Soon after I found Bullet Journaling - I found Bible Journaling. I was captivated by the amazing art and the spirit I saw on those pins. Everyone was so talented, their pages flowed with beauty. After being apart of the bullet journaling community for a year - I wanted to try my hand at that as well. I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints so naturally my instant 'I want' was the Book of Mormon - but alas I could not find one. So I found a KJV Bible with wide margins and tried my hand at Bible Journaling. Unfortunately - my heart wasn't in it, so I assumed it wasn't for me. I placed my bible on my desk and sadly didn't open it again for almost a year.

Fast forward to September 2018. My Relief Society gave a counsel about reading your scriptures - especially the Book of Mormon. She past around her Book of Mormon she used on her mission and as I flipped through it I was hit by something. Her triple set was just gorgeous. It was beat up and it smelled like perfume....but there was stickers and notes from her investigators....those scriptures had traveled and meant more to her than anything. I was struck by that lesson and that night opened up my quad and began to read the Book of Mormon for the second time. I then went to Dessert Book and got the Scripture Stickers (if you haven't seen these - they are so fun! check them out HERE) and new high lighters. I was determined to read it all the way through. Not a week or so later McKaylie had sent me a link to these two gals who started a Journaling Edition of the Book of Mormon - Line Upon Line! I was in love the second I saw the book and knew I had to have one. I didn't hesitate and purchased one right away. Then waited and waited impatiently for it to arrive. Once it did - I didn't waste any time. It even went to General Conference with McKaylie and I - and once President Nelson gave the women the challenge to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year - I grabbed my Journal and was determined to finish it. Using the Line Upon Line Journaling Edition has brought me so much joy and gratitude. I feel the spirit right by my side as I read the Lords words.  I feel as if I understand them better - being able to jot down notes or quotes is truly what helps me! I absolutely love my scriptures from Line Upon Line.

I completed it in November 2018 and when I was flipping through it today to find pages to share - I could have marked each and every one. Not every page is written on, there are a few drawings but mainly lettering and notes. That's the beauty of Bible Journaling! You don't have to be an artist or a calligrapher to keep one. Some of the photo I am going to show are you are just highlights and notes! I had roughly 48 Pictures that I took - narrowing it down was hard. But here are some of my favorite spreads that I created - and a few lessons I've learned to go along with them!

The Doctrine of Christ in 2 Nephi 31. I remember this standing out to me during my missionary discussions. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Repentance, Baptism by water and by fire...enduring till the end...all of these things lead to Eternal Life. After this lesson my missionaries asked me if I wanted to be baptized. I was hesitate at first because my husband was over seas, but after re reading the chapter at home and praying....I knew that it was right, and told them the following day that I wanted to become a member. I was baptized two weeks later by an amazing friend.

This to me is so sweet. I had honestly forgotten about so seeing it during a flip through meant so much. I had my BoM on the side of the couch, open to Alma and my Hadley was sitting next to me singing I am a Child of God. It made me think of how important it was that she saw me reading this wonderful book and that she knew what it was. It brought me joy to know that my children were being raised in the Church and the gospel. I was filled with the spirit enough to know it record the moment in my scriptures.

Even though now with my New Testament and Doctrine and Covenants (I'll post those too!!) I am branching out and getting more 'artsy' I found flipping through my Book of Mormon that there is very little 'art' and more notes and hand lettering. The second photo is in Alma 32, where Alma teaching about faith. In the margins are my thoughts on the chapter and summary of what I had just read. There is a lot of information in those chapters so the bulk of Alma is notes!!  I love the lessons Alma taught and truly value them. Faith is like a seed - nourish it...don't let it go. It's planted in your heart and needs attention to stay alive!

 A lot of songs make it into my scriptures. The ones that I have put in the most are I Stand all Amazed - one of my favorite hymns - and I Saw the Light by Hank Williams. During my discussions my friend Debbie (the amazing gal who first asked me to church) asked me if I wanted to hear her favorite hymn. She grabbed a hymn book (which I thought was cool she owned one, I grew up Catholic and those stayed in the church!) and she read me the lyrics. I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me... now whenever I hear that song I think of my journey and how much my life has changed. It has made it into my scriptures....a lot....



