💌 Should you write in your Bible?

Hi friend!

It’s May in Ohio, and it finally feels like spring.

Every season is beautiful, but spring is hands-down my favorite, especially when I get to spend it with lovely women around the country, sharing the Good News of Jesus!

A couple weeks ago my family and I were in Morehead, KY with the ladies of Better Life Church:

This week we’re headed to Mackinac Island to share with 500 sisters at the Winsome Women Retreat. A few days later we’ll head down to lower Michigan to be with the women at Woodside Bible Church… and the following weekend, we’ll be in Nevada—smiles and hugs and the Word of God all around.

All in all, I’ll be traveling out of state five times this May, which is very unusual for me. Honestly, the pace pace feels a bit intimidating, but I’m so grateful for the chance to meet so many of you in person!

(And come June, I will absolutely be hobbiting at home full-time. No regrets.) :)

Two quick asks:

1. Would you please pray for these conferences? For open hearts to the gospel, for the Word to go out in power, and for God’s Spirit to draw many to Himself—for salvation, freedom, and joy!

2. And—we’re booking conferences for Fall 2026 and Spring 2027. If you’re on the planning committee at your church (or know someone who is), we’d love to connect! Would you get in touch with us here?

Thank you for partnering with us in the gospel, friend.

It’s a joy to serve you here in your inbox, and it’s a joy to know you’re supporting this work through your prayers, your purchases, and your kind word-of-mouth. Truly, thank you!

Okay… this month we have a fun reader Q&A.

I’ll share my thoughts, but I want to hear yours too, so be sure to leave a comment at the end!

Mila wrote in and asked:

Oh, I know that feeling well, especially when opening a brand-new Bible: “I don’t want to mess up it up!” The intimidation is real.

First, let me gently make the case for why you should write in your Bible.

We live in a world of information overload.
Instagram reels. YouTube shorts. TikTok videos.

How much content have you already consumed today?

Our brains are constantly processing noise—and if we’re not carefully, the Bible can start feeling like just another stream of information. Something we skim… and move on from.

We don’t want that.

We want the Word of God to stay with us.

To transform us.

So we have to slow down. We have to give our minds—and our hearts—space to process what we’re reading.

Research actually shows that when you write something down, you’re far more likely to remember it—and to act on it.1

Writing isn’t about making our Bibles pretty. It’s about helping truth take root in our hearts.

So here are a few simple ways I write in my Bible, ways that help me slow down and metabolize what I’m reading… so it moves from information → to transformation → to adoration of the Living Word who still speaks today.

Here are five things I write in my Bible:

1. One thing I learn about Jesus: Every day I read, I aim to write down just one thing. That’s it. One. The Bible is one big story that points to Jesus, so I read through this lens first. Even in the Old Testament, I’m asking: how is this pointing forward to Him? Reading this way turns Scripture from a daily chore into a daily treasure hunt. (I share more in this video if you’re interested.)

2. Personal prayers: Especially in the psalms, I’ll personalize what I’m reading—praying it over myself or my family. I always add the date, but I keep details minimal since my Bible is often out in the open. (The deeper details go in my private journals.) Over time, my Bible has become a sacred record of meeting God—through both highs and lows.

3. Sermon notes: Our pastor teaches through books of the Bible *(sometimes for a whole year), so I highlight, underline, and jot notes as we go. A few years ago, I switched to note-taking Bible journals just for sermons—more on that below. There were simply too many notes to fit in the tiny margins of my regular Bible. (Bible-nerd problems. 😂)

4. Book/commentary notes: I read A LOT, and when a line or ideas brings clarity to a passage—I’ll write it in the margins or on a sticky note if it’s longer.2 I’ve also written notes from The Bible Project videos over the years from several Bible-in-a-year plans.

5. Cross references: The Bible constantly links to itself through repeated ideas, themes, and stories. The longer you sit with the Word, the more you start to see those connections. It’s beautiful that way! I share more in this video, because it’s honestly so much fun! Learning to read Leviticus alongside Hebrews changed everything for me. Suddenly I was seeing Jesus on every page, and it’s never been the same. (Yes, many Bibles come with cross references included—but there are so many more to discover and write for yourself!)

   BONUS: Anything that grabs my attention: Some days, it’s just one note (see #1 above). Other days my pen can’t keep up. I also like to highlight (I have a system—see this video), underline, circle, draw arrows (especially in Paul’s letters—if you know, you know)… and let my Bible reflect my journey with Jesus.

I’ve also tried Bible journaling with paint and markers… and it’s just not my thing. But I have friends who create beautiful artwork as an act of worship—and I love that. Truly.

