How to Use Photos in your Bible Quilt® Journal

Do you have random photos floating around? Maybe you've scrapbooked in the past and have had the intention to get back to scrapbooking so those photos have a long-term home?

Sometimes we just have to "let go" of our overly ambitious goals to get all the photos tucked tidily away into albums or frames. But occasionally we'll have a burst of motivation and make a little progress with them.

I've had quite an assortment of photos filter down to me after loved ones have passed on. Initially there's the emotional perusal down memory lane, then a hard pause when you just can't process anymore. Over time though we feel pulled to do something to honor those memories and capture those sentiments on a page or in an album.

I'm learning to use these loose photos in my Bible Quilt Journal as a meaningful embellishment.

In my #biblequiltjournal a few years ago, I used some photos on my prayer pages for my family.

Have you tried this yet?

You can write scriptures you're praying over a family member or capture their favorite verses on a page with their photo.

This is a wonderful way to acknowledge and honor various relationships or roles a given family member has (mother, grandma, etc.)

In a "family" BQ journal started several years ago, I invited family members to add a verse to their page and added photos throughout it. I love seeing the personal handwriting amidst the family events that bring us together. This one is still going...

Scriptures with mementos of loved ones

Using photos on BQ page

Scriptures with photo of loved one and caregiver

For my college boys, I've made a single BQ page including a family photo and framed it for each of them to have in their dorm rooms. This has worked great! 

Bible Quilting verses for my College Boys

I've got BQ journals for each of my boys. This is a mutual on-going project that we pass back and forth. Sometimes they will add a verse to a page or color in a title. During Covid we'd have a family Bible Quilting session after online church.

Since then I continue to pull out one of their BQJs and flip through it as I pray over their current activities.

Often this will trigger an idea for a scripture or an embellishment I'd like to add. If I don't have time to do it at that moment, I'll write my idea on a post-it note to come back to later.

Original Bible Quilt Journals for each of my boys

Sometimes my sons will have an impactful experience like a scout trip or summer camp that inspires a page.

I'll use a photo to capture the essence of that adventure along with scriptures relating to that event.

Fishers of Men page in son's Bible Quilt Journal

Got extra school photos?

You can incorporate extra school portraits into a prayer page for each school year, focusing on friendships, relationships with teachers/coaches, and particular extracurricular activities.

Scripture for the School Year

I'm making my sons' BQ journals more scrapbook-y than my usual ones because I like to weave in those family memories, gently reminding them of the character-building taking place throughout their childhood. (Plus, I'm gradually using up those loose photos that otherwise wouldn't find a home anytime soon.)

It doesn't matter if I don't have the specific date/event identified because I'm using the photo as a reflection of the trait/topic I'm doing the page on.

I'm adding photos to each of the Fruit of the Spirit pages in my boys' journals, gradually adding scriptures around them. Sometimes I'll have the boys write some of their own verses for a blending of our handwriting styles. I invite them to do some of the coloring, too.

This is an on-going process. Some pages only have a photo or a colored tab for months, then I'll have a few moments to add scriptures to the page.

Do you have some good "action shots" of your kids/grandkids?

Use a "personality" photo as a motivational anchor, then search out scriptures related to the emotion a particular photo evokes.

This blending of photos and creative scripture writing is a lovely way to engage in the Word. I always feel more grounded after one of these sessions and feel like it's a way to connect scripture to our everyday activities.