days, because I know before long they will be in the past.

“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”  - Philippians 4:11b-13

“I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.” – Andy from The Office

You know what…we’re in the good old days right now. The season you’re in right now has the potential to be your best yet. So let’s grow deep roots, bloom where we’re planted, and thrive.

For the past month or so, God has been speaking to my heart about the fact that He is wanting to do something NEW. Sometimes we can get so stuck in the past that it actually limits the new things that God is wanting to do in our lives. God can do anything, yes, but since He gave us the freedom of choice, He needs our cooperation and willingness. I’ve been reminded of the story of Lot’s wife in Genesis 19, where God rescued Lot and his family from Sodom, and in turn rescued them from destruction. God told them to “Escape for your life. Do not look back.” But as they were fleeing, Lot’s wife looked back on the burning city and she was turned into to a pillar of salt. God freed her, but she decided to focus on the past, and that lead to her destruction. She was frozen in the past and was unable to walk into the new things God had for her.

Whoa.

This is a bit of an extreme example, but it hits home for me. I know there are situations and seasons in my life that I am tempted to look back on. Some good, some bad. When you’ve been hurt or rejected, it can be easy to dwell on that and allow it to dictate your future. Or even when a good season has ended, we can sometimes look back on it with such desire to experience “the good ‘ole days” again that we completely miss the amazing new that is right in front of us.

God has more. He is always wanting to do something new in us and through us. What a blessing! This is one of the reasons why living life with Him is never boring. It’s quite the opposite. It’s exciting!

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” – Isaiah 43:18-19

Recently I have been listening to Bethel Music’s new album “We Will Not Be Shaken” nonstop. The song “Jesus We Love You” is one of my favorites, and the verses have especially spoken to me.

Old things have
passed
away
Your love has
stayed the same
Your constant
grace remains the
cornerstone

Things that we thought were dead
Are breathing in life again
You cause your Son to shine on darkest nights

The hopeless have found their hope
The orphans now have a home
All that was lost has found its place in you

You lift our weary head
You make us strong instead
You took these rags and made us beautiful

Whatever you have dealt with in your past, whether it was good or bad, remember this–it is in your past. The hurt, the rejection, it is behind you. You do not have to deal with it anymore. And those good times? Yes, it is good to remember and be thankful for the good! Do not forget the great things God has done. But my friend, what He has done in the past is nothing compared to what He has in store for your future. It’s going to be good. Really good.

So, let’s be like Paul and “Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 3:13-14

What lies ahead for you is far greater than what is behind you. I don’t know about you, but that gets me excited!

Recently I discovered the joy of Bible art journaling, and I must say…it has completely revolutionized my devotional times. One of my goals for 2015 is to read through the Bible, not just in a way that checks it off of my to-do list, but in a way that impacts and changes me from the inside out. I started art journaling in my Bible shortly after the new year began, and it has truly done just that. Changed me. When I read my daily Bible readings and then take the time to creatively express on a page what I learned, I begin to retain and understand His word like I never have before. It has been amazing!

I have always been an enthusiast of all things creative, and I also have a great love for encouraging others in their walks with God…and sharing this with others has been an amazing chance to combine those two passions of mine.

If you would like to keep up with my Bible Art Journaling progress, feel free to follow me on Instagram where I’ve been sharing the pages of my Bible throughout each week.

Since beginning this in the past month I have received a lot of questions from people about this, so I wanted to answer a few of those here.

Where is your Bible from?
My Bible was a Christmas gift from my amazing parents. I have this ESV Journaling Bible from Crossway in the leaf cover design. They also have a black hardcover Bible.

How do I get started?
This form of worship may not be for everyone, and that’s totally okay. But if you feel like this is something that resonates in your heart, then I encourage you to dive right in! You don’t really need much to get started, just a Journaling Bible, and a good pen. I also recommend following a Bible reading plan that will keep you in God’s word daily. There are many great plans out there, but right now I’m doing the 365 Days of Truth plan by She Reads Truth. Once you have those few things, you have all you need to start. Spend time in the Word, and then pick a page with a passage that speaks to you, and then draw, color, paint, write, create. Don’t let perfectionism hold you back. I have made many mistakes on my pages already, but that’s okay and I think that the imperfections can make it even more beautiful and meaningful.

What are your favorite products?
I kept things simple and started out with just the products I had on hand. I even used my son’s Crayola crayons! You really don’t need anything fancy. But as I’m continuing, I’m slowly adding to my supplies and learning what works best on the thin Bible pages and also discovering what I enjoy working with the most.

There are a lot of great products out there that you can use, and I’m sure I’ll continue discovering more. But right now, here are the items I reach for the most.

• Ultra Fine Mechanical pencil (I couldn’t find the exact pencil I have, but this one is similar)
• Sharpie pen
• Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens
• Faber-Castell Aquarelle Pencils
• Watercolor Cakes

There are many other products that I’ve been trying and loving, and I hope to share more of that with you all as I continue to experiment and explore.

The greatest resource I’ve found, however, has been the online Bible journaling community, Illustrated Faith. It has been amazing to join together with other creatives as we explore God’s word in an artistic way.

If you would like to join in, you can check out the Illustrated Faith website, Facebook page, group, and #illustratedfaith Instagram hashtag.

Shanna Noel, the founder of Illustrated Faith, is the one who first introduced me to Bible journaling in this way. She is a great inspiration to me! (You can follow her on Instagram at @shannanoel).

This brings me to an exciting announcement! A couple of weeks ago, Shanna Noel invited me to be a part of the Illustrated Faith Education and Creative Team! Soon I will be sharing tutorials, peeks into my creative process, and other fun posts on the Illustrated Faith blog.  I am so excited and honored to be a part of this  team along with a group of such amazing women.

I plan to continue sharing my Bible art journaling journey here and on Instagram. Please let me know in the comments if you have any questions or have requests for specific posts you would like to see.

If you have done Bible art journaling, I would absolutely love to see some of your pages! Feel free to leave links to your work below. And if this has sparked your interest and spoken to your heart, I encourage you to grab a Bible, take the leap, and dive right in!

[Note: Some of the above links are affiliate links. I receive a small percentage on each sale. However, I truly do love each of these products, or else I wouldn't recommend them.]