My Journaling Journey

28 of the 30-something journals I've filled over the years. I arranged them from my first journal (bottom right) to my latest (top left)

I’ve been a regular journaler for nearly 7 years. Journaling is a deeply personal hobby that requires perseverance and time commitment. The rewards of journaling include; the ability to read memories from the past that may have been forgotten if they hadn’t been recorded, seeing God’s hand in your life as He has guided and taught you many lessons, the ability to see personal growth and development through the years, improved handwriting, spelling and grammar (IF you work on those while you journal… I didn’t for most of my journaling life! Sad, I know). 

Many girls will start journaling and then lose interest or become un-motivated. Hopefully this post encourages you to continue your journaling journey. Remember, no one is perfect at journaling! Most of my journals are filled with horrendous handwriting (the kind I would get in trouble for if I used it in my school work!), caveman-like grammar and spelling (because I was lazy about it), and fleshly, carnal chapters of life before I knew Him.


 

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While I remained a consistent writer, writing every day with very few missed days, there are a few gaps where I missed large amounts of time (about a month) because of painful life situations or travel constraints. If I had it to do over I would have written through the painful times also. Early on I made it a personal rule not to share sad, painful or otherwise uncomfortable things in my journal, so many of them don’t give the whole picture. Later I decided it would be best not to write about my struggles with family and friends because I didn’t want to ‘keep record of wrongs’. More recently I’ve been discovering the art of journaling my spiritual journey without dwelling on others faults or blaming them for my own behavior. 

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Today I will share with you small excerpts from my journals. Because some things I say need an explanation, and for the most part aren’t even legible, I will type a translation next to the picture. I will keep grammar and spelling the same (unless needed for clarification) and add any information parenthesis and underlined.

Luke 6:22 "What happiness it is when others hate you and exclude you and insult you and smear your name because you are mine!"
I really thout that was the best verse I read all week.
Dear Memo (because the front of this journal said  "Pocket Memo"),
Mommy, Naomi and I just got back from Kroger and we got a lot of egg nogg for tonight.
It's pretty rainy right now. The only thing I want to do is Roller blade (zoom!)
I can't wait untill Tuesday because then we can all go to karate. (ous!) (the noise you make  in karate when you punch or kick)
Forever yours, Bethany
P.s. what does 'p.s.' stand for??? Fire ah! (not sure what that was about...)
P.s.2: Happy new Year!

January 1 2007 (can you believe it's 2007?)

Dear Memo,
I am tierd. that's all I can think of. hmm
I can't Roller blade today it's to wet
Ow! I bruised my elbow! Ouch!
When the pigs sing I'll eat chicken. Last night I drank a lot of eggless egg nog! 
ha ha! got to go! Forever yours, Bethany

January 1 2007
3:22
Dear Mini memo,
ow! I had a hang nail then pulled it now it's bleeding! bye! ow!
later that night...
I'm in bed. tomorrow Meagan and Kaitlin are coming over (my mom babysits them)
oh! goodnight
Bethy

Journaling started out as a frivolous little hobby. I would write random little nonsense and meaningless little jabber.

... I wonder if Ona's gonna be there even though Sensei's gone. Well bye, -Bethany
(Ona was our teacher, Sensei's, puppy)

Later that day

Jori, I'm a blue belt!!!!!!! Yah!!
Oh guess what I was sparring Mac and 'thwak' I kicked to hard he asked for a chest protector!!
-Bethany

(Jori is a shortened form of journal. I used Jori because when I first started journaling I had a hard time remembering how to spell 'journal' and I hated the term 'diary'. After a while 'Jori' stuck and I continued to use it. Also, I'd like to point out that I wasn't trying to hurt Mac or kick hard- that's why I thought it was sort of funny.)\


March 31 2007

Dear Jori, It's really stormy today Thunder and Dreary at least it's not blowy. Emily and I went around the trail today and we had fun.
Right now its 2:07 so there is plenty of day to fill but Naomi, Mommy and Lydia went to Goodwill, Emily and Sherman are playing on the computer and Clayton is watching them.
Talk later!
-Bethany

Same Day

Dear Jori, It's 2:18 and all I've done is write in you and walk around the house. bye!
-Bepie

Same day (again)

It looks pretty nice out now but when I asked daddy if we could play outside he said "[It] looks like it's gonna storm, so no."
but it's so nice out!
tomorow is 'April fools day' and Palm Sunday. Mommy, Naomi and Lydia are back, so bye! -Bethany

[Clayton is] coming down with the chicken pox. He's got a fever, Lizzy, his friend had them not to long ago. Mommy had them hug and play together.
It [is] late I need to get to bed.
I write later! Night!
Your true friend,
Bethany Potts

May 3, 2008

Dear Jori,
Today I cleaned (and re-arranged) the kitchen, mushroom hunted, and mowed.
We saw 2 other people while we were mushroom hunting, the bald guy was funny!
Ok and a little weird (but arn't we all!)
If TACHEs (Homeschool group we were a part of) play this year is Cinderella [then] Naomi wants to be either;
The Evil Stepmother or the Evil Stepsister.
I want to be either; the Evil Stepsister or Cinderella, but I probably wont get it
I can hope though
If they don't do Cinderella then they'll probably do 'Tom Sayer' or 'Hucklberry fin'.
I'm trying to get back in the habit of writing neatly. I have a hard time reading my [own handwriting].

(Typically I fill the first page of a new journal with a kind request to the reader to 'please not read my journal')
It's fairly legible! Yay!  

