Journaling: Methods

[Materials]  >   [Motivation]  >   Methods

These suggestions help group members become unstuck about journal writing without becoming unglued. NET Groups present them as options only, trusting group leaders and participants to derive their own best methods.

The key here is to be comfortable, but to risk a challenge occasionally! Trying new methods of journal writing will often open new insights. Incidentally, neatness does not count!

• You might begin with lists. This is an easy way to get started on a slow day. Start with a question such as "Where have I seen God?" or "Which people seem to reflect Christ's love to me?" Begin writing down answers without attempting to censor them. Brainstorm!
  
  Example:
  Who reflects Christ's love?
  Phyllis, mother, Mother Teresa, Lawrence, Aunt Ruth, Bill, Carol.
  
  Later you may choose to work further with lists, using some of the other methods to reflect more deeply on what you have learned.



• Another method is free expression. This is the most common of all journal writing. You simply begin to write, expressing yourself comfortably and openly.
  
  Example:
  When Jim told us we were going to have to change offices, I began to get angry. Then I began to reflect on the burst of anger, asking "What is beneath the anger? Fear of change? Not liking to be out of control?"



• A third method is dialogue. You can hold a conversation with yourself in your journal, acknowledging that each of us is really "many voices." You can use your name to designate your ego-state and use another name or title for some other person, internal or external.
  
  Example:
  Judith: I don't understand why I am feeling so confused today.
  Karole: Is it your faith? Are you struggling spiritually?
  Judith: Yes. Why does God allow evil to happen? Why is the world filled with such bad news when I worship a God of Good News?
  Karole: There is a lot of mystery in the world that we do not understand.
  Judith: I suppose that I must be content to live in the mystery, but I feel so discontent.
  Karole: Be patient. We see through a glass darkly.
  Judith: Yes. Be patient. Thank you, Karole.



• Prayer is another way to enter into the journaling process. If you are a newcomer, let the journal be a place to experiment with prayer. If you are familiar with prayer, experiment with different forms of prayer. The journal can be a place where anger at God can be expressed and explored. You may want to experiment with sentence prayers or breath prayers, to find one that is most comfortable.
  
  Example:
  Lord Jesus Christ, take over.
  Come, Loving God, into my heart.
  Surround me, O God, with your love.



• Finally, one can use his or her journal for artistic expression. Drawing is an appropriate journal-keeping technique. It can often awaken cognitive learning. One journal writer found herself sketching the cross on several entries. She began to write poems with each drawing, asking Jesus to explain the crucifixion and resurrection to her. She developed a new understanding of Christ. Her feeling was she moved from a vague "Jesus is a nice guy" to more of an understanding of "Look what God has done for me."
  
  Example:
  (early poem)
  I don't know why
  you're hanging there
  on that stupid rough-hewn cross!
  You could be having a beer with the boys...
  or walking Mary Magdalene home.
  So, why are you hanging there
  on that stupid rough-hewn cross?

Journals are personal. It is one of the most effective tools for reflection, recognizing each person will do it differently. Trust God to work in all methods!