A Great App: You Version Bible App

The You Version Bible App actually changed my life.  It really did.

Before this app, I had several Bibles (usually gathering dust) on my shelves.  I bought devotional books that I struggled to complete.  My medical condition, of chronic pain, affects my neck, back, arms and wrists.  That means it's hard to hold a traditional Bible.  It's hard for me to carry a Bible to church.  We won't even start to talk about the way my chronic pain makes it difficult for me to develop and maintain good habits.    I wasn't interacting with God's word meaningfully or regularly.  I tried, I really tried, I was just unsuccessful.

I downloaded the You Version Bible App from Google Play Store and started using it.  Eventually, I found myself reading the Bible everyday and engaging in it like never before.  There are several features this App offers that make exploring my Bible and learning more about God so easy.

1. Versions

This app has capacity for you to download one of many Bible versions, including the Old King James all the way to The Message and Good News.  You don't have to download all the versions, you can access any of the listed versions with Internet access.  Viewing a range of versions is really easy too.  After looking up a scripture you can read it in any of the available versions, but tapping on a drop down menu and then tapping on the version you want. You can do this as many times as you like and you don't have to look up the scripture each time. It just finds it for you.  I LOVE this feature!

2. Verse of the Day

Everyday when you open the You Version Bible App, a verse of the day appears with references.  You can also share the verse on various social media sites with a choice of background images.  I know my cousin often shares the verse of the day on her Facebook page.

3. Bible Habit Tracker

This App tracks how many days in a row that you have opened the Bible App.  This was really helpful for me when I was trying to develop my habit to become daily. The App notifies you when you've had a perfect week and month.  You can view this information in the form of a graph or table.

4. Reminder

Using this app, you can set reminders on your phone, so you don't forget to read your Bible.  I don't need this feature anymore, but I think it's a great option for when you are starting the habit.

5. Bible Reading Plans

The You Version Bible App has hundreds of Bible Reading Plans ranging from 3 days to 365 days. Plans are organised by topic with a search option. Most plans include commentary as well as automatic look up of the referenced scripture verses.  It means that, regardless of how sore and tired I am, I only have to hold my phone and tap through the steps of the plan for the day.  I can also read the verses in different versions to help me understand the verses.  I don't need two or three or more books and I don't have to spend time looking for chapter and verse.

I am also really loving the option to 'read with friends'.  I can invite friends to read with me and there is a 'chat' feature at the end of each day within the plan so each group member can comment about the day's reading. We can summarise the scriptures, ask questions, apply principles to personal situations and share our own thoughts on the scriptures covered.

This App is awesome. It has some great tools and functions.  I don't even use the app to it's full capacity and I'm loving it.  I use this app every single day.

What do you use that helps you to maintain a daily Bible reading habit? Please share it with us in the comments.

Bless You!

A Great Day to Be Kind

I'm publishing a day early this week, to celebrate Valentine's Day!!

I used to think Valentine's Day was really important.  It was a wonderful opportunity to be told I was loved.  After I separated from my husband I found Valentine's Day difficult.  When in another relationship, I didn't want to make too much of a fuss on Valentine's Day.  By the following Valentine's Day, I was alone, yet again. I was back to thinking that Valentine's Day was a silly waste of everyone's time.

The commercialisation of the day irks me a little. Today, I'm not going to go on a rant about the ridiculous behaviour and amount of spending that people indulge in on this particular day.  Instead, I have something else to say...

True Love can not be expressed in a greeting card 

or the purchase of chocolates and flowers.  

True Love is more than words and money.  

True Love is rare.  True Love is more than sex or romance. 

True Love is a thousand acts of kindness, a million choices 

to serve or sacrifice or simply be second.  

True Love is yours if only you will share it.  

Okay, one last thing...

Today, by all means, celebrate the ones you love and show them what they mean to you, but more importantly, Be Kind.

It's quite simple really, so simple that you can do it everyday! Be Kind. 

Just, Be Kind.  

You can be Kind.  I know you can.  Just do it.

Be Kind Everyday!

Craft Technique: Ink Dragging with Embossing Folders

This is a variation on the 'direct to paper' technique that card makers love.  In case you don't know what that is, it's quite simple.  You open the ink pad and you lay it directly onto your cardstock or paper.  Then, you press it down and wipe it all over the cardstock to colour it.  It's like colouring in with an ink pad.  You can do this with ink blending, but if you want a solid colour, it's much quicker to do it with the ink pad.

This technique has an extra step and it requires a gentle touch.  First, emboss your plain white cardstock using an embossing folder in your die cutting machine.  I use a Cuttlebug, but any machine with any of your embossing folders will work the same.  Follow the dry embossing instructions that come with your particular machine.  Now for the fun part, choose an ink pad (or a few) and drag it over the cardstock, gently.  You may need to do it a couple of times.  The ink should colour the raised part of the cardstock.  If you want to see this technique in action, check out this video from May May (Made it).  She does a great job of explaining the process and shows you some ways to step up this technique.

Why do I love this technique?

1. It's a new way to use embossing folders, so I can make something different with supplies I already have. 
2. I can co-ordinate my embossed image with the ink colour I use on the sentiment or other elements on my card. 
3. This technique works with a range of embossing folders, small, large, frames, patterns, main images and even sentiments/ greetings. 
4. You can use any colour you like. 
5. If you need a background in a hurry, this one really packs a punch! 
6. You can use either side of the cardstock (the debossed or embossed side) which means you can get another 'look' from the same folder and stretch the supplies even further.  WOW.  
7. It's kind of hard to mess this up.  It's so easy! 

Here are a couple of the cards I created using this technique.  I played with a few other folders and made some more backgrounds but I haven't made them into cards yet.  

This card uses an embossing folder I bought at a cheap shop.  

If you know the original designer, I would love to give them credit. 

Ink: Rose Bud from Memento.  Sentiment: alpha stamps by Simply Cards?

This card was made using an embossing folder that was gifted to me, 

it came from a magazine and I don't know which one.  

I dragged gold pigment ink (Brilliance) over the raised pattern on the cardstock. 

The sentiment "joy" comes from the "And" sentiments by Catherine Pooler Designs.  

I will definitely be using this technique again!
See you next week! :)

Why Pause?

I sort of explained why I chose the word "PAUSE" when I introduced it to you in January.  Today, I want to go deeper.

What does the word "pause" mean to me?

When I read or hear the word, I see those two parallel lines that we use as a symbol on remote controls and electronics - the pause button.  Wouldn't it be the best thing ever if we could all press the pause button when we needed a moment to ourselves? Note to self: great novelty gift for Christmas.

Source

One of the other great things about the word, "Pause" is that it's a VERB. It's something that I am going to do.  The BFF has chosen a word this week and her word is "abide".  She said, "I'm a do-er" and I need to be specific about what I'm going to do.

Of course, if you choose a noun or even an adjective like Kindness or Less, that's absolutely fine.  You might need to think about how you will live Kindness or live with Less.  How do you live Pause or live Abide? … Well, you actually do it.  You Pause!  You Abide!  If your word is a verb, it's a bit easier to know what you have to do.

The word Pause is about self-control, taking time to think and pray, giving myself permission to think before I speak or act.  The great thing about Pausing is that it allows you time and space to rest, but it doesn't give you the option to give up.  It's not over, it's just paused.  Sometimes, pausing is about waiting; about pressing the pause button on life or our plans and waiting for the right time to press play. Rachel Wojo has a 30 day reading plan about the Purposeful Pause and God's perfect timing.  You might want to check it out here.

I hope this helps you to understand why I chose the word, Pause.  I hope you have found your own word and you are beginning to live it.  What is your word and why did you choose it? What does it mean to you?