Journaling: Five Steps to Getting Started
I’m a journaling freak.
The reason is extremely personal.. My journal is where I meet the Lord Jesus every morning, how we carry on our most intimate conversations, and where I record my prayers, hopes, dreams, discouragements, fears, sins (yes sins), and successes.
I’ve been journaling for years and challenge every man I’ve ever discipled, every couple we’ve ever helped, every group I’ve ever led, every friend and loved on, and every congregation I’ve shepherded to journal.
The challenge gets a little “preachy” in January because it’s the time to begin anew.
One question seems to be on the mind of all prospective journalers:
How do I get started?
Five Steps:
1) Make it simple!
We Christians tend to complicate the heck out of everything. We’re so hard on ourselves. Don’t wait until you find the perfect journal, perfect pen, get the perfect idea, and are ready to write perfect sentences. Just start journaling. I use a cheap Mead® Square Deal® Black Marble Journal Composition Book. It’s durable and each page is just about right for my personal wordiness. I’ve baptized mine in a high mountain stream, spilled about six gallons of coffee on every year’s edition, run over them in my pickup, and pulled them from the clinging hands of two-year-olds. They’re tough. They dry out and I just keep writing.
2) Make it you
This is between you and Jesus, not you and me. I tend to write out my prayers to begin each day’s journal. Sometimes I journal about what I’m reading from the Bible. Other times I journal thoughts from a Christian book I’ve read. Phil Yancey and NT Wright have filled up many pages of my journals.
3) Ask For Help
The best way to make journaling meaningful is to journal. Why not ask the Lord to give you the discipline to journal say three times a week for a month. See how that goes, and then ask Him again for the next month. Before you know it, you’re journaling.
4) Do a page
This has been important to me. I tell the Lord that I’m not going to get up from the chair that I journal from early in the morning until He gives me a page full of prayers, praises, questions, insights, tears, sorrows, joys, perspectives…I just start writing and keep writing until I’m done.
5) Prime the Pump! 3X10 and High Test Coffee
I prime my journaling pump with lots of caffeine from my beloved Keurig–bold, bold, bold K-cup–and as I’m waiting for that first taste of God’s gift of the coffee bean, I confess and praise. I prepare for my journaling time by asking God the Holy Spirit to bring to mind three specific things from the day before I need to confess as sin and ten specific praises from the day before. He’s never failed to tell me what He thinks and it gets me going.
It’s not that profound, but it’s what works for me. Hope it helps.
How about you? You have any journaling insights for the beginning journaler?
thanks. this is exactly what I needed. You are an answer to prayer.
Glad to hear that, Joli. This is just the first of a series of blogs about journaling. I hope they continue to help.
Ed. I’ve found it difficult. get up early. comfy chair in den. Read bible and pray, but find myself thinking about work and problems to much.
Don’t forget, Paul, that this is a discipline. Keep at it and you’ll find that your journaling muscles grow stronger. You may also want to try the 3X10 prayer. It sure helps me stay focused.