Tag: Random Journal Day

Vision Quests & Random Journal Day

Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. (Matthew 11:29-30 The Message)

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Where did this year go? Where have I been? On a detour, and I must admit, I’ve been sort of lost. But thankfully detours eventually return us to the main road that leads to our destination.

A few years ago, I wrote a mission statement with six simple words: “Follow Jesus, generate ideas and write words.” When I feel lost, I return to these statements.

I want everything I do to honor Jesus, to be wrought out of love for Him. He has gifted me with a very active mind and LOTS of ideas. Writing is the main way that I process life and all those ideas.

Recently, I tried substitute teaching. My idea of how to make some extra cash to pay off some debt. It was hard work. It was valuable work. But it was not the work for me.

So I “resigned” and came back home. I returned to generating ideas and taking time for my creative pursuits. (Many of these ideas are flowing out of the work, I call souldare. Stay tuned for new workshops, new events and an etsy shop with journals made from re-purposed book covers and colorful papers!)

I’ve spent the past few weeks in my own journal, processing the perennial question: What’s next?

Journaling helped me to return to the vision of making time and space to encourage others to discover their created selves. I remembered that I work best in a collaborative environment. I realized that I enjoy students who delight in learning new things and making personal discoveries that lead to joy-filled lives.

Recently, I enjoyed the opportunity to partner with my dear friend and journaling revolutionary, Lynn Morrissey, for a day retreat. Through writing exercises and collage work, the Lord Jesus rekindled our passion for Him.

One of the exercises was to write “alpha poems” using the words, “my turnaround.” Here’s my offering from that day:

Mysterious,
Yet not so mysterious, how

Time after time, I neglect to
Understand that Your
Right path for me
Never leads me
Away from You, but
Right back to Your
Open heart, full of
Unfailing love.
Now again this
Day I return to YOU!

Linking with the Random Journal Day-ers!

What’s next for you? How is your vision quest going?

 

 

Posted on by kelrohlf 2

Random Journal Day: In Good Company

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV)

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my newest journal. love the zippered pocket incorporated into the canvas cover. journal is removable, so I could get a replacement and keep using the cover. (Found at Target)
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front view

Once a month, I join with Dawn and her fearless companions over at Random Journal Day. On the same weekend, I also have the joy of meeting in person with fearless journal keepers from our church. Both of these groups encourage me to continue the practice of dialoguing with God in my journal.

So for a treat, I am going to post my entry from today’s in person group with the RJD friends.

Today, our mentor encouraged us to journal about the topic of whether or not our prayers made a difference. Little did she know that I was struggling with this issue in my heart. It may seem odd to write in the presence of others, but it is cherished time set aside, where our leader offers us a prompt, then we each silently pour out our hearts into our journals.

Here is my journal response to her question:

Father God- What a privilege to be reminded that our prayers matter to You, to each other and to the one’s we pray for. I will never know the impact. You have given me seasons of intense intercessory prayer through prayer groups, Moms in Prayer International and the National Day of Prayer ministry, but lately my prayer life has been less structured and seemingly sporadic or very “arrow” prayer oriented. [An arrow prayer is just shooting requests up to God as I go, rather than a focused time of intercessory prayer.]

As the disciples asked , I ask again: “Teach me to pray–how–what–who–where–and when to pray.”

I have time.

I have tools.

I have topics.

What am I lacking? Tenacity? Hope? Faith? Why am I reluctant or strayed away from structured prayer? I feel vulnerable sharing and admitting that my intercessory prayer life is like an abandoned building. I do believe I have a rich , close relationship with You…show me the distractions and what has stunted my desire to intercede “systematically.” How should I pray for others? Do I lack discipline? A plan? The heart?

Thank you for time to take inventory, to admit my lack–thank you that with YOU I lack no good thing. Help me to seek you and follow your example, Jesus, of praying for others.

