Keeping a Spiritual Journal

Today I made my first vows in the Society of the Sacred Heart 69 years ago! Time goes by so quickly when I look back over these 69 years as an RSCJ. I think I was too busy the first years to even keep a journal, but since my year in Rome, I have usually been faithful about keeping some sort of a Journal. I threw all away several times, but have not yet thrown away most of the ones I have written during my time here at Oakwood. I suspect I need to get rid of them soon as I really seldom go back to read them.

Since I began a new Journal on the First Sunday of Advent, I have been very faithful to write each day and in my best penmanship. I am not sure how long that will last but I also have returned to a book by Ronald Klug with the title, How to Keep a Spiritual Journal: A Guide to Journal Keeping  for Inner Growth and Personal Discovery. 

I love how he tells us at the very beginning to relax with our journal and enjoy it. It should never be a burden. 
People ask me what I write each day. It depends on the day. Sometimes I am recording what I have done, or something that struck me and I just write it down. When I seem to have nothing to say, I often just write a letter to Jesus expressing my feelings and my love for Jesus. Some days I just write about the things I am grateful for and that is always helpful. I hope you will try keeping a Journal if you have not done so in the past. You do not need to write every day, but keep it handy and you will find it helps to try to express in writing what is going on inside of us.