The Gift of Writing by Michelle M. Brown

“All this,” said David, “the Lord made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, all the work and details [to be done] according to this plan.” 1 Chronicles 28:19 AMP

As a new Christian, I more often than not found myself unable to calm my brain long enough to pray. Not only did I not know how to pray, believing I needed to bodily be in a particular position, with a completely calm mind as I went through my list of prayers for everyone and everything I could think of. I also believed the perfect prayer session would be neat, orderly and required eloquent language skills.

The reality was quite the opposite. I have a bad knee, and kneeling is painful. My brain is never calm or orderly and remembering all the people and things I wanted to pray for was impossible. I felt like a failure, unable to pray for others as they prayed for me. Neither able to communicate with Jesus, nor find the peace that I was told I would find in prayer.

On my 40th birthday, I was given a beautiful journal as a gift. I wasn't new to journaling, but in the past, as I wrote out my most profound thoughts and fears I often destroyed them for fear that someone in my life would read them and use the contents of the journal to hurt me. There was too much ammunition in those books for the abusive people I'd had in my life, but my life had changed. I was single, had good friends, and there was nobody to invade my privacy. I could once again unburden my thoughts on paper.

I embraced that beautiful new journal and poured all my pain and hope into it. Detailing my new-found faith, my struggle to find my place in the world and in God's Kingdom. I wrote with passion and in turn, found healing.

As the years progressed, I found I was writing less to myself and more as a letter to someone else. I was painting a picture of my story, speaking for myself and others and my hope for our lives. Posing questions and asking for guidance. I was talking to God.

I had not made a conscious decision to start a relationship with God on paper, but once I realized I had done it, I consciously made the decision to write down my prayers and maintain my conversations in this medium. One that allowed me to stop thinking long enough to start communicating.

The focus of writing gave release to beautiful words of hope, despair and my victories with Jesus. To a thankfulness of the life I was given and the daily miracles that I encountered: a private joke and the laughter I shared with my new husband; the tiny, injured bird I found in the snow that would go on to live; and an early morning sunrise which brought peace and the hope of a new day.

I discovered that writing calms my brain, orders my thoughts and gives birth to God's direction. In my own hand, I could find Him, speaking to me with love and a purpose for my life. I found solace and understanding for my failings.

Through writing, I found my relationship with God -- a deep love that is given and a greater love that is received.

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Michelle M. Brown was born and raised in British Columbia, Canada. She has a background in Marketing & Design. An avid hiker and adventure junkie she has embarked on a journey to conquer 50 adventurous activities in her 50th year.

My Various Writing Journals by Nina Faye Morey

This month’s blog addresses the value of keeping a writer’s journal or notebook. Since childhood, I’ve made several attempts to keep a Daily Diary. However, most of these entries turned out to be tedious recordings of trivial everyday experiences, so I soon became bored and abandoned them. But over the years, I’ve managed to amass a number of writing notebooks or journals. They vary in size and purpose: small ones I keep in my purse to record random thoughts and observances that may make their way into my writing; medium-sized ones I use to jot down ideas, goals, and notes pertaining to my writing, and large ones for writing rough drafts.

My Journals Vary in Size & Purpose

My Common Place Book started as an assignment for a university English class I took in the 90’s. It’s a place where I collect some of my writing, other people’s writing that’s moved me, quotes and sayings I especially like, and my observations and thoughts about events that occur in the world around me.

I also keep a Spiritual Journal filled with scripture verses and spiritual sayings that have been especially meaningful for me. It contains my personal reflections on them, along with other enlightening revelations that occur to me from time to time. I also fill them with spiritual symbols and imagery that often show up in my articles, stories and poems. For instance, the iconic imagery in a Ukrainian Orthodox church that I visited during one of my seminary classes made a lasting impression on me. I’ve also long been fascinated by Ukrainian Easter Eggs, or Pysanky, and I’ve learned the meaning of their various colours and designs. I’ve used this knowledge to “colour” some of my Christian writing.

