Journaling

I have found that saying what I am feeling out loud(to myself or to another person) and journaling about what’s on my heart and mind are two practices that make what rattles around in my head concrete to me. As soon as they are out—voiced or written—suddenly I have a better handle on them. And I’ve found that when I feel my energy is off particularly when I awaken, saying out loud exactly how I feel releases the energy within 5 or 10 minutes. There is something powerful about claiming exactly who you are!

JOURNALING TO PROMPTS

What is it that you want to know about your soul, your deepest self? Write about your dreams, your purpose, your longing, etc. Don’t write from your mind’s thoughts, but from your heart and soul which takes deep listening. Ask God to reveal to you what He is trying to say to you these days.

 

JOURNALING ABOUT WHAT IS BOTHERING YOU

Anytime you are bothered by something or someone, write down everything you think about the issue or situation.

MORNING PAGES

Julia Cameron describes this journaling practice in her book, The Artist’s Way. Every morning you write down everything that is on your mind without stopping to think about it or to edit. It should be three pages long. You will get a clear picture of how your mind thinks over time. And its limitations.

Benefit of doing morning pages is to really get acquainted with the way you think, particularly those loud interior voices.

A HEALING JOURNAL: PRAY/DRAW/WRITE

Start with a prayer, an alignment with God. Then draw, scribble or doodle something. And then write what comes up. The prayer and drawing access a deeper part of yourself and reveal what is on your heart and soul. Done over time this journaling will heal you.

I’ve used this method to heal a feeling—after three moves in two years—of not having my feet on the ground and to heal a very flat feeling after finishing my second book. The first one took about a year and a half of doing one journal entry twice a month. The second one took a daily journal entry for two weeks.

Benefit of the Healing Journal is that it really does heal what is inside of you. Starting with the art or doodles takes you to a deeper self than normal journaling.

GRATITUDE JOURNAL

If you want to be able to see more clearly what God is doing in your life, keep a daily gratitude journal or do the daily Examen( the next practice.) At the end of each day or first thing the next morning, write about the blessings and grace you received that day. Write out your gratitude for your life, for the people—family and friends– who are companions along the way, for whatever you feel grateful for. You will find as you do this daily practice that it opens your eyes to all that the Lord is doing in your life and you will live with a sense of gratitude for your life itself and all the blessings you have experienced and even those you missed.

The benefit of a daily gratitude journal is that it causes you to notice throughout your day to notice God’s blessings and grace and to begin to live in gratitude for all that you have been given.

THE EXAMEN

The benefit of doing the daily examen is that you are focusing on your reaction to God’s presence as you go through your day. You come to know all that God is doing in your life.

OTHER SPIRITUAL PRACTICES