A sweet scene unfolded in the pizzeria where I was having a quick dinner before attending church. It was a spring day in New York City, sunny but chilly; a robust man in his forties, dressed in a polo shirt and plaid shorts, came in with his six-year-old in school clothes, her long blond hair in a ponytail. Soon she was chatting up a storm in the booth next to me. They ate\u2014two big slices for him, two child-size slices for her\u2014and talked.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re on a date,\u201d the girl said proudly.<\/p>\n
Her dad took a second to answer. \u201cYeah, I guess so. We\u2019re on a date.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve never been on a date before. This is the first time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat would you like to talk about?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell,\u201d she paused thoughtfully, \u201cwhat did you do today at work?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t go to work. I met some friends and we went to a baseball game. Our team lost.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh,\u201d she said, \u201cI\u2019ll bet they\u2019ll do better next time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I\u2019m sure they will. And what did you do today at school?\u201d<\/p>\n
And so it went. Father and daughter were taking the time to be together, sharing and listening, being present, getting to know each other better.<\/p>\n
As they left, I heard him say, \u201cSo, did you like our date?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah! Let\u2019s do it more and more!\u201d<\/p>\n
Their exchange made me smile. Why, that\u2019s how it is with our Creator,<\/em> I thought. God wants to hear from us. He wants to spend time with us, know how our day went, what we\u2019re thinking, what\u2019s on our mind. He wants to get to know us and wants us to know Him better too.<\/em><\/p>\n One way to develop and strengthen that bond with God is to spend time together\u2014like that father and daughter\u2014in prayer, in Bible study, in quiet time or in writing in a journal. Yes, journal writing is like having a date with the most important Person in your life…God.<\/p>\n A journal can hold many things: the events of your day; your concerns; your prayers; your list of things to be thankful for; your praises of God; your musings about people you love, strangers you meet, surprises in your day, a beautiful moment in nature, antics from your favorite animal, an illuminating Scripture, an inspiring quote.<\/p>\n You can record your sadness or gladness, a disappointment or pleasure, a failure or a success, good times and tough times. It might be a long season of illness and recovery or a broken relationship or lost employment. But with faith as your polestar, your words can be building blocks to rejuvenation and renewal, helping sweep you upward to the next summit of spiritual growth.<\/p>\n You may write a few lines or pages upon pages, or maybe just a single word: love, scared, trust<\/em>. Maybe when words don\u2019t come or the pen won\u2019t move, there will be a splattering of color: crayons drawing a sun, tree or flower, or an abstract painting of red, yellow and blue splashes, or a collage of paper cutouts glued to the page.<\/p>\n Maybe it will be a poem that unfolds from a feeling, or some notes to music your heart hears, or a dream that is a doorway to a new understanding of yourself. Each mark, whether words or image, song or story, is a prayer\u2014an offering, a gift, a stepping-stone toward wholeness, healing or rebirth. Maybe it will appear as a stream of joy and laughter bursting forth as surprise, revealing newfound boldness and bubbling confidence.<\/p>\n Whatever goes into your journal and however you choose to express it, it\u2019s yours. Everything you write in your journal helps you to grow deeper in your walk with God, to strengthen your faith, to grow hope, to become more of who you were created to be: a precious child made in God\u2019s image; someone God created with love and said, \u201cIt is good.\u201d<\/p>\n How to Begin<\/u><\/p>\n 1. Set aside a certain time each day.<\/strong> 2. Where is your prayer closet?<\/strong> 3. Date your page.<\/strong> 4. Start writing.<\/strong> 5. Listen.<\/strong> 6. Put away your journal in a private place.<\/strong> 7. Read your journal from time to time.<\/strong> A sweet scene unfolded in the pizzeria where I was having a quick dinner before attending church. It was a spring day in New York City, sunny but chilly; a robust man in his forties, dressed in a polo shirt and plaid shorts, came in with his six-year-old in school clothes, her long blond hair […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":30224,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[136],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[732],"class_list":["post-23171","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-positive-living"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nIs the morning, before you get ready for work or the family awakens, a good time? Is there a free moment or break in your day that\u2019s better? Is just before bedtime best, when the house is quiet and so are you?<\/p>\n
\nFind a calm and quiet place where you can be free from distractions. Many times we read that Jesus went away to pray\u2014in the wilderness, on a mountain, at a lake, on a boat. He knew the importance of a certain place and a time apart. So will you.<\/p>\n
\nThis is a record of your life-moments and all its seasons\u2014the smooth, the winding, the low, the heights, the bumps and starts along the road. The timeline will always reveal God \u201cwho directs our path\u201d and \u201cnever leaves us comfortless.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nA word, a thought, a sentence and more will tumble forth. What is in your heart? Maybe it\u2019s nice; maybe not. Say it anyway. Tell your story. Don\u2019t judge, don\u2019t censure, trust yourself to God\u2019s ever-present, compassionate care. And close with, \u201cThy will be done.\u201d It leaves every outcome in the hands of God for whom nothing is impossible.<\/p>\n
\nTake time to pause and listen to God bringing you an answer, an idea or guidance. \u201cBe still, and know that I am God\u2026.\u201d (Psalm 46:10)<\/p>\n
\nProtect your journal writing by keeping it safe. You may wish to share it with another person, if you choose. It\u2019s up to you.<\/p>\n
\nWhether it\u2019s weekly, monthly, several times a year or on special occasions like birthdays or New Year\u2019s, rejoice in how much you\u2019ve grown and how much you\u2019ve overcome. Mark your answered prayers; you\u2019ll be amazed. And most of all, see the good gifts of God all around you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"