In addition, I keep several Writing Notebooks/Journals. These are filled with all kinds of notes related to my writing. I’ve jotted down ideas for novels, stories, articles, and poems. Some of these notes have already been converted into pieces that have been published in various periodicals over the years. Others still await their turn in the limelight. Another notebook is filled with notes I’ve collected from a number of writing conferences I’ve attended. Still others are notes I’ve taken while reading other authors’ works or resource books for writers. Several are filled with rough outlines or first drafts of short stories, articles, and poems. The first draft of my romance novel was written in longhand and fills three of the larger journals. I’m now in the middle of typing and revising the second draft on my laptop.

Journals are Great Writing Resources

Lastly, I have a Writing Portfolio where I keep copies of all of my work that’s been published in various periodicals and anthologies, along with some contest award-winners.

The practice of writing in these various writing notebooks and journals helps me to develop and clarify my thoughts and feelings on a variety of topics and gives me inspiration and fodder for my writing projects. Keeping my Spiritual Journal has helped me process Scripture verses that I’ve read and delve deeper into their meaning so that I can grow spiritually and apply what I’ve discovered to my Christian writing. The verses, sayings, and quotes that I jot down in this journal also serve to build up my faith and devotion to God.

Whether I’m noting the good or the bad as I write in my various journals and notebooks, it usually works its way into my writing. If I’m working through some personal struggles, I know others out there are in similar situations. Because of my journalling, I’m able to write about these situations so my readers know they’re not the only ones experiencing them.

Photo Credits: © 2016, Nina Faye Morey

Famous Journals - Bonnie Way

Many people, writers and non-writers alike, keep journals or diaries. My mom likes journaling so she can look back on what she was doing a few months or years ago. During a time when I was very lonely, the pages of my journal became a listening ear to my thoughts and feelings. Like Anne Frank, I found that "When I write, I can shake off all my cares."

Many of us feel like British author Frances Burney (1752–1840), that “To Nobody, then, will I write my journal! since to Nobody can I be wholly unreserved—to Nobody can I reveal every thought, every wish of my heart, with the most unlimited confidence, the most unremitting sincerity to the end of my life! For what chance, what accident can end my connections with Nobody? No secret can I conceal from No-body, and to No-body can I be ever unreserved. Disagreement cannot stop our affection, Time itself has no power to end our friendship. The love, the esteem I entertain for Nobody, No-body’s self has not power to destroy. From Nobody I have nothing to fear, the secrets sacred to friendship, Nobody will not reveal, when the affair is doubtful, Nobody will not look towards the side least favourable.”

And yet others journal in a more public way, sharing what they write with Everybody. In our modern era, journaling has gone electronic—it’s now blogging. As I’ve surfed through the blogosphere, many blogs that I’ve seen are one person’s ramblings on their own life—and more or less interesting, depending on their life and their writing skill. Yet with the millions of blogs now being published, there is something there that keeps us not only writing such blogs, but also reading them.

Martha Brockenbrough suggests that journals are a way to “learn about yourself and your fellow humans.” We are all curious about those around us, whether they think and feel and see what we do. And not only those in our own era, but those in past eras as well. Historically, journals are important documents about times past. Think of famous journals you’ve read or heard of—Anne Frank’s is probably the first that pops into your head, but other people such as Lewis and Clark, Sir Ernest Shackleton, David Thompson and Charles Darwin also kept journals that are now publicly published.

Recently, my mom and I were touring Dundurn Castle in Hamilton, Ontario. Our guide kept referring to the journal written by the thirteen-year-old daughter, Sophia McNab. It was easy to imagine a bored and creative young girl, confined by the manners of the time to the nursery upstairs, recording the daily happenings in the pages of her journal. It is interesting to consider that her journal would become the most important source about a time when children were to be seen and not heard and women belonged in the drawing room. As one blogger says, “Doesn’t it make you just want to keep a diary, something to ensure that the record is accurate, a reference book for the tour guides in the unlikely event that your house is still standing 180 years from now?

So whether you blog or journal in a more traditional sense, don’t think it useless or silly. You never know who may read what you write and learn from it!