Lesson 2: Memorizing Scripture the first week

Hello friends!
I have really been having a great time working on memorizing GENESIS CHAPTER ONE!!  Today I want to show you some of the pages I created and the decoration of my GENESIS CHAPTER 1 SCRIPTURE book!  If you haven't read about memorizing scripture from the previous posts, be sure to go there first by clicking HERE

I used the technique described in THIS POST to create my album front and back.  I decided to use a mixed media book and cut the watercolor pages, mat them in black, and put them in so I can have some room to create more of a visual to help me memorize the verses:

The photos do not due this book justice...it's just an explosion of colors and texture!  This is the front and below is the back, followed by some close ups I took to try to better show the color/texture:

And here are the first few pages of my book:

I can go back when I get all the pages completed and see if I want to add anything to these pages, but this part of Genesis really lends itself to simple.

We had a great question from VALERIE that I wanted to share the answer to here so all can benefit.  Her question was concerning once you memorize the chapter, you will know the first half much better than the last half due to the consistent repetition of the first part.  So what are recommendations for being solid in memorizing the second half of the chapter?

The key to remembering the entire chapter once you've memorized it, is to continue reciting the entire chapter a few times a week.  So yes, by day 35 you will certainly have the first half better memorized than the last half, but if you continue to recite that chapter a few days a week in its entirety, by month two or three the entire chapter will be well-established in your memory.  The addage 'use it or lose it' really comes into play when we are trying to get something from short term memory into our long term memory.  I have a great example of this.  I know the words to the poem: Ode To Joy by heart in German even today, and I memorized it 25 years ago.  Why do I know it?  Because I had practiced it for months in high school for a German competition!  It still is in my long-term memory, with emphasis and pauses exactly how I learned it then!  So hang in there, Bible-memorizers....you CAN DO THIS!!

We have our DESIGN TEAM day of artwork Thursday so be sure to pop back over and see us!

Let me know if you have any other questions, comments, etc. about Scripture Memorization below!!

Blessings,

Antoinette

www.inspiredstamps.com

(Stamps used in today's projects are listed below this post)

Lesson 1: Watercolors (keeping it simple)

Hello friends,
So much going on this week!  We have a BRAND NEW STAMP RELEASE coming THIS THURSDAY plus...today begins our June challenge to memorize a chapter from the bible this summer!  We will be working through chapter 1 of Genesis throughout June, but we encourage you to work on memorizing a chapter of your choice.

FIRST THINGS FIRST:
Please go read through our 3 part section on MEMORIZING SCRIPTURE before going further if you haven't already:  CLICK HERE ( it will be on the sidebar under Creatively Memorize Scripture logo...and we will keep that up for you so you can always find it on the blog!  We will continue to add the June Memorizing Scripture posts to this logo as well, so you'll need to scroll down!!)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today we want to keep instructions AND MATERIALS simple.  My goal is to have 30 minutes a day to devote to working in my GENESIS CHAPTER 1 journal. I am usually working in Pan Pastels, Acrylic, or occasionally oil, so I decided to give watercolors a whirl...and I LOVE the simplicity of them and the striking colors and effects you can get with them.  So my GENESIS CHAPTER 1 journal I will only be using:
                                      *watercolors (pencils and paints) with the flower wells shown below

*a few good brushes

*a few pens, pencils, and markers

*stamps and ink (I can't resist...I'm a stamper at heart!)

*and my watercolor journal

So you decide what YOU will be using.  In the first 3 posts I had you read under FIRST THINGS FIRST above,  I  described  techniques for creating a Scripture book using acrylic paint so you have examples for that.  Just try to keep it simple, and within the amount of time you can honestly spend working in it.  If you don't want to worry with color, use pen or pencil on notebook paper!

Next, I wanted to work on lettering as I go through this month and well as playing with the watercolor techniques on my pages.  So I grabbed my books and magazines and will keep them handy as we go.  I want the SCRIPTURE to be SHOWCASED.  My goal, which we always must keep in mind, is to MEMORIZE God's Word, not create a necessarily priceless work of art :o)  So the lettering will be important.  

I want to practice a bit before I decide to write INTO my journal so I am pulling out some watercolor paper and playing first. 

The first verse in my journal is Genesis 1:1.  I played with watercolor on the right of the watercolor paper you see below and the left was what I decided to actually make:

So let me take you through some of my thinking so you can think through these as you go into yours.  First thing, I felt CREATED fit better and was better as bold for the composition.  Next I didn't like the green that came when I put the blue over the yellow (taught kindergarten and first grade for many years...should know that one LOL).  So when I went to make the finished side of this paper I made sure to use my blow dryer.  Next, it NEEDS and outline!!!  Black marker will probably go around all my Scripture.  I also practiced adding color with a paintbrush and taking color off with a paper towel on the right side, realizing I am far more attracted to the bold colors than the muted (hence the strong blue and yellows on the left).  I also tried every white pen I own out on the right and different ways to give shadow to the word GOD.  This led me to create a SHADOW practice sheet...

