Journaling
November 7, 2007Pastor Nancy No Comments »
I’d like to tell you that it’s a matter of age, but in reality, I’ve always done better at remembering things if I’ve written them down. I don’t always have to have the paper in front of me, but the very act of writing makes it sink into my brain a little better. (Still not perfect.)
Journaling is a spiritual discipline where we write things down not only to remember them, but to give us a check point to go back and see how prayers were answered or how we have grown in our faith. I want to encourage you to write down some things today as part of your devotional time.
Here are some possible suggestions to try:
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If you’re reading a scripture or a Christian devotional magazine or book, spend a little time in quiet allowing God’s Spirit to speak into yours and reveal an application of that message for your life today. Then write it down.
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Write your prayer concerns today. Again the act of writing puts another dimension to our prayer life.
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Write down how you see God at work in your life or in the world around you this week – or today – or in the last hour.
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Try looking at a familiar scripture like Psalm 23 or John 3:16 one more time and look for something new in those words for you just for today. Write down your insight.
You will want to have a special notebook or journal book to write in. It can be a very inexpensive notebook or a fancy (and sometimes pricey) journal. I like a sketchbook where the pages are blank so I can draw, write in circles, write tiny, write big, or do whatever.
Another possibility is to journal on your computer. I have a word document that I use sometimes. And if it contains really personal thoughts or feelings, I password protect the document.
Start with some little effort today to write down some God thoughts. If you’d like other ideas, let me know. I have several lists of suggestions. Or try it out now and then attend a journaling workshop after the first of the year. I have two of them on the schedule. One in January, one in April.
In Christ’s love
Pastor Nancy
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