Definition: Journaling is a tool for reflecting on God’s presence, guidance and nurture in daily comings and goings. Journals can be kept regularly or during time of transitions.
Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices that Transform Us, 65.
I journal. A LOT.
I’ve been journaling regularly since college. Some seasons I use specific questions to help me intentionally reflect. Sometimes my journal entries are pages and pages long of just conversations with God. Other times it might be a single sentence or the poor attempt of putting a single thought into words. Some days it might be a passage of Scripture I copy on a page. And yes, other days the pages go blank. I just don’t feel like it.
I’ve tried electronic journals — my favorite, Day One. But, for me, there is nothing like paper and pen — specifically my black, .38 Pilot G2. My handwriting reminds me of the emotions behind the words on the page — along with the evidence of tear streaks, for sure.
I’m grateful for the scribbles from over the years. There are times when I find myself asking, “How did I get here?” “Is this really what I’m supposed to be doing?” Visits with my journals are often helpful at those times. They remind me of things I’ve said, things God has said, things others have said, and often remind me of prayers I’ve prayed — and have since forgotten. Journaling helps me put thoughts and feelings to paper, be confronted with truth — and lies — in black and white, and take time to reflect and take notice to places God is drawing my attention.
There are times when I feel desperate for reminders that God cares and I need to be reminded of ways I’ve seen His goodness and faithfulness before. It’s special to flip open certain journals and see in those pages evidence of who God is and how I personally have experienced Him. Undeniable.
How about you? What is journaling like for you? Do you have favorite journaling tools to share?
This picture was taken when I unpacked a plastic tote that had been in storage at my parents’ house for years. Now on my to-do-list … organize journals!
The Sparrow's Nest 