# Journaling



## O'GodHowGreatThouArt (Aug 7, 2010)

Good afternoon.

I've been hearing a lot about journaling recently, and all of what I have heard have been absolutely nothing but positive (some have even viewed it as essential). However, I am at a bit of a lost when it comes to journaling, so I thought I'd ask folks who do this a few questions real quick.

1) What is journaling?
2) What is the objective/intent of journaling?
3) How does one go about journaling (during study times and such)?
4) What are the advantages and disadvantages of journaling, if the latter is applicable?


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## JennyG (Aug 7, 2010)




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## Skyler (Aug 7, 2010)

I do something similar sometimes. Rather than praying aloud (which would disturb my sleeping siblings) or silently in my head, I actually type out my prayer. It helps me keep my focus--when I pray in my head I get distracted VERY easily. This helps me even more than talking aloud, but it's quieter and more private.

Maybe that's not what you're looking for.


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## dudley (Aug 7, 2010)

Skyler said:


> I do something similar sometimes. Rather than praying aloud (which would disturb my sleeping siblings) or silently in my head, I actually type out my prayer. It helps me keep my focus--when I pray in my head I get distracted VERY easily. This helps me even more than talking aloud, but it's quieter and more private.
> 
> Maybe that's not what you're looking for.



Skyler . I like your idea I think I will borrow it and do the same, thank you my PB brother for sharing.


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## EverReforming (Aug 7, 2010)

dudley said:


> Skyler said:
> 
> 
> > I do something similar sometimes. Rather than praying aloud (which would disturb my sleeping siblings) or silently in my head, I actually type out my prayer. It helps me keep my focus--when I pray in my head I get distracted VERY easily. This helps me even more than talking aloud, but it's quieter and more private.
> ...


 
Yeah, I've always wondered as well how to go about journaling and what to even write down. I like this idea.


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## Rangerus (Aug 7, 2010)

What I do is probably not journaling good and proper. It is more just constructing and evaluating deductive arguments. I journal most frequently when I am attempting to conclude a debate in my thought process and put the motion in question to a vote. Journaling is helpful especially when something is filibustering in my head and attempting to prolong the debate indefinitely. Journaling for me is especially handy when I do not have a three-fifths majority, because almost any motion that does not have the support of three-fifths majority of the committee effectively fails.


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## Wayne (Aug 7, 2010)

Read John Flavel's classic, _The Mystery of Providence_. The very last chapter is on what we now call _journaling_.

Flavel's message is that, in my own words, If you are a Christian, that means that God is at work in your life, accomplishing His purposes. SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE !!! Pay attention to His daily providences in your life. Those providences cannot and will not supplant Scripture, and they will always be in accord with Scripture, if truly from the Lord. But they are indications of His mercy, love and care towards you.

One of the most common uses of a journal is for recording prayers and their answers.


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## JennyG (Aug 8, 2010)

Skyler said:


> I do something similar sometimes. Rather than praying aloud (which would disturb my sleeping siblings) or silently in my head, I actually type out my prayer. It helps me keep my focus--when I pray in my head I get distracted VERY easily. This helps me even more than talking aloud, but it's quieter and more private.
> 
> Maybe that's not what you're looking for.


Pen and paper is good too ...still more natural to me than a keyboard. I don't do it consistently, but when I do, I leave space to record answers/developments, and I suppose that IS a journal


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## Skyler (Aug 8, 2010)

JennyG said:


> Skyler said:
> 
> 
> > I do something similar sometimes. Rather than praying aloud (which would disturb my sleeping siblings) or silently in my head, I actually type out my prayer. It helps me keep my focus--when I pray in my head I get distracted VERY easily. This helps me even more than talking aloud, but it's quieter and more private.
> ...


 
Sure. I just type way faster than I write, and significantly more neatly--plus it's easier to add things back in later. But a lot of people are more comfortable writing than typing. I guess my mom didn't drill me hard enough with handwriting when I was growing up. Or something.


