"A Life Worth Recording"

Do you journal? Probably not. Most people don't. The writer in me can't help herself, so journaling always came easy for me. And since I'm a notebook junkie, it all works. If you should find me at Barnes & Noble in front of a display case of beautiful journals or hovering near the spiral notebooks on the school supplies aisle at a discount store, chances are I might be hyperventilating. It's hard to breathe when I'm in paper heaven. Feelin' a little woozy just thinking about it . . . quick, hand me a bag to blow into!

Over the past few years it occurred to me that blogging has replaced journaling for lots of people. It's so much easier and faster. And for the things you want to share with others, it's the perfect vehicle for communication. My friend Annie has a blog called "Life on Tara" where she chronicles the lives of her four young children and the adventure of homeschooling. I've told her before how envious I was because she will always have this amazing recorded history of her kids' childhood memories. I remember writing down snippets of my kids' funny anecdotes and memories, but God only knows what happened to them in all our moves.

Then there are the newlyweds who blog about the new chapters in their lives. My daughter Hannah blogs about their hectic but fun-filled life as a couple (it's how I keep up with them - shhhh!). I also enjoying reading "A Love Like This" by Michael and Dana Ritter. Such a fascinating love story, those two, and so fun following their new life together. Dana also shares her love for cooking and the ups & downs in her kitchen. Some of her photographs make my mouth water.

Most of my author friends blog about their writing. Pastors blog about ministry. Hot air balloonists blog about their races. Mountain climbers blog about their treks up Mt. Hood. Scrapbookers blog about, well, scrapbooking. Something for everyone.

But I still think there's a place for private journaling. A place to write down your innermost thoughts and questions, to ponder the complexities of life, or just muse about life in general.

If you know me very well, you know one of my favorite books on the planet is Nicole Johnson's A Fresh-Brewed Life. I'm now on my sixth reading, and I've given away so many copies, I've lost count. For me, it's been a life-changing book. And Nicole's second chapter is about the importance of journaling. Look what she says:

My journal is my constant companion. It is never very far from my reach . . . It is a front porch of solace and retreat when I am tired and weary . . . It is a newspaper column reporting the details of my life. It is a scrapbook collecting oddly shaped pieces of my experiences. And it is a monastery, where I see to sit in the presence of God.

Isn't that inspiring? She continues: A journal is a tool, a flower, a canvas, a safety deposit box, a cup of coffee with a friend. It can hold your dreams, record your life, challenge your thinking, refresh your soul, tickle your sides, and redirect your steps.

And I love this nugget found in the same chapter: Your journal can remind you that you must make a life worth recording. I love that. God gives each of us a beautiful journal called life, filled with empty pages. It's up to us to fill those pages with a life well-lived.It won't be perfect or flawless. But it's ours to write - to "make a life worth recording."

So how about you? Have you ever journaled? What's stopping you? If you need help, I'll be more than happy to go shopping with you for the perfect notebook or journal. Just be sure to bring an oxygen tank.
Just in case.