Journaling Through the Word Bible Quilting® Project: James
- Dianna
- Apr 20
- 5 min read
Earlier this year I launched my on-going project of scripture writing and note-taking through the whole Bible and have been sharing posts on some of the Old Testament books.
This idea may inspire you - or overwhelm you. Either response is valid! I've been encouraging women to approach this project in a way that accommodates their own rhythm and season of life.
Although I've been releasing blog posts in sequence the past few months, I've also prompted BQ community members to start wherever their current focus is. So, I thought I'd share a New Testament book with you.
My process starts with reading through the book. I have a paperback study Bible that I purchased a few years ago that I'm using specifically for this project. I intentionally highlight verses I want to Bible Quilt and consider key themes I would like to capture. Since I didn't have printed BQJ products back when I began this process of summarizing each book of the Bible, I did a "freestyle" approach on blank pages.
Bible Quilting James
James has such poignant, declarative statements that offer us many practical applications for our lives today. I wanted to capture the essence of these as well as the descriptors of God as a Father giving good gifts and being a friend to Abraham.
I started with some bold stickers in a fun font for the title.
Estimating the amount of space the letters would need and aligning it to be roughly in the center of the page, I shaded the background before attaching the stickers.
Then I started Bible Quilting chapter one, highlighting key words and occasionally adding stickers that embellished the "flavor" of particular verses (e.g. gift, crown).
I basically built loosely stacked blocks in a sequence down the left side of the page, creating a column designated by stitch lines.
As I started the next column, I added washi tape to help separate them. When I got close to the title, I freehanded a "messy" line around the perimeter to offset it from the text.
I drew a cloud bubble around the names of Abraham and Rahab as they were listed as examples of Old Testament people who demonstrated righteous acts of faith. You can develop your own system for how you'd like to identify important characters on your pages.
Using a circular stencil, I made a space to enter background information regarding the author, date, and circumstances in which James was written. I'll fill this in later after I've done a little more research because I want to have the same info for each book of the Bible represented in my journal.
On the second page, I added a thin border of washi tape, using the same color palette as the first page to help tie the 2-page spread together. I used number stickers to denote chapters. Once I was on the 3rd of 5 chapters, I started looking ahead to "guesstimate" how many verses from each chapter I could fit onto the remainder of the page.
Keep in mind, I am NOT doing every word or every verse. I'm aiming for key verses that resonate with me and trying to stay within the 2 pages I've got designated for James in my oversized BQ Journal dedicated to this endeavor. If you are using a disc-bound system as I've recommended to do this project, then you will not have these page constraints. You may simply punch another template or blank page to add into your journal.
As I quilted the second page, I added variety by using some different shapes...a circle, a banner, a heart, and some diagonal lines to break up the boxiness of the squares. I used stickers again as embellishments to break up the words and highlight key phrases. I added stitch lines and washi tape to better define separate passages.
Once I completed the #scripturewriting, I looked at the page as a whole then added shading and background doodles. This is when you might identify themes that are repeated throughout the book and decide to use the same color to help highlight them.
Often I don't do the final coloring or embellishments the same day I complete a page because I like to review the page with a fresh perspective. I read through the scripture writing to proofread for spelling errors and use a fine-tipped marker to add the verse reference.
Whether you're summarizing the whole book of James or capturing highlights, allow the teachings of James to tenderize your heart. 💙
Additional Resources:
Video Overview of James from The Bible Project
In addition to concordances and online resources, most Bibles have an introductory passage with key data about each book of the Bible.
As you glean details you'd like to remember, you can add them to the flip card for James.
This flip card set is a good way to get started gathering facts for each book of the Bible.
I'm using the back of my card to note how Christ is reflected as well as other background info.
As I listen to podcasts, I like to take notes on the James page from the New Testament template set.
On the back side of the James template, I printed out the poster from the Bible Project. This provides me with a visual reminder of their summary. I can highlight and add notes or additional references.
To increase accessibility to these wonderful overviews, I made us a set of QR codes that we can include on our summary pages.
If any of this taps into your motivation to organize your notes according to all the books of the Bible, consider the Journaling Through the Word Bible Quilt Project.
I'm using a disc-bound system so I can add handouts or other BQ pages as I go. You could do something similar in a 3-ring binder. I'm using these Bible tabs, which have a theme summary printed on them, as an index for my BQ journal.
You'll likely develop your own flow as you proceed with your own summary pages! You're welcome to share in the comments below or over in our BQJ Facebook group.
Printed packets:
Digital options:
Got questions? More ideas?
You're welcome to our next BQ Zoom Chat
or engage with the BQ community in the BQJ Facebook group.
Replay of a recent chat in which we discussed this project more in-depth:
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