August..
August the first marks the day when my inner child wants to run out and buy everything and anything with a pumpkin on it. However, let me remind you this momma is in the great state of Alabama where August has scorching temps and humidity that makes you feel you are in a sauna that follows you everywhere. I can not say that the weather brings me to those happy fall thoughts that I love nor does it really make me want to pick up my needles or hooks. However I have managed to make a pair of knitted knockers to donate to the local breast cancer support group and have started my second pair. The are quite easy to make but the heat has me mostly finding other things to do.
This years curriculum we chose is Christian based. We are using Abeka and IÂ which is giving us a more one on one homeschool experience but at the same time allowing me to be able to get things done as they watch the video portion of their classes. I wanted to work with my boys more and sit by them as they learned and be have more of that one on one with them. Since they are having Bible time I also wanted to use that time to practice what I preach so to speak. I typically have my T.A.G (time with God) before they get up but I wanted for them to see me reading and doing a Bible study daily as well. So what I have been doing is getting up and have some alone time before they rise, then pausing to do some morning prep (consuming coffee, catching up on my email etc) then once they sit down at the dinning room table I do as well and finish up that days Bible study and help them in the process.
So since I have an abundant amount of Bibles I thought I would do a post about journaling/note-taking Bibles as they seem to be my favorite. I do love study Bibles and between the Hubs and I could do a post on those kind as well if someone wanted.
I have four Bibles that fit into the journaling and note taking-category (shown above). They are called this because of the one to two inch margins on the side that allow for notes, doodles or whatever else your heart desires. They come in a variety of translations, covers, and types. Some are geared for coloring in with pre-drawn artwork and passages that are pulled out from that page for you to color in etc. Some have a mixture of pre-drawn and blank margins and some have margins with lines and some are without lines…
So whats my Favorite?? Hands down my Crossway Single Column large print ESV leather bond with flap. I had had it for about 2 weeks now and was sent it to review but I can tell you I am over the moon in love with this Bible. Its just a stunning and well made Bible. The font is a glorious 9.5 so I can see it well in church and in low light and the morning light which is when I do my T.A.G. I love the lines in the margins that make it easy for me to write all the notes… and I write where there is not lines as well. Despite its size it is pretty light weight making it easy to travel and with its flap and leather tie, I do not have to worry about the pages becoming damaged in my bag. The only drawl back I have had with it is that it only has one bookmark ribbon and that is not even a big deal. I like to mark the page that we talk about in Bible study group and in service so I can go back and reread at home the following week and dig deeper. I have just used another bookmark.
Bibles:
So now I told you my clear winner lets do some comparisons of why it is. I have the following :
Crossway Single Column leather bond and flapped
She Reads Truth CSB dark brown leather bond and indexed
Thomas Nelson Journal the Word NKJV hardback
Tyndale Inspire Hardback large print
Weights:
Crossway: 3.14 lbs
She Reads Truth: 3.20 lbs
Thomas Nelson: 3.19
Inspire: 3.78 lbs
Over all size and look:
In the photos through out this post you can see the inspire Bible (blue) is the beast in this bunch. The Crossway with the flap is the second largest but weights the least of all of them, then She Reads Truth is next with the hardback black Journal the Word coming in as the smallest in size. The two bottom Bibles, the black Journal the Word and the Inspire Bible are both hard covers. I have to admit I am not a hard cover fan. I know I have seen people paint them but they are the only hardback Bibles I own and I own a lot of Bibles! I will say the the Inspire has a very nice printed detail on the pages that is nice to look at even when the Bible is closed. Both hardbacks offer an elastic thing that keeps the Bibles closed. I much prefer the leather strap closure of the Crossway, it just gives it a more polished looke. The CSB is a dark leather and plain but does have the gold edge pages. I have had my She Reads Truth for a few years now and she does not show scratches hardly at all and she is well loved and has been written in many many times. The Crossway and She Reads are both covered in leather. However, the Crossway to me is a more natural leather. It is very pretty and gives off this rustic, chic, sheek, farmhouse, warm and fuzzies to your soul feel. Mine did come with a scratch on it but that does not bother me at all. In fact I hope this Bible gets tones of scratches in its leather. To me that shows a well loved Bible. It also is a reminder for me that perfection is not realistic. That as humans we are imperfect and we need Gods salvation to be pure. I want to see those scratches and let them remind me I need to be in the Word daily because like those scratches in the leather I have imperfections in my life… that need Gods grace daily. That however is just something I see when I see this Bible. I know there are those out there that shutter at the thought of scratches but I hope those do not stop you from considering this Bible.
