Writing can be a tremendous help to our spiritual formation. Whether we find ourselves in a particularly good time when we are experiencing the love of God, or in a particularly difficult time when we wonder if He is even there, journal keeping can help us to continue to seek the Lord.

Finding new ways to approach our writing can breathe fresh life into our journal keeping.

Margaret Guenther in her book, Holy Listening-The Art of Spiritual Direction, writes: "I urge people to make a list, or at least notes, because writing fosters focus and specificity." There are tremendous benefits from writing because of the focus and clarity it brings. I know that some people find even the suggestion of journaling a challenge. My hunch is that if you feel you can't keep a journal it is because you have some preconceived ideas about what it means "to keep a journal" and you don't think that you can be that kind of person. May I suggest that you leave behind all of those ideas of what you have to do to be a good journal keeper, and just start with a list, or a picture, or a few notes.  Write as you can....not as you can't.

Henri Nouwen was a Catholic priest who taught at several prestigious universities and gave spiritual direction to thousands who found his books full of insight. Late in his life he went through a particularly difficult period. Even during his darkness, he found that writing in his journal sustained him.

He writes: "To my surprise, I never lost the ability to write. In fact, writing became part of my struggle for survival. It gave me the little distance from myself that I needed to keep from drowning in my despair." (Inner Voice of Love, p. xiv-xvi)

Once you learn to use a journal, it will be like a best friend throughout your life.