Journaling

[Joannm]

I am teaching a two day workshop on spiritual journaling and would like to hear from some of the folks here that do journal what is the greatest benefit to them. In other words, what do you get out of journaling. I am making a power point presentation and would like to list the benefits. I know what mine are but I don’t only want to present my point of view.

 

[acadian]

I am able to think when I write. The thoughts seem to make more sense and seem to flow.

I can also go back and read prior entries - sometimes answering questions that I asked or commenting on observations that I made.

Sometimes it is helpful to get things out of my head and on to paper. Makes more room for other things.

 

[bcuster]

Journaling is a way of gathering the fruits that the Lord blesses us with. Jesus said, “He who doesn’t gather with me, scatters.” We are media junkies these days. So much is coming into our brain from TV, Radio, etc. that we do not take time to sit and dwell on what we are seeing and hearing. When we take time to read the scriptures and jot down what “speaks to us” we are gathering. We then can go back at different times and reflect on these fruits and receive the gifts that the Lord has given.

 

[unixfudotnet]

I blog my regular thoughts and interests.

Yet, I think I’m going to start writing down prayers and things I’d like to pray for, as my mind jumps all over the place all the time. As I start to get more to pray for, I’d like to keep track of it. Since I am a prayer newbie, I think this will help me.

Regular journaling is very theraputic and it helps to just get out what’s in your head, even if it’s just small stuff. If you’re one prone to holding things in till you explode, journaling is probably fit for you. Yet, even if not, it’s still worth giving a try.

It helps to take a load off your shoulders/mind, even if it’s just ink on paper. I helps calm and sort out things, even if it doesn’t seem like it would.

I’m a fan.

 

[Joannm]

Thank you for your responses, They are most helpful.

 

[kitkatty]

******Everything said so far are very good reasons for spiritual journaling. Let me just add that is can also be kind of our very own spiritual progress/regress report. Kind of let us know where we are headed on our journey and to gain insight to where we are being led. This can be a very useful supppement to advice from a donfessor or spiritual adviser.

 

[Ceil-1]

I almost always journal with a question for the Lord in mind. As I am writing the thoughts that come to me, I find the answer I am looking for. I usually journal as I am reading Scripture.

I also write Scripture verses that seem to speak to me and give them a heading. Someday, I hope to put these together under their headings and make a book wherein a person can look up Scripture passages that pertain to the subject they are researching.

 

[Veronica_Anne]

I’m a huge fan of journaling. When I was a catechist in my parish’s preparation program for the Sacrament of Confirmation, I had every session having the teenagers write, or try to write, in their OWN journal – right then and there in the few first minutes of that session – whatever thoughts they had on the journal topic – which was always a point having to do with the article of Faith that I was teaching in that session – I wrote on the whiteboard in front of the room. I used that as the start of them thinking about the topic before I began the session.

These days, I’m noticing that when I journal, I’m getting 'sentence starters" from various bumper stickers…

My most recent “sentence starter” is this bumper sticker that I saw recently. It really got me started…

It is this bumper sticker:

“Wag more. Bark less.”

Since I find that I have gotten into the habit of barking, I need to wag more and more… My faith is there for a reason… just having the gift of faith in God should lead me to wag instead of bark. What came out in my journaling was my remembering that line in Scripture where God says – Be still, and know that I am God.

Stuff like that is great for spiritual journaling…

Another source of sentence starters is what I see on tee shirts people wear. One of those, several years ago that helped me a great deal with something that was troubling me spiritualy was a tee-shirt someone was wearing that said this –

“Bury your dead.” Sounds morbid… but it really DID have something to do with my spiritual life for which I needed healing. What came out in my journaling was my remembering God saying, so many times, Be not afraid. And St. Paul saying “It is not me, but Christ Who lives in me.” And I wrote about THAT for quite a while, too…

Oh… yeah. Another tee-shirt that got me started journaling for something I needed to address in my spiritual life was this line on f a very bright red tee- shirt that said:

Yes. It IS all about ME!

That one made me laugh because it sounded SO like me!! Of course, what came from that was our Lord’s telling me as one of his followers, as he told the Apostles at the l;ast Supper when He washed their feet, to do as He did. That I am to be humble if I am to follow Him.

God is SO good with providing these types of things… and for giving me the invitation to journal.

 

[brigid12]

I agree with most everything posted above. For me journaling aids me a lot in focus and I can catch myself in my little “hypocrisies”/lies to myself! This is true especially when I write with paper and pen, not typing onto a Word-type computer program (maybe I’m partially a kinetic learner?). I too go back to look for growth (or lack thereof) in my spiritual journey or for little biblical quotes that were important to me.

 

[kitkatty]

Brigid, there really is something about actually writing in your journal opposed to putting your journal in your computer. Maybe a more holistic spiritual expression actually using our hands to write as we pray/meditate in our journal entries? Our bodies physically expressing what our minds and hearts are doing. Not that we don`t **use physical movements to type but writing something out in longhand is a personal and unique. And if there is anything I HATE is to write things out in longhand. My handwriting is atrocious! Just a thought on keeping journals and one that just occurred to me as I read your post.