journaling

I'm an avid journaler.  It's one of the best ways that I hear God. I love to look back and see how God was at work in and around me in my prior entries.

I journal almost everyday, posting the date at the top of each entry.  Sometimes I doodle in the page headers.  Sometimes I write lyrics to worship songs that I'm singing as I prepare my heart for time with the Lord.  Sometimes I jot down an action item that the Lord impresses on my heart during my time with Him for quick reference to do later (maybe a verse for a friend, a prompting to encourage someone, a prompting to give, fast, etc.). 

Last month I tried a new approach to journaling, and I liked it so much that I thought I'd mention it here in case it may be an encouragement to someone else.  In addition to my daily entries, I made a few lists at the front of the tab for the month (my current journal has a tab for each month of the year).  My lists included prayers (things I was praying over this month), praises (ways that the Lord answered those prayers this months), thanks (things that I was thankful for), words from God (verses He gave me, things He prompted me to do).  It has been so encouraging to look back at my quick reference lists and see all of the answered prayers, and all of the ways that the Lord spoke to me over the course of the month.  I forget those things so quickly.  So quickly I forget to give God the glory and credit for what He has done and said, and shift the credit onto people and circumstances.  I will definitely be journaling like this going forward, continuing to cultivate a heart of praise and gratitude, and an overall sense of awareness of the Lord's work in and through me.