journaling, a private obsession

There aren’t many things that get me more excited than a warm patch of sunshine, a steaming cup of coffee, my Bible and journal. Especially if that journal is new. 

A journal contains fresh, clean and crisp pages just waiting to catch your most treasured thoughts, prayers and reflections as they pour out of your heart through your pen.

If I blogged half as much as I wrote in my journal there would be even less of you reading this and the Internet might collapse. I journal a lot.

My journal isn’t a diary or even a collection of thoughts about my day; it’s a prayer journal and a way to process what God is teaching me. A place to write down Scripture, Bible study notes, sermon notes, doodle and most importantly worship through pen and paper.

It’s a small sanctuary I can hold in my lap and experience the Lord through. It’s one of my most treasured objects and my favorite times of the day are spent with it and my Bible (see first paragraph).

invitation to write

Because I am such a fan of journaling, I took some photos of my journals hoping to inspire you to dive into your own journal and write to God. Bare your soul to Him, He knows it anyway but you’ll learn more than you can imagine through just the simple process of writing it out.

And even if you just use your journal to write Scriptures or quotes that stand out to you, what an awesome way to (literally) write them on your heart. However, if you decide to write out your prayers or prayer requests, you get the awesome ability of looking back and seeing how God specifically and strategically answered your prayers. And who knows who might read your journal years and years down the road and be inspired, challenged and encouraged by what God taught you.

Some people say they don’t have time to journal. Okay, then don’t write a novel. Maybe just summarize what God showed you that day in a sentence. It is always an encouragement to look back and read previous entries and see that God is not absent in our lives even when He feels silent.

P.S. You can click to enlarge any photo and bring up the entire gallery. 

Sometimes my journals get extra loved and I have to rebind them. This one hasn't had surgery yet.

Sometimes my journals hold important letters, like this one from the Marquette basketball coach.

Record victories and answered prayers.

Word study on the words of our mouth.

One of the most worn out pages in my journal. It's exciting to go back and put dates beside the people who have since come to Christ.

Journal lyrics to the current song of your heart.

Biblical to-do lists.