My journal entries vary dramatically...  from a 3 page entry to a short little one like the above.

January 31, 2009

Dear Journal,
Guess what!? I made my very first lemon merangue pie! I[t] was a little hard but I think I did fairly well.
I can only hope it will taste okay. We aren't eating it until tomorrow. Naomi made a key lime pie. So there (then) if mine is yucky we have a "fall back" and if hers is bad shes got a fall back.
But if they are both yucky then we are in deep doggy-doo. haha! (That probably wasn't very appropriate, sorry)
The pies are for Mommy's birthday. We are having the M_____s (A family we are friends with) over after church.

Lydia and Clayton made mommy as snow man for her birthday. But they made it in frount so when you walk past the [windows by the front] door; it Looks at You!

It's rather creepy!

OO! Fireproof. Good movie. It's a tear jerker, I almost cried at the part where the man yelled. For everyone else it was a different part.

Eww! I really need a shower! I'll probably get it tomorrow morning.

Mommy got me this pen! It's gray. I chose gray rather than blue. I don't know why, I just did. Some things in life are like that- you just do. Sooo...

not much is really up.

OO! I made merangues! They were very yummy! Everyone liked them. Well, not Naomi. She just doesn't.

Wow, life just passes. Day by day.
There it goes

Tomorrow is mommy's birthday. 
February 1st.

13 days after that is the most romantic Holiday!! 
 [Pagantines Day!]

Goodnight.

-me-

9/20/09
Jori,

We (Noomers an' me) (Noomers is Naomi) went an' babysat the A____s. They are realllly nice kiddos 4 sure.

ummm... Oo! Had the B____s and the J_____s over for SPICEY food.

Advanced Bio tomorrow!
ewwww (We were probably on the 'muscle' module... so hard! but other than that it was great.)

Love,

meepers

There were many times through the years that I have considered putting an end to my journal journey... or even burning all my old journals.

April 19, 2010

journal,

This morning I woke up at 6:20 the[n] did P90x w/ daddy, HARD dude! Then later showered, mowed, and schooled. Then, ew, we had to go disect the cow eyeball..ew...it was the most grossest thing ever (Using incorrect grammar to emphasize the grossness of it)! And Mrs. M____ (The lady who taught Naomi and I science) gave us jelly eyes! eh, heh, heh, heh....
Then everyone else jumped on....

Entries like this are some of my favorites.

August 5, 2010

Journal,

Guess what?
A giant tree broke and fell into our yard last night. We had to run over and tell our neighbors (the ones whose tree it was) because they were unawares. It's a hedge apple tree! Emily and I saw it shake on our way back to the neighbors. (We probably thought it was an animal in there! And it probably was)

Emily and I went mowing (I helped mow at our old church for a few Summers. Emily would come along and move sticks and rocks). I mowed the frount yard weird[ly].

[But] S'okay! (it's okay)

Mrs. B____ was there for a bit.

This is just a silly one...

Ooctooboor [Toonth]
Twoontoo-Toon

Joornool,
Hoopy Ooctooboor!
Foor a chooloonge you moost rooplooce almost ooll voowels wooth Oo!! Just kidding.

"You never leave your partner... especially in a fire" -Fireproof

My Prayer

[Yeshua], (I was just learning Hebrew words)

I pray you will convict my heart of any sin in my life.

Help me not to gossip as it is so easy to do!

Let me follow your word as I learn your holy ways.

Let your light shine through me.

Baruch ata laymraychey (Blessed are you [not sure])

(I was probably sounding things out and guessing around with what things meant)

"Something about a heart"

Baruch Yahweh! (Blessed is the LORD!)

HELLO

Please do not read my journal. It is just notes, prayers and thought[s] as well as a log of what has happened during the day.

Thank you!

Bye!

9-28-11

To The Reader,

This is not a book to read! This is the journal of Bethany!

Thank you for your co operation

Love,

BP

First part of the song I wrote called "Everyday"

2-10-12
Another day to focus on you! help me do better today than yesterday!

"Jerusalem"
"Passover Shalom"
Remember Jerusalem

I need a rest
No I don't
I will not rest I won't, I won't
My job is here I need to do it
No rest for me until I'm through it

(I wrote this silly poem when I was still on pain killers from having my wisdom teeth out... I was loopy)

Just some fun doodling

Give me a love and desire for everything you love and desire.

I ask your guidence and provision on my day- show me what to do and how to do it.

2-6-13

Dear Reader,
 
Please do not read my journal.
It would be very RUDE and I'd really appreciate it if you'de just set it down.

That's all you really need to know! Now if you would please just listen to me and not open, read, or otherwise tinker with my journal. Unless I am dead- in that case... I guess you can read it.... what could be the harm in that?

It's pretty hard to be embarassed  when you're dead!

Have a great life!

Love,

Bethany

I'm sorry that I don't feel comfortable sharing many of my recent entries because they are still fresh and very personal. As time goes on I'm sure they will lose some of their closeness but for now they are only for my eyes.

To give you some ideas on how to use your journal- here are different ways I use my journal

-Recording my day
-Recording prayers, poems and songs
-Keeping notes from sermons and study
-Keeping track of my hopes for the future and goals I want to achieve
-Sometimes I keep programs (from graduations, funerals etc...) in my journal
-Keep name tags in your journal

Do you journal? Feel free to share any journaling ideas in the comment section, I'd love to hear them!

Bethany