{Guest Post} Journaling- Tips from a Seasoned Journaler

I received my first journal as a gift from my parents when I
was eight years old, following my baptism for church. It has a very large,
pensive-looking cat on the front, sitting on the background of a colorful
quilted pattern – a true 90’s treasure!

Upon gifting it to me, my parents wisely counseled me to
keep a record of my life – my thoughts, hopes, desires, prayers, impressions,
lessons I learned … anything I wanted to. To help me understand about what a
journal is, my mom let me read her journal she had kept at different times in
her life. We read it together.

Naturally, at the age of 8, my penmanship was still a work
in progress, and I wrote mostly about what I did, who my latest crush was, and
how my soccer games went. But, there are gems there, about what I thought about
life, how my relationship with God was growing, and how I processed things.

That journal awakened a passion in me. I now have 11
completed handwritten personal journals, as well as a journal on my computer,
and one on my phone. I even learned to love writing so much that I got me
degree in Print Journalism in college. I truly love to write. And even more, I
love to read people’s stories. I keep all types of journals – travel journals,
pregnancy and health journals, journals about/for my children, and scripture
journals. Each one serves a different purpose, and each one brings me its own
type of joy.

I often look back on these journals with wonder at the
things I have learned, the way my family and I have changed, and the endless blessings
God has given me.

My journaling changed even more just before I moved to
Europe to study and travel abroad, now eight years ago. My mom gifted me
another journal and wrote me a lengthy note inside the front cover. Among many
other things, were these words:

Dear Brittanie,

Happy 20th birthday! … Dad and I are so happy for
you and the opportunity you have to study abroad … Enjoy your trip! Take lots
of photos, buy lots of neat things, write & write & write about
your experiences! Remember to pray! Xoxo, Mom & Dad

I decided right then that I was going to commit to do what I
had always wanted to do – keep a DAILY journal. I wanted the benefits that
daily journaling provided: the ability to remember all my thoughts, experiences
and actions, and the ability to very clearly see the hand of God in my life.

It was hard, but I did it. I journaled every day of my
European adventures. And I loved it so much. Writing every day is very
therapeutic to me. It helps me work things out in my mind. It helps me process
my emotions. I love that journal even more now, because it shows a marked
growth in my life. It brings me joy to read. Because of that experience, I’ve
been writing most every day since.

Recently, I was able to share that same gem my mom shared
with me with my own daughter. She loves to hear what I have read in my own
journal, and in the journal I keep for her. It has motivated her to start
keeping her very own journal.

But, let’s be honest, life can sometimes get in the way of
daily handwritten journaling. Especially with three kids, my journal is often
at the end of a very long list of things that need to get done, and is often
superseded in importance by such things as meals, baths, and bedtime.

And, maybe you feel the same way. So, here are some ways to
make regular journaling more manageable, and to help your children learn to
love keeping a journal:

1. Commit to begin: 

   I know a woman who started her first journal of
   her life at age 33. She stamped the date on each page, then wrote one line to
   explain her reflection on her day. It was her very beginnings of a journal, and
   everyone has to start somewhere. Decide what is realistic for you, and just
   START.

2. Use whatever medium works best for you. Sometimes it is more than just one. 

   I like to write in a book, with a pen. There is
   something therapeutic to me about the act of writing. It helps me think things
   through and express my thoughts more clearly. For a while I was at a job where I was on the go
   all the time, and I always had my computer with me. So, for those years, I
   wrote on my computer. Now, if I am too rushed to write things out, I take notes
   in list-form on my phone to elaborate on later. This is especially helpful for
   my kids’ journals, since I forget the cute/funny things they say if I don’t
   write them down right away. I keep notes about their doctors’ visits, personal
   milestones, adorable prayers they offer – anything really. My phone is a great
   note-taking medium. Sometimes, I have drawn things out in my journal that
   I am trying to describe. Whatever your medium, do what works for you; because
   if it is too hard, it won’t get done at all.

3. Schedule it in. Like I said before, I usually write in my bed at
   night. It helps me wind down from the day. But, when I’m writing in the
   journals I keep for my kids, I usually write in the early morning, or during
   naptime. You could write once a day, once a week, once a month. Whatever it is,
   set a schedule.
4. Choose your style, or be eclectic. 

   Decide what you want your journal to look like,
   and what you want it to include. Do you like to draw? Include ticket stubs and
   photos from events? Do you like it to be purely words? Do you want to write on
   the lines? Between the lines? Cover the whole page? What are you going to write
   about: yourself? Your kids?

5. Identify your Audience. 

   Who are you writing to? I usually write to the
   reader. That could be my future self, my current self, my posterity, or anyone
   who comes upon my journal. I write in first person perspective, as if I am
   talking to someone. That someone could be God, or it could be any of the above
   readers. Decide whom you are writing to. 

6. Make lists.  

   Sometimes you will not have time to write every
   detail of everything you have done. If it’s really important to you, and you
   want to follow up on it later, make a list, note the page number, and write about
   it later. Other times, that simple list can be a journal entry on its own.

7. Follow a rubric.   This is especially helpful when you are
   first starting out, or when teaching children to start a journal. Here are nine
   things to include: 
8. a.    
   The
   Date
   b.   
   What
   happened today at school/home/church/work and how you feel about it
   c.    
   One
   new thing you learned
   d.   
   What
   you did with your friends
   e.    
   What
   you did with your family
   f.     
   One
   current event being covered by the news and how you feel about it
   g.    
   What
   you read for your scripture study of the day
   h.   
   A way
   God blessed you that day/what you are thankful for that day
   i.     
   One
   goal that you are working on and the progress you are making
   
   
9. Be realistic: 

   Whatever your timeline, whatever your personal
   goals, be realistic in what you expect of yourself. Start small and work your
   way to more thorough journaling. This is especially true for kids. If you want
   to foster a love for journal keeping, it needs to be fun, not cumbersome. Something
   simple is better than nothing at all.

10. Write, write, write! Like my mom said, the key to keeping a journal
    is to write as much as you can. The more you write, the more of a habit it
    becomes. Your life is worth remembering, and your records of it may bless you
    and others who read them down the road. Remember what you do and how God
    blesses you. The more you write, the more you remember and notice.