“We ourselves have a rich past to look back upon; we have sunny memories, sacred memories, satisfactory memories, and these are as flowers for the bees of faith to visit, from whence they may make honey for present use. ”
Journaling is a discipline.
It is more than writing, painting, and downloading; it is gathering stones of remembrance. When I think back on this day one year ago, I can’t tell you what happened. My mind has already forgotten the worries, the praises, the to-do’s, and the dreams of November 11th, 2014, but through journaling, I can look back and see a thread of God’s faithfulness throughout the years. Journaling captures life’s struggles, unfulfilled longings of the heart, and simple blessings and builds an altar of praise to the Lord. What might have been forgotten can be forever recorded through pen and ink for us to look back and celebrate God’s faithfulness.
In Joshua 4, after the Israelite’s had passed over the Jordan, the LORD instructed Joshua to take twelve men from the pope and to gather twelve stones. These twelve stones were to serve as a sign to them of His faithfulness –
“…this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” (Joshua 4:6-7)
The stones were to not only be a reminder to them that God has always been with them, but they were also to be an opportunity to teach their children of God’s faithfulness. Journals are our stones of remembrance. They are testimonies of all that God has done, and they are the foundation for our hope for the future. I have journaled since the 7th grade and have countless journals that remind of God’s presence through every season of life. As I glance through each journal, I remember that God bends down low to listen to us. He gently corrects us. He gathers us in His arms. He collects our tears in a bottle. He sings His song of love over us. He gives us good gifts. He faithfully guides us in the way we should go. He offers us a better way to live. He fills our longing hearts with Himself. He is the answer to our deepest needs. At the core of each journal, Jesus is magnified.
I journal to remember, because I never want to forget that He is forever faithful.
I journal to gather stones that I can one day pass onto my children. I journal to lift my hands in praise to Jesus for saving me and daily meeting me right where I am with the beauty of the gospel. I journal to know what is in my heart and to know the Lord more through His Word. This is the heart of the “Give Me Jesus” Journal. And I journal to remember that one every season of life – the longing seasons, the aching seasons, the questioning seasons, the joy-filled seasons, and the dry seasons – He is faithful and He will not fail me.
Our God is good, always. Let us journal, meditate on His Word, and gather stones to remind us of this truth.
Find our more about the “Give Me Jesus” Journal here, and share below reasons why you journal!
gathering stones,
Gretchen
We had a scrapbooking group at church who met once a month and we named it Stoneworks Scrapbookers because we felt that what we were recording were stones of remembrance of our life’s events and God’s hand throughout. We used the same verses. 🙂
I ordered Two journals for 90 days!! I’m soo excited to start remembering verses, and journaling everyday:) Thank you for the encouragments!
I have never jounaled so I’m very excited to start yours.. I just bought your be still for my niece and myself and I’m looking froward to what God will do through journaling..