https://youtu.be/M9njYLD7A1s
http://www.harpercollinschristian.com/n ... eir-faith/

New NIV Beautiful Word Bible, with space for creative drawings. The company's article on the new product makes some sense to me, a doodler.

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"...with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26

Oh - I just couldn't bring myself to use something like that!

I can't even bring myself to write in my Bible enough to underline. For that matter, I don't think I've ever even written my name in a Bible.

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http://stuffedveggies.blogspot.com/

To me, it looks like just another way to try to make what people find boring, seem fun. And another way for someone to capitalize on people's boredom with God's word. If people are not finding satisfaction in God's word alone, they need to look at the reason for that and the spiritual implications. Much of the wording in that article sent up red flags. "New and authentic", "ignite creativity", "new form of worship", "trend". What was wrong with the "old" form of worship? The great godly people of the past only needed a simple Bible and prayer for a deep relationship with God. Less is more. The people closest to God, are the persecuted in other countries and many of them don't even have Bibles, let alone fancy artsy ones. From what I've observed, when you have God, He is enough for you, when you don't have Him, you always want more. Ironically, it mentions a break from the distractions of the world, while it looks like it distracts from God's word. I rank this right up there with "prayer meditation" and other bizarre things that people do to feel closer to God.

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Mom to Christian (13), Saphira (10), Xavier (5), and Adrian (2).

Lisa, on further looking into this Bible journaling craze, I agree with you. I saw this as a new product by zondervan but they are only jumping onto the bandwagon now. There is a whole cottage industry supporting this journaling and at its root is the prophetic art movement. (I have friends lost in that right now.)
http://www.rebekahrjones.com

God is more than a catchphrase. The word 'alter' didn't set well with me in their advertising. Altering the Word of God. Nope.

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"...with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26

I once felt that way, Anna. But I now feel that the Word of God was made manifest to us to BE handled and be made "common". Yet utterly Holy. If Bibles were scarce to us I would definitely feel differently. I don't underline or write in ALL of my Bibles.

Flash - I just got a picture in my mind. When we come into the presence of our Lord, what if all OUR words and underlinings appear on Him as tattoos!!!

Gotta run.

Well - the tattoo image is more than a little disconcerting. Given that the Bible forbids tattoos - as does our Church.

I have two reasons for disliking "coloring" in my Bible (and with "coloring" I include underlining)
1) the obvious -that it takes away from the reverence.
but the less obvious reason:

2) If this time I am reading the Bible (to put it in Protestant terms) "God shows me something" and I underline it, or a I hear something in a sermon and underline it -then the next time I read the same passage, I would tend to dwell on the last experience and MISS the next thing He wants me to see.

This passage is a great example - a lot of people read, underline & memorize verses 8&9, but TOTALLY miss verse 10.

Ephesians 2:8-10New International Version (NIV) (source Bible Gateway)

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

I think by not underlining, it is much easier for me to learn new things about the same passage each time I read, rather than getting stuck in ruts.

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http://stuffedveggies.blogspot.com/

I don't like to highlight or underline, because I get carried away and before I know it, I've highlighted or underlined the whole page! Also, what Anna said.

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Mom to Christian (13), Saphira (10), Xavier (5), and Adrian (2).

I went for many many years not marking in my Bible. (It was more of a "perfectionist" position on my part rather than a consideration of the holiness of it.)

I agree with what you say.... to an extent. "Beginning" Bible marking should be done cautiously. And perhaps it's not good for everybody. I find underlining draws my attention more into the Word. I draw lines or arrows from confusing pronouns to the noun it goes with or circle a word that may appear many times within a few paragraphs. I might choose a specific color to shade "promises" or "prophesies". Other times, yes, I just underline something that speaks to me at that time. (And those are the ones I can sometimes regret.) I now enjoy marking it and I feel more intimate with it.

OTOH, I do not like that doodler's Bible. A total artistic-type person may view it differently, I won't judge. But, to me, that would make the Bible into a "scrapbook" of sorts. I certainly wouldn't want it to be my main Bible. It could be a great hand-me-down to kids and grandkids, tho'.

Interesting subject and one I feel no qualms about at this time. If I were to grab the one Bible I could keep, I would grab my underlined one.

As for the tattooing.... I was thinking of it as part of what He bore for us. (I don't really think He will be tattooed, of course.)

And, I'm not saying it's wrong for *others* - just that it's not for me.

My Mom underlined in her Bible, and I always felt that for her it was a respectful & devout choice.

There are some things that I think are wrong for *everybody* and it drives me NUTS when people say, "Well, for ME it wouldn't be the right decision. . . " about something like that.

But for this one - I think "each unto his own" is fine.

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http://stuffedveggies.blogspot.com/