Name: Spreading the Feast Gathering
Start: 2025-07-11T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-07-12T23:59:59-05:00
Location: LaGrange, KY

This topic has 5 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 11 months ago by Inky.

Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

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July 5, 2012 at 1:17 pm
Inky
Member
So…I’m looking for tips on how other Moms organise and journal their own Bible time and other books (eg CM books). I’m not a natural journaler, but I’m trying to work on ‘Mom’s Habits’ of being discplined and organised with my own reading and praying and journaling.
I guess not being a natural journaler, I lose track of what I’ve read and things I’ve been praying. But when I try and journal I never get very far as I get a bit overwhelmed with it all, or have writer’s block. So I guess I’m looking for how others manage this in a way that fits into a busy schedule, without feeling I need to have more time than I have, to make it work.
I try to get up before the rest of the family to read my Bible, but then I end up staying too late to fit in some other reading once i’ve done my evening chorse – which makes it difficult to get up early the next day. I’d love to find out how others organise their notebooks, what kind of notebooks you use to write in, and how you manage to fit it all in and keep it organised!
Thanks!
Ruth
July 5, 2012 at 3:40 pm
MamaSnow
Participant
This is what I do, but I am sort of a ‘natural’ journaler – ie, I’m wired such that I can’t remember anything unless I write it down, therefore it follows pretty naturally that anything I want to remember, I will write down. =) I don’t really have any kind of particular system, but I do have three different notebooks that I kind of keep. All of them are just simple composition books from the store, although if I get given a ‘pretty’ journal as a gift I’ll use that until it’s full. The first is my ‘devotional’ journal – in which I write thoughts from my Bible reading, prayers, quotes from inspirational books (not CM though, I have a separate notebook for that), notes from sermons or seminars, etc. I used to try to keep seperate sections but that drove me batty (especially if one section filled up faster than the others), so now I just keep it chronologically – as in a write the date and then record there “whatever” for the day – whether it be notes from the Bible or another book, prayers/prayer requests, notes from a sermon, etc. The second notebook I keep is to jot down ideas for school – tentative schedules, lists of resources to look into further, etc. The last notebook is just my CM notebook. There is so much rich stuff in these that I got a separate notebook to record it. Also helps me to remember what I’ve read since I tend to move through these books very slowly as I have time, and sometimes I couple weeks can go by that I don’t read anything from CM at all. Just depends on how much time we have and what I’m in the mood to read when I do get some time.
As far as time – I generally try to get up before the kids for Bible reading/devotions, my hubby is thankfully very willing to help out with kids and breakfast in the morning to help make this possible for me. If something happens and I miss a day though, I don’t sweat it and pick up where I left off the next day. As far as other recreational type reading, I usally read at least a little bit before bed. There’s not always time for a lot, especially if I’m tired!, but I can’t NOT read, so I make time for it. I sometimes get a few moments for personal reading during our quiet hour in the afternoon, although lately I’ve found myself falling asleep more than reading….
HTH some,
Jen
July 5, 2012 at 4:06 pm
Tristan
Participant
I’ve tried two ways:
1. Journaling by topic. For scriptures this means as I come across something in a particular topic it can be written on the appropriate page in my topical scripture journal. I set that up before reading with each 2 page spread a topic at the top, listed alphabetically. I hate it! I don’t do well with this so I don’t use it much…LOL. But I knew I needed to try it.
2. Journaling chronologically. Like Jen said, read, take notes, done. The next day I may read from the same spot or choose somewhere else in scripture for that day. Because of that I write the scripture reference for my day’s reading in each entry. With this I may read a few verses and write some notes, or I may read a whole chapter and write some notes. I find that I get more out of it if I’m doing in in smaller chunks.
July 5, 2012 at 4:33 pm
pslively
Participant
I have never journaled at all. I just don’t enjoy it. Recently however, after re-reading lots of habit training stuff, I have realized that I need to work on the habit of attention when I read. I do not pay attention and I allow my mind to wander. In an effort to curb that, I have started writing down notes from what I read. So I’ve only been doing this for about a week, but WOW, what a difference it makes in my retention. I encourage you to go for it and just do it.
So far, here is what I’ve done. I made two books from scratch using the front and back of a cereal box for covers which I decoupaged using mod-podge and scrapbook papers. I punched holes in the covers and used book rings to bind them into books. I made pages out of plain scrapbook paper or cardstock. These are where I write quotes I want to remember from books. In addition, I made some pages out of nice lined paper and stuck those in there as well. At the beginning, I have a table of contents that I can add to as I add to the book. I wanted to make my own books using the book rings so that I could add, subtract, or rearrange pages as I fill the books. I don’t like binders so I didn’t want to use that… hence the need for making my own.
I have made one for Bible study. One section is for Hebrews because that’s what we’re working on in Sunday School. One section is for the book I’m doing with a study group.
I have one for Education. I have actually been working in this one all summer so it is getting quite full. It is so helpful to have all of my “helps” in one place. I have quotes in there, my year-by-year plans for each grade level, a section on habit training where I have lots of notes from books I’ve read, a section for booklists that I am having the kids work through.
I have made one for books I’m reading with the kids for Literature. I have a table of contents where I can list each book. Right now I am reading four books along with them simultaneously so it really helps me to be able to keep track of what’s going on in each book. I read a chapter and write 1-2 sentences about it in my book.
I have made one for Science books that I am reading along with my kids. Right now we are working through two books. In my table of contents I have “Usborne Book of the Microscope” on page 1 and “The Storybook of Science” starting on page 11. I left blank pages to fill behind each one. For the microscope book, I take extensive notes, make drawings, etc. For the S.O.S. book, I write 1-2 sentences for each chapter and occasionally add great quotes. (I did use a spiral for this notebook because I had a really cool science-y one.)
I don’t know if any of this info is helpful to you at all, but hopefully something will give you an idea to piggyback off of. I know that, for me, if the book is not asthetically pleasing, I will get hung up on that. If it is not organized the way I like it, I will get hung up on that. Here is a blog post that gave me some inspiration and the little kick start that I needed to get going. http://stonesoupforfive.blogspot.com/2012/01/diy-legacy-bible-journal.html
July 5, 2012 at 11:48 pm
Tecrz1
Participant
I like to buy nice, pretty, sturdy notebooks that give me satisfaction when I write on them – no cheap paper! 🙂
I have lots of notebooks. My two most used are my gratitude journal a la 1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp, and my devotional journal where I do as someone stated above and record chronologically my Bible reading, thoughts, verses, quotes, etc.
Because I record personal information in this I also keep a separate notebook that is small enough to fit in my purse for sermon notes at church. I have done that since I was a teenager.
I also have a binder for homeschooling with dividers. I keep my curriculum plan, printouts of book lists, CM notes, other notes from hs books, ideas, etc.
I also have notebooks for studying the Bible on certain topics. I usually can fit 3-4 topical studies in a notebook,more or less depending on the topics. These are cheaper notebooks with plain notebook paper as I would fill up a pretty journal pretty fast.
Tara
July 6, 2012 at 2:24 am
Inky
Member
Thanks everyone! I feel inspired! I’m going to go and sleep on all your ideas and wisdom, and see what I come up with tomorrow.
I guess I’m curious too as to WHAT you write. I mean, if you’ve read a chapter, do you try to narrate the whole thing, or just a single thought….what helps you remember what you’ve read best?
Thanks again!
Ruth