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Faith Journaling Monday on a Tuesday

Surprised? It's Tuesday and it is okay.

Today I am going to go over the various ways I document my faith. Sometimes it is in my Documented Faith Binder
sometimes in my Prayer Journal  in the margin of a Journaling Bible and sometimes on post-it notes, 3 x 5 cards or pieces of scrap paper

My process may overwhelm most people because it is not consistent BUT, that is okay. What is consistent is my habit of making time everyday for Jesus. I give Him the first part of my day and He provides me the time to get done what NEEDS to get done. When I am reading any book and I highlight something, it is because I want to remember it. 

When I take sermon notes, it is because I want to remember what I learned. 

When I see a quote in a magazine, on a wall or online, I take a picture or screen shot it because I want to remember it.

When I have answers to prayers that have been prayed I want to remember them. 

The only way for me to remember things is to write them down (similar to taking pictures to remember memories)I "renamed" my Documented Faith Binder my "reminder binder" because that is where I write down things and organize them by topic. I have this video to share with you how I changed things around:

 

I have smaller binders that hold all of my sermon notes, also arranged by topic as seen on page 24 in "Faith Journaling For The Inspired Artist"

The one thing that you can always count on me being for you is an encourager and as a reminder of WHY to document your faith.  Once you have and focus on the WHY, the HOW comes pretty easily.

If you are not already on the weekly Documented Faith Email List, you can sign up here: http://www.documentedfaith.com/

Thanks for stopping by...Happy creating!

Faith Journaling Monday On A Tuesday, Again.

It's okay that it is Tuesday and this post is called "Faith Journaling Monday." I am not going to start calling it "Faith Journaling Tuesday" because then you know what will happen....Wednesday.

Today I want to take you from the book...to the binder, my Documented Faith Binder that I now refer to as my "reminder binder."

I do not use it as a planner. A few years ago it was released as a product that could be used as a planner (it has undated areas that could be used as a planner) but as I quoted once, "It's my binder and I can change if I want to"

Here is a binder "walk-through" video I posted way back on You Tube (I should probably do that more often)

Here is another video posted to You Tube on how I changed the way I am using my binder as a "reminder binder"

 Here are some close ups of some of the things I have doodled and journaled

As I mention in "Faith Journaling For The Inspired Artist" as well as in all of my workshops and conversations, if you find yourself consumed and overwhelmed with how your pages look instead of what you are reading, studying and learning, you may want to realign yourself. 

This is about documenting your faith and about THE WORD, NOT what product you are using.

Think of it this way: Use stickers, paper, stamps and washi tape to help express your thoughts, experiences and your personal journey but don't lose your focus.  It happens fast and often with things that are posted to social media streams and when you "take your eye off the ball" comparison creeps right in and before you know it, you are looking sideways to see what everyone else is doing instead of looking up to remember what HE has done, what He is doing and what He has planned for...YOU. (that was deep!)

Documented Faith Friday on a Thursday

I say, why wait?? Hello Documented Faith Friday on a Thursday.

In addition to the verse for week 34, I have a video and a giveaway for you.  I am going to be sharing more and more about how I am using the Documented Faith binder as a place to "inventory" all of the "light bulb" moments, things I have highlighted, sermon note quotes and add a doodle here and there.  I have said it before and will continue to say "I have to write things down or I forget them" and this is important stuff. In addition to writing it down, I have to keep it all together in one place instead of in this pile and that stack...You picking up what I am putting down???

 

If you ask me, the Documented Faith Binder is pretty perfect for this BUT of course, you can use your own system, planner, journal etc. The most important thing is that MAKE/TAKE time to do it.

 

Also, thank you to those who signed up last week for the September "When Art & Faith Collide" online workshop. Registration is always open and once the class begins, the content is yours for the rest of your entire life..and it is only 25.00.

 

This class DOES NOT REPLACE the weekly verse. Nothing changes with the monthly words and/or verses and I am NOT going to start charging you $25.00 for them.  I am not sure what I said to make some think that, but it is not the case. The monthly online workshop is simply an online class that will have three projects with instructions, patterns, print outs and some blah blah blah from me. If you are interested in reading more about it, just click here.

 

Week 34 8/20-8/26

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  Isaiah 41:10 NIV

Notes: Believing in this verse will provide peace of mind.  We need not fear because:

1. God is with us (I am with you)
2. God has established a relationship with us (I am your God)
3. God gives us assurance of His strength, help and victory over sin and death.

