Journaling: An Act of Worship by Lynn Dove

I began journaling when I was a young Mom with my first child.  I was coming out of a very dark time of post-natal depression and someone suggested that I take up journaling as part of the healing and recovery process.  I had kept a diary briefly as a teenager, so I assumed that to journal was just keeping a daily record of events that happened or was about to happen to me, and then comment on how I was “feeling” on any given day.  I started simply enough just stating how I spent my days.  “Today I had a visit from a friend; It snowed today; I went shopping; I made meatloaf for supper…”  It was very bland writing, very matter-of-fact, and had no introspective value whatsoever.  After a month of trying, I was ready to give up on journaling because it brought me no satisfaction or joy in doing it.  It was a chore, nothing more.

As a writer I am always thinking who my audience is when I write.  Who will read my writing?  I was always purposeful to write content that would appeal to a certain reader.  I realized I had a writing dilemma when I was journaling.  There was no audience.  I was the only reader.  Journaling is supposed to be personal.  It is private.  It is not necessarily meant to be read by anyone else except the writer.  It is supposed to be an exercise in introspection but I wasn’t being introspective.  It was merely a play-by-play of my days and I wanted it to be more than that.  I wanted to pour my heart out to someone.  I wanted to write to an audience, and that’s when I learned that journaling can be a spiritual discipline. 

I had never thought of journaling as a worshipful act before and as soon as I started to think about it in that way, it changed my whole perspective and attitude towards journaling.  I changed the way I wrote, the way I shared, and rather my being so self-centred in my approach, I focused on building my relationship with God through the process of writing in my journal.  In journaling my writing is for HIS eyes and He is my sole, or should I say “soul” audience!

Journaling has become a vibrant and essential part of my “quiet” time with the Lord.  There are some days I find myself just sharing my day and then writing prayers to God, or I saturate the pages with Scripture.  Many times I have found myself looking back on events in my life, by reading past entries in journals and realizing how God intervened, encouraged or directed my steps.  My journal highlights spiritual markers and milestones in my life.  There are also entries that show my discouragements and complaints, and many deep valleys that I have journeyed through.  There are times I have felt like the Psalmist in pouring out my heart to God, begging Him to intervene or intercede on my behalf.  I have never been disappointed in God’s response, and my journal entries show proof that God has listened and acted. 

My journal(s), I have over thirty that I have written in, show my family’s comings and goings, highs and lows as well as the more mundane daily happenings over the past thirty five years.  As I get older, I don’t remember dates and past events as well anymore, so I can look back in my journals and read details from past years.  One such time of “looking back” in a journal was so profound and showed how amazing God's activity was in our lives, I had to share it on my Journey Thoughts blog.  It’s the only time I’ve shared with a larger audience some specifics of what I have written in my journal. 

There are countless books and articles written on how to journal, and I certainly do not pretend to be an expert in journaling.  I have discovered that I may journal differently than someone else and that there is no right or wrong way to journal.  I appreciate those who have researched the benefits of journaling for mental health reasons as well as using it as a spiritual discipline.  For me, journaling has become a very personal, intimate act of worship.   

David Mathis, Executive Editor, desiringGod.org : “Those Christians who flourish in journaling not only pursue prayer, and meditate on Scripture in general, but seek to apply the gospel with specificity to their fears and frustrations, their highs and lows, their joys and sorrows. When you open your journal harrowed, try to follow the path of the psalmists and close with hope…Your journal is a venue for freshly preaching the gospel to yourself, in your particular circumstances, without parroting the canned lines of truth you'll default to without pausing to think it over and write it out. Capture in your own words what you’re truly feeling, and then look for God’s words that meet your need.”  https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/five-ways-to-flourish-in-journaling

Lynn Dove is the award-winning author, of the YA “Wounded Trilogy”- a contemporary Christian fiction series with coming-of-age themes.  A wife, mom, grandmother, and free-lance writer with articles published in several magazines and anthologies including Chicken Soup for the Soul books, her blog, “Journey Thoughts” is a Canadian Christian Writing Award winner.  Readers may connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and at lynndove.com 

 

 

 

First in All Things by Steph Beth Nickel

First of all ... kudos to all of you who have made prayer and Bible study a high priority! It has been my goal to do so, but it hasn't always worked out as planned.

I am so thankful for the Christian community, many of whom I have never met in person. Both those I rub shoulders with and those I only connect with online have a tremendous impact on my life.

Recently, for instance ...

Memory Work

I have connected with a well-known Christian humorist and author and we have become friends. So much so that we've become one another's accountability partner as we seek to memorize the book of Philippians. (Feel free to check in with me to see how I'm doing from time to time.)

Bible Reading

Our pastoral intern challenged us to (re)read the gospel of John during the month of December. While I confess I didn't read through it last month, I have committed to doing so in January. I used to wake up and head to my computer first thing each morning. However, I now grab my phone and read a chapter in John and another in the Psalms. 

Prayer

This is still something I need to focus on more consistently. Perhaps it's time to take the one-minute challenge again. It begins with praying for 60 seconds a day and gradually increasing until one is praying for an hour each day. I don't know if the Facebook group is still active, but I think I'm going to check into it.

I know memory work, Bible reading, and prayer (among other spiritual disciplines) are crucial. However, sometimes I need a nudge in the right direction. Yet another reason the Christian community is so vital.

What does this have to do with writing? Lots actually.

The Lord is to be first in all we do. He is to be the focus. If we give Him His rightful place in our life, it will affect our writing in the following ways:

We will be better able to cope with the challenges that come our way, which makes it easier to develop a positive and authentic "voice."

We will begin to recognize recurring themes and, perhaps, gain inspiration for our writing.

We will learn to discern His leading in all areas, including our writing.

We will come to realize He really deserves first place in our life, increasing our desire to honour Him, whether we're writing for the Christian or secular market ... whatever we're doing.

And as we develop our relationship with Him, it's likely ...

We will begin to make connections with other believers who will affect our perspective, our writing, our lives.

As we seek to give Him first place in every area, twenty-eighteen is bound to overflow with insights and opportunities we may never have imagined possible.