March 8, 2026

When I was younger, I had a journal but never kept it. I wish I would’ve. When I had my first child, I started journaling more and more. I am so thankful to have the many journals I have today. I can look back and see God’s Hand so evident in and around my life. These records allow me to reflect on the numerous ways in which I have been beyond blessed. As we recognize God’s gifts, we become increasingly aware of additional blessings that might otherwise go unnoticed or unacknowledged. Even though these journals are for my eyes only, each one has a significant importance to me.

Are You there God? It’s me, Jennifer…

For me this is like curling up on my Father’s lap, laying my head on His chest as He holds me close and listens without interrupting. In these pages are whispers of gratitude, cries for strength, and pleas for guidance as I navigate the intricate tapestry of this journey called life. Each entry serves as a snapshot of moments that have shaped me, whether through joy or adversity.

In the pages of this journal, I capture the good—those moments of happiness, the laughter shared with loved ones, and the triumphs, both big and small, that remind me of life’s beauty. These are the days when everything seems to fall into place, and the world really seems full of rainbows and lollipops.

Then, there are the bad days, when shadows linger longer than the sunlight and challenges seem insurmountable. I write about the lessons learned, the resilience found within, and the unwavering hope that only comes from the One I have given my heart to that carries me through it all. These entries are a testament to the ability to endure and overcome anything even when you don’t think you have anything else left to give.

And finally, the ugly—the moments that test my faith and resolve, when I am confronted with the harsh realities of life. Yet, even in these times, I find a strange beauty in the struggle, as it is often in the “depths of despair” that I discover my greatest strengths.

As I pour my heart onto these pages, I find solace in the act of reflection and the promise of growth. My journal becomes a sanctuary where I can be vulnerable, honest, and free. Through it all, I am reminded that life, with its array of experiences, is a journey worth chronicling.

Thank You for my Love…

This is a place where my thoughts and hopes for my marriage are penned. As I sit down to write these prayers, I look where we started and how far we have come. There are so many “BUT GOD” moments. It has been an amazing journey, kind of like The Amazing Race but more personal and profound; it’s a reminder of our steadfast and unwavering commitment to each other, filling the pages of both the challenges as well as the dreams. I am reminded of the countless blessings we share and the strength that binds us together.

I have learned so much about what true love is. Looking back when we got married, it was all on a feeling, though no one could convince either of us then. Feelings only go so far and anyone married knows this. Love must be turned into a verb. This is where the deepest form of love flourishes and you can truly say you love each other more and more each day. This cherished love and commitment spreads across the pages. One of the best advices we have ever been given: “a couple who prays together, stays together”. I am so thankful we have done this since before we even got married.

I love them more but You love them most…

Over the years, I have crafted a treasured collection of prayers for the lives of all my blessings. I aim to do this monthly, although I occasionally struggle to find the words to begin writing. Have you ever attempted to pray for someone who has caused pain to a loved one? It is difficult. I disliked the feelings I had in my heart, and I wanted my prayers to be from the Lord.

A wise pastor once told me that you cannot stay angry with someone when you regularly set them at the foot of the cross. This is so very true.The best way I could see doing this was to simply write scripture in this journal which will never return void. Once I start writing, my heart starts breaking for the one who has been the most hurtful because I realized they simply just wanted to love and be loved, too, but they just hadn’t learned how. Hurt people hurt people. Finally, I pray these prayers outloud which are the most powerful.

As I write, I envision their strength and joy, finding solace in the knowledge that these words carry straight to my Father’s heart. These pages are a testament to the unwavering faith I hold in each one of their God given gifts and the belief that they can overcome any obstacle with grace and resilience.

Lord, I want to KNOW You…

Spiritual growth often involves moments of introspection and reflection. This serves as a cherished companion to my Bible; a transformation, offering a dedicated space to capture insights, inspirations, and personal revelations gained during worship services. Because it is easy for me to be distracted with numerous things going on around me, I must be intentional to focus on writing what I hear.

Each page invites me to document the key themes and messages from the sermons. I love that our pastor preaches from the Word to resonate with our world’s current events and how it challenges us to think differently, ending with a “How then Shall We Live?” application for our daily lives. Most times, at the end of these notes, I will jot down a prayer that has to do with what I just heard.

Whether I am taking notes, in person or online, the words I write serve as more than a mere record of what I have heard; they act as a guiding light in my spiritual journey. The act of writing enhances my retention of information, facilitating personal growth that I can actively pursue.

Dear Lord Heavenly Father, they need You…

I write to remember as I engage with people from diverse nations and cultures, actively listening to their concerns, sharing my insights, discussing Christ, and offering prayers. This journal stores the names of precious individuals who reach out from various corners of the globe. I consider it a profound blessing to be present for them in their times of need. Some conversations may last a few minutes, some a couple hours or even more. Of all the journals, writing in this one, has always been the highlight of my day. My most recent conversation made me realize, all the more, that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. I am so thankful for this opportunity and this journal full of people that I get the privilege to care for, praying with and for them, even after we’ve said our good-byes.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change…

These writings provide lessons as well as inspiring stories of overcoming life’s challenges. I also have inventory journals that go hand in hand with recovery from hurts, habits, and hang-ups. This is really where the rubber meets the road as I put pen to paper and find the freedom I never knew existed. This motivates me to stay committed on my continual path of transformation and renewal.

