Just about 15 years ago I had heard a series of messages on the value of journaling.

To many, ‘keeping a journal’ is what middle school girls might do as they gush their emotions over their latest crush. Which is, no doubt, a form of journaling.

However, I was encouraged by these messages that journaling was a much more profound exercise. That it helped people understand, think, and process life, decisions, and direction. It could serve to orient and re-orient us when we feel turned around. And it served as a record of where we’d been.

I decided to give it a try.

… and I’ve done it ever since.

It has become one of my absolute favorite activities.

It isn’t complicated.

To me, it’s a form of prayer. All of my entries are conversions with the Lord.

Some are just “Hey, God, this is what’s going on…”

Others are, “Lord, I really don’t know what to do or how to handle this….”

Or, “I’m so hurt, angry, confused by…”

Or, “I had this dream last night…”

And some of my favorites are just, “Lord, I love you and I am amazed by you…”

As of now, I have nearly 8 journals full of prayers.

For years, I just kept writing and writing. I wasn’t entirely sure why. I didn’t know if I was writing for myself or for someone else that might read them someday. I really just wrote out of faith that somehow it would be good.

Lately, as part of my time with the Lord, I’ve been reading them, and I have been shocked.

My journals have become a kind of devotional that builds my faith in a way that I don’t think any other books could. I am reading my own testimonies of God’s goodness in my own life! The stories, the emotions, the struggles, and breakthroughs.

We forget so many things!

I sincerely cannot believe how much I look forward to reading about God’s faithfulness in my life through these journals.

It’s like God gave this gift (of journaling) to me as a gift to give to myself – and it is unbelievably amazing.

I really wish everyone could experience it.

I know that there can be a lot of resistance to this sort of activity – kind of like starting an exercise program. But I wanted to share what an amazing blessing it has been to me. It’s almost one of those things that you can try to explain to people, but only the people who have done it really understand what you mean.

I would encourage you to give it a try.

Let me know if you have any questions about it, too… I’d be happy to share my experience and process.