To download and print out the weeks verse, Download Week 34

Like I mentioned above, I am going to start sharing more about the WHY and HOW I document my faith here and also via the weekly Documented Faith Newsletter. (If you don't get the weekly verse via email, you can register here)  My hope is that  it will encourage and inspire you to start, re-start and/or start again in Documenting your faith and to remind yourself that there is no right or wrong way to create, express, document, illustrate or journal your faith and beliefs.  The important thing is that you do it. 

I set aside time each morning for my prayers, “quiet time”  and to work in whatever Bible study I am doing.  During that time, something will jump out at me or “dawn on me” which will cause me to write it down or highlight it.  THOSE things, my notes and highlighted thoughts, quotes and verses are what I document. 

Here is an example:

I am currently doing the Finding I AM Bible Study by Lysa Turkuerst.  On a particular day, it talked about ASKING God to shed light on situations.  I highlighted several excerpts from the lesson and noticed the “ASK” kept coming up. I knew that I wanted to remember those things because I continued to highlight the words. Once I was finished with the reading and questions part of that daily lesson, I went to my NIV Study Bible and read the notes on the verses that were being referenced. I have a page in my Documented Faith Binder with a tab marked ASK so that is when I took the highlighted quotes from the lesson, the thoughts from the NIV Bible and re-wrote them/doodled them on the page in my binder.

This is just one way of documenting my faith and it is pretty simple.  If something dawns on you, speaks to you or jumps out at you, pay attention to it. For me, I need to write it down so that I can remember it (especially when I forget to remember it.)

Why I Document My Faith

On March 6th, I posted this on social media streams

  without knowing anything except for the feeling.  I have felt "shifts" happening in the past but I don't think I have actually announced them out loud.  For some reason, with this one, I thought I should.  

Okay, rewind back at least 2, maybe three years.

I have been hearing a loud whisper saying "use what you have" and I have honestly been practicing it myself and passing it along, encouraging and reminding you, fellow friends, followers, pinners, posters and readers to in fact, #usewhatyouhave.  I thought that I was practicing, encouraging and inspiring myself and others to, again, #usewhatyouhave when it came to our scraps, stash and unused inventory of stuff i.e. paper, paint, fabric, felt, ink, etc. because we all got too much junk. (remember, I use the word junk in a good way)

Now fast forward back up to a few days ago when I finished reading an AMAZING book called The Hope Quotient by Ray Johnston.  He is the Pastor of Bayside Church in Northern California and he recently visited Saddleback.  (you can watch his sermon here. p.s.print out the sermon notes and grab a pen.) After finishing the book, I went back through it and reread all of the areas that I had highlighted (I highlighted a lot) and came across this: 

"The greatest thing about discovering and developing your gifts is that it frees you to be yourself.  When you find and use your gifts, you will be encouraged to trust God for what is next"

woah.

wait.

#use what I have

my gifts, skills and abilities...

DUH.

I mean, I know this but maybe it is not just about using up all my junk...it is about using MY JUNK. The junk HE gave me and please remember, I am using the word junk in the most kind way. (not like junk as in junkyard or junk mail)

and my shift!?!

Maybe this is part of my shift. 

This is what I call a light bulb moment and it is how God talks to me (besides when I am running or in the shower and have no way to write it down.) When things start to connect, a "light" turns on and/or something "dawns on me" it is really important for me to WRITE IT DOWN so that I remember it because guaranteed, I will forget it and I know that I will need it in the future for myself and quite possibly as a reminder for someone who might already know, but forgot to remember (that is you)

THIS is why I document my faith.  

Notes To Self and Reminders

The past few weeks have been very similar to a circus in our lives, or at least the circus music has been cue'd up and playing CONSTANTLY in the background. Sound familar?

Note To Self: I am not a fan of the circus. 

Things have been up and down and all over the place, TRYING to be patient with this, patient with that, jumping through hoops, falling down, getting up, tripping over things, traveling and coming home, traveling again and then coming home and a whole bunch of this,that and the other.  

We all have crap going on and really, all of my junk and details are not important to share (although I bet you are wondering what the heck I am talking about, huh??)  What is important are the reminders and I am here to remind you (well, and really me) that NO MATTER WHAT...everthing works out the way it is supposed to work out.  The problem is, when things don't work out the way we think or thought they would or should, we temporaily fall apart. (well, at least I do.  You can admit that in the privacy of your own home) We forget what we tell ourselves when everything is in the air, in process...until things dont go the way we had planned, "That everything will go the way it is supposed to"

Note To Self: It is not about our plan..dang it! Another thing we forget to remember. 

