Quick Tip: JOURNAL!
So probably like most women, my mind runs a mile/minute. If you compare my mind to a computer, I have multiple tabs open with different information going at the same time. Quite frankly, I could consider that multitasking but it can get overwhelming and one thing that I realize when I’m overwhelmed is that it can paralyze me into inactivity. I just won’t do anything. And doing nothing won’t get tasks done.
One of the things that I have picked up consistently probably about a year ago is journaling. Now let’s be clear, I am not the person who keeps a diary and writes down everything that happened in my day. I don’t even consider myself a writer. But what does happen when I journal is I am able to get my thoughts out almost like unloading my brain. In a previous POST about having a quiet time, I talked about doing a brain dump list and then a gratitude list which helps me be able to empty my brain so I’m able to pray better and read my Bible with a clear mind. In this post I really want to focus on the journaling portion.
I still make brain dump and gratitude lists but I also write in all of my Bibles. I have a few that are journaling Bibles. They give space outside in the margins. I am a person that likes to highlight and I think all of this comes to play because I am a visual and tactile learner. Seeing what I write as I’m writing it helps me to retain information. It’s very therapeutic to me. Also by writing things down as I see them, it lets me see what’s important to me at the moment.
There is a caveat: there is no special way of how one person should journal! Do what is natural to you. I can give you what I do but that’s what works for me. For others, it could be keeping a diary every day. For some, it could be reading a passage in the Bible and summarizing it for yourself. Personally, I don’t put the pressure on myself to actually journal every day. When the moment hits me, that’s when I do it. There are times that I read my Bible and I may make a couple of notes in the margin. Then there are times where I read a passage of the Bible and it really pierces my heart and I write my thoughts. Something that I personally like doing as well is journaling my prayers and actually writing to God. As you can see, there’s no blueprint to what you can do with journaling. It is whatever on your heart. The possibilities are endless and it doesn’t have to be structured but, one thing that it definitely does, is allows you to express yourself in ways that you may not be able to communicate verbally.
Well guys, that’s all I got! I hope that it was helpful and it gets the wheels turning. By all means, if this is something that won’t help you, don’t feel obligated to do it. But if this is something that you think you can incorporate in your own quiet time with God, try it out! I will also include our FREE BIBLE STUDY TOOL as well. It includes self-reflection & scripture application…a great recipe for journaling! I’m curious…is this something that you already do? If so, tell us how you do it. If this is something you don’t do, do you think you would start?
If you like QUICK TIP posts like this one, I’ll link past ones for you below:
