I’m thrilled to share with you the first in a sporadic series of posts that will appear throughout the fall, interviewing customers about Dwell Deeply Journals! So many of you love the journals, and I thought it would be super fun to hear from some of you how you use them. Not only will these posts show you how other people use their journals, but their answers have been full of encouragement and other nuggets of wisdom about faith.

If you are unfamiliar with our Dwell Deeply Journals these posts should be informative for you! You can also check out our past blog post explaining them here.

First up, I interviewed my friend and customer Susanna Zach! To help you get to know Susanna, I made her answer a few questions random questions about herself. Get to know Susanna below, and then dive into our interview.

Fun Facts about Susanna

Name: Susanna Zach
Age: 21
Instagram: @susanna.rachel
Current Occupation/Job Goals/Major?: I'm student teaching right now and looking forward to being an elementary teacher soon!
Favorite Color?: I love lots of neutrals, but right now I've been loving dark army green!
Favorite Bible Verse?: My favorite passage in the Bible is Ephesians 2:1-10! It's so full of so many beautiful truths. If I had to choose a favorite verse from that section it'd probably by verses 4 and 5. I think that "But God" is probably one of the most important and powerful phrases in the Bible.
Hobbies?: Reading, listening to Music, organizing, playing with my nieces/nephew and all little kids, checking out the hippest coffee shops, watching the sunset.
Favorite way to spend a free afternoon/evening?: If I had a free afternoon, you'd probably find me snuggled up on my bed reading a good book. I love reading memoirs and Christian non-fiction, but recently I've totally been enjoying Harry Potter. I would have a candle lit and a cup of iced coffee in hand.
Coffee or Tea?: Both
Chipotle or Qdoba?: Chipotle
Salty or Sweet Snacks?: Salty

Guest Interview Susanna Zach | Machelle Kolbo Design Studio

Dwell Deeply Guest Post Interview

What does it mean for the word of God to dwell within you? When the Word of God dwells within us, it impacts our lives and the way that we go about our days. The Holy Spirit uses the Bible to change us and mold us and make us more like God. If we passively read the Bible, it won't seep into our hearts and lives. I think that we need to dig into the Word, what it means, and how we can apply it to our lives. Then, when the enemy tries sends his lies and arrows to attack us, we can combat his lies with the truths we've learned from the Bible.

Dwell Deeply Journals | Quiet Time Companion Journals | Machelle Kolbo Design Studio

How has the Dwell Deeply Journal encouraged you in your times with the Lord, and allowed you to process scripture? Using the Dwell Deeply Journal has helped me dig into what the passage is saying, what it means, and how I can apply it my life. When I go through those steps of studying the Word, I think that I really understand it deeper and remember it longer. I totally love the doodling section because I can choose a small phrase or word that really stood out to me and write it all pretty. That helps me recall what I learned from that Bible passage. These last few years I have learned the great importance of gratitude and how it impacts our outlook on life. I love that there's a section in the Dwell Deeply Journal to jot down things that I'm thankful for that day. I think that the best way to end studying the Word is by seeking the Lord in prayer. The prayer request section helps me focus my prayers and be intentional about who and what I'm praying for.

Dwell Deeply Doodle | Grace be with you | by Susanna Zach

What is your favorite devotional to use with the Dwell Deeply Journal? I love using the Dwell Deeply Journal with the She Reads Truth plans. I write down the most impactful quotes from the devotion in the take away section. Then I use the application section to process what I learned and how that impacted my life.

What is a verse, or verses that have encouraged you lately? "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever for the Lord God is an everlasting rock" (Isaiah 26:3-4). These verses have been so encouraging to me recently. When I'm filled with fear and worry, I know that the Lord will fill me with His inexplicable peace. I love to look up the Greek and Hebrew of specific words in the passage. Perfect peace comes from the word shalom, which means completeness, contentment, whole, rest, safety, peace with God especially in a covenant relationship. I love those descriptions of the peace that I can find in Jesus.

