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Dear Friends,
Years ago I wrote a short booklet on the art and spiritual discipline of journaling. I decided to reprint it here in serial form for my Rest and Be Thankful readers.One of the fun things I like about the booklet is the short excerpts from my old – very old – diaries. Other than that, I must admit I would probably write the booklet differently if I tackled the subject today. I think I have “loosened” up and improved a good bit in my writing style in the last 10 years. Nonetheless the booklet has merit and hopefully it can be a blessing to you as you hone your skills in this important area of spiritual processing.
Here is Part 5 of “Journaling: A Meeting With God and Me” by Joan E. Tyvoll.
July 18, 1965
Our Family Trip to Yellowstone
“Some people talk about God being dead but if they would travel here they would know it wasn’t so for how could God be dead and all these things be so alive?”
Types of Journaling
We are ready to answer the “what” question. What do we journal about? What is journal material?
Family Journals
When my boys were babies I wrote so I would not lose the precious milestones we seemed to reach every day. First steps, cute words, and anecdotes were faithfully recorded. These joys are written right alongside the frustrations and fears of a young mom who didn’t always have someone else to talk to about those fears.
We moved to Denver in 1983 when my husband attended Denver Seminary. I wrote then so my boys would have written proof in later years of how God kept us and performed miracles month after month, year after year to provide for us.
When my oldest son graduated from high school last year, I gave him a notebook of my journal entries about him from the time he was six weeks old. “Did I really do that?” “Did I really say that?” were some of his comments as he read it. How glad I was to be able to give a gift like that to him. I encourage families to work on this kind of family record. They are priceless heirlooms to pass on to our children.
Journaling From the Events of Daily Life
Journaling from the events of daily life does not necessarily mean just keeping a log or diary of who we saw and what we did each day. It can also be reflections on how our day-to-day experiences affect our soul in some way. We can learn to notice more carefully what happens to us and ask God what he might be teaching us or revealing to us from these happenings. Life can teach us to ask careful and insightful questions about ourselves, about God, and about our responses to both.
As you can see, I am a strong believer in the value of recording life just for its own sake as family history. But I do not journal merely for my family. I journal for me. I want to make the most of the life God gives me each day. I am asking God to help me become more and more observant of his footsteps and movements around me. Recording the everyday happenings of my life helps me to Notice God. (The capital “N” is deliberate. It is a major calling of my life: Notice what he does, then give him glory. John 11:40)
What memories came to your attention today? What joys did God bring? In reflection, what do they suggest?
Journaling in Response to Scripture
Christians believe the Bible is the infallible Word of God. We believe Paul when he says:
“All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” II Timothy 3:16
We hear and believe Peter’s testimony about the Bible, God’s word:
“So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but my men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” 2 Peter 1:19-21
The Bible is a major avenue through which God speaks to us. If we want to communicate with God and grow as a Christian, we must be getting a regular diet of God’s word.
There are many ways to journal in response to the reading of scripture. First of all, remember the Bible is God’s word to us. Therefore, journaling is your half of the dialogue with God as you write down the insights and ideas that come to you as you read. This may come out in your journal as an active conversation between you and the Holy Spirit.
Another way to interact with Scripture comes to us from the monastic tradition. The monks studied the Bible using lectio divina, “divine reading”. It can also be called reflective reading. It is contemplative reading with a slow, thoughtful, prayerful dialogue with the passages.
Journaling with any of these reading methods slows down our thought processes long enough to really think about what we are reading. The discipline of writing out a conversation with God in scripture forces us to order our thoughts and formulate complete ideas. We are forced to persevere to an understanding of what God is trying to get across to us.
Loyola meditation can be placed in this category. This is a form of meditation uses the five senses to interact with a portion of scripture — usually the history books of the Bible (Old Testament, Gospels, or Acts). As we actively place ourselves in the action of the text with our senses, we open ourselves up to the Spirit’s teaching in a new way.
Seek to live the experience, remembering the encouragement of Ignatius of Loyola to apply all our senses to our task. Smell the sea. Hear the lap of water along the shore. See the crowd. Feel the sun on your head and the hunger in your stomach. Taste the salt in the air. Touch the hem of his garment. (Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 1988:29)
Foster also reminds us to enter the story not as passive observers, but as active participants. This teaches us the words of Jesus are for us.
Journaling in Response to Reading
Journaling along with our reading is a way to make use of the things we read whether it be fiction, non-fiction, newspapers or magazines. As you read, record what memories the material prompted, what prayers they encouraged and what insights into God’s word or plan they showed you. Did you learn something about human Nature?
There are many good devotional books on the market now by Chuck Swindoll, Max Lucado, Walter Wangerin, Jr., Henri Nouwen, and others. This type of reading is a valuable encouragement in our communication with God.
The spiritual classics by the saints of old should not be ignored. You may find their style of writing difficult to understand at first, but it is well worth your time to develop a taste for these works. A spiritual director can guide you to the writers who will suit your needs and personality.
To be continued…
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