For me personally, I avoid covering the words of Scripture. Any notes I add are removable, because at the end of the day, His words matter most.

And I know some of you hesitate to write in your Bible because it feels like it might dishonor God’s Word. I understand the desire to honor Scripture, but I’d gently caution us not to add rules where God hasn’t.

Jesus tells us the greatest command is to love God and love others. Beyond that, we walk in the freedom of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:1). So instead of carrying unnecessary pressure, bring this to the Lord and let Him guide you.

Either way, may we become people of the Word, who read our Bibles and write them on our hearts. May the Word of God be living and active among us.

Jesus, thank You for the gift of Your Word.
Help us treasure it and delight in how You reveal Yourself through its pages. Give us an insatiable hunger to know You more.
Keep teaching us what we don’t yet see.
We love You, because You first loved us.
Amen

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Each month, we’ll share a resource to grow your friendship with Jesus—plus a sweet giveaway and a simple idea to enjoy His Word.3

If you read the section above about writing in your Bible and thought, “That sounds beautiful… but where would I even put all those notes?”, this might be exactly what you’re looking for.

I mentioned how I eventually moved my sermon notes into a separate Bible because I simply ran out of margin space (turns out, the Word of God gives us a lot to think about!). These spiral-bound Bibles are designed to lay flat with extra room to write, which makes them especially helpful if you’re taking notes during church, journaling your prayers, or following along with a study. It’s a simple shift, but it can make your time in the Word feel a little more spacious and a lot more intentional.

One of our favorite things to do around here is give away Bibles—and this month is no exception. We’re gifting THREE sets of these spiral-bound notetaking Bibles (a $150 value) to readers in our community thanks to our publishing partners’ generosity!

✨ Three simple ways to enter (and grow in the Word this week):

Start here to officially enter:

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Tell us in the comments:

Which of the five Bible writing ideas resonated with you most—and why?

(Or which one you’ve already tried!)

Leave a comment

Pick just one of the ideas from this email and try it this week.

Then come back and share what the experience was like for you (in the comments):
What did you notice?
What felt different?
What surprised you?

You’ll double your entries—and more importantly, you’ll begin building a rhythm that helps God’s Word stay with you.

Forward this email or share the post—and tell us in the comments who you invited.

Because everything is more joyful when we grow together. 💛

Simple delights from our team to you.

• These past weeks, I’ve been cutting flowers from my garden and bringing them inside—a small joy that makes the whole house feel like spring. Their fragrance lingers in the air and their delicate petals speak of an Artist who delights in beauty… even more than we do. - Asheritah

• This joy is for the creatives! (AKA all of us.) Between creating for clients all day and then writing for my own website/social media after work-hours, I’m constantly creating but often staring at a screen. I love what I do, but I also want to create just for the joy of it -- without the process requiring a computer or the result impacting income, so most evenings I settle in with... a paint-by-number kit! They’re low-stakes and lovely, fun and inexpensive (these are often $5), and help me joyfully slow down screen-free. - Kaitlyn

• My friend Greg Colbeck just released a new album last week and I've been listening non-stop. My favorite right now is "Falling Apart"- even my 4 year old sings along! I love the way his music reminds me of how God loves me and sees me. - Hannah

• The beauty of spring has been filling my heart with so much joy. The cherry blossom trees are truly showing off and my daughter (above) has been completely enchanted. In the midst of busy days, it’s such a blessing to slow down, breathe in the sweetness of the season, and see the wonder of it all through her eyes. And this album has also been the perfect soundtrack for these spring days 🌸 - Kathryn

• We’ve baked these brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies three times in the last couple weeks, and the whole family loves them. I tweaked the recipe to add some whole wheat flour and oats for extra fiber, then freeze the dough in scoops so we can bake a few anytime we want a little something sweet to end the day. - Asheritah

A monthly freebie to spark joy in your walk with Jesus.

This month’s free resource is a set of lock screens to remind you to open your Bible every morning and start the day with Jesus.

They’re inspired by Bible and Breakfast—a book I wrote during a season of learning to nourish my soul while feeding my body healthy foods.

📥 Download the lock screens here

Want to explore the full book? You can grab your copy here or read more about it here.

(Psst: It makes a thoughtful Mother’s Day gift!)

This month, let’s become women and men who don’t just read the Word but linger in it, write it down, and carry it with us into our days.

I can’t wait to hear what you discover.

With much joy,

Asheritah & Team

PS Just before hitting “send” on this email, I found out that the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association featured Bible and Breakfast in February. How wild is that? I’ll never get over the privilege of sharing these words with readers around the world. Thank you for being here.

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