If you click on the photo you can see close up some of the different shadows I made in different ways.  This was very helpful and it actually inspired me to keep a separate practice notebook where I can practice with different fonts when I have a few minutes here and there.  This is actually EXCELLENT for Scripture memory!  The more I write Scripture, say it, hear it, think on it...the more I secure it into my heart!

So that is enough for one day.  Get your notebook or sketchbook or art journal and write out verse 1 for today.  If you want to add some color, do that.  I will be back once or twice a week in June to share more ideas and tips and to show you what I've created in my art journal thus far and I hope you will join me!  Memorizing Scripture is so very powerful!

Until then...don't forget to get your sticky note on your bathroom mirror and go over it every time you are in there:

 

Then tomorrow you will add 1:2 and repeat BOTH verse 1 and 2 together.  Day 3 you'll add verse 3 ONLY IF you know verse 2 solidly otherwise stay on 1 and 2 until you know both.  For now put them side by side or in a row down your mirror as  you go.  I'll share another way of storing these once you get to day 7 so that you aren't requiring 3 bathrooms to do this LOL.

And add a set of sticky notes to your refrigerator.  I had no idea how much this addition helped me!!  

Please leave us a comment if you are committed to memorizing a chapter of the Bible this summer (we have 3 months until fall :o)!  You can DO THIS!!

Blessings,

Antoinette                                  shop online for our stamps and Bazzill papers:

www.inspiredstamps.com

How to Memorize Scripture: WEEK 3 (our final week)

Hello friends!
Today is week 3 (our final post) of our How to Memorize Scripture focus here at Inspired Stamps! How are you doing?  Have any of the ideas or artwork we've posted been helpful in your own Scripture Memorization?  Be sure to leave us a comment and let us know!

If you haven't seen our previous posts, please start there.  You can click on the link here to go back to both:
http://inspiredstamps.blogspot.com/search/label/How%20to%20Memorize%20Scripture%20%28Creatively!%29

Today before I share the next set of verses I have put into my Ephesians Art Journal, I want to encourage you to make sure you have your Scripture Ring Index cards with you at all times, and to not only use the Sticky Notes we recommended in our last post, but put the Scripture you are memorizing in creative places:  on your mugs, your calendar, a picture frame, your computer screen, (my refrigerator is a KEY SPOT to put a set of these)  It's also helpful to HEAR the Scriptures.  You can play them in your car or on your smart-phone.  Are you creating an Art Journal for your Scripture?  Take a photo of your daily Scripture with your smart phone and set it as the lock screen!  Every time you go to type in your password for your phone, THERE IS YOUR SCRIPTURE!!

Here are this last week's worth of Ephesians that I created with in my Ephesians Art Journal.  You'll notice on the first pages I used magazine scenery in the background, and created a girl using our ART JOURNALING WORDS AND FACES set--a versatile set, especially if you aren't one to draw your own faces:

I always think of water washing over me when I think of this verse "according to the riches of His grace which he lavished on us".  So the water scene really works for me!

Next, I used a lot of Stickles on the next two layout spreads.  Love my Stickles; hate how long they take to dry!  But it was near 90 degrees outside here today so I put the pages out in the sunshine to dry and 20 minutes later, success!  I used Inspired Stamps:  Solid Alphabet Lowercase, Butterflies and Blooms & the Time stamp sets:

Here is the last layout, which started out as a simple fall scene, but really is stunning with God's Word over it:

Here's a closer view (this page did not photograph well this evening). 

**Join us in JUNE 2014 as we MEMORIZE CHAPTER 1 of the book of GENESIS!!**

Thanks so much for stopping by!!
Blessings, 
Antoinette           

shipping most orders the same day as placed!

www.inspiredstamps.com

How to Memorize Scripture: week 2 of 3

Hello friends and welcome to week #2 of our 3 Weeks of Fridays devoted to  How to Memorize Scripture!  If you missed last week's post, you will DEFINITELY want to head over there first.  Click HERE to see Post#1

As I said last week, the key is thinking on (or meditating) on God's Words throughout the day, using your 3x5 cards.

This week's tip is sticky notes.  You want the Scripture where you can see it and be reminded of it.  The best place is your bathroom mirror.  Why?  Because you are supposed to brush your teeth 2 times a day, plus you wash your hands way more than that (especially if you are doing the Scripture Art Journaling I'll share more on in a few minutes!!).  That way you will see it, read it, close your eyes, speak it, then read it again to check it.  I also put sticky notes on my fridge, front door, computer screen side, and studio desk.  Mix up the colors each day if you can, so they stick out to you...otherwise you will learn to ignore them when you are busy (been there, done that, got the tshirt lol)!

