
I love journaling. In fact, I started journaling when I was 12 years old and didn’t miss a single day until I got married. That means I journaled for 12 years straight – every single day.
I journaled everything and anything. I wrote about my most intimate thoughts, to what I did that day, to who my latest crush was.
Shortly after I married Zack, I thought it would be fun to look back through my journals with him and read all of the entries that he was mentioned in. I traced it back to the year 2006, when I first met him as a teenage girl.
Reading those early entries was comical as I peered back into my teenage thoughts and emotions.
As I scanned the pages of my many journals, I noticed one consistent theme – guys. My early journals are filled with pages and pages of “crush drama” and the latest “who likes who” scoops.
Some sections look more like a soap opera drama than anything else.
Looking back on my journals has helped me remember what it’s like to be a young teenage single girl.
In some ways, I wish I could go back in time and give my younger self some good advice!
Since I’m happily married to Zack now, I honestly wish I hadn’t wasted so much time, thought, emotion, and energy journaling about all those “crushes.” I regret spending so much time journaling “soap operas” instead of writing down more meaningful things.
If you’re a “journaler” or diary keeper, I have some words of advice for you. Don’t let your journal turn into a soap opera like mine did. Choose to write more meaningful things.
For all of my fellow writers out there, here are 6 ways to make your journals more meaningful this year.
1. Write about things you will still care about in 5 years.
2. Write down one thing you’re grateful for everyday.
3. Write about what God is teaching you and how you’re overcoming struggles.
4. Write about your family and the memories you’ll want to share with your kids some day.
5. Write prayers to your future husband instead of logging the latest soap opera drama.
6. Don’t write down things that you would be ashamed of others to read if you suddenly died.
There’s a lot more I could add to that list, but that’ll do for now.
I am a huge fan of keeping a journal and think there is a lot of benefit in writing down our thoughts, prayers, memories, and ideas. However, I know first hand how meaningless and pointless journaling can become if we’re not intentional.
I want to challenge you to be intentional with your journaling this year.
Write about things in a way that future generations would be inspired and encouraged by. Write about things that will draw your future children closer to God and His word.
Even though journals are very private things, choose to write in a way that brings glory and honor to God. Even though others may not see your journal, God sees every page.
1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
And as one of my favorite Psalms says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).
May the words that we write and pages that we fill be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer.
Now I want to hear from you!
- Do you journal or keep a diary? If so, what do you write about?
- In what ways have you fallen prey to writing “soap opera” dramas like me?
- How can you be more intentional with your journaling this year?