it could be your next step.

I learned about this new journaling practice from Emily Lex in her book, Freely & Lightly.

Here’s how it works:

1. Grab a notebook. Whatever you prefer.

2. Create a table of contents with the following:
   Chapter. Date. & Room for a Title you will give the chapter after reading it. (She read through each of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John)

3. On each day of reading, start a new journal page with the chapter & date at the top. Then read, take notes, & journal as you feel led. At the end of the reading & journaling, give the date a title.

   Emily shares, “the theme could be a concept that sticks out from a verse or plot line or a character trait of God or whatever the Lord showed you through his Word that day.”

4. Flip back to the table of contents to add the title & date to correspond with the chapter you read.

When it comes to reading the Bible, sometimes we find ourselves not knowing where to start. We open the Good Book to a random place & blindly place our finger somewhere on the page hoping it will offer some sort of encouragement, hope for the day, or guidance on a circumstance.

Sometimes we forget who we are. We forget our identity is only & ever found in Him. We try to find a Bible character we might relate to. We read their story & consider the lessons we can learn from their life.

Sometimes we pick a scripture to memorize. To commit to as a mantra. We claim a word or a phrase over our life. To bring hope, forward thinking, vision, & direction.

Emily reminded me that while none of these are wrong or bad, when we do them, we making the act of reading the Bible about us.

I learned from a Bible literacy teacher once that at the end of a scripture, chapter, or book to ask yourself:

1. What is true about God?

2. What does that mean is true about me (you)?

& so, may this be a new way for us to approach reading the Bible. Not for the sake of reading, but to slow down, pay attention, to speak to God & hear from God, & to get to know his character.

I’ll end with sharing what she learned:

“As I look back through the journal, I clearly see the messages I needed to hear directly from God. I needed to know more than just the Bible stories that were familiar to me. I needed to get to know the One in those stories. I needed to see that he is good, kind, compassionate, & responsive. I needed to be honest about my shortcomings. I needed to spend time with him, quietly & intentionally, & prioritize this practice in my busy life. I needed to remember his promises. I needed to slow down & talk to him & listen. Because just as I had hoped, he did have things to say to me.”