These are the journals that God has used to change my life in ways I never thought was possible. Upon reflection, it strikes me as both humorous and somewhat bittersweet to recall the time when I believed I had everything figured out. In reality, I had yet to reach the starting point of that journey toward true understanding. Why did it have to take so long? Well, I am still on this journey until I am no longer here and that is okay. I think if we stop learning or think we know everything, or have arrived, this becomes a very unhealthy way to be.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is; not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen.

Dear Blessing…

A treasured collection of memories and life lessons that I wrote to each of my children as they were growing up. A friend had given me the idea to do this once a year but I thought I would write letters more than once a year. I bit off more than I could chew because that was a lot of writing, so I found myself skipping it but I sure did write a lot.

I have flipped through them here and there, finding myself reminiscing about the times when my children were small, their eyes wide with wonder and curiosity. Each page is filled with my thoughts, hopes, and dreams for them as they grew up trying to navigate the world. They said the cutest things at times that I just had to write down but also wrote their struggles so one day they could see how they persevered through it all. It took a lot of late night talks but it was worth it. Some pages capture our family’s traditions, especially around Christmas and New Year’s Eve and the joy of family nights.

Itty Bitty Little One…

This is my tiniest journal of all measuring about 2″x3″. I decided to start writing thank you and gratitude to my blessings on each page. These ones are specifically only a sentence or two thanking them for what they did that day. I don’t do it everyday unless I remember to have it sitting out. Taking a moment to pause and reflect on what I am thankful for simply helps me not take them for granted. I notice when I am doing this more, we are hearing more “I appreciate you” around our home. One day they may get these little notebooks. Who knows?

My Nerdy Wordy Journal…

It all started with a SHIP —a year-long adventure where I became a nautical word detective! Armed with a smaller journal, not as small as the itty bitty, I embarked on a quest to find every word containing “ship” and scribble it down, along with its meaning and then I searched for any biblical connections. This all sparked from someone on the radio saying they didn’t want to be “shipwrecked”, and I thought, “Well, I don’t want to be shipwrecked either!”

Now, if a word grabs my curiosity, in it will go until I can sit down and pick it apart! Sure, it might sound quirky, but I’m a word nerd enthusiast! I know I have had people around when I pick up my phone to look up a word. I just love words! A time-waster, but I called it a wordy treasure hunt. Plus when I eventually sail off into the sunset, someone might pick up this journal and think, “What on earth?” But hey, maybe they’ll stumble upon a new word or two!

The Junk Journal…

This started when a sweet friend made me the cutest journal a few years back and it is called a “junk journals”. I use this particular thin journal for quotes that I love—said either from famous people, or friends, or even myself. If I think it is important and encouraging, it goes in the junk journal even though it’s not junk. I tend to take this with me wherever I go because you just never know who is going to say what. I love this saying that someone said to me and one of my blessings: “we are all just trying to do the best we can”.

Why do we call it a junk journal when what we put inside them are treasures? My guess is because the purpose is to use recycled items and ordinary items to highlight how we can make beauty from junk? You know there is the saying, “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure” and I never saw that better than when I saw a neighbor years ago take anything and everything from someone’s curb. Even a toilet….I still have no words….

So my junk journal showcases creative expressions, celebrating the extraordinary significance found in the mundane. And this is the only journal….I think….that I write sideways and upside down and angled….and use all different color pens….because that makes it unique!

the Bible Journal…

I loved my Bible Journal…that is now in a frame. This journal, most have heard about, I am sure. You draw in your Bible or take your note taking to the next level of creativity. I loved doing this so much because I love drawing. I am not very good at it so it takes a lot of time but it is so therapeutic.

I came home one day to see my most precious journal ripped up into shreds. My heart sank as my Eden girl stood next to me. I didn’t care about the woodwork getting chewed on or my bed getting destroyed or the leather chair getting chewed on or anything else she chewed up but I could not replace that Bible…ever. It was one of a kind. I couldn’t get mad at Eden because she didn’t realize how much that meant to me. I sat down feeling hopeless and couldn’t even cry. Eden sat next to me, wanting to cuddle as she always did. As I started picking up all the pieces, I thought to myself, “Well, this is a good representation of my life…all messed up.”

And as soon as I thought that, I looked in the middle of the mess and there was the verse, “beauty for ashes”. So I got a plastic bag and tried to save as much as I could. Later, I purchased a good sized frame and pieced all these things together, putting that beautiful verse in the middle of it all as I had found it. I told my youngest blessing, who knows that each child has been given a bible of mine, about the mishap and I was sorry that she wasn’t going to get that one. Her being the very optimistic child that she is, said, “that’s okay! I will take it in the frame!” Well okay, then! God does make beauty out of ashes!

I find myself unsure of the exact number of journals I possess—too many to count. Currently, I am actively writing in twelve journals, with some entries made daily, others weekly, and a few monthly. The essence of journaling brings me immense joy; it serves as a healthy outlet in many ways. I know it is far more enriching than engaging with social media or mindlessly scrolling through content or watching seasons of the latest, most popular sitcom. Though none of that is wrong, I just don’t have time for it. Writing is one of my passions, and although I can type at a faster pace, I appreciate the old school elegance and simplicity of pen and paper.

Since my children were young, the two biggest things I encouraged them to do with their minds was to write and read. I’d love to hear if you enjoy journaling and what that looks like for you. Do any of these journaling ideas seem like one you’d like to adopt?

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Blessings,
Jennifer