Home
>
Writing
>
Spiritual Journaling

Spiritual Journaling

Whether you keep a separate spiritual journal or just want to add your spiritual postings in your regular journal, you will want to read this.

Personal journaling supports our development and growth. But spiritual journaling goes deeper. Spiritual writing is a reflection of our soul. Like personal journaling it too is a tool for self-discovery, aids concentration, is a safety valve for emotions, a training ground for improving thought to paper processing, and builds self-esteem and confidence.

Spiritual growth is not just about religion, it concerns all life -- time, goals, relationships, work, politics, and our inner life. Spiritual journaling is a process where the part of us that connects with God, or our higher power, expresses itself. It is a process of where selfishness can be transformed into caring, rebellion into obedience, and despair into hope. It is with this connection that personal development occurs.

Journaling is just one discipline to a greater path of grace. Prayer and fasting are the other two. This discipline is a response to grace not an alternative. It is also an adventure in joyful freedom.

Have you ever been listening to your pastor or priest and you zone out briefly, hear something profound, and then suddenly snap back? It's there and then gone.

What about a time when you started crying and there wasn't a reason? The tears could have been triggered by words, a phrase, a visual from a conversation, television program or commercial, movie, or radio broadcast. Apparently, there was an emotional pull, do you remember what it was? Did you ever think of what actually trigger it?

It is my believe that these and other ways we receive subtitle messages, either from your inner spiritual self or a higher connection, are guidance. God and the universe talks to us all day long but because of our busy lives we don't listen very well or stop and take notice of what "really" just happened. Usually, we just push our way right though the message, shrug it off to being tired, dismiss it as irrelevant, or not having any time to address it.

But these do have meaning and it is important to record these, even if on a napkin, and spend some quiet time with them later in your journal. Then ask our higher power for guidance and understanding. When was the last time you did this? Maybe you have never asked. Maybe its time to renew the experience.

In order not to repeat past events we study them. But do we study our day so that we don't repeat certain experiences again? Usually not. What if you asked: "What occurred in today's events that seem out of the ordinary?" "What messages appeared that were quickly tossed that were spiritually based and could have additional meaning?"

For this very reason, not to repeat our mistakes and to improve our future that we should stop and ask. Throughout history we've been told: "An answer cannot be received, until first we ask." I know this last sentence must be a quote from somewhere but I couldn't find the source.

Do you read material that spiritually enlightens you? A great exercise is to journal before you read the material. This will allow your soul to reconnect with your mind, body, and spirit and enhance the reading.

What about journaling after or during the reading? Writing allows the meshing of thoughts -- the authors, yours, and the higher power. It is a powerful connection. It is the best way we can begin to see our path and our purpose.

Dear Higher Power letters are my favorite. I feel like I'm talking with my best friend and trusted father When was the last time you wrote to him or her?

Many people tell me they only journal when they need to dump their negative emotions. Yes, journaling can be a great use for this, however, journaling is actually so much more. If you do find that your entries are more focused on negative aspects of life, I highly suggest you change it. Since like attracts like, you are opening the opportunity to the universe to send the exact type of energy back to you. And who wants more negative energy in their life?

If you must post journal entries that are negative, let me suggest that you don't stop there. Continue writing flipping to the positive side. This maybe difficult at first but as it changes so will your attitude about life.

Normally, people who don't journal often tell me that they don't do so because it is always negative. Who wants to return to something that is negative? I surely would not.

Catherine Franz is a life and business coach living in Northern Virginia. She has presented journaling workshops over 20 years. Catherine has authored two great books on tips and techniques of journaling. Copies available at: http://www.abundancecenter.com/store/main.htm

Airbnb cleaning service Park Ridge ...

In The News:

A viral video shows roughly a dozen Coco Robotics delivery robots swarming a Chicago sidewalk near Lincoln Park, raising wheelchair access concerns.

NewTree Social founder Maddy O'Connor built a community events app to help people discover local gatherings, wellness events and run clubs nearby.

DoppelCart's 119,000 fake shopping domains steal credit card details at checkout, mimicking over 44,000 real brands with convincing cloned sites.

Hurricane charity scams use data brokers and people search sites to target victims before storms even hit, exploiting personal information..

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Autonomous race cars hit Laguna Seca and Imola Circuit at speeds topping 157 mph, but the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League faces a fan problem.

A LinkedIn romance scam cost Gaby close to $1 million after a scammer returned her first payment to build trust, then escalated requests over two years.

Safari's Notify Me can monitor websites for price changes and restocks, while new AI photo tools let you reframe and extend shots in iOS 27.

FLHSMV traced the Florida DMV breach to credentials from a Plant City Police Department user, but ShinyHunters claims over 200,000 driver records.

Tesla's Cybercab launched in Austin with no steering wheel or pedals, but hidden details about age limits and missing safety features may shock riders.

Moderna and Merck's Phase 3 melanoma vaccine trial showed positive results, but full data and FDA approval are still pending for the mRNA therapy.

Malwarebytes data reveals scam texts peak around noon ET with 874% higher volume than overnight, and Fridays bring roughly 50% more messages.

Over 5,400 legitimate websites now serve fake CAPTCHA scams that trick users into pasting malware commands into Windows Run via ClickFix attacks.

Tuya Smart's Doova AI home robot rolls to seniors who call for help and connects family via live video, but key privacy questions remain unanswered.

Jevon Martinez livestreamed himself removing 10 Flock Safety cameras in Bernalillo County, but authorities say eight belonged to neighborhood associations.

A dark web service called Nexus claimed to hold over 153 million driver's license records, and the FBI confirms it is now looking into the incident.

Asking Siri to call American Express connected an 82-year-old woman to a bogus number that nearly drained $100,000 from her Bank of America account.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

iPhone Duo opens to a 7.6-inch foldable display starting at $1,999, but Siri Recap's ambient listening on Apple Watch may spark privacy concerns.

Homeowners' association meeting minutes and membership lists can expose names, addresses and emails that scammers use to craft convincing phishing scams.

Lima, Ohio, has installed 3,120 floating solar panels on its Twin Lakes Reservoir, projecting nearly $10 million in electricity cost savings.

Amazon's Alexa for Shopping now lets customers verify suspicious emails, texts and phone calls against the company's own communication records.

Lindsey Brooke Isaacs spent 13 days in jail after a Flock camera flagged her Dodge Durango near a fatal Florida crash that killed three people.

AI-powered smart grocery carts are linked to 32% higher spending, according to new research, as Instacart Caper Carts expand across U.S. stores.

A VPN encrypts your connection on hotel, airport and café Wi-Fi abroad, but streaming catalogs and live sports access still depend on provider rules.