my favorite pens!

i get asked all the time what my favorite pen to use is -- be it for bible journaling, planner girling, or just writing notes to myself or a friend.  so i've put together a pretty little photo gallery showcasing some of my faves!

these skinny minnie pens from me & my big ideas [part of the happy planner line] are super smooth writing & ultra photographic with their sleek black+white designs.  i love the .3 felt nib for writing & each barrel has a different design with cute saying.  you can buy this black+white set at hobby lobby, or grab a pretty colored barrel set on amazon!

i typically use these pens in my MAMBI happy planner or for writing note cards to friends.  thinner paper does tend to show a bit of bleed through [think journaling bible pages], so i hold these back for other projects :]

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oh that beloved target dollar spot! it gets me every time, y'all! i have such a collection of their pens, because let's face it.... i need them all ;)

the only fault i find in these pretty [but cheap] pens is how scratchy the ball point is for writing.  i don't love how it feels inking the paper so i do a little "pen surgery" before they officially make it into the collection.... simply unscrew the bottom of the barrel & remove the ink stick + spring.  then grab a pack of these papermate inkjoy pens + swap their ink stick for the cheapo.  writing perfection!

because these are ballpoint pens, you have so much more control over ink flow than a felt tip.  i've never had any issue with bleed through with these little troopers!

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my first true love that began my pen collection so long ago.... the papermate flair! these fantastic little felt tip pens come in SOOOO many colors!!! the sky is the limit + the options are endless when it comes to rainbowtizing & color coding with these pens.  i love how smooth they write, they don't have much of an issue with bleed through on thin papered projects & they keep their ink life for so long!

i love to have the tropical collection on hand [they're so pretty i could just sit & stare at their colors all day!] as well as a big box of the slate gray pens.... they are my go to for almost anything & i keep them in my purse at all times! gray ink = heaven!!!

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other favorites in my collection include the faber castell pitt big brushes [all. the. colors.] because they are perfect to use in my journaling bible & for inking up stamps!  i also love love love my crayola twistables [not technically a pen, but still worth mentioning!] & these super pretty caroline gardner pens.

so there's a little peek into my pen stash & how they all get used here + there.  i'd love to know what YOUR favorite writing tools are too!

fruit of the spirit pen pouch from shopmarineparents.com

thoughts on a creative arts bible....

it has been on my heart the past few months to share a bit of the WHY behind my bible journaling technique.  i share pages nearly daily on my instagram account [i'd love if you came by to say hi!] in addition to sharing my devotional time via live instagram stories a few times each week & i get many of the same question asked.... why do you cover the words? 

and as happy as i am to answer that question every time it pops up [because it normally leads a new friend into an "aha!" moment, or spurs a new conversation about Jesus], i thought it would really help to have a more detailed blog post at the ready to share with others.

let me preface my following words with this bit of information.... my journaling bible is used specifically for creative arts worship, and i have a separate pocket NLT bible that i use for reading the word in larger chunks & carrying to church.  i also view my bible as a tool that Jesus has given us to use in a manner that will bring us closer to Him, not as an item to be exalted or to take the place of a personal relationship with him.

my journaling bible is a tool i use specifically to bring my heart closer to God, to His word via meditation of devotionals, verses, quotes, lyrics, etcetera.  during the time i spend creating & coloring & doodling in the margin of my bible, i am engraining that nugget of truth on my heart.... a small whisper from the Holy Spirit tucked away that will be more easily recalled when needed in the future.  my recall of scripture is far greater now than before i began creatively worshiping in my margins.

there are many a page that my paint & stickers extend past the side margin, and for me personally, this is fine.  as i mentioned above, i am focusing one on nugget of the page, one passage of scripture that is speaking volumes into my life.  when i am creating, i am sure to outline the verse[s] that i am focusing on & those words are not covered up, because i want to be able to come back and see my reflection on that particular passage in years to come.

my journaling bibles are legacy pieces that i hope to pass on to my children some day -- a beautiful view of years of my life given over wholly to Jesus, a peek at my struggles & pains, a look at how God's grace covered me during my mothering years.  i love that the Word is alive, that it is growing & living & breathing out Jesus in so many forms.  i love that we live in a time where we have freedom to worship freely & without fear.  i'm so thankful that God, the ultimate Creator, gave us the ability to create for Him, for His glory, to share His goodness in all the land.

i would love to hear your thoughts, friends.  

how has creatively worshiping in your bible changed you & your relationship with Jesus? what are your feelings on extending past the margins of your bible -- do you use it as your only canon of scripture, or do you use it specifically to worship with the creativity gifted to you by our Father?