Can a simple daily habit of journaling change your life?

Do you find yourself becoming short-tempered?  Are you becoming moodier and joyless?  But the thing is…you have no clue what is causing these emotions.

Sometimes, you can be so busy doing life, that conversations and events occur that disturb you and you’re totally unaware of their impact.  Slowly but surely, your joy begins to dissipate little by little.  

Next thing you know, you’re a little down in the dumps and you have no clue how or why it has happened.  You’ve lost touch with yourself.

To avoid the pitfalls of a super busy life with no time to think and no emotional self-awareness, you may want to consider journaling.  Without a doubt, journaling can help you to stay emotionally healthy as you take time to reflect.  

I began this practice a few years ago and it has made a world of difference in my own life. As a result, I generally feel happy and emotionally healthy!

Here are some reasons why you may want to begin journaling NOW:

1) Know and understand yourself .

Journaling will help you to be better acquainted with your emotions.   To write a journal entry, you will need to stop from all your activities, sit down, think and then write.

These simple steps are powerful in helping you to reflect on your day and be in touch with your thoughts and feelings.  

You can ask yourself the following questions:

• “What happened today for which I am thankful?”
• “How am I feeling right now?” (Happy, joyful, frustrated, sad, disappointed, anxious, satisfied, fulfilled, angry, jealous, resentful, etc.)
• “What events or conversations have influenced the emotions that I currently feel?”
• “Has someone wronged me?”
• “Did I hurt or offend someone?”
• “Who do I need to forgive today?” (The incident might have occurred today or in the past)
• “What help do I need from God?”
• “What is God saying to me?” (About His character, about yourself and/or about your circumstances)

These are not exhaustive.  You can ask yourself any question that comes to your mind. I’ve found that sometimes I cannot recall what happened during the day that made me feel wretched.

I’m only aware that my emotions are ‘off’. In those times, I immediately ask the Holy Spirit to show me and He comes to my rescue every time.

You cannot address an issue if it’s hidden. It needs to be brought into the light.

2) Dealing with toxic emotions.

By journaling, it will help to release pent up toxic emotions. Let it all out through your writing. I recommend journaling to God because I like writing to someone and I know He can handle it.  

No other human being needs to know. All of us have baggage, but it can get heavier and heavier as the days and years go by.

Deliberately unpack your baggage everyday. As such, daily journaling helps you to manage stress better. It will also help you to gain clarity concerning why you have those toxic emotions.

In time, you will begin to make connections. Who or what has caused them? Why are you feeling this way about what happened? What is the root cause of your reaction?

3) Healing and freedom.

When you begin to admit and release your hurts and pains through journaling, you will begin to feel better. Ten years after a failed engagement, it dawned on me that I had some unresolved hurt and anger.  

In the book “Love the Life You Live: 3 Secrets to Feeling Good Deep Down in Your Soul”, the Les Parrott recommends taking time to write about a disturbing experience.  

Subsequently, I took the time and penned a letter about how I felt. I was totally transparent as I wrote. Afterward, I discarded the letter, but it helped me to experience another level of healing.  

Research has shown that writing your feelings helps you gain freedom from the past. You can even address the letter to a person with whom there has been a grievance and then you can subsequently destroy it.

The contents of the letter will be between you and God. That’s the power of journaling in action!

4) Prevent you from hurting others

Sometimes you just want to vent, but venting directly to the person (the object of your frustration) may not be helpful at all.  Hence, it can severely hurt a relationship.

How many times have you wished that you had held your tongue when you were angry? When your senses returned, you realized that you made a big mistake. Let’s face it – words hurt and can do a whole lot of damage.  

Why don’t you try journaling about it instead? In that way, you get your emotions out without hurting someone else. Choose self-control instead and use another means to release your anger.

Proverbs 17:27-28 says, ‘the one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.’

If you still feel a need to express your feelings to the person, then ask God for wisdom on what you should say, how you should say it and when it should be done. Timing is crucial!