What other resources would you recommend to someone looking to dig deeper into the word of God? I love using the Blue Letter Bible app to look up the Greek and Hebrew of words in the Bible. "Women of the Word" by Jen Wilkin is very informative on why and how we can study the Bible. "The MacArthur Bible Handbook" by John MacArthur gives an in-depth description of each book of the Bible, including background, setting, theological themes, key words, and God's character displayed in that book. I also find commentaries very helpful, especially when reading something that's difficult to understand. Matthew Henry is a great commentator.

Dwell Deeply Doodle | Colossians 1:10 | By Susanna Zach

How does processing scripture allow you to apply it to your business, job, family, passions etc? When I take the time to truly understand what I'm reading in the Scriptures, I think that it makes what I'm reading more meaningful to me. As I read and pray, the Lord reveals to me ways that I can change, become more like Him, love people better, and live more intentionally. I learn how to better steward my finances when I'm reading about the generosity of the early church. I learn how to trust God more when I read about David's dependence on Him. When I read about Christ's humility, I am spurred on to think of others as more important than myself and serve in any way.

A big thank you to Susanna for answering these questions, and giving us all so much encouragement. I love seeing how real customers use their journals, and how they are being used as a resource to process scripture.

If you are interested in a Dwell Deeply Journal for use in your own quiet time you can find them over in the shop! Stay tuned for more customer interviews about Dwell Deeply Journals, faith, and customer photos of their doodles! Enjoy!

Back in January I posted about 3 Tips for a Successful Quiet Time. I posted this because I know how easily I can get distracted or discouraged with my own quiet time. We recently launched the men's version of the Dwell Deeply Journals. These journals are quiet time companion journals that help you to dwell on truth. So, I asked my husband, Alex, for three additional ideas he had for a successful quiet time.

Hey there, it's Alex. First, off I wanted to ditto what Machelle said in her previous quiet time blog post. Her three tips were to 'set the mood' or create a space to have a quiet time, ditch your phone (unless you need it for the Bible app), and leave your Bible and/or devotional material out. I thought these tips were very helpful, and wanted to contribute some of my own.

1. Leave Out Your To-Do List

This may sound very goofy to some of you, but hang with me! I am very easily distracted - let me repeat that - I am very easily distracted. Frequently when I sit down to do my quiet time I will read something that reminds me of something I need to do. It can be tempting to quick pay the bills before I forget, or quick reply to that email. So, as a solution I leave out my to-do list. That way if I remember something I need to do while I am trying to focus on the word, I can write it down instead of jumping to get it done. So, if you get distracted like me leave your to do list out to quickly jot down thoughts, to-do's, and ideas so you can get them out of your head and continue to concentrate.

2. Be Okay With A Short Quiet Time

I love the days when I can spend an hour in the word. The reality is that usually only happens on Saturdays. It can be frustrating on weekday mornings when I run out of time for a "full quiet time". Here is what I have learned, it's okay to have a short quiet time. Being hard on yourself for not being able to have a lengthy quiet time every day can defeat the purpose and intent of letting the word be a part of your life. If you find during the week you only have ten minutes every morning - then embrace that! Taking that time to pray or read a devotional is so much more fruitful than being upset with yourself. Embrace those ten minutes, and embrace a short quiet time on occasion.

Men's Dwell Deeply Journals // Quiet Time Companion Journals // mkolbodesignstudio.etsy.com

3. Use Your Time Creatively

I mentioned in the last post that I have learned to be okay with shorter quiet times on occasion. This tip goes along with that. I have learned to use my time in the morning while getting ready creatively. For example, every morning I wake up and go sit on the toilet. I know that this toilet pit-stop is going to take me ten-fifteen minutes. Instead of scrolling through social media while I sit on the pot, I now keep a devotional book in the bathroom. My phrase for this is "meeting God on the throne, while on the throne" (Machelle is going to hate this). My point is that there is probably time where you are standing around, sitting around or waiting on something (breakfast, coffee, etc.) where you could be reading the Bible, a devotional, or praying. Think creatively about how you can utilize your time, and create space to be in the word.

I hope these tips from Alex, and the previous tips I shared on the blog help you dive in and have a successful quiet time. If you don't know where to start or need some help along the way our Dwell Deeply Journals are a great resource.

Have a great one friends! We are cheering you on!