Weekly Summary, Morning Pages, Letters to God
Cross Burst by Billy Alexander (FreeImages.com)
Part 5 in the Journaling toward God series
In Part 4 of Journaling for God, I described how eventually I chose spiral notebooks as journals and what happened when I shuffled the notebooks.
Whether we choose to write in a bound book, spiral notebook, or on a computer, we all need a little structure to keep our words from getting lost. Our journal entries are precious and personal. Preserve these words in an orderly process. Here are several approaches to try out that will help determine the type of notebook or computer program that works best. Four of the seven structures are:
Weekly Summary – You can work up to a daily time with God to record your thoughts in your journal by beginning with a weekly summary. During the week, jot down thoughts, prayers, blessings, and insights. Collect them in one place, perhaps a “Blessings Box” on your nightstand. Select one hour on the same day each week when you can be alone with God and read the highlights of the past week. Take up your concerns and struggles with him, and express your gratitude for his blessings as you write your summary in your spiritual journal.
Morning Pages — Many writers and artists scribble three pages of longhand when first awakening that reflect their subconscious thoughts. If you try this, you will be surprised at what you see flowing from your hand to the page. Don’t be concerned that much of it may not make sense when you read it later. Similar to keeping a dream diary, with morning pages a pattern emerges, revealing insight into your deepest needs. Morning Pages can flow into coherent entries in your spiritual journal as you become fully awake. Both Morning Pages and dream diaries reflect what’s going on inside your mind and heart so you can ask God what it all means in your relationship with him.
Letters to God – Writing letters by hand impresses our thoughts deep into our minds. Honest and open letters to God can be a powerful tool to express ourselves to him and reveal the strengths and weaknesses we didn’t realize we have. Writing letters slows us down to childlike simplicity that helps us ponder the meaning of every word we write. If we don’t rush away from our journal, we may hear him reply in the form of loving thoughts that we know did not come from us. Listening for God’s “voice” in our heart and recording what we “hear” helps us receive his love and become acquainted with how he communicates with us personally.
Ask Yourself: Which of these structures do I picture myself using to maintain my journal?
Next in the Journaling toward God series: Part 6: Gratitude Journals and Faithbooks
Read the series: Journaling toward God