‘Even a fish wouldn’t get into much trouble if he would keep his mouth shut.” – Miscellaneous

5) Improve your ability to speak

Another benefit of journaling is that it will improve your ability to clearly articulate your thoughts when you speak. When you journal, you become more aware of your internal ramblings.

As you form your thoughts and feelings into words through your journaling, you will become a better oral communicator.

Do you have challenge with expressing your thoughts? Then, journaling might be a good starting point for your growth in this area.

6) Track your growth

You can have a good laugh or cry when you reread your past journal entries. In time, you can see how you’ve grown and changed. As such, your journal entries can serve as an encouragement to you.

Additionally, you will observe the ways in which God has answered your prayers.

7) Enhance your writing skills

This goes without saying …whatever you practice often, you will eventually master.  Think about how much easier it would be for you to write emails, reports, course assignments, etc.  

When I was doing the coursework assignments for my Masters degree, it was less stressful for me to produce hundreds of pages of academic writing because I had the habit of journaling daily.

8) Develop content for a blog or book

You never know how the content of your journals might be used for a future writing project (like a blog or a book). Your journals can earn you money in the future. Does an autobiography tickle your fancy?

9) Pass on a legacy

After you’ve passed from this life, your journals would probably be left behind. In essence, your journals can serve as an inspiration to your family, friends or even the world.  

For instance, “Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl” was the compilation of journal entries of a young Jewish girl during World War II. She never knew at the time of her writing, that her diary would later be a blessing to the world.

10) Internalize your learnings

When you write, your capacity for learning is greater. If you journal after you read or study the Bible, you’ll probably remember the lesson more. Not only will you be able to recall the essence of the story or principle, but it will likely cause a change in your mindset, your values and future actions.

Also, you can do a book journal. After you read a book, you can further solidify your learnings by journaling about the book.

Summary

Above, I’ve shared 10 reasons why the habit of journaling can change your life. There are many other compelling reasons for journaling beside those outlined.

It’s an extremely important tool to help you to debrief your day and stay emotionally healthy, along with the other awesome benefits. Read the article ‘10 Easy Tips to Start Journaling TODAY’ to make it an regular enjoyable habit.

Also, join my 21-day journal challenge and get your FREE journal printable.  Comment below and let me know if you have personally found journaling helpful and the reasons why you do it or why you would like to start doing it.  Let’s have a conversation.

Don’t forget to subscribe! You’ll receive your FREE ‘Know Yourself’ questionnaire which is a good resource for your journal entries. Also, you will receive my weekly emails to help you in your journey with Christ.

As a subscriber, you can interact with me through email. I personally answer all emails.

I hope you find the rewards of journaling like I have. Happy journaling!

#madetolove

Subscribe, Comment, Share!

With love,

Kimberly

Recommended Books:

“Love the Life You Live: 3 Secrets to Feeling Good Deep Down in Your Soul” by Les Parrott

“Anne Frank: The Diary of Young Girl” by Anne Frank

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The post 10 Life-Changing Reasons to Begin Journaling NOW appeared first on Petals Bloom.

Among the many qualities you want in a godly husband, are there some qualities he must definitely have?

You observe that there are many broken Christian marriages. As a result, it is very daunting but you’re hoping that your story will be different.

You dream of an enjoyable lasting marriage when you exchange your wedding vows. As such, your husband wish list is quite extensive (I had 25 criteria on my list!), but you need to separate the essentials from the ‘icing-on-the-cake’ non-essentials.

What are the deal breakers? Even if he isn’t drop-dead gorgeous with a well-toned physique, are there some qualities that are essential in a godly husband?

The label “Christian” is not enough.

It’s insufficient to think that if a man says that he’s a Christian that he’ll make a good husband. In my younger naive years, I thought just that.

However, a man could sincerely know and love God, but still make a poor husband. He could be lazy when it comes to his relationship with God. Therefore, he remains stagnant.

Or perhaps, he refuses to grow in crucial areas that would make him a better man. Growing takes discipline, diligence, grit to go through difficult processes and a willingness to change.

Oftentimes, God presents opportunities for growth that are not easy. If a godly man prefers the path of comfort, then the outcome will be zero or minimal growth.

