This page may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase then I will receive a small commission. You can see my full disclosure here.
The Erin Condren On the Go Folio makes the perfect Faith Journal. This Traveler’s Notebook style system allows me to keep all my church and study notes together, but organized.
Faith Journal in my On the Go Folio
It has always been so hard for me to remember anything that I don’t write down. My brain just moves on so quickly from one thought to the next that unless it gets on paper, it can be gone just as fast as it came.
Because of that, I take notes for everything! School was a given, of course. But I also take notes on any project ideas, to do items, and even blog post thoughts.
I have always love taking notes in church and while I’m studying scripture too. I’ve had notebooks and journals before where I would keep all my notes, but they were always large and I couldn’t really carry them around with me to church and other meetings.
See the flip-through of my Faith Journal on YouTube!
When Erin Condren came out with the On the Go Folio and Petite Journals (and planners), I was instantly obsessed. It has since become one of my favorite products that Erin Condren offers.
And since January, it has also been my favorite way to keep all my study notes together and organized.
Supplies I used:
- Erin Condren On the Go Folio (Wine color)
- 4 Erin Condren Petite Journals
- On the Go Folio Organizer Insert
- Medium Sticky Pockets
- Elastic Planner Bands
- White Planner Charm
- Planny Pack (Maroon)
Inside my Planny Pack
- Post-it Notes
- Erin Condren Dual Tip Markers
- Steadtler Triplus TextSurfer Highlighters
- Mildliners (Gold)
- Pentel EnerGel 0.7 (Black, needle tip)
- Pencil & Eraser
- Cello Pen
Why it makes the best Faith Journal
I love the On the Go Folio system because I can keep four different books, all together in the same place. Each Petite Journal has notes from a different aspect of my study. I love how organized it feels, but I still have the freedom to just open it up and start writing where I left off.
But what about…
If there are so many books, how will I remember which one is which?
There are a lot of different journal designs, so I just picked one style for each of my journals and that helps me remember which is which. Also, four seems like a lot until you are using them frequently. If it is something that you are using regularly then you will just start to know which one you want.
If all else fails, you can label the front of them. I’ve been meaning to create vinyl stickers for the front of each of mine, and just never have. I didn’t have enough of a problem telling them apart to need it enough. And if vinyl isn’t an option, stickers or even a sharpie would also do just fine.
Does it stay open while you are writing?
Eh. Sometimes. But I found a hack that works wonderfully to help with that.
I use these elastic planner bands and I wrap them around the half of the book that I’m not currently writing on and it holds that side open while I write on the other side. It was the perfect solution.
Don’t the elastic straps holding the book in get in the way?
I really thought that they would. It was my biggest hesitation for not trying a traveler’s notebook style planner sooner. But honestly, I don’t even notice them. I’m never writing in the very corner of the page so they are never anything that I have to write over.
What I use each notebook for:
Scripture Study
I love taking notes while I study the scriptures! I learn so much more when I stop to write down the things that come to mind.
But since getting journaling (wide margin) versions, I write most of my notes in my actual scriptures. So this petite journal has become a place for reference type notes. For example, the symbolism of different numbers or colors. Things that apply to many parts, and I might want to reference over and over again.
Lessons from Church Leaders
The Church I belong to has large worldwide meetings (broadcast online) every six months. The leaders of the Church teach us about Jesus Christ and give us guidance and inspiration for our lives at that specific time (and for the following months and even years).
I have been using this book to take notes from each speaker, and write down my favorite quotes. Although I can always go back and look at their exact words (because everything is transcribed), I love being able to see at a glance the parts that stood out most to me.
Church Notes
More recently my family has been doing home church and church on Zoom, like many of you have done too, I’m sure. So this one has changed a bit since the beginning of the year.
But it is what it sounds like. I use it to take notes from church in my faith journal. Even from home church or church that is online, I write down the thoughts I have, or thoughts about what I want to discuss with my family.
Personal Study/Miscellaneous Notes
I use this book for anything else that is on my mind. It’s partially a journal, but I also use it for questions I’m pondering, prayers, and just any topic study that comes to mind.
And next year…
In January (or maybe sooner) I’m planning to change up my notebooks in my faith journal just a little. Instead of having separate journals for my church notes and the talks from church leaders, I’m going to combine those too. Then for my fourth journal I will add a prayer journal. I’m still figuring out how I want to do this, but I want a way to write down questions I’ve been pondering, and the answers that I get.
Inside my Faith Journal Planny Pack
I added a list above with all the things I have in my Planny Pack. But here is a little more about my most used tools.
Post-it Notes
Sigh. I don’t know what I would do without Post-it Notes. I use them for everything! And yes, I buy them in large packs like this. I go through them like crazy with this method!
In this particular case, I use them in my wide margin scriptures for taking notes that I’m not ready to actually write on the page yet. I’m a bit perfectionistic in this way, and I want to make sure that what I write on the pages is info that I will want there forever. Post-it Notes to the rescue.
Erin Condren Dual Tip Markers
I wanted some colorful markers for taking notes in my faith journal, and this set of 10 Erin Condren Dual Tip Markers has been perfect. It gives me variety, and they are great markers!
Another bonus is that are two tips on each marker (hence the name, “dual tip markers”). The thick side is really nice for quotes and things that I want to make stand out. And I use the thin tip for regular notes, when I want to write fast and a lot.
Staedtler TriPlus TextSurfer Highlighters
I did a pen test on my wide margin journaling scriptures and these were the winner. Keep in mine, that paper is much thicker than most scripture paper- you know that thin kind that everything bleeds through? This is more normal paper, and I really loved how the Staedtler TextSurfers wrote on it. Plus they have colors that are more pastel, and less neon (they have the neon ones too though).
Pentel EnerGel Pen
Black .7 Needle Tip to be exact – but they are all amazing. Pentel EnerGel is my favorite gel pen ever!
I this for basic notes, when I just need to get it down. I also use this to write in my scriptures. I’ve always preferred underlining verses that stand out to me with black pen, so this is the one I use on the thicker scripture paper in my journaling scriptures.
Gold Mildliner
All of the Mildliners are awesome, but in this case, I only use the gold one. For whatever reason, this one works so well with the thin paper in my regular scriptures. It doesn’t bleed through, or even shadow. I haven’t had the same success with the other colors in my scriptures, but the gold yellow highlighter is perfect!
Cello Pens
Cello Pens are just a basic ball point pen. But they write so smooth and are so inexpensive! (I found them first at the Dollar Tree, and now see them all over. Sometimes with a different name though).
They are great for writing in scriptures, on the thinner scripture paper (you know, the kind that almost feels like tissue paper?).
Pencil
I’m not much of an artist in my scriptures; I prefer taking notes. But in case I decide to draw or even just letter something, I keep a pencil in my faith journal bag so I can do a rough draft before making it permanent. I’m a bit of a perfectionist.
An Organized Faith Journal System
Using the Erin Condren On The Go Folio and Petite Journals, plus my Planny Pack of pens, has been so great for keeping all my spiritual notes together. I always know where to find something, and where to write something. It is easy to carry with me to church or study groups, and I love having all my notes with me wherever I go.
Let me know in the comments, how do you organize your Faith Journal or Faith Planner?
