A Note from Mary Margaret West: I’m so excited about this series that we’re going to host on Fridays over the next few weeks. Leslie Hudson is going to break down ways you can intentionally minister to, love on, and encourage specific groups of girls in your life. These ideas we can pass along to girls are so practical.
We are lovingly made by a creative God, and like Him we have outlets of creativity. Today’s post is geared specifically toward girls who write. Who are those girls? They take notes constantly. They use their words well. They make lists. They have perhaps written poetry, short stories, or memoirs; most commonly, though, they journal.
(Not every girl is like this! In the coming weeks, you’ll also see posts for girls who make music, girls who make art, and girls who move.)
Identify your Girls who Write by asking:
- Who likes to journal?
- Who has ever written poetry or a story just because you wanted to, not as a school assignment?
- Who stops at the notebook aisle of a store?
- Who knows where the best journals can be bought?
- Who uses a particular kind of pen or certain color of pen depending on your mood?
- If you had to spend an hour in silence, who would spend it writing?
For any of your girls who raise their hands to these prompts, challenge them to enhance their time with Jesus by journaling.
Start with a beautiful journal and good pens. This need not be expensive! Check out your local dollar store, TJMaxx, and even Amazon for beautiful journals for well under $10. Throw in a pack of colored pens (my favorite combo is pink-purple-blue-green!) for less than $3, and you’re set!
Open your journal and your Bible together. Let one flow into the other. If you’ve got something to say to God, say it by writing it! Then follow it up with your Bible reading. If you feel empty and wordless, start with the Bible and let that inspire you to write. But, each day, be sure you dig into the Word and write something.
Write. Just write. Write prayer requests. Write your thoughts and questions and fears. Write your future plans and your standards for a husband. Whatever you write, though, consider it a letter to Jesus Himself.
Turn everything into a conversation. Hold it up to Him—maybe literally—in prayer, asking for His will rather than your own and His leadership over your best-laid plans. When you hear a word from God as you read your Bible, create word art out of that word. As you consider friends and family members who need prayer, write their needs in your journal. Be mindful of the things Jesus brings to your heart as you write.
Carry your journal everywhere you go: school, church, work, sports, or wherever you end up. Be sure you can fit it always in your backpack or your purse; that way, you can be ready to write your thoughts and hopes and dreams whenever they come to your mind and your heart.
Begin and end each day with your Bible and journal. There’s no “rule” for what you should do in your time with Jesus, but starting and ending your day is always great. (Personally, I like to have a little New Testament at one part of the day, Old Testament at the other.) Ask your mentor or youth minister for a book or part of a book that would be great to read.
Ponder as you read. Reading is not the goal; spending time in Jesus’ presence is. So, write down words that draw your attention and look them up in the Hebrew or Greek using Strong’s Concordance on blueletterbible.org. Some people diagram great sentences. Challenge yourself to come away from every session with something from God’s word, whether it’s a word or a verse or a paragraph. Engage your brain, your heart, your struggles, your daily plan, and your prayer list as you seek the face of God in His Word.
Go back. Every so often, flip backwards in your journal. Look at what you were thinking, feeling, and going through. Praise God for answered prayers, insight, spiritual maturity, and His faithful love. Show your friends where you prayed for them and how God’s Word led you to know what to pray.
An all-inclusive Spiritual journal will be one of your most treasured possessions. Let it be integral to your morning and evening time with Jesus.
Leslie Hudson is a Renaissance woman, coffee roaster/connoisseur/addict, volunteer Girls Ministry leader, and teacher of God’s Word.
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