'I saw the Light' and pretty much any of Josh Turners amazing country gospel music as made it in my scriptures as well. I'll sometimes listen to music as I read and study and more often then not the song that's playing or stuck in my head fits perfectly with the scripture itself. For example...Alma 60:36 says "Behold, I am Moroni, your chief captain. I seek not for power, but to pull it down. I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country..." As I was reading this, a certain song by Josh Turner was in my head. "For the Love of God." He says..."I ain't tryin to win the praise of man I live for the love of God" I found it very fitting! And...anytime I read 'Strait is the gate and narrow is the way...' I think of 'I Saw The Light'....those lyrics are there a lot.... Music truly sometimes help me see things more clearly.

                                                                                                                                             














I had 48 photos that I knew I wanted to share - so there will definitely be a Part 2! I could do a post of nothing but photos from my scriptures - that's how much it means to me to share it with you. My last picture needs to be shared and it's not even anything I did in it! Last year I got the pleasure of going to Pinners Con and meeting the beautiful creators of Line Upon Line. Emily and Alexis are both amazing girls and the spirit just seeps out of them! I had brought my book with me and nervously asked them to sign it. Instead - they wrote me a blurb and water colored over their scripture. I hope to see these ladies again one day as they have become such an inspiration to me. These amazing girls are doing so much- serving in ways I only dream of. I look up to them in so many ways.

If you think you are interested in Bible Journaling, don't be afraid to start. Mistake will happen but those will make it your book. Pray, listen to music and feel the spirit as you read and make your scriptures your own. Its changed the way I look at the world and its a constant reminder that God does care and love for me. As he does for you!

With love - Stefanie

"This is Me"

Look out 'cause here I come, And I'm marching on to the beat I drum, I'm not scared to be seen, I make no apologies, this is me.

~The Greatest Showman~

There aren't many people I feel I can be myself around. For most of my life I hid things that I love. Once people found out that 'Mmmbop' was one of my favorite songs, or that I loved to watch and read anime - I was labeled as 'the nerd' or 'loser' and was made fun of. This caused me to hide everything and just kind of stay clear from people. There are those who accepted me and I still hold them very dear to my heart, even if I don't speak to them everyday. Even though I had those few people who were my true friends, I still didn't know who I was because for so long the real me was hidden. It wasn't until recently when I decided that what they thought didn't matter and I was going to be me. Through my journals I have been able to discover a lot of myself that was pushed deep down into my hole that only myself or my close friends knew about. I started to put my favorite songs on the pages and trackers to silly things I was excited about. And when I wanted to show everyone what I had made... I was shocked that I was 'ready' to show off ME. 

One of my friends and coworkers really proved to me that I could be myself and that it didn't matter.

The Beautiful McKaylie and I at the Josh Turner Concert

 When I first met McKaylie I was nervous we wouldn't get along. She was from a small town and was the popular girl everyone knew. I was scared. One day I asked her how her weekend was and her response was... "well, I shot a deer". I was totally taken off guard. It was that moment I knew she was special. She began to take an interest in me and my likes and dislikes. We were totally different people but she quickly became one of my best friends. She accepted me for all that I was and she has been there (Even when I made her walk around the building with me many many times...just to try to hatch an egg in Pokemon Go). McKaylie is an inspiration to me with her journey being Miss Rodeo Utah 2019, showing that being yourself is all that matters. Shes true herself and it's her mission to show others that it's perfectly OK to just be YOU.

I am very lucky to have my best friend and sister by my side. Michelle has been my friend since my junior year in high school, her sophomore year. We bonded over our love for Clay Aiken and Harry Potter (I think I was wearing a Harry Potter t-shirt that night...). We have had bumps in the many years we've known each other but I honestly don't know where I would be without her. Michelle is a puzzle piece that keeps me together. If I am having an anxiety attack or life is just too much she can normally pull me back and she tells me that what I am feeling is real. It will be OK, but

My Pyper and The Amazing Michelle
(I sadly do not have a picture of us!)

it is real. She has shown me that things I love and care about are just as important as the things the guy across the street cares about. Michelle has been one of my biggest cheerleaders. She was even there the day I got baptized into the Church and she has gone to several meetings with me. She sees things a different way then I do and isn't afraid to embrace herself. I have converted her to many things (journaling and pokemon go for example) and she has shown me things I didn't know I needed (Three Wooden Crosses by Randy Travis is a BIG one). Michelle is a light in a dark tunnel, even if she some times doesn't believe that herself. 

