Keeping a Journal

[The Simple Plan]

Do you keep a journal?
How long have you kept one?
Would you recommend keeping one?
What do you put in the journal?

Dave

 

[ZiSunka]

I haven't kept one lately, but I used to be an avid journaler. I kept jounalling for about five years, and I found it to be a good experience. It helped me clarify my thoughts, especially things that had been confusing me, or bits of scripture that puzzled me or that I wanted to understand better, or feelings in general.

I would write down all sorts of things, like what happened to me that day, or what I did, unusual weather events, birds or plants that I saw, scripture that hit me that day, thoughts about God, people that impacted me that day, ideas for stories, finished stories, poetry, etc. Sometimes I'd glue in a ticket stub for a moive I liked or a ball game I went to, or a picture of something I liked, or whatever.

Journalling is a great experience and I higly recommend it. It's like a record of your life.

 

[Gerry]

Lambslove is right about the journal. Especially if you are living an active Christian life and you are young. There are so many ways a journal will be invaluable to you. Also when you get old like me and want to write your memoir's it will make life a lot easier for you.

 

[Swurple]

* agrees about the memoirs thingy * hahaha. its true... one day when i retire, I'd prolly wanna sit down and write a book about my life and yknow memory isnt exactly your best asset at 56 yrs so journals would REALLY help. If you're really lazy, you could even just sell it as it is, like Anne Frank or Adrian Mole. hahaha.

Hm....Ive been keeping a journal ever since I could write, i think... although my first book had absolute gibberish in it putting that aside, I have about 5 books...and still going strong. I put in stuff that I'd prolly wanna remember and also I pen out my thoughts on paper cos not only is it therapeutic, but it DOES help clarify matters. And you feel better cos its like as if you've unloaded. POems, songs, momentos... all that.

I think the thing that keeps me going is the realisation that one day im gonna read all this and im gonna laugh, cry, learn, remember and rerealise things. its gonna keep me young. =)

Journal writings are highly recommended by me. Specially those who really need to release their thoughts etc but cant because their friends are already fed up with past experiences

ta!

 

[ZiSunka]

Journals are great benchmarks, too. You can look at journals from years past and see how God has helped you grow in faith and as a person.

 

[GraftMeIn]

I don't keep a journal as in writting everything down in one book. But in a sense I do keep one, it can be found in each devotional, poem, prayer, and other things I write that God has shown or given me.

 

[sklippstein]

i do keep a prayer journal........have kept it for about 5 years. I jot down prayer requests and usually record the date of the request and then mark it off with the date of the answer.

 

[Tami]

I've thought about keeping a journal but I've never actually done it because what if someone found it and read it? That might not be cool.


Tami

 

[jillybeans]

   Sorry- still getting the hang of this!!!  I've got a reply here somewhere!!!

 

[jillybeans]

I started a gratitude journal years ago, when I was going through some tough stuff. It was incredible to see all that God has given me that I had totally taken for granted. Somedays were a bit , uh, flimsy (ie- my socks match), but it was still stuff that I was grateful for!!!! I don't write a lot in that anymore, but still keep up the principals of gratitude. It's been really helpful. When I'd start with sort of 'whiny' entries (like the socks), God would show me that I also had feet to put in them, legs to walk on, a neighborhood to walk in, etc, and the things to be grateful for just multiplied all over the place!! It was wonderful for gaining better perspective during that time in my life, and has continued to be a non-written way of looking at my life. I also kept other journals- prayer, general documenting of what was going on. It's been interesting to look at old journals, and review the journey!

 

[Gerry]

A gratitude journal is a great idea for all Christians. As you said it would instill the principles of gratitude in them and they would not need to keep it forever!