Peggy Thibodeau began making art in her Bible back in 2016. Her style is to pull out a sentence or phrase from the Word of God and to letter that in the margin, along with art that often reflects a connection to her life. People she knows, places she has been, or things she loves grace the pages of her Bible, often with bright colors that catch the eye and connect you to the message recorded there.
Peggy says that she "is passionate about the Bible because it changed my life." Her main mission as a Bible journaler is to honor God through creative expression in response to His Word. It is her habit to do this by sharing devotional thoughts from her time of reflection - how God's Word speaks to a particular situation, brings forth a memory of God's goodness or provision, or assures us of a His promised love and grace.
Here is a peek into the pages of her Bible, along with some "story" in Peggy's own words:
Isaiah 43:19
One Spring morning in my 15th year, my father and I were getting in the car to go to church early, as we sang in the choir together. He asked me, “Do you notice anything?”
I looked around the driveway and said, “No.” He said, “Look! The daffodils are starting to sprout!”
He talked to me about how important it is to pay attention. When God is doing something new, we might miss it if we’re not paying attention.
Ecclesiastes 4:11
Imagine trying to keep warm in bed before central heat! Having a warm hubby is nice. (My hubby is a human furnace!) But I think this concept applies to more than warmth. Having a partner in life is a blessing, especially if they follow Christ.
For those that are single, widowed, or divorced, Jesus is a wonderful Helper, Friend, and One who loves you unconditionally and promises never to leave you. I have friends who brag about how He takes care of them better than an earthly husband!
Song of Solomon 5:4
I had just returned from a month long painting trip, living in my van. When I got home, this is how I felt about seeing my husband, who I missed so much!
[How wonderful to share the joys of relationship in such a prayerful, thankful, creative response - to look back on and remember!]
Psalm 92:12
In Scripture, the palm is always the date palm, stately and beautiful. It has extremely deep tap roots - called a root ball - and thus can flourish even in the desert, growing tall and living long. It is perhaps the most useful of all trees, not only producing dates, but also sugar, wine, honey, oil, resin, rope, thread, tannin, and dyestuff. Its seeds are fed to cattle and its leaves are used for roofs, fences, mats, and baskets. Its fruit is said to get sweeter as the tree grows older.
May we all flourish like those date palms and produce sweeter and sweeter fruit for the Lord, even in our old age!
Isaiah 26:20 - (drawn during Covid-19 Pandemic, 2020)
I have drawn comfort from this verse during this time of isolation , knowing that God has issued quarantine orders during Bible times. This is nothing new! I truly believe he wants His kids safe. I have friends who struggle with the idea of God's wrath. But wrath is mentioned all throughout scripture, and I trust in His reasoning, for His thoughts are higher than mine.
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Peggy Thibodeau resides in beautiful South Carolina with her wonderful husband, Joe. Her careers have included chiropractic, teaching, ministry, and art. A veteran self-taught folk artist, she uses bright colors for the joy they bring. Check out her whimsical work at www.peggyart.com. She began making art in her Bible in 2016 and has gathered fans on Pinterest and Instagram @peggythibodeau. Peggy loves to roadtrip in her van, exploring communities and countryside.....and stopping to meet people and paint along the way.
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