By Sarah Bush Author of The Invitation and Grace for the Journey

Last summer our family moved to Raleigh from Winston-Salem. With two high school teenage girls, it continues to be a difficult transition. Every day they have begged to move back home. To help me process my thoughts and feelings, I kept a journal – listing my thanksgivings, God’s promises, and releasing my stress. Writing gave me a new perspective and someday maybe my girls will need a record of our story to share with their children if they ever have to move with kids.

Life is full of joys and challenges. Whether it’s getting married, the birth of new baby, receiving a promotion at work, or on the flip side dealing with a difficult career decision or suffering a death of a loved one. Sooner or later, we all have difficulties or joys. How do you handle the difficulties in your life? How do you remember in detail significant moments of blessings? Then how do you measure personal growth in your life responding to these events?

There are two primary tools for processing. One is speaking, and the second, writing. Most of us as women are well acquainted with the benefits of speaking, so we’ll move on to the benefit of writing – or as I like to use the term journaling. I have found journaling to be effective in dealing with life. I have been journaling my journey for 30 some years. Instead of thoughts, ideas, and feelings circling around my head, I like to write them down on paper. The discipline has become sweeter over time. (I use the word discipline – not as a negative term). Journaling is a powerful tool and is a form of personal transformation. But like any habit – you must be intentional.

Speaking of writing… texting has brought all kinds of acronyms to our lives: SMH, BRB, and LOL. I have a new one to teach you to help us remember the healthy benefits of journaling. I’m using an acronym JRNL. J – joy, R – release, N – new perspective, and L – leaving a legacy.

J – Journaling is a healthy habit that creates JOY.

Statistics report people who journal their thanksgivings are 25% more healthy.
Therefore, one of the greatest benefits of journaling – It creates joy… happiness. A journal can become like a faithful friend, ie. Pooh and Piglet, Abbot and Costello. When people make it healthy habit by listing their thanksgivings each day, thanksgiving can be very powerful when you are in pain, a health crisis, a financial crisis, or to find healing from a trauma. Life might not be handing you some major issue, maybe it’s just the mundane making you weary.

As an educator in the classroom of 3rd grade students, I heard my share of complaining, tattling, and hour long stories. I instructed my students on how to journal and to keep a list of thanksgivings in the back of their journals. Every day they could record things they were thankful for. Amazingly I witnessed a change in their attitude! So, keeping a journal list of thanksgiving can improve our attitude and our health.

When I set aside daily time to pray and read scripture, often God uses a passage that resonates in my heart addressing my exact concerns to encourage me as a wife, parent, or in my vocation. I write these scriptures as a prayer in my journal. Writing my prayers, and then seeing answers gives me joy!

In addition to adding J for joy, R – Journaling is a beneficial tool to RELEASE stress.

Habitually communicating our thoughts and difficult circumstances can release stress.
Journaling is a safe place to release your burdens – “venting” or to “let go” of a situation that is weighing heavily on your shoulders. Have you ever struggled to “let go” of something or someone who has hurt you? Release the pain by writing a letter (you may or may not give it to them). By releasing it, especially by writing out a prayer, you can choose to forgive. To process your thoughts and emotions begin by asking yourself: What am I feeling? Why am I feeling this way? Are there actions steps to take? Is there a scripture principle I need to apply?

In our relationships journaling is a healthy ways to deal with differences. When my husband and I are going through a crazy cycle in marriage – he says, “I know when I’m in the dog house because you fill the pages – writing through a journal!” He’s right and I have a lot journals! I do tend to write out my aggravations, misunderstandings but as I do, I often see more clearly what is going on in my heart; I may have been a little prideful or over sensitive. By the end of my “releasing” the problem on paper, I usually feel better, have a change of attitude toward him, and see the things I need I need to work on or apologize for. It’s a great release to write in red over the journal entry “Forgiven”!

In a similar way, N – Journaling is beneficial because it helps us gain new perspective.

Making decisions can be difficult so I often write out a list of pros and cons in my journal. As I wrote earlier, when we considered our move to Raleigh, we made a list of pros and cons. My husband had a job, so we were moving! But as my faith was wavering and fears crept in, it was helpful to look back in my journals to see how our prior move evolved 10 years ago. Seeing God’s faithfulness gave me strength and hope for this current move; all things would work together at just the right time.

Last but not least, L – Journaling leaves a legacy for the next generation.

How many of you know the stories from your grandparents or parents? Is there a record of significant events in their lives or their faith that impacted you?

The idea of recording for the next generation was not my idea. I think about all of our history books. Do you remember the Diary of Anne Frank? What insight we have gained from her life in hiding during World War II. Several presidents kept a diary – Washington, Truman, and John Quincy Adams. The Bible contains stories recorded for us to learn from great men and women of faith who were – not perfect, but used by God when they persevered to make a difference.

Have you seen the movie “The Help?” It’s a sweet story about a journalist who wanted to write about life from a slave’s perspective during the civil rights movement. Aibileen (Violia Davis) released her feelings of hurt and anger by journaling. In her difficulty expressing her stories out loud, Aibileen tells the journalist… “I thought I’d write down my stories and read them to you. They’re no different than writing down my prayers.”

Recording your thoughts, prayers, dreams, circumstances – can leave a healthy, godly legacy for your children and grandchildren.
A call to action: To get started is a choice. It’s a challenge with our fast paced society, but if you make time for solitude with a pen and paper – lined or not, simple spiral notebook or leather bound journal – or notes on an iPad – take 5-10 min. at the beginning of your day. Simply record the sound of your voice thinking. Write straight from your heart. Write out a list of things you’re thankful for, or a prayer of thanksgiving. Choose a Psalm from the Bible and turn it into a prayer. Release a burden. Write someone’s initials you need to forgive.

I’ve given you some tools to deal with life’s difficulties and a way to record and remember the triumphs. I hope you will make one change today for your health and start journaling.
You will receive –
J – Joy – when we are intentionally thankful
R – Release stress and burdens
N – gain New perspective
L – Legacy – for your loved ones