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## Mindaboo (Aug 9, 2010)

I journal just about everyday. Some days I write our prayers from The Valley of Vision, some days I write out my own prayers. My journal is more of a reflection of my walk with the Lord. I write important dates, like birthdays, our first day of worship in our new building, etc. I also write out my children's prayer request for the day, quotes from books I read, sermon notes, Sunday school notes, songs that I love, hymns, etc. I don't even know that you would call this a journal. I rarely write out my thoughts. I have in the past when I was enduring some difficult trials and there were no friends around that I could talk to. I found it helpful to take it to the Lord by writing it all out. It kept me from focusing on finding someone to walk through it with me. It was really helpful. I still have the journals, but don't ever read them. 

I have found that it is helpful to write out things we have prayed for, it helps me remember just how much the Lord has done for me. It excites my kids when we look back and see how the Lord has answered our prayers.


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## paculina (Sep 6, 2010)

I'm a huge fan of journaling. I did it quite faithfully through high school and most of college. I fell away from it late in college and have never really gotten back to it, but I think it's a wonderful tool for many things. I used to use it to talk about whatever I wanted to talk about. Women often like to talk things to death, I know I do, and the beauty of a journal is that it will listen and listen and listen and never get tired of hearing the same thing, it will never criticize or judge or reprimand or gossip. Or interrupt. I used to use it to pray, to vent, to record memories, thoughts, jokes, quotes, stories, story ideas, the events of the day, to debate things with myself, obsess on something if I wanted to, lol, etc. And it was always written with pen and paper. I've found this particularly important for venting. There's something about the physical act of writing that helps release pent up emotion. Typing just doesn't do it for me on that front. 

in my opinion, the most important part of keeping a journal is that it be absolutely private unless you choose to share. If you have a snooping spouse or other prying family members, it's going to be tough to get the full benefits of a journal if you're always afraid that someone is going to read what you've written. Take care to guard your journal and keep it for your eyes only.


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## puritan628 (Sep 6, 2010)

Wayne said:


> Flavel's message is that, in my own words, If you are a Christian, that means that God is at work in your life, accomplishing His purposes. SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE !!! Pay attention to His daily providences in your life. Those providences cannot and will not supplant Scripture, and they will always be in accord with Scripture, if truly from the Lord. But they are indications of His mercy, love and care towards you. One of the most common uses of a journal is for recording prayers and their answers.




It's my understanding from my grad history class (unfortunately I don't have a citation for it), is that the Puritans used journaling to be able to demonstrate (to themselves), the work of sanctification in their lives. When we can see that we're not the same as we were one year, five years, ten years ago, we can see God's mercy and grace alive in the renewing of our mind.


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## BJClark (Sep 6, 2010)

I keep an empty book (could use a notebook, or composition book, or an empty diary type book) handy and when something is on my heart I just start writing it out in the book.

Many times when I'm writing it does not appear to make sense to me, but as I write what ever issue is on my heart I am reminded of various scripture verses; which I search out and write down as well..and as I write out the verses I can begin to see how they apply to the given situation. Sometimes, God shows me where I am not trusting Him, other times they are assurances that even through this God is with me. 

Sometimes, the Holy Spirit reminds me of previous prayers I've prayed, and is showing me He is merely using these new circumstances to answer those prayers, which in turn reminds me, that my ways are not His ways..and I am often reminded that I tend to think of God answering my prayers as a magic genie in a bottle, expecting a 'quick' fix to the situation, which is not the case, it is through the newer situations that come up that He is working to bring about the answers. And thus, I am learning to praise God even during those more trying times. And by the end of my time writing my heart is at peace, and I am singing praises to God for what He has done and is doing.

Journaling can be about anything, if you sit and watch a sunset, you can journal about that, it doesn't have to be just about struggles or burdens on your heart, it can be writing out your thanksgiving for what God is doing..

I tend to get books that don't have writing at the top of pages, or a 'diary' like my parents bought me when I was a child, that have only one small page per day to write in, as I tend to take up 3 or 4 or 5 or more pages at a given time. I still have my old childhood diaries that I can look back on and see how childish my thoughts were..

looking back through them all, I can certainly see how God has grown me over the years..and how he has used various situations in my life to change me, and my thoughts and understanding of Him..


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## Wayne (Sep 6, 2010)

Excellent point, Laura.

