Yesterday, I posted this picture to twitter. It’s a shot of the journal I’ve kept for the last six years. I started it on August 28, 2005 – a Sunday morning if I remember correctly. I was pretty spotty in my journaling for a few years there. Other times I was constant. All in all, I seemed to grab all the big moments though. It’s interesting, the things I documented in there…
• a breakup from a long relationship
• the beginning of dating my wife
• Moving to, living in, and leaving Chicago.
• College. All 3 times.
• Moving back to Ashland, OH.
• Touring with 4 other guys in a van and playing some great rock & roll.
• Jail
• Moving to Poplar Bluff, MO
• Getting engaged
• Feeling the call to move to Salt Lake City, UT
• God’s timing and provision of the fit that is my position at K2
• My recent trip to Africa.
Those are just a few of the really big ones. Pretty intense. I’d like to think, that though there have been some massive screwups in there documented, some massive growing up, some massive yelling matches with God, that at the end of the day, I’ve documented 6 years of trying to pursue God as best I knew how in the moment. I found through the last 6 years that my most consistent way of processing and talking with God is through writing it down.
It’s interesting though, I believe I’m most excited still about what’s yet to come. I’m most excited about the picture below – the new journal. I picked this guy on the way back from Africa, as I was nearing the end of my last one. I’m excited about some very practical things about it – it’s a bigger format than the last one, which should make it easier to write in. I love leather bound journals, which should be evident by my choice on both of them, and I love the way that this new one feels, looks, and the way it will wear and show age. I’m excited about what life will have for me in the next few years. I’m excited that with near certainty it won’t take me nearly as long to fill this one.
What about you? Do you journal? How do you process and talk to God? What would the last 6 years tell me about you?
Patrick Sprague 
I used to journal all the time and have many packed in boxes somewhere.
The last journal I’ve been keeping is a prayer journal, and it’s been pretty sparse lately, what with kids and all.
I also started a journal for each of my boys. I write them notes about things they’ve done, are doing, or just how much I love them. I plan to give them the journals sometime when they’re adults – when I think they’re ready. I’m better about writing in these ones.
That’s very cool. I very much use mine as a prayer journal. One of the best ways I process.
I dig the idea of keeping one for your kids.
Great post thanks. I really enjoyed it very much.
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I like the idea of combining prayer with journaling. I’ve been writing in my journal every day for the past 7 years and I will admit that sometimes I am not that consistent with my prayer. I was keeping a sort of a prayer journal at one point. Perhaps it’s time to revive it.
Yeah, I read a book by Bill Hybels in ’08 sometime and he talked about how he used journaling to stay focused in his prayer life, and it totally clicked for me; that’s when I really started doing it again. My mind doesn’t wander nearly as much, I’m recording my life, and I’m more focused in my prayers. Helped a ton.
I really like what you wrote, and the pictures of your journals are great. Perhaps it is a genetic trait, but I have been journaling for about 35 years – sometimes with more intensity than at other times. The consistent theme for about 20 years is that I include my dreams. I think dreams are one of the ways god communicates with us, and I can see some important times in my life as they are reflected in dreams. Best wishes on the journal transition. I know this I one will hold great moments, too!