 

When you find yourself in that moment where things not coming together the way you thought they should, when you feel like prayers are not anwered the way you think they should or if and when you find yourself woozy from the motion sickness of going in circles, falling down, jumping through hoops and all the other junk that comes when your plans fall apart, there is good news to remember:

There is something way bigger, better and brighter than you could have ever imagined. Its the truth and it is a promise. You have gotta hold onto that truth as hard as it may seem at the moment.  Cry about it for a little bit and then get up, brush off, use the middle finger emojii to flip off the devil and then keep going. 

p.s. All of the above it exactly how I document my faith.  I write it all down so that when the better happens, you know, HIS plan, I can look back and connect all the dots. 

yay, thank you and amen!

Permission Granted - Part Three

So long story short. within a three week time period in January a simple outpatient procedure turned into a bigger inpatient surgery that typically takes about 6 weeks to recover from.  Three weeks off of work and three weeks of slow moving and well, ya know the best and easiest way to explain things is to say when you see a commercial for a pharmaceutical and it takes 99% of the airtime to talk about the warnings and side effects for 1 -2 % of patients?

yep,

It was like one thing lead to another and it did.

I had to be still, be quiet, I had to rest, I needed to heal and most importantly, I had to be patient. I pride myself in being a good patient, but not so much when it comes to being patient. Being patient was easy for the first 10 days or so because I pretty much slept through them but 10 days turned into 10 more days which lead to 10 more days and so on and so on.  I can look back now and see that the only way to get me to stop so that I could pay attention was apparently to have me completely stop, so that I could pay attention and learn to be patient.

So sorry to leave you hanging again but I am headed to the airport in 23 minutes and will continue this in a few days,..Maybe we are all learning to be patient.  Speaking of patience, it is the word for July in Documented Faith and if you are not following along, consider going here.  Here is a printable for you to Download Week28 and use in your planner, binder or whatever sort of system you are using to document you faith and life.

 

Documented Faith Recap & Update

My 2016 Documented Faith binder is bulking up, the edges are starting to show wear, there are still TWO ribbons on previous month pages (that is HUGE for me!) and often times, things drop out that I have not secured in.  Although the first four months have A LOT of blank spots, I am really starting to love the way it is evolving.

Similar to when I am stitching something, doing mixed media art or doodling, there comes a point where I really have to push through the process and just keep going.  I think I just broke through this part of the 2016 Documented Faith process and I want to encourage you to do the same.  JUST KEEP GOING. Stop worrying about the fact that 6 months have gone by..just start now.Speaking of ENCOURAGE, I had a breakthrough yesterday with the chipboard word that is in the ENCOURAGE Companion Kit.  Truth is, I did not like the color of it and sadly just kept it in the kit packaging until yesterday.

Poor thing probably felt neglected.  

As I was working on something else, God threw down the idea for me to paint it.

True story, no lightning bolts, storming clouds or wild winds when God talks to me...just plain ol light bulb flickers.

I was completely immersed in something else when I happened to glance over at one of my piles and saw the sad little chipboard word peeking out (SQUIRREL!) and within a few minutes, it became this I was so stupidly excited about it, I took a picture, posted it on IG and FB, put the kit up on sale at 50% off but forgot to share it here on the blog, duh..so I extended the sale until tomorrow!

This morning as I was preparing this weeks Documented Faith message and taking photos of my binder, I punched a few holes in the word and put it in the "April" section.

THIS is the perfect example of how to use something in the kit "after the fact" that it came out a few months ago.  IT DOES NOT MATTER, yay.

Okay, so now it is June and there is a new focus word.  Yes, there will be a coordinating kit for the new word BUT it is not available yet because really, again, IT DOES NOT MATTER. For some of you it does, but I really really really want to encourage and remind you over and over and over to use what you have first (I am not trying to be the boss of you but really, do we need one more thing?)

If you are completely confused and do not know what the heck Documented Faith is, you can go here to read the weekly verses and you can sign up here for the weekly verses to be send right to your email box so you do not have to go anywhere to read them.

Have a great weekend!

 

Today..

is day 46 in the 100 Day Project and although I have yet to doodle out today's contribution, I am LOVING the process of Doodling my Faith (not just Documenting) in my DF Binder and have been thinking about doing/doodling it for 365 days in 2017.  Is that nuts? What do you think?  Wanna DO(odle) it with me? You can see some of my other pages here.