I really have found the Scripture Art Journaling of Ephesians SOOOOO helpful this week!  Again, last week I showed you an easy way to get the Scripture for the book of Jude into an Art Journal just using watercolor backgorunds and some stamps, with markers.  This week, as I begin my Ephesians' Art journal in my brand new Dylusions journal (see last week's post for details), I used some spray inks, but mostly Pan pastels and acrylic paints along with some collage to make my journal pages.  I am LOVING the way these are coming out and the vibrancy of the pages, so I will continue my Ephesians Art Journal with this method!  Here are the pages I made, along with some explanations/tips:

Ok, first of all you may notice I don't have verse numbers AND that more than one verse is on the page.  This is because my goal of memorizing is about the words in each chapter AND because the Dylusions' journal has total pages that will require me to get 2-3 verses on a page or I'll run out of paper before I'm finished with the book!  I wrote out most of the Scripture by hand and used the following Inspired Stamps to add emphasis to some of the words:  Colorable Uppercase Alphabet and Solid Alphabet Lovercase.  I love all of the Inspired Stamps alphabets and Art Journaling stamps, so they will be included in most of the pages I make :o)

I used the same markers for my lettering, so be sure to check back to part 1 about that if you have questions.  I made another page (the first photo at the top of this post with HIS LITTLE ONES: JOURNAL GIRL and GUARD YOUR HEART stamps) that I will share another day!  Loving making the houses so you'll probably see more of those!

LEAVE me a comment and let me know what you think!!  I loved hearing from so many of you via email and comments!  I'm so blessed by this process!

Blessings,
Antoinette

www.inspiredstamps.com

How to Memorize Scripture (and how your creativity can help!) part 1 of 3

Hello friends!

Today, and for the next 3 Fridays in August 2013, I will be sharing what I have found to be the BEST way to memorize Scripture and store it in your heart!  There are many great books out there on memorizing generally and memorizing Scripture, specifically, so my intent is not to go over everything that was ever said on the subject.  I just want to share what I've found that works for ME, (and for many others I have taught or spoken with over the years).

I am an Inductive Bible Study teacher when I am not working on the Inspired Stamps business or blogging, or teaching creative classes.  Inductive Bible Study is, simply put, using the Bible text as the source of your study.  I personally love the Precept Upon Precept studies that are produced from Precept Ministries.  This is because they really focus on finding out what the Bible SAYS, then, using the Bible cross-references and word studies, they focus on finding out what it MEANS (in its context).  Finally, the focus is how to live in light of the truth of the Bible (the application).

From my own study, I have found that the best way to keep from mistakenly taking random verses out of their intended meaning and using them 'alone' to say something that perhaps God never intended when He had them in their context, I memorize larger sections.  In fact, while memorizing paragraphs of Scripture together can be very helpful, I encourage you to memorize CHAPTERS or even better, BOOKS of the Bible.  Now before you panic and leave this post screaming, let me share that it is very DOABLE!!  One verse a day.    That's all it takes.  And you will think on that verse all day long.  What does it say?  Who is it talking about? What does this mean?  What do I learn about God in this verse?  What can I thank Him or praise Him or confess to Him in light of this verse?   ALL.  DAY.  LONG.  Whenever you can, you think on this verse (as the psalmist spoke: day and night I meditate on your law).

I recommend to start with you begin with Psalm 1.  It's short.  It's sweet.  And it's very doable!  You'll know it in a week!

Step by Step to Memorizing Scripture:

1.  You will need a Bible, colored pencils (or crayons!), and notecards (I've shown several ways the notecards come.  I like 3x5 card carriers (either in spiral or ring binder form) because it will fit in my little purse so I always have it with me:

Bible: PICK ONE BIBLE TRANSLATION AND STICK TO IT FOR THIS PROJECT!:  I prefer the New American Standard Bible to both study from and memorize. Other versions: English Standard Version, King James, or New King James are all 3 great because these are translated word-by-word.   Some people really like the NIV, which is a phrase by phrase translation.  I, PERSONALLY, do not use paraphrases, NLT, TLWB, etc because these are phrase by phrase translations (the paraphrases are translated and then paraphrased by the men who author them) and contain the most interpretation as part of the text, and my goal is to get as close to the very words of God as I can with as little of man's 'interpretation' inside the text as possible!  This is my own personal decision. 

