I am a big fan of journaling and ever since I started writing down my thoughts, prayers and commentary notes about God’s Word on paper I found my spiritual growth move upward.
How To Get Started
You might be surprised to know that when I first started journaling I didn’t know what to write. I was a little apprehensive about writing my thoughts and feelings down on paper as I wondered what would happen if someone were to come across it and read it.
So to alleviate any anxieties I had about writing a journal containing personal insights and thoughts I started by copying verses down and classifying them into categories.
As I read through the Bible I would write down verses in Scripture that resonated with me and I’d classifying the type of verse according to what I had labeled each page in my journal.
For example, if I came across a verse such as John 3:16 I would write the entire verse down on the pages titled Salvation and God’s love .
By the time I had started writing these verses down in my journal I began to feel less apprehensive about someone coming across my journal and reading it, and soon began to write notes underneath the copied verse.
Sometimes these annotations would be reasons for why I included the verse in the category I placed it, or would be something contained within the verse that I wanted to emphasise.
As time progressed I found my initial journal too small to contain all the categories I had and the notes I had wrote.
And there is one important feature I learned when I started on that project, which was:
Leave the first couple of pages blank, as these will act as a content’s page.
You will find as you progress through reading Scripture that the categories you create will not be in alphabetical order, and therefore as you increase in content it will be difficult to find a category.
To alleviate this by creating a content’s page you can better organise where to find things. It would also help if you place a page number in the upper or lower left on the left page, and a page number on the upper or lower right on the right-hand side of the page.
One other aspect I found with this type of journal method is annotating on the contents page when a category page is full.
Once you’ve run out of room on a page, and need to write more for that category, go to the next available page, write the category up top along with the page number and then on the content’s page for the full page write the next page number where this category continues. Also write a new line on the content’s page the category name and page number.
A content’s page will be a blessing as you progress through a simple journal. Hence, leave a couple of blank pages to get started.
Journaling In A Bible
After journaling in a few notebooks using the method described above I wanted to find a way where I could keep my notes in my Bible.
After searching around I came across a wide-margin bible which would allow me to write notes directly on the page in my Bible while in church.
This provided additional blessings as I could keep my notes from what God was revealing to me in His Word through the preached message.
What Is A Wide-Margin Bible?
A wide-margin bible is a bible that has wide clear margins printed around the entire perimeter of Scripture which allows the user to annotate around the verses.
Another benefit of the wide margin Bible was that there were pages at the back of the Bible where I could continue to categorise topics as I had been doing previously.
In the wide margin Bible I use there are blank pages to write or draw, and another set of pages with a letter of the alphabet written at the top of the page. This helps to classify topics by placing them into the right alphabetic page.
What Do You Journal In A Bible?
When I annotate in Scripture I like to do the following before writing any thoughts down:
- Circle verse number for favourite verses, if needed add them to my category pages at the back of my Bible to help find verses of similar themes;
- Underline words for emphasis;
- Circle words for connection with other words in near verses;
- Connect words together by having them in rectangles.
My preference when writing in the wide margin space surrounding Scripture is:
- Define words or describe the passage if the meaning isn’t obvious;
- Write a question that helps to ponder and meditate upon God’s Word;
- Write references to other Scriptures;
- Write a question for follow up if the verse is sparking curiosity, then write an answer beside once I’ve researched it.
As there are limits to space in a Bible when you do start journaling in it it’s important to know how you’re going to use it and the above thoughts have been my most effective uses of Scripture.
I have also found when reading through other helpful biblical texts to write abbreviations to those texts if the quantity of research is too much to succinctly write in the wide margin. Perhaps the best example of this is when writing on the topic of creation which is immense!
How Do You Journal In A Wide Margin Bible?
As the verses of a wide margin Bible are in the centre of the page there can be times where there will not be enough room to contain everything you want to write, so what do you do?
One way is to find a nearby blank spot in your Bible, usually the end of the book in the Bible will have some additional space, or you could write at the top or bottom of the page.
Writing Extra At Top Or Bottom Of Page
If you’re running out of room with your journaling and want to write your excess jotting elsewhere I tend to go to the bottom if the verse is in the lower-half of the page, or at the top of the verse is in the upper-half of the page.
I also write a little arrow pointing either up or down to show I’ve continued writing at the top or bottom.
Then at the top or bottom of the page where I’m continuing my thoughts I start by writing the verse number to signal where these thoughts have come from. If I’be broken mid-sentence I will write the verse number followed by three dots “…” to show the thought has continued from a thought written about that verse (or verse range).
Writing Extra Off Page
If I’m writing extra that is found off the current page I’m annotating then I write the page number where the additional notes will be found. I prefix the letter “p” followed by a number to distinguish this as a page rather that it being misunderstood as a verse!
On the page containing the excess notes I start by writing the abbreviated reference of the passage where these notes have continued from. For example, “Jn 3:16”.
Which Pen To Use
I made the mistake initially when journaling in my Bible to use any pen. Unfortunately this wasn’t smart as the ink from the pen I used initially bled through the thin paper and made it difficult to write on the other side of the page.
What I would recommend you use when writing in your Bible is the smallest ball point pen.
I now use a 0.35mm ball point pen, whereas before I used a 0.5mm ball point pen and this was too thick. Try to use a ball point pen that is 0.35mm or smaller.
One Other Very Important Accessory
Besides a good pen you should also invest in a good leather cover for your wide margin Bible. I have gone through more covers than I have wide margin Bibles and that’s a good thing because I want to keep my notes in one Bible (it would be quite the laborious task to transfer all my notes over after 15 years of journaling in my wide margin Bible!).
Therefore search around for a cover that can help wrap your Bible and carry it around. As your wide margin Bible is larger to lug around it will also help if the cover has a small handle to help ease carrying it.
Unfortunately my wide margin Bible has begun to tear from its spine, so do be careful with it as it is heavier than a non-commentary version Bible.
Conclusion
If you want to embark on the wonderful task of discovering more about God through His Word then I’d highly recommend purchasing the Cambridge Wide Margin Bible.
It’s an expensive Bible, but one that has high quality paper and a leather binding.
To get the maximum benefit of your purchase be sure to invest in a ball point pen (I use a blue coloured pen to help easily distinguish my writing from Scripture), and an excellent leather cover to keep your Bible safe from the elements.
Everybody’s journaling experience will be different, but hopefully through my experiences you can be very effective from the start in how you annotate through God’s Word.
If you’d like to mimic my setup, here’s what I have:
- Purchase the Cambridge Wide Margin KJV from Amazon .
- Purchase the 0.35mm ballpoint pen from any good stationery place, just be sure you don’t get one with gel ( here’s an example of a good 0.35mm ballpoint pen on Amazon ).
- Purchase a good leather cover that can fit your wide-margin Bible .
Remember, buying all these things isn’t going to do anything unless you actively get into writing and annotating your bible. You can always buy another bible if you want to read Scripture without being “distracted” from your previous bible jots, but get writing in it today!