Michelle and McKaylie are just two of the friends I hold close and who I feel I can be myself around, but they are the ones who stood out to me when I realized I wanted to write about me. I had thought about writing things that I liked or what I enjoyed to do in my free time but it wasn't enough. I can sit and write about Panic at the Disco or Once Upon a Time for hours but it wouldn't mean anything. I wanted to show everyone that I am growing and becoming ME. It's taken me a long time, 28 years in fact...but I am figuring out that I am important and that I matter. All my quirks, and the fact that I am a complete nerd, are important. Through my journals and my bible - I am seeing that. Heavenly Father put me on earth for a reason. I chose to follow him and do something in this world. I am very blessed to have those in my life who accept me for me, they are helping me become who I am. I am not AS scared to be seen...I don't make AS MANY apologies...THIS IS ME.

I urge you to become who you are and don't hold back and don't hide. Please don't hide. You are important and you matter too... Show it off to the world!!!

With Love - Stefanie

Helaman 5:12

"...My sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundations...Because of the rock upon which ye are build, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men would build they cannot fail." Helaman 5:12

My sweet Pyper and Hadley at the Manti Temple

My twins, Pyper and Hadley love the Temples. Their favorite one is Manti Utah. In fact, Pyper's first thing she said upon seeing it... "Mom...it's gorgeous". We drive down every now and then and take the afternoon and visit the temple. I sadly have not done a session or been inside yet, but I know one of these days I will. It brings such joy to my heart to see my daughters (and my son) know that the temple is a place of God, and that they love it as much as I. It's something I try to focus my life around. Especially in these last few months. I have made it a goal it attend a temple twice a month - I'm building that strong foundation.

Have you heard that primary song? My kids love it..."oh the wise man built his house upon the rock." We do the gestures and we scream it a loud when we sing it. I'll even catch Hadley singing it as she falls asleep. It's a song that to me...since I didn't grow up in the church....was just a fun little song. It taught to build your house upon a strong foundation, that when the rains came down and the floods came up - you would be safe. Don't be the foolish man and build on the sand. The foolish man - didn't build his foundations.

In September last year, our Relief Society Counsel was to study the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon. I hadn't read it since I was baptized - so I really took that advice. I started it that night. And really paid attention. It was then a good friend turned me onto Line Upon Line. a new company of two amazing gal who made a journaling edition of the Book of Mormon. (Check them out if you haven't!! www.lineuponlineco.com). I HAD to have one. I ordered it right away and waited...and waited... when it came it was the best day. Yet - I was afraid to mark it up. (Much like the bullet journal!) But after I marked my favorite scripture (Mosiah 7:19) I couldn't wait to make it mine.

It was such a blessing, getting used to read my scriptures each night. It became a need. I had to read them before I went to bed or I couldn't sleep. When our prophet, Russel M Nelson, gave the sisters a challenge to read the Book of Mormon before the end of the year - I just knew I was on the right path to build up my relationship with God.

I honestly didn't know that was what my life was missing at the moment. God. The gospel. The Temple. I was missing a firm foundation!

This Journaling Edition can be found at Desert Book

There is times when anxiety will hit me. I start to think I can't do it anyone. I get so discouraged that life is at a road block and there is literally no where else to go. I'll be the first to admit that these anxiety attacks don't go much further than that moment, I do worry over nothing. When I have an anxiety attack I get completely irrational. I don't want to listen to anyone. I don't want to be calmed down. I just want SOMEONE to listen to ME. Sometimes those people are hard to find. They are busy themselves. My husband and close friends work - they have lives outside of worrying about me right! It took me awhile to figure out that there was always someone there who would drop everything to listen, and all I had to do was read my gospel and pray. God will always...ALWAYS...listen to what you have to say. (I screamed a lot of prayers his way....) He's always there...you need to have built your foundation around him.

Think of it as bricks and mortar. Every brick is something you build to your foundation. Family, friends, the gospel, the temple...whatever you need. The mortar is what holds it all together right? FAITH. Faith holds it all together. With your faith in Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father - your foundation will be extremely strong that when you start to break it will not fall apart.

Jesus Christ, my Savior, is my rock. Each and every day I build my relationship with him and my foundation, and each and every day I can feel it getting stronger. Whether your are a member of the church, catholic, baptist, Lutheran...any religion... Christ should be the corner stone holding everything together.

I am trying to raise my family with the same love I have for the gospel. My kids see me reading my scriptures and they want to read there too. My kids look forward to seeing a beautiful temple, even if its just on side of the road. They beg to travel to Manti and they want to spend time on the hill next to the temple. I am so very happy that they are beginning to build their foundation now!