2.  What you have above is ALL you NEED to memorize Scripture effectively (although I will be sharing a CREATIVE expression I am doing to help with the memorization a little later on).
1.  Choose what you wish to memorize.
2.  READ it, READ it, READ it.  I try to choose a book of the bible (or chapter) that I have already studied so I understand the historical context of the entire book and the context of the chapters that are in it.
3.  Write out the first verse on the first index card while speaking it outloud.  Like I said, I like to memorize books of the bible so I start chapter 1, verse 1.  I do not worry about memorizing verse numbers, but I do note them on my card.
4.  I color words that are important or that I have a hard time remembering as I memorize the verse.  I also will draw a picture to help myself on some of the verses.  Here is Jude verse 1:

Here is my thinking throughout the day about this verse:  Jude is writing this.  He has 2 ways he describes himself: 1.  a bond-servant of Jesus Christ 2. brother of James.  What does that tell me? Well, a bond-servant is a word used to describe a willing slave.  Someone whose life is completely submitted to the 'owner' or 'Master'.  I could write a book about this, but it reminds me of my own position as bond-servant to Jesus.  He is my Lord.  My life's focus is on serving and loving HIM.   Next we see Jude is a brother of James.  James is half-brother to Jesus (same moms; God is Jesus' Father).  So Jude is Jesus' half-brother, too.
Notice I put TO bold:  Who is Jude writing TO?  3 things about the recipients:  1 those who are the called 2 beloved in God the Father 3 kept for Jesus Christ.  We could look up called, beloved, and kept to see what those mean.  I won't teach a lesson here, but these are great things to think on!  Am I called, beloved, kept?  Is there important things to know in this book that I, as a fellow believer, need to pay attention to?

OK...you get the picture.  Day 2 will be the next 3x5 card with the next verse printed on it the same way. Use YOUR handwriting and speak the verse outloud as you write it.  It helps you remember it!  Day 2 I will repeat verse 1 and then read Day 2's verse.  This continues until I reach the last verse, where I am repeating all of Jude before memorizing the last verse.  Once I have a book, and can remember it (you'll be surprised how easy this is!) I move onto the next book.  I am about to study Ephesians and will be memorizing it next. Remember to keep these cards with you all the time!

REVIEW:  If you want the books you learn to stay in your long-term memory, you must review them a couple times a week (or at least once a week).  I do this BEFORE I start my memory verse for the day.

Remember:  You are memorizing and meditating on these verses (thinking on them while you fold the laundry, sit in the car, etc).  This is the goal.  Knowing your God more.  The goal is not to memorize the Bible, but to KNOW the God of the Bible by KNOWING His Word.  Enjoy the process and remember, this isn't about how fast or how many.

My favorite creative expression that significantly helps me retain the verses and ENJOY this process more:

1.  In addition to the materials for the basic steps above (not instead of, but in addition to!)  I love to get these Scriptures into my art!  Here's what I have selected as I start my memorization of the book of Ephesians to keep the materials simple for all of you to begin your own with me! (Remember, I recommend you start with a Psalm or Proverb or maybe even the Christmas Story in Luke until you are confident in the method):

  I pull out all my alphabet Inspired Stamps, ink, and acrylic blocks (as well as other stamps that are good for Art Journaling)

 This is my favorite journal because it's big, It has a closure, and it can handle any ink I want to throw on it!  You can use a mixed-media journal or paper that you choose!

I am sticking with watercolors (mostly) and permanent WATERPROOF pens/markers.  I always have a Signo white pen for white ink!

2.  Here is how I made my first page for my Jude Art Journal (I used watercolor paper and a mix of acrylics for this book so starting next Friday, you'll see the watercolors in my new Ephesians Art Journal):

 I start off painting my background.  Then I write in the first couple of words.  Do not worry if you don't like the black on a darker part of paint at this point.  I'll show you how to make it better later:

The word bond-servant is significant in this verse so I used my SOLID ALPHABET LOWERCASE  Inspired Stamps to stamp it in.  My paint is dry, so the Momento works fine here (otherwise I'd have to use the Staz-On so it wouldn't run if I'd planned to watercolor more over it.)

 I continue writing and stamping to get the photo above.  I can leave it like that, but I want to show you how to make it pop with the white Signo pen:

It just makes it look SO MUCH better with that.  I also added 'tails' to all my letters (could use dots, etc).

So now not only am I thinking on these words all day, but I am incorporating it into my Art Journaling!  This is the BEST way to start keeping a Scripture Art Journal I know of.  You don't have to think of what to write, you get to play with the paints, then write God's Word in the book.  This completed album becomes an artistic treasure of God's Word that I can use to review once I know this book!

I'd love to hear your questions or feedback!  Let me know in the comments if this is something you'd like to try!

I'll be back next Friday for part 2 of this.  I'll share all 7 days of my Ephesians' Art Journal with you and share some more tips as we go!

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE POSTS in this series!

Thank you so much for stopping by!  I pray you will be blessed with storing God's Word in YOUR heart, as well!
Blessings,
Antoinette

www.inspiredstamps.com

shop the online store for all your Scripture Stamping needs!