At this point, I paused in my journaling. The Holy Spirit prompted me to look up John 17, where Jesus prayed for His disciples and us before He died. He addressed the Father on our behalf to experience joy, to be kept from the evil one and to experience the love unifying relationship that he and the Father shared. Much to ponder.

And then I read in Romans 8, that even Paul understood that we didn’t know how to pray as we ought, and reminded us that the Spirit intercedes on our behalf! What relief! And the Spirit prays according to God’s will. In both passages, I heard echoes of the Lord’s prayer (the one he taught the disciples.)

Our Father who art in heaven hallowed by Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. To thine be the kingdom, and the glory and the power, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer matters. And God is the one who ignites and sustains our prayer life. Hallelujah!

Journaling for about 30 minutes and sharing our insights in a group reminded each one of us that we are not alone in our spiritual struggles. What a blessing to have companions on this journaling journey.

Posted on by kelrohlf 9

Random+Journal+Day=Encounter

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Here is a last piece of advice. If you believe in goodness and if you value the approval of God, fix your minds on the things which are holy and right and pure and beautiful and good. (Philippians 4:8 J.B. Phillips)

It’s time for the monthly Random Journal Day Link-up with Dawn and other brave hearts. It’s a day where we randomly choose an old journal, and share what we wrote a year or maybe a decade or maybe just a month ago. It depends on which journal we randomly choose. It’s always fun, insightful and encouraging.

I randomly chose a journal from early last year. I turned to a random page, which revealed some murmurings, which I wasn’t sure were very inspiring. (I actually thumbed through the pages to find something more uplifting, but last winter and spring apparently were overshadowed by me enduring several colds, grieving the loss of Les’ father and taking care of Les when he broke his elbow.) So I decided to just share the page I opened to this afternoon.

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I like starting a journal entry with a prompt sometimes. One of my favorites is “I feel…” So here how I responded on February 12, 2014.

I feel . . .overwhelmed! I have a headache…is below zero temps and I am supposed to stand at bus stop with kids this am…I have a full schedule–but not unreasonable–still just want to stay home a lot–but I push through and go out…maybe next week will be better — NOT! Father God -I need help and rest and strength to say no sometimes.

The rest of the entry talks about things I have to do and how I feel about them. Then in the wavy lines, I wrote a list of blessings. I often write out a gratitude list, when I feel overwhelmed.

I wrote: one blessing after another…food, shelter, warm clothes, coffee maker, husband-lover man, warm affectionate pets, strong capable loving sons who love Jesus, mom and sister living around the corner, heat, no ice storm, simple joys, fresh thinking, journaling journeys, GRACE

Very random, and in the moment thoughts. I am glad to have captured them, and it’s amazing how much life has changed since last year. Our oldest son is engaged and getting married in a couple months. My mom and sister and the four kids moved across the neighborhood. Still close, but not around the corner. I have survived the last couple months of winter here in St. Louis. And God is faithfully empowering me to keep journaling, blogging and creating art.

I also marvel that last February, God inspired me to create 28 Days of Being YOU, an art journaling journey, which became 28 Weeks of Being YOU.

It’s not a surprise that I was overwhelmed! It’s amazing what God accomplishes through our lives. And so, I give Him thanks for this record and this encounter of His grace in the pages of a humble journal.

I’ll leave you with a simple collage that I made in this same journal. It was the beginning of using collage to “meet” with God, like I did in October 2014 with the GOD+ART series.

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What do you do when you feel overwhelmed?

Posted on by kelrohlf 2

(re)visit: to consider or take up again {and RJD Link-Up}

Now go and write down these words.
    Write them in a book.
They will stand until the end of time
    as a witness.

(Isaiah 30:8 NLT)

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Today, I’m joining up with my favorite journal keepers Dawn and Susie over at the Random Journal Day Link-Up. I randomly chose this journal. It was fun to look at how I decorated the cover with summer themed stickers. Summer brings out the kid in me!