..I am a runner that now has a PURPLE tank (say what?) because I am in Stasia's Style School and we are learning about color and right now, she is the boss of me.....I am a backyard gardener for the 6th year and I proudly introduce you to the first zucchini of the Homegrown Garden 2016 ..I am a Mixed Media Artist who spent several hours playing with paint, paper and words to inspire, encourage and remind and today I feel like a travel agent because I booked my tickets for my workshop at Paper Crown in OKC on June 17th & 18th and for the Brave Girl Symposium in Idaho on July 6 (make sure to let me know if you are going to be in Idaho so that we can meet up) and I hope to see you in Oklahoma in a couple weeks.  NOTE: My WhimSoDoodle workshops will be open for registration in the next few weeks.  Here is a peek at the Stitching Collage "Sit & Stitch" we will be doing.  Please note that patterns and colors will vary but they are all adorable, dare I say "darling"
 
I wonder what tomorrow will bring...

Documented Faith Binder & 100 Day Project

Hello Monday! Hope that you had a great Mother's Day weekend,  I spent the first part of the weekend at Scrapbooking Forever in Westlake Village and then wrapped it up with Mother's Day Brunch with my family and a long afternoon nap.  

Thank you to Scrapbooking Forever for hosting two days of workshops and to all of the ladies who came out.  We had a great night of Bible Journaling on Friday and a day full of Sizzix dies, doodles and designs..and food...and coloring,.,and cookies on Saturday.

I look forward to heading back to teach a brand new mixed media class on Saturday, Sept. 17th. You can call the store here to get info and reserve a seat.

So about 20ish days ago, give or take a day, I posted on social media that I was joining in on what's called The 100 Day Project.   I am just following the basic idea that you do something consecutively for 100 days.  I decided that I was going to doodle a little something each day in my Documented Faith Binder and I AM LOVING IT SO MUCH. It is just a little area so it is not over whelming and now that I have done it for over 20 days, it has become a habit and it is pretty cool to quickly glance back and see what I have done.  I am coordinating it with the Documented Faith word of the month, verse of the week and using parts and pieces of the Companion Kits so it is like hitting three birds with one Nerf dart (not killing it!) 

Here is a quick look at some of my days.

Day Four & Five: I used pen, watercolor, white pigment pen and word stickers from the latest Companion Kit (Encourage)

Day 8 & 9 (Day 8 is when I decided to start) and PEOPLE, it is okay to start late. START NOW and move forward. Once you have got the hang of it, go back and fill in the blanks..I used a black pen and a gray marker for the shadows.  No watercolor on these, which is fine with me.

Day 8 - 13: A shot looking down on the week.  I mixed and matched with pens, ink, markers, watercolors and word stickers from the Encourage Companion Kit. I may go back in and add some color.  There are no rules so you can do this however you want. I used the bottom right area to announce that I was doing a Periscope that day.

Day 12 & 13 - Just pen lines here and then below where I added some shadows and a little watercolor to the flowers and background:

Day 14 & 15 has lots of color and an additional page that I just added color to. Now I just have to punch some holes in it and add it into my binder so that it stops falling out.

Day 21 & 22 : Pen, watercolor and this weeks Documented Faith verse which happens to be GREAT NEWS, yay! 

I have to admit that once I got my daily doodle done, I did not stop at just the little area and I added some doodles and color to the opening pages for the month of May:

If you are doing The 100 Day Project, I would love to see how you are doing it.  If you happen to be using or start using the Documented Faith Binder and post to any social media streams, please use the hashtag #documentedfaith so that I can see.

Have a GREAT day!

Periscope TONIGHT

I wanted to let you know that I am Periscoping tonight at 6:00 pm Pacific Standard Time. You can find me on Periscope by using my name, Stephanie Ackerman. I am going to simply paint the May divider (which is also referred to as a dashboard) that comes in my Documented Faith Binder and tell you all about how I am embracing the rainbow these days.

If you don't have the binder then you can do one of three things:

1. Buy one, duh.
2. Download the printable and color it as you wish
3. Just watch the Periscope and then be on your creative merry way

I am going to give you a heads up on what I am going to use BUT remember, I always suggest using what you have.  NEVER feel like you have to go out and buy a bunch of new things, unless it is the binder (see #1 above)

Supplies:

• Ranger Waterbrush
• Ranger/Tim Holtz Distress Crayons
• Illustrated Faith .35 Pen
• Uniball Signo Broad Tip White Pigment Pen  
• Faber-Castell B Black Marker
• Kuretake Watercolors 

Printable:  Download Mayprintable

See you on Periscope. Well, I won't see you but you know what I mean!