Skip to main content

How to Journal for the Soul

A journal can serve so many purposes. There are food journals to assist with weight loss, home improvement journals, baby keepsake journals, and travel journals, just to name a few. I started my first journal at age 15 simply because I wanted to remember what it was like to be that age, and realized that if I didn?t write it down, I would forget. Just recently, I began blank book number 12! These simple books, filled with life?s memories, are among my most prized possessions.

But what about a journal for the soul? ? a journal devoted to one?s relationship with God? What would such a journal contain? It could be a series of letters to God. Just as sometimes it is easier to write a letter or send an email as opposed to picking up the phone or having a face-to-face conversation, it can be easier to speak to God through writing. In this case, this journal would be a form of prayer, a conversation with God.
Such a journal might be used to write about one?s relationship with God. It could be a place for indicating where God was for you on any given day. Did you find God in another person, in the smile of a child, in the kindness of a stranger, or perhaps in creation, in a beautiful sunrise or a crisp autumn day? When did God feel absent? Was there a time that you felt alone and abandoned? This journal might be as simple as a list of positives and negatives.

A journal for the soul might also contain a list of goals for where you would like your spiritual life to be. Would you like to devote more time to prayer? Perhaps attend church services more frequently? Spend more time appreciating nature? Be kinder to those you encounter each day? Writing down these goals can be a first step to making them a priority in your life. You could then include what steps you take to make those goals a reality.
In addition, you might want to reflect on your spiritual history. Looking back at your life, can you see God at work? Do you see a plan taking shape, a direction in which you feel that you have been pushed? Were there times that you rejected God and attempted to make it on your own? What brought you back into a relationship with God? Looking at one?s past can be integral in moving to a new future.

What should your journal look like? That is entirely up to you. A simple notebook can do, as can any blank book with lines sold everywhere from the local dollar store to the high end leather bound variety at the upscale bookstore. Pick something that you will treasure and want to write in, but not so intimidating that you fear your writing in it will ?ruin? it. Some of you may be tempted to use your computer. This can work fine if you resist the urge to use the ?delete? key at every turn. This is not supposed to be a grammatically perfect and spell-checked document but rather an honest look at one?s life. If you do use a computer, however, I would suggest printing out your entry to keep someplace else. Computer files are notorious for getting lost or destroyed and you may want to look back on those pages years from now to see where you have been and how far you have come!

In any case, a journal should be a record of the journey. We come to know God through our experiences of daily life. A spiritual journal offers a place for reflection and can be a very useful tool in fostering your relationship with God.

Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur 2004

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Power of Appreciation

Is there anything more mysterious in theworld than the formula to having a successful romantic relationship? Asa divorced woman, I now marvel at those who are able to createpassionate, loving, long-term relationships. From my studies with booksand the school of hard knocks, I believe that one of the most importantingredients in relationships, of all kinds, is appreciation. What is Appreciation? Appreciation is likea much-needed rainfall to a farmer's crops that have been withering ina drought. Just as the crops start to shrivel and die without water,human relationships also start to feel brittle without a steadyapplication of the nourishing, even life-giving, impacts ofappreciation. The dictionary defines appreciation as "a favorablecritical estimate," "sensitive awareness" and "an expression ofadmiration, approval or gratitude." When you appreciate someone, youare tuned into a positive quality of another human being and expressyour gratitude for it. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Corporate ERP on Dynamics AX Deployment with Hub and Spokes Architecture

In certain business development scenarios you, as IT director of mid-market company have to respect existing structure and plan the evolution. This is especially true when your company expands in the way of acquisitions. Additional complication might be attributed to international business model, where you are acquiring established enterprise in the foreign country. In this small paper we would like to come through some popular theories and recommendations, where we suppose that you have Dynamics AX or formerly known as Axapta in your headquarters. If you are in Corporate ERP selection mode, we recommend you to consider AX in the case, when your policy is leaning toward Microsoft Dynamics products and technologies: 1.Why AX? First of all this ERP and MRP platform is recommended by Microsoft for the implementations in such industries as meat, fish and sea products, poultry, mining and oil drilling, distribution and logistics and with new version 2012 in public sector (GL fund managemen...
Post a Comment
Read more

Attic Fans

Attic and roof ventilation allows excess heat and moisture to escape at home to reduce summer cooling costs, pre-mature deterioration of roofing materials and condensation can lead to costly repairs. Effective attic ventilation relies on natural convection to pull air from the top to the bottom position, often in the open in Sofia, and the exhaust hot air from the ceiling vent in a higher position, such as through a gable, or open. Many new and existing homes are not ceilings, and its architecture can not afford soffits perforations for ventilation. While most households are conscious on the convenience brought by nicely ventilated homes, many tend to overlook the attic as one of the areas to be considered. No one finds it comfortable staying for long hours in the closed attic because of the overwhelming heat that builds up in it. For this reason, it is necessary for everyone to consider installing attic ventilation fans in order to cool down the attic's heat. This can have amazin...
Post a Comment
Read more