One thing, I like about keeping a journal is that I can revist it anytime I want. When I consider where I “was at” in my life on a certain day, I get to see how far I’ve come or not come in personal progress.

Here’s where I visited:.

Friday, May 6, 2011 (Almost three years ago)

I feel tired. I walked with T in the am. Gave energy to tutoring Latin. More energy to walking again with K. Energy to shopping and putting thought into a box for Scotland [my sister and her family were living there at the time.] I always want to put so much into the box. I wish I could deliver it myself. This time last year I was getting ready for the adventure to Scotland. I wish I could go back–but I have new adventures this summer–work on Bellerive [Honors College Literary publication] –finishing work–projecting work–discovery work–restful times and active times.  B comes home Tuesday. Another soul to interact and fuse with…new dynamics.

As I revist this entry, I notice that while my circumstances have shifted, living takes energy. Relationships matter. Walking is good. Work is good. New adventures and new dynamics continue to beckon me to keep living and breathing and moving.

On one corner of the page, I pasted this quote:

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A defining moment! Looking back I can see that my experiences in 2011 foreshadowed where I am today. On the next page, I made the declaration that I wanted to be part of the journaling revolution, a clarion call from my friend and journaling mentor, Lynn Morrissey. Three year laters I am part of the revolution, sharing here with RJD and teaching classes that incorporate journaling techniques combined with collage and mixed-media art.

And one of my greatest passions lately has been inviting others to “Be YOU!” How amazing that this germ of an idea would come to fruition three years later.

God values the written word and He instills beauty in each of us. Let’s celebrate and proclaim His goodness in words and all kinds of mark making. Let’s leave our imprint on this world, in such a way that it causes others to come closer and examine for themselves this strange sight of personhood spilling over on to page and screen.

Linking with RJD.

 

 

 

 

Posted on by kelrohlf 11

un(tangle): to loose from entanglements; to separate

“. . . let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” (Hebrews 12:1)

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Where do you turn when you need to untangle confusing thoughts, uncontrollable emotions, untethered desires or unruly doubts?

I turn to my journal. So today, I am joining with Dawn and Susie as we dive into a random journal and share what was unfolding in our lives at that time. I like to do this because it reminds me of the importance of dialoguing with God about life and its tangled mess. Also when I reread an entry, I recall His faithfulness and the value of keeping a journal.

Today, I closed my eyes and picked a journal from the shelf.

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Then randomly opened the page to an entry from Tuesday, May 12, 2009:

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Here’s what I was musing about on that day, about five years ago:

Ten years ago I wrote out where we would be in ten years. And here we are [ten years later] B. graduating from high school- K. looking for his path- Will he be a preacher man or a salesman or a worker man? A godly man is my greatest desire. A man who loves and pursues You with all his heart. Who takes risks for You and lives by faith. And B, too.

[Then I made a chart with our ages then and ten years out and where we might be…]

Interestingly enough, I had myself pursuing a Masters degree…something to pray about! Not there yet 🙂

On the opposite page, my prayer for the boys transitions into praise and affirmation of God:

God- You are faithful and deserve my full trust. You are the director of our paths. You do direct me and continue to lead me on paths of righteousness for your name’s sake. I want to stay on the path of making you known-that your love and reputation would be renown the world over. [Then I made a list of God’s names]

Charter of the Course, Designer of the Dream, Renewer of Promises, Faithful One–Help me to be your faithful follower.

This random entry really encourages me today, and untangles some doubts I have been entertaining about God’s direction for my life currently and it assures me that I do want to be a faithful follower of God!

By the way, the ten year outlook exercise can be sobering, but also gives direction to the path. I am glad God prompted me to make the list in order to see that He alone directs our path. We are on His path, and I am glad to report that both of our sons are growing into faithful followers of God. Thanks be to God! ( I can’t believe we’ve come halfway from this journal entry…where will we be in five years? God only knows and for that I am grateful.)

Happy Journaling! Random Journal Day Link-Up

Posted on by kelrohlf 7