I meet many who love the idea of journalling, but can’t seem to make it a discipline.
I want to encourage you on how I started and the fruit it has brought in my life.
Journalling started for me before I was saved as a little girl in her “diaries.” Still not sure what ever happened to them. When I started being interested in Christ and was going to a Methodist Church in Asheville, NC from the age of 19-22…I had a few journal entries.
This was the entry on the day I was saved. 10/31/2000. Look at the the last line “I will be learning and witnessing the rest of my days.” That’s been my life…to know Him and make Him known.
Then I started Genesis, as you can see.
The “love letter” on the left was from Jesus….3 years before my letter back to Him. So you can say, He started it.
I would journal, but it didn’t start being consistent and daily until November 6, 2001.
So that means, I have been journalling ON EVERY DAY for 18 years or 6,603 days.
You can say I have developed a discipline. But when you are in love, it’s a delight.
I am now on journal #54. Here is my collection.
As you can see, the last several years I have a lot of tan/yellow colored journals. These are my favorite. I buy them from Barnes and Noble. They are durable, lined, leather bound and usually can hold 6 months of writings.
This was a process for me. What started out as a one line entry for the day turned into pages and pages. This was an entry from a devo I did on February 5, 2002:
I still hold strong to this philosophy today. TT and Nike running tandem on the motto “Just do it.” It’s my answer for a lot of situations.
Don’t wanna forgive? Just do it.
Don’t wanna say the hard thing? Just do it.
Don’t wanna run 6 miles today because you don’t feel like it? Just do it.
Don’t know how to start the evangelistic-awkward-convo on the plane? Just do it.
You make time with Jesus every day a non-negotiable until it becomes a joy. I spend time with Jesus every day. I don’t think about “Will I spend time with Him? Will I make time?” Nope, it’s just a part of my daily life. I just do it. And I LOVE it.
There have been stale moments which produced entries like this one written April 1, 2002:
You write down what you are going to do. In this entry, I was working as a nurse. I had to be AT WORK at 6:30am ready for the night nurse’s report at 6:45am. That means I had to leave the house around 6:15am. You make time for what you love.
Writing things down will stare you in the face later as you reflect. Journals are great for reflection.
“The unexamined life is not worth living” ~Socrates. I agree.
So how do I journal?
I start with the previous day and reflect on it. My journal gets all the unfiltered. Jesus is the only one who gets the fullness of Teresa unfiltered. He can handle my “gossip” and emotions. People can’t. It taints their view of others and defiles. So “processing with someone” or “verbally vomiting” on someone is just that….disgusting.
Thankfully God can handle it:) I need to get it out. I need to talk to Him. Get His perspective. He usually changes my judgements, frustrations, fears and desire for revenge and “I’m gonna say this and that to them when they say this…” into LOVE.
But it had to get out, in the light of my journal, to be in the LIGHT and be TRANSFORMED from yuck to love.
I also write:
What I am thankful for.
Events that happened throughout the day.
What He spoke throughout my day.
Dreams I had from Him.
Visions I had from Him.
How I shared the gospel with someone.
If I saw someone healed.
What I ate.
What I prayed.
My feelings around it all.
And I listen for what He wants to speak into all this. When He speaks, I use a gold ink pen to write what He says. So that means, I can flip through my journals and when I see gold, I see His words to me.
After reflecting on the previous day, I write the new date.
I usually record how long I slept. That’s important to me. I even write the times. So, it usually goes something like this: “Went to bed at 8pm and woke up at 4am….thank YOU Lord for sleep!”
Then I ask the Lord “What do you have for today?”
Then I listen…and write down, in gold, what He says.
That could be anything from “Worship” to “Pray for this and that” to “Read Romans 8:11” to “Write your talk for debrief” to “Just sit in silence” to “I love you” to “Read Ruthless Trust” to “Listen to Revelation.”
As you can see, those are just SOME examples and it’s very diverse. Like a relationship is:) When you hang out with someone, I hope you don’t always read a book together. I hope you don’t always have a one sided convo. I surely hope you take time to just “be” and let silence take over.
He’s a diverse God with many facets that I will be discovering my whole life.
The treasure of my journals, is that this week, I am reflecting on the year. I do that every year…usually on December 31st. I stack “Remembrance Stones” and literally draw stones in my journal of the highlights of the year.
When I have been looking back in my journals for the year over the last 3 days, I see where I had forgotten some things the Lord spoke. I was encouraged by how much He spoke the same thing over and over again all year. I saw His strategic hand in what and how He spoke at just the right time.
I have a good memory. I live an abundant life. But I can’t remember all the little details of everything. I was amazed at how much WE did/saw/experienced this year. That is why journalling is such a gift.
I do often wonder, if people don’t journal or have some method of reflection…do they just get to the end of the year with a “that was a good year” and move along or even “glad 2019 is over” because they didn’t reflect to see all His goodness in the details we can skim over.
I just looked back at a prayer I prayed in 2000!!!! this morning and that prayer is SO answered. How encouraging!
Looking back, just makes walking with God that much funner. I’m like “No way…you gave me a dream she was pregnant before I knew!”
I hope you journal or will start. You will be glad you did.
My only regret was not starting sooner.
