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I used to have a separate journal for my Bible lesson study, and as I showed in this post ( and in this post and this post), it was mostly where I wrote down quotes from the lesson to think about in juxtaposition with each other to get a better overview of the topic. While I enjoyed that, I’ve been doing something different lately since I have been keeping what is called a bullet journal. (Click here to understand what a bullet journal is, and here to see what Bible lessons I do weekly.) Now I’ve got this study in a smaller blank book with all sorts of other unrelated lists, and I have it with me more, because all this is in one place.

As I study the Bible lesson, instead of just writing down quotes (which I still do sometimes) I am more focused on what I can know, claim, affirm or do that would be helpful.  These jotted lists are more action items I want to be reminded of, than theological study. I want to apply my Bible study to knowing God better and honoring God more by improving my own character, choices, and outlook. These weekly spiritual to-do lists help me focus on ways to think and see and act that furthers those goals.

In this post you can see my messy jottings, prodding myself and encouraging myself. (Note that they are not about being pretty. I have artist journals for that. Here, I’m focusing on raw usefulness, please remember.) Sometimes I write down affirmations in the form of “I am” or “God is.” Other times I write down injunctions that are more in the flavor of “do this” or “be that.” At times they are reminders, or warnings, or new twists of ways to think about things. But they are always about me and God. There are other places and ways that I pray for other people and the world. The lesson sermon is where God puts me through my own paces to get my own act together– and to be rallied to love and glorify God more.

I share this in case it is a helpful approach for anyone else out there. Quotes are great and you’ll see plenty of King James Version lingo remaining here, but I’m finding that to the extent I can put things in my own words as they apply to me in any given moment, I get more out of my Bible study. This way the ideas and injunctions linger and stay with me better.

Anyway, I’m enjoying my one page list format from my Bible studies lately in my “bullet journal” and thought I’d share the blessings.

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