By Holly Sosa
Since becoming a Christian, I’ve heard over and over again how important daily Bible reading and quiet time is and I have to wholeheartedly agree. What better way to help you grow in understanding scripture and each of the books in the Bible? But for me, I felt overwhelming pressure to make some kind of holy and special place, set apart from my home, and away from my daily distractions, but I knew that wasn’t realistic. I’m a work from home mother and stepmother with deadlines and a toddler running around, and two rambunctious boys with tons of energy. Getting up extra early wasn’t an option for me as I too often succumb to the comfort of the snooze button. And staying up late was never going to get me into the word like I needed to be without dozing off. My solution was to squeeze it in however I could. No holy area. Just my home. My desk. My messy crazy life. Jesus wants me just as I am. And once I remembered that, I was free to fix my schedule around that.
For me daily quiet time with God is done after I drop my little dudes off at Kindergarten. Evelyn and I have our little routine once we walk back into our home after kisses and I love you’s to her brothers. She watches a little Mickey Mouse with a small bowl of fruit while I sit at my desk. And for awhile I was clueless. What do I do? Hey God, it’s me, Holly? So, what a crazy morning, huh? But He was growing me even then. And at least I was talking to Him daily and learning I was His daughter and that I could come to Him with anything.
As a stationery lover, anything that involves a fresh new notebook and my favorite pen immediately attracts me, so when I first heard about daily scripture writing, I was intrigued. And as someone who had never read the Bible in it’s complete entirety, I knew it would be a great way for me to digest a little at a time, mediate on it, and have a conversation with God about what I was learning each day. And now my daily scripture writing notebook is my most cherished in my collection. I cannot tell you the joy that washes over me when I look at that filled notebook and realize that each page represents a conversation with my Lord and Savior, a place where I grew, and a better understanding of scripture.
The inside cover of my notebook holds a place for my oikos, or my family, people God has strategically placed in my life to pray for and to perpetuate His Kingdom. I listed each person and pray for them daily. And taped inside the cover is also a photo of my sponsored child through World Vision which reminds me also to pray for him, his family, and his village.
Throughout the pages are my scripture writing with dates and the particular passage for each day is highlighted. I’ve been following along with the daily prompts from Middle Places by printing out their monthly sheets and sticking them in my notebook with these coil clips.
And in the back cover, I secured an envelope with washi tape for prayer requests. My women’s Bible study group often hands out cards to one another for prayer requests and I tuck mine away in the envelope for daily attention after my scripture writing. Once the month is over, I tape them up in my closet (my own little war room) to continue to pray for them.
If you’ve been struggling with where to begin carving out daily quiet time, making your own daily scripture writing notebook could be a great starting point. It’s worked so well for me that I recommend it to all of my sisters in Christ and encourage them to try to write in it daily. It can seem overwhelming, but a few verses a day can grow you and help you better comprehend what you’re reading since you’re slowing down to write and digest each word.
For additional ideas for journaling, peeks into my journaling Bible, and more, be sure to follow the Our Holly Days page via Facebook where I update frequently throughout the week.
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