Skip to main content

Journaling-- helping to see more clearly.



For me, journaling is one way I check in with the state of my soul. It helps me take stock of where I am, what I am thinking, what I am feeling, and reminds me of where I want to be headed and mostly of who I want to be.

Often, I begin by bringing my thoughts and feelings to the surface -- then begin inviting God to shine a light on what and where he would like for me to focus my attention. Sometimes my entry finishes with an "aha moment" where I clearly see something I hadn't noticed before -- and sometimes my entry finishes with a prayer that simply says... Lord, help me... Either way I sense God reminding me that he cares about me and understands what ever I am going through at that time.

I like to start writing what's on my mind.  What I am thinking?  What am I feeling?  Why is this bothering me?  How am I responding?  How do I want to respond?  What do I sense God is asking of me? Sometimes I write pages and pages.  Other times I may only write a few sentences.  Yet overtime it seems to help me process while providing space for me to listen more attentively.

It's pretty simple to get started.  Just get a pen (or if you prefer a pencil) and pad of paper and start.

There's no right or wrong way to do it.  Find something that works for you for this particular time in your life. 

In Jeff and Mindy Caliguire's booklet Write for Your Soul they provided these ideas to help you get started:


  • Look back (Yesterday I...)
  • Record your dreams (particularly recurring, troubling or exciting dreams)
  • Fun moments
  • Pray on paper (Dear God...)
  • What you're learning lately (insights, wisdom, mistakes)
  • Work through decisions (write out pros and cons)
  • Quotes or stories you want to remember (something you read or a friend told you)
  • Scenes you want to keep with you
  • Ideas or goals for the future
  • Notes for something you've listened to 
  • Process through questions



 


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shaking the System

Here at Grace Community Church we just finished a four week series entitled Shaking the System. If you missed any of these -- you can listen online at www.gracecc.org/sermons.html How did this weekend series stir you? What questions or concerns did it raise in your heart and mind? This past week Dave Rod gave us some ideas for personal engagement -- have you or are you planning to take any steps to personally get engaged in social justice issues?
18 comments
Read more

Praying as We Breathe In & Out

By offering a simple prayer with every breath, we can be reminded "for in him we live and move and exist" (Acts 17:28). Although rather simple, this practice requires a connection between the unconscious act of breathing and a conscious expression to God. A Bit of History The church has practiced breath prayer or "prayer of the heart" for millennia . The Eastern Orthodox Church, in particular, has seen breath prayer as a way of living out Paul's instruction to "pray without ceasing."         Examples Jesus Prayer Take a moment to become aware of your breathing. It might help to find a quiet place -- close your eyes and notice your breathing. As you breath in -- bring your thoughts to Jesus. As you breath out -- express a word of gratitude or need. For example, breath in -- saying "Lord, Jesus Christ" -- breath out saying "have mercy on me." Throughout your day -- as you notice your breathing -- take note an...
11 comments
Read more

The Shack and Room of Marvels

I love to read. I enjoy hearing what others are thinking and processing. I go through spurts of reading fiction and honestly I don't read very much christian fiction. BUT, a few years ago I read a book called Room of Marvels and just recently picked up a copy of the book, The Shack . Both books are fiction. Both books press in on really hard subjects of pain and loss. Both books profoundly impacted my view of God, our world, and eternity. Any readers out there? Have you read either of these books? Would love to hear your thoughts?
9 comments
Read more