Keep your foundations strong and you too will not fail!!

With love - Stefanie

How to start a bullet journal...and why I think you should!!

Before I begin, if you have any interest at all in starting a bullet journal please go to www.bulletjournal.com. Ryder Caroll is the amazing man who created and shared the Bullet Journal. Everything you need to know is there!! There is an amazing video that explains it in detail! It's where I started - its were you should too!! 

So...what is a bullet journal? Well... a bullet journal can be many things. A planner. A diary. A sketchbook. A bullet journal is anything you need it to be. When I started my bullet journal I needed it to be a place where I wasn't judged and I could be myself. I needed a place to call mine. I think the thought of it can sound overwhelming to many people. Its unlike any other planner system out there. The pages are blank so everything comes from your mind. But that is a reason why it works so well. It can be as simple as you want or it can be as artsy as you want. Once you open that notebook it's all what you make of it.

You'll need some supplies before you get started. All you need is a notebook (any will do, but I am quite found of the LT1917 Dotted Grid) and a pen (again, any will do but I prefer Tombow Mono Drawing pen in 03). I think that a reason as to why some get overwhelmed is because they see all the beautiful spreads on Instagram and Pinterest and they think theirs will never look that way. I had the same thoughts! But it really doesn't need to be fancy. Really - that is all you need is a notebook and a pen.

First things first, after you get your supplies... learn the 'lingo'. A Key will help you keep track of any tasks. I use a very simple key. A Future Log is a glimpse into the oncoming months. Any birthdays, appointments or anything else you need to know can be put here for you to see. A Monthly Log is the current month laid out with the tasks from the future log migrated there.

Weekly Logs can be added to see a bigger view of the week and Daily Logs start from there. It is recommend that you go day by day BUT you can do whatever you need to do to plan your days. My Dailies can be simple and plain - or they can have pops of color and lettering. I tend to mix it up. No week is ever the same! Below is one of my favorite spreads where I used brush pens to create a water color effect for the background.

This is actually in my friends Bullet Journal - but I love it so much!

Collections - in my opinion - is one of things that makes the bullet journal amazing. This is a notebook that is supposed to be for everything! Those little scrap pieces of paper - toss them and put everything here. I use collections to help me with my budget, to have record of funny things my kids say, notes for my calling, grocery shopping - I even used it to help me plan this blog post! I also doodle and hand letter- I make it mine. My journal is a place for me to be me! Some pages are beautiful - some are a complete mess. But that's what I love about! I love to look back and see what I've created.

Which brings me to - why I personally think YOU need to start a bullet journal. A bullet journal can be an extremely personal thing. In Relief Society we had a night were we spoke about finding Joy in our lives - the entire time my bullet journal was on my lap and I kept thinking as to how happy I was to come across this creation. If I am having a bad day or an anxiety moment - my bullet journal (along with my scriptures) helps me in so many ways. It brings me JOY. It can calm me down in any given moment - even if I'm just crossing off my habit tracker. If you have the same 'problems' I have with anxiety or depression and need an outlet, your own space - a journal is the 'cure'. Don't delay in starting - don't get overwhelmed by all the artsy spreads, all the beautiful handwriting. This isn't for THEM its for YOU. It's a place where you will not be judged. It's YOURS. Plan, Organize...CREATE. Finding something in you that you didn't even know was there.

My hope is to inspire you, in any way. Find that JOY in anyway shape or form!

Love - Stefanie

My New Blog!!

Two years ago I opened my very first Lechtturm 1917 dotted grid notebook and sat down to begin my bullet journal. I had no idea what I was doing, I just somehow knew I needed a bullet journal. I needed a way to plan, I needed a way to doodle but most of all I needed a place where I could ease my anxiety and depression and just be me.

