There was a really tough time in my life. I was newly married, struggling to get pregnant, dealing with health issues and seeking counselling to help heal some past hurts. Each of these issues had its own sticky tale woven into my faith life and I had no way to manage the constant unravelling I was doing. So I started writing out my prayers. I needed to sort through all the tangled web around me, I needed God every minute of the day and I needed one place to unload all the burden I was carrying.
I still have that book of prayers. Now I can look through it, seven years later, and see where I’ve been. A part of me wants to burn the book for all the raw confessions and messy pain that fill the pages. The other part of me holds on to it because when I reflect on where I’ve been, how the process has shaped and refined me and I find myself sitting still with stoic praise to God.
As it accumulated, day-by-day, prayer journaling had kept me moving forward and gave me a place to put all the questions and heartache for the day. I had journaled as a teen, more so told stories under the filter of someone else reading them. When I wrote unbound I realized that journaling was a way to heal and grow.
All writing grows us. Ever since I started writing online I have seen a parallel in how the process of writing develops a person. As I’ve taken started to put pen to paper in my daily life for the little things, the big things, the life goals, the daily to-dos I see how writing it down is a form of committment. You are more likely to do the things you write out. You are more likely to find your deep truths when you write it out.
In this community collective we are sharing the words of Canadian Christian on how they use journaling in their life. We hope it will inspire you to add some regular pen to paper moments in your daily life.
Journaling to heal. Claire at The Gift of Writing knows about the healing power of journaling, after all she does have a course called Write Your Way Whole. In a blog post, she shares about the role of journaling in overcoming your fears as it helps you to identify the hidden assumptions you are living out in your life.
Journaling to set goals. Writing out your goals is a powerful component of actually completing them. Liz at Mommy Mannegren made a goal to read 60 books in one year (!!) here is how keeping a book journal has helped her exceed that goal by almost double (again !!)
Journaling to deepen your bible study. Who else was a doodler in their bible despite the sighs from all the old church ladies? Now it is a whole thing! Sonia at Grace Sisterhood shows that you can write and draw in your bible and it can actually help you decipher, relate to and better understand the scripture you are reading
Journaling to count your blessings. There is true power in gratitude. It allows us to be in charge of our thoughts and attitudes rather than the other way around. Sarah at Sarah on Purpose has been tallying this impressive list of things she is grateful and shares a bit on how it has changed her daily life for her and her family.
Journaling to connect. Finding the tone and words to have more serious conversations can be tricky when you are face to face. Especially when you are wanting to say something important to your child but your mom mode keeps kicking into overdrive. Louise at Talk Nerdy to Me is using a journal as a very special way to connect with her son.
Journaling to create art. We love the art journaling that Anika at the Handcrafted Story shares. If you feel like stringing multiple sentences together feels tedious you might be more of a visually expressive person. There are many ways you can craft a story or an emotion without words, art journaling might be for you.
How can you get started journaling? Katy at Elsie Road Magazine shares three great tips on getting started journaling without making it feel like it’s a duty hobby (which is her term for those hobbies you do because you feel like you have to – love this term Katy!)
What type of journaling do you enjoy? How has it become part of you life? How has it changed your life? Hop on over to our Instagram and let us know!
FOLLOW A LITTLE LIGHT ON PINTEREST!
Wow, your first three paragraphs described me to the T as a teen and I have more journals than I can count for each of the reasons you wrote about. Many blessings to this blog. I am so captivated by your writings!