The Pages:
The pages of all four Bibles are very different. I would say by feel alone the Inspire has the thickest pages but its main purpose is a color in Bible so that would make sense. The Crossway, Journal the Word and Inspire all have antique white pages while the She Reads are white. I know the She reads can come indexed like the one I own but that typically adds onto the MSRP. I have not seen may journaling Bibles that have that available. You can also see that the Crossway and the Inspire both have the larger print as these are both large print Bibles. It actually seems to me the smallest print is the She Reads Truth. However it has never bothered me.
     
To personalize and to help me find chapters in my Crossway I used washi tape to mark each chapter of the Bible. I am also using that washi to color code the different groups of chapters. For instance I am using predominantly blue washi for the Laws, yellows for poetry, white with gold accents for Gospels etc. I think it just looks beautiful and gives me a visual cue as to what I am studying. I will say its not easy to get the tape on perfectly but again I am OK with that as imperfections are what make it beautiful. There are many tips out there on the internet as to how to do this if you are interested, I will also suggest just using the real washi which is a very very thing paper. I still have about 6 more chapters to do but I have enjoyed the process.
Brief look at things to use in your Bible:
There are so many ways to journal, drawl, doodle, paint, accent and personalize your Bible. This post is not really about that but I do want to point out a few things I see. The Inspire Bible is a great entry to really being creative in the Bible if that is the journey you want to take. With the pre-drawn pages to color and the ones that are blank it will help those who maybe are not sure what to put down on the pages. For me though I saw it as a hindrance. I often did not have that passage that was pre-printed speak to me and maybe wanted a different one there. I do love that Bible though to color in when I need a pick me up. The She Reads Truth with its line free pages allows for your creative juices to flow. I feel the absence of lines allow for art and for notes but it makes it hard to write straight. The size of the She Reads Truth also does not give as much space. When I started my current study I was in the She Reads Truth. I then copied the notes from it to my new Crossway and add some new and there is still room to add more down the road. For me the Crossway will stickily will be my note-taking Bible as I feel that is more what I want to do in my study time. When I come to a passage that I want to illustrate I will grab my She Reads. Its not that I do not think the Crosssway would be good for that because it would actually be prefect but I like having my Bibles to function differently for me and my needs.
My Process:
So that is the reasons why this Crossway Single Column ESV is “THE” Bible for me and my needs. It is everything I wanted in a Bible after seeing what is out there and how I plan on using it. I think it again is just a stunning Bible and would make a wonderful gift for anyone despite their age or gender.
If you are reading this and have never tried a journaling Bible or note-taking then I encourage to do so. You can create your own process and method of chose from one of the most common ones. If you have no idea where to find information on those please feel free to drop a comment or to message me. I really appreciate Crossway  for allowing me to do this review and for working with me on getting my hands on this stunning Bible. I am obsessed over it to be quite honest and I love everything about it. I can not wait to fill her up with words of love, hope and blessings that will be passed down to my children.
Where to find the things in my post:
I have included bellow my affiliate links to the Bibles in this review on Amazon. This links will let Amazon know I am sharing their products and I will make a a very small amount of money if you choose to purchase from these links. Nothing is charged extra to you but it does allow me to do reviews such as these in the future.
Gel highlighters and Bible Study from Daily Grace
Rae Dun MugsÂ
Shop Amazon for Crossway Bibles Here:Â https://amzn.to/3tZj1XIÂ Â Â Â