To launch our theme of Drawing Near to God in 2022, we're kicking off with 31 Days of Creation for the month of January.
I'm jumping into January by getting my calendar page prepped:
Susie, our friend from Georgia, has compiled a wonderful collection of verses for us to explore this month. You can get the printable reference list for the full year and make handy bookmarks to use as you look up the daily scriptures.
The next step is to write out the daily verses onto a flip card set. Susie shared a photo of her prepared set with all her handwritten verses on the topic of Creation.
She added some ribbons for some colorful texture and is ready to begin "quilting" these scriptures onto the 2-page spread in the 2022 Monthly Bible Quilt Journal.
Mary Jo typed all the daily verses onto a flip card set, which makes it super quick to prep! Inspired by this month's topic, I printed a set on rainbow-colored card stock that turned out super cute! Use coupon code CREATION to get the set free this month.
You can choose whichever quilt square you'd like to begin. Consider the length of the verse to estimate the best fit for each one. Sometimes I'll select a portion of the verse that captures the main point related to our topic, using the full verse I've got on my flip card set as a resource.
Gradually the page will fill with all these scriptures based on the same topic and provide you with a unique perspective of how they connect together throughout the Bible.
Throughout the year as we write out these scriptures cultivated by other women, we may have a different perspective of the selected verses and want to add other verses to build context or make our own connections. With 365 scriptures, inevitably we'll encounter some typos along the way despite all the proofreading we've already done. Once I become aware of discrepancies I can update the list, but it's difficult to notify everyone... so be empowered to modify the list in a way that is the most meaningful for you.
For example, on day 22 of this month's reference list is Isaiah 42:6. Yet when you look up this verse and read the previous verse, you get a fuller impact of the theme and may want to include both:
5 This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out,
who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it,
who gives breath to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles"
Psssst.... I've got a little bonus for you!
I developed a Creation sticker sheet to help embellish our BQ pages as we explore this theme:
See this post for tips: Printing Stickers
The featured template for January is the World in His Hands to remind us of the ultimate Creator.
I used a mix of verses from our Creation collection as well as some others from my devotional readings.
January in the BQ Wall Calendar
If you have a 2022 BQ Calendar, the featured template is called the Crazy Quilt Block and was designed by our Alabama friend, Alice. The template is also available as a printable if you don't have the calendar.
You can use some of the verses from this month's reference list or select whatever verses you'd like to motivate you during January.
Are you choosing One Little Word to focus on for 2022?
January is the month of fresh starts, new goals, and vision boards. Sometimes it helps to have some scriptural foundation for a word or phrase we want to cultivate more in our daily lives. There's a template printed in the 2022 Monthly BQJ called My Word for the Year, which is available as a printable if you don't have the journal.
Another version called Word of the Year is also a printable option.
January often brings bustling snow and frigid air that nudges us to cozy up and hunker down... or maybe invigorates us to go out and explore. I love how a fresh snowfall covers the landscape and gives it a crisp, clean look. It changes our perspective.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the NEW is here!" 2 Corinthians 5:17
Alrighty, my friends. Let's embrace the NEW year with open minds and a fresh perspective, remember that we are stronger together in Christ.
Hope to see you at the first Zoom of 2022!