After my son Nikolai was born in 2012, postpartum depression hit me like a rock. My husband was serving in the army on his first deployment and I felt like I was not good enough for my son. He needed a mommy AND a daddy. This depression lasted what seemed like a long time – and what drew me out of it was finding the gospel and becoming a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (My conversion story MAY appear on another post!) Having my Heavenly Father and Savior back in my life brought a light to me that would last a few years, until I had my twins. During that pregnancy, depression hit me again. This time different than before. Not only was my family going through a financial strain, expecting two new little ones – me working part time in a restaurant and my husband working 60+ hours but not bringing in enough for rent – but I had made the decision to go back to school to become a dental assistant. I cried...a lot. I was very...very stressed. I wanted it all to go away and worst of all I felt as if my Heavenly Father had abandoned me. I knew it was something I had to push through – even though I didn't want to. My twins were born on December 21^st, six weeks early. They were so small, they had to stay in the NICU until the were more developed. We almost lost my little Hadley...needles to say, my depression was at its worst, and I was dealing with what I later discovered was anxiety attacks. Once they came home, life didn't get any easier. My doctor had prescribed Zoloft, which my new coworkers instantly dubbed my 'crazy pills' (PLEASE, if you know anyone who take an anti depressant, do NOT call them crazy pills). I had to hide a lot of my feelings and I had to learn how to wear a mask. I stopped taking my medication after a few months...depression and anxiety had simply become a part of me. I had to deal with it. I didn't like it, but I would live with it. I had hit rock bottom and I was slowly...very...very slowly trying to dig myself out of a huge hole.

One day...in November 2016, I was mindlessly thumbing through Pinterest when I saw it. A beautiful page someone had made called 'A Year in Pixels'. I was amazed by it. A way to track and see your emotions... that was something I never even thought of doing! I instantly knew I needed this. I wanted to see how my days were and maybe, just maybe I didn't have as many bad days as I thought I did. That's when I bought my first sketch book that I called my 'doodle book' – with a year in pixels being the first page you saw. It only took me three months to see that what I thought was right...my bad days were far and few between. They were there and they were in clusters but there was more good days on the page. I also discovered that doodling helped calm me down. If I felt an anxiety attack coming along I would doodle. Didn't matter what – I would just let the pen figure out where to go. I would find inspiration through pinterest and other social media platforms...and in January 2017 I found bullet journals and I knew...I KNEW I had to have.

After searching for months for the right notebook, in May my wonderful mother bought me my first bullet journal. I was so scared to use it at first. I didn't want to ruin the beautiful dotted pages. But, the desire to start was far larger than the desire to leave it a pretty notebook. I didn't follow the 'rules' at all at first. No future log, no monthly, no daily...no tracker...after all, a bullet journal is what you make of it right? It wasn't until week or two into the notebook that I did my first daily entry, giving myself tasks to do and checking them off once they were completed. Checking off those few things made me feel so good! So...accomplished! What a feeling!! I wanted more. I made my first habit tracker, tracking my sons reading homework. It branched to my chores, then to random things I did each and every day. I was amazed at the things the bullet journal could do! Then...my bullet journal gave me something I didn't know I had. A talent. A way to be creative.

Hand Lettering.

I didn't know I could write the way I could. Looking back through my first bullet journal, you can tell that with practice and patience my lettering has changed. I am no where near perfect, but I plan to keep going. I love to write my favorite song lyrics, my favorite quotes...everything about that one small notebook made me feel so good about myself. I soon wanted to share it with the world. Enter Instagram! I would post here and there pages I was proud of, and my new talent was getting noticed by friends and family. I then set a huge goal for myself. A future blog. I had no idea when this would happen – I just knew that one day I wanted to happen.

Bullet journaling isn't the only thing that has helped me. I am still an active member in my church and during our October General Conference the women were given a challenge to read the Book of Mormon before the end of the year. I thought to myself I had to do this, I hadn't read the gospel since I was baptized and I felt that would help me. My wonderful friend then introduced me to the amazing ladies at Line Upon Line (seriously, check them out! www.lineuponlineco.com). It was a journaling edition of the Book of Mormon. Being able to read the scriptures, marking important things, taking notes and being able to express myself in the wide margins...it became something I needed to do on a daily basis. It reminded me of something that I had forgotten. God LOVES me. He listens and he is there. He truly and deeply cares for each and every one of us.

Then it hit me, like a ton of bricks. I needed to share this with the world. It was being screamed into my brain. I needed everyone to know how this has helped and changed me. So – after months of prepping and many...many first drafts...Bullet Blessings came to life.

My main goal with this new blog is to help and inspire those with anxiety and depression, but ultimately this blog is for EVERYONE. I want everyone to know that with God by your side anything is possible and he truly does love and care for you. I still deal with anxiety and depression on a daily basis, but through this it has gotten so...so much better.

I hope to help and inspire you! Thank you for all your love and support! I can't wait to see where this goes.

With love - Stefanie