I recently received a copy of the newest journaling bible on the market – The Message Canvas Bible. I was wondering when The Message bible would jump in the whole journaling bible craze – well it is here. This bible comes in an hard box in which the bible can be stored when you are not using it. The bible possess a stunning hardcover binding which is art in itself – see below. This is the Spring Palette edition – there is another one which possess a leather-look with gold leaf writing on the cover.
What is The Message edition?
The Message is a reading Bible translated from the original Greek and Hebrew Scriptures by scholar, pastor, author, and poet Eugene Peterson. Peterson spent 10 years working on The Message after teaching in seminary and preaching in churches for more than 30 years. To learn more about this edition please go to NavPress.
What is The Message Canvas Bible?
Center your heart and mind on the story of God with The Canvas Bible as you color nearly 300 hand-drawn illustrations, including 150 hand-lettered Bible verses.
Using The Message’s creative language and vivid metaphors, your imagination will be bursting with ideas for crafting, coloring, and drawing. Meditate on the very words of Scripture, and hear God’s voice speaking to your heart.
- Make this Bible one of a kind by adding your own beauty and style.
- Fill the extra space with your own illustrations and prayers.
- Immerse yourself in the words of Scripture.
- Decorate this Bible as a gift for someone you love.
- Slow down as you color and enjoy a more relaxed pace.
My Thoughts
When I received the bible, I immediately flipped through its pages in order to discover it. The “artist” in me wanted to grasp all the possibilities of this bible. The more I explored it, the more I realized that it is absolutely stunning in many ways. It is perfect for people who enjoy drawing designed images for there are numerous designs included in this bible. Also, all the first page of the books of the bible possess a fabulous design which also includes the title of the book. I also noted that the chapter numbers are somewhat designed in such a way that you could color them as well. When there isn’t images to color, you have the choice to either design your own image based on a verse that speaks to you or write note in the marge provided.
I wouldn’t be honest if I told you that there isn’t anything that I dislike in this journaling bible. There are a couple of things that I will mention. First thickness of the paper in this bible seem to be thinner that the pages of previous journaling bibles that I have encountered. I am a bit concerned that if someone us the markers used to draw the images will bleed out on the reverse page. Already the images incorporated in this bible can be seen at some extend on the reverse page – and these are pages that are printed at the publisher. So drawing with markers might be difficult for this specific bible. My other pet peeve would be that the verses are not numbered. For many years, The Message bible never had numbered verses but I know of a recent edition of The Message that has some numbering in it. So I am wondering why not including these as well in The Message Canvas. It’s not a big deal but when a person is used to follow numbering, well it could be somewhat annoying… However, it is easy to follow the text and you could work with a regular bible by your side as well.
Personally, I wish that The Message would have a journaling bible edition that does not includes pre-printed images to color. I am the type of person who loves to design the scripture on my own. Don’t take me wrong, you still can do this on all the pages that do not have a design to color. I know that it is not everyone who would develop their artistic side. I am please with the fact that there are plenty of blank pages for the reader to explore his/her creative heart or simply jolt down notes, impressions and prayers. Having a journaling bible has definitively allowed me to grow closer to God and spend more time with Him on a daily basis – not to mention to develop my skills in lettering and drawing. Nowadays, I draw tiny scripture doodles in an agenda by writing a scripture and illustrating it. I also have journaling bibles for each of my four children that I am working on as well as a special project that is almost complete for my husband done in a little black notebook. I would like to challenge my readers in exploring the possibilities of getting deeper in your relationship with God by getting a bible journaling – with or without images already drawn in it. Be spontaneous and get creative!
You could win your own The Message Canvas Bible by coloring specific images offered on their website. All you have to do is print the image that is the most current, color it, and submit it on social media sites and follow the instructions for submission. Simply go to http://themessagecanvas.com/color-to-win/ in order to participate. In order to give you an idea of what it looks like when colored here’s an example that I have done.
The Message Canvas Bible is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.
Disclaimer: Thanks to Tyndale for sending me the book for review purpose. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.
