Explore the Possibilities

I'm an advocate for using a journal in a way that makes sense to you. When I sit down to write, I decide at that point what I want to write about. It may be that I need to get some thoughts out of my head. It may be that I want to reflect on my relationship with God. It may be that I'm curious about a subject and I'm reading and gathering insight. It may be that I just want to copy a prayer or a verse of Scripture. There are a million ways to use your journal for spiritual transformation. In Journal Keeping--Writing for Spiritual Growth I share lots of possibilities.

Other Topics to Write About

Discover

Capture what the Lord impresses upon you – those moments you believe He is speaking to you about what you need to do or pay attention to.  

Develop a Rule of Life, answering the question, What do I want to be the focus of my Life – try to boil it down to a simple statement. 

Dreams for a Lifetime – What would you love to see happen?  Where would you love to go? What would you love to see happen financially?  What would you love to see happen in your ministry?  What would you love to see happen regarding your personal wellness? What dreams do you have about a professional career? Spend some time dreaming dreams that are so outside the box that you would know beyond a shadow of doubt that only the Lord could bring them to fruition.

Think about your calling? Why are you on the planet? What has God specifically called you to do? What is your part to play, your drop in the bucket to contribute? Who has God created you to be? And what has He called you to do?

Ask yourself hard questions: What do you know that you are pretending not to know? Where is your head in the sand?

Where do you notice resistance?  What do you really NOT want to do? What are you continually NOT doing?

What can you do to become more self-aware? 

Learn

Take notes during the Sunday sermon and note a specific application for the week.

Capture special moments – Mother’s Day, the love of a friend, a significant conversation - and be intentionally grateful.

Copy quotes from a book that you are reading.

Write your biography (not autobiography, but biography – as if you were a researcher writing about you). I found it fascinating to discover truths about myself that I had never thought about.

Reflect your way through C.S. Lewis's, “Weight of Glory" or another insightful article that you want to think more deeply about.

Begin a word study on a topic of your choice. Look up definitions and Scriptures and capture quotes on the topic throughout the next few months.

Create

Just begin to color. Don't think about what you are going to draw. Just start and see what you are drawn to create. Let it emerge like a Polaroid picture and then reflect on it. 

Write out a prayer conversation, writing what you want to say to Jesus, and then writing what you think He would say back to you.

Copy a passage of Scripture that is on your mind.

Create a colorful design as you pray.

Have a dialogue with Scripture: Copy a verse and then write a sentence or two of your response, asking questions and being curious, offering possible answers.

How has God led you in the past? Draw a picture (stick figures are fine) depicting those various experiences.

Additional ideas are available in Journal Keeping, Writing for Spiritual Growth