I’m not sure when I first started journaling. However, when I was a young girl I had diaries, where I wrote down dreams about silly boys I thought I would marry and the names of adorable children we would have. It was all so sweet and innocent, contemplating the future. I spent time hiding my words away from prying eyes that would expose my little girl treasured thoughts. My words were for me alone, for no one else, and even then, I felt the need to write. Writing down thoughts helped me to work through what I was thinking and process what was going on in my head. Interestingly enough, this is still true of my writing today.

I have journals from the past several years, but I haven’t read them recently. Perhaps I will some day when I’m searching for a new character for a story, but for now I am focused on loving the present and moving forward. As Alice reminds us, “‘… it’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.’” —Alice in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Journaling has benefits that help me both with head and heart. It calms me, giving me clarity, and through God’s touch, grace. Journaling guides me in separating feelings from facts. Which is so important to distinguish. Writing slows me down and centers me so that I can hear God speak with a gentle, loving, voice. This quiet stillness beckons me to draw closer to His heart, and rest in his presence. Here in that sacred place, I am safe and completely loved.

Journaling has aided my memory. Events that happened long ago resurface. Often, I reflect on where God is in those events. I have found that He was with me long before I was aware of Him. Looking back, I see Him in the wind blowing gently through trees, the ocean, and the vast sky. I see him as I pressed my cheek to a frigid car window, looking up into a star filled night. I recognize him in a cold day, the ground covered in snow, the stillness and the quiet. I did not know Him, but I felt His presence. I see that now.

Writing in my journals leads me to sit down, be still, and think, to stop busying myself and running in perpetual circles. Journal writing aids with moments of depression and anxiety and fuels the inspiration. It leads to contentment and a joy in the soul.

If you haven’t ever practiced journaling, I encourage you to start. Find a journal to write in, something that you would enjoy turning to daily, and start reflecting. Make it your own. Date your entries and enjoy the process. See if along with your scripture reading, it doesn’t draw you closer to God. I hope this inspires you to pick up your pen and put thoughts to page. I would love to hear about your journaling experiences.

Blessings and love.

Until next time,

Teresa