And it reminds me of one very interesting book, _The Notebooks of Nehemiah Wallington_.
Wallington was a Puritan and a wood turner by trade. He kept a nearly life-long set of journals and this book, carefully edited by David Booy, is a very accessible window into the life of a man in the pews, he specifically sitting under the preaching of Henry Roborough.
The book is held by some 88 libraries around the country, so interlibrary loan should be no problem. Purchase on the other hand will hurt, at $125/copy.


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## FenderPriest (Sep 6, 2010)

Donald Whitney talks about this in his book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, and has an article here: Do I have to keep a journal?.

I do journal, and I journal every day, mostly mornings and evenings, though it's not an absolute rule. I keep track of my bible reading in it, thoughts from my bible reading, with reflections and prayers about the day ahead. I try to evaluate my day at the end in my journal using Whitefield's daily evaluation questions. It's mostly to help keep an account of my soul, evaluate and think through things, and record God's kindnesses in my life in a way that I can go back and see. The downside is that I've now become dependent upon my journal as my mental dumping ground. I lost my journal for a few days at Together for the Gospel this year, and almost had a brain shut-down! I don't know if that's an actual downside, but it's one I've found. But I'm a literary type, so I'm always thinking (good and bad), and sometimes it's helpful to just see it on paper. It's also helpful in thinking through sin areas. For example, in trying to get a better idea of how my self-righteousness works, writing out the areas I've seen it, observations others have made, scriptures that apply, etc. and working through it in one "go-to" area has been monumental in the Lord's grace to make strides in killing the sin.

I really recommend it to people. I think the discipline can take on whatever shape your personality is, so it's not a hard and set rule of "journaling". I just think it's helpful, and very useful for the soul.


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## puritan628 (Sep 6, 2010)

Wayne said:


> The Notebooks of Nehemiah Wallington.



I seem to remember coming across that title when researching Anne Bradstreet a few years ago. In my grad history class we discussed how the literacy rate was much higher among the Puritans than many people might guess, and Mr. Wallington's notebooks would be a case in point ... a non-clergyman keeping journals.

Thanks for your comment.


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## Wayne (Sep 6, 2010)

A small taste of Mr. Wallington's literary skill, from A Record of Gods Marcys, or a Thankfull Remembrance



> Christian Reader I a poore sinner considering and meditating how many marcies and favoures, and many great Deliverances from Dangers of our bodies, I and mine have receved, from my God. And yet as if these were to littel, The Lord hath bestowed upon me gratter mercies and Deliverances toward my poore soule in the Delivering me from the sore temtacions of my malicious enemie the Divell. I say the consideration of these things made me that I could not rest nor sleepe well my mind was so unquiet, which did inforse me to make this Booke called A Record of Gods Mercies to my soule and body.
> 
> And first I will beginne with Gods mercies to my poore soule in giving mee, a site of my sinnes and here I doe intend to ripee up: and to macke anotemie of the corruption of my nature, and filthynesse and deceitfulnes of my hart and if any thinke I am to plaine and may be ashamed to write downe this my sinne: I say so that I am ashamed in some kind, yet my intent is to bring Glory to God by shaming myself, As David did, though a glorious and a renowned King of Israel, yet he was content to shame himselfe for ever to record his sinnes to his own shame, so that he may procure Gods glory and the good of his church, and as it was with David so it is with all the Godly if ever they felt the terrow of an accusing conscince for sinne, if ever displeasd at themselves for a offending a good and gracious God: they will not sticke to manifest their owne sham and proclaim their owne folly with grife of heart with the leaper in the law [Leviticus 13:45] I am unclean, I am unclean, that so they may procure there formar peace from God and give him glory by their repentance as they dishonoured him by their sinnes.


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## puritan628 (Sep 7, 2010)

Thank you for the excerpt Mr. Sparkman. 

In turn, following is a short dedication of Anne Bradstreet's later works, where her journals, which included many poems, are specifically intended to benefit her progeny. [I've used modern spelling to make the reading easier.] 

"To my dear children.

This book by any yet unread,
I leave or you when I am dead,
That, being gone, here you may find
What was your living mother's mind.
Make use of what I leave in Love
And God shall bless you from above.
A.B."

I had also located a small book written by a woman in the 9th century (originally in Latin, of course), in which she records her ideas for her son. But at the moment I can neither lay my hands on the book nor remember the woman's name.


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