The Lost Art of Journaling

Journaling differs from a diary. A diary usually contains the facts of the day or the situation. Journaling is reflecting on what God has impressed upon your heart each day. This will be a great keepsake and an opportunity for you to review the things that God impresses upon your heart over these 2 weeks.

Some Helps

The act of writing has tremendous potential to arrange conscious thoughts in a clear pattern as words flow from your mind down your arm, into your hand and across the page. Banish your internal editor. This is that voice that booms from the darkest recesses of your brain: “You shouldn’t be writing that.”
Here are a few tricks to banish this frightening little voice.

• Write quickly, allowing the words to freefall from your subconscious.
• Keep writing. Don’t erase or cross-out any words. If you’re heading in a direction you would rather avoid, start a new paragraph. These accidental forays may be telltale signs for issues you need to address. And erasing just takes more time that you could be using to focus on you.
• Date each entry in your journal. Note the time, place, and any details regarding your mood and emotions that will be necessary for context when you read back on your work.
• After you have finished a journal entry, take a walk or get up for a glass of water before you reread your entry, and remember to reread this entry with compassion.
• I do not read the previous entry before writing the new entry. Start with a blank slate of what God is teaching you.

Diary Type Entry
Monday – 2/9/04 - Today we boarded the plane to PNG. Weather was great and plane was crowded. Got some sleep and everything went fine. Enjoyed the flight, but it was long – had a good day.

Journal Type Entry
Monday – 2/9/04 – Left for PNG today. Was pretty nervous getting on the plane and leaving all my friends and loved ones. Leaving the comfort of home on an adventure that I am not sure what it holds. Been very nervous, but I keep thinking that God will take care of me, but at times that is easier said than done. Spent a lot of time in the airport and couldn’t help but notice the all the different type of people. Started to wonder – who was telling them about Jesus. Here I am traveling half way around the world to help someone share the gospel, but I have a hard time talking to my neighbors (kinda ironic). Maybe I need to make a little more effort to tell my friends – but it is hard – and sometimes it is easier to go to another world where I do not know anyone.
God seems very real – maybe because this is a big step and an adventure that is not in my comfort zone. I guess I depend more on Him when I am outside of my comfortable surrounding – probably a good lesson.

Some Questions to Ask

• What is God impressing upon my heart?
• How did I see God work in my life today?
• Where did I see God today?
• What is the Holy Spirit teaching me today?