Please do not confuse gifting with maturity. Just because a man is a gifted preacher, singer or teacher, it does not mean that he’s mature in his faith or growing in character. Check out ‘6 Guys to Resist’.

Here are some essential qualities to seriously consider when choosing a godly husband:

1) Teachable.

You need a man who is humble and open to learning from others. The evidence of this is that there are other men in his life who hold him accountable and help him walk the ‘straight and narrow’ path.

A man will not always be open to hearing correction from you, so it’s important that he has good genuine ‘brothers’ who do that for him. He has to be intentional about it and take responsibility to nurture these relationships with other men.

I’ve observed that when godly men get together, great things happen in their lives. Proverbs 27:17 says, ‘as iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.’

It’s not easy being a godly husband (or man) these days, so he needs the community of sound godly brothers to stand strong. If he places himself under the mentorship of more mature men, than I’ll say that he’s a very wise man.

Don’t discount the power of male relationships. It can enhance your own future marriage.

If he’s comfortable only around women, pray that God will help him to be open and willing to have biblically-grounded men in his life. I firmly believe that a man learns how to be a real man by being around other strong godly men.

Women mentors can never replace the male mentorship that men need, especially in light of the high absenteeism of good fathers.

Questions to ponder:

• Is he a man open to learning from others?
• What are his reactions when he is corrected?
• Does he have accountability relationships with other men?
• Is he hard-headed (stubborn)?
• Are his closest friends foolish men or wise men? ‘Birds of a feather flock together.’

2) Emotional Stability.

Marriage can be rough at times. Your future husband needs to be stable and balanced to handle the ups and downs of life while leading his family.

This quality has little to do with physical health but rather emotional health. Although a person may have physical limitations, he may still be very capable of leading his family with strength and honour in the face of adversity.

Undoubtedly, leading a family is a huge responsibility for a godly husband, so you need someone who would be able to handle it well. Of course, as a wise woman, you have a great part to play in supporting him by your words, actions and prayers. A great resource is ‘The Power of a Praying Wife’ by Stormie Omartian.

Questions to ponder:

• How does he handle stress at work?
• How does he handle conflict in his current relationships?
• Does he have a trail of broken relationships among his family and friends?
• How does he respond when life throws a curveball at him?

3) Hard-working.

A hard-working man is worthy of admiration and respect. If the man is not hard-working, you’ll have major problems.

Imagine being married to a man who spends most of his waking hours playing video games, watching YouTube videos and chatting on social media (and earns no income from it).

You might want to pull out all your hair! Indeed, that’s a very frightful thought. If you choose to marry a lazy man, you’ll end up managing and providing for the entire home by yourself.

Your respect for him will die a slow but certain death and that will not be good for your marriage or your sexual intimacy. Therefore, you need a godly husband who will be responsible to take care of his family.

‘A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.’ Proverbs 10:3

Questions to ponder:

• Does he spend most of his time in idleness?
• As an adult man, does he depend on his parents/guardians/government to fully support him?
• Is he a dreamer but makes no effort to pursue those dreams by working hard toward them?
• Does he blame others for his ‘unfortunate’ lot in life?

4) Treats women with honour and respect.

I’ve heard it said that you’ll know how a man will treat you by the way he treats his mother. Hence, you want to observe if he has a healthy relationship with his mother.

Does he care for her? Is he kind toward her? Does he treat her like a lady? Is he gentle with her?

Additionally, the way he speaks of and treats other women is a good indication if he will honour and respect you.

Questions to ponder:

• How does he speak to his mother?
• In what way does he care for his mother and sisters?
• How does he speak about women in general?
• What can you observe about his treatment of women who are unrelated to him?

On the contrary, you don’t want the opposite extreme where your godly husband idolizes his mother. If that’s the case, then your future mother-in-law might be running (and ruining) your marriage.

5) Ability to lead.

Marriages simply work better when the man embraces the role as the head of the family. I’ve had leadership roles since my teenage years. However, it’s simply wonderful to have someone to lead our family and that person is not me!

I will gladly be the supportive wife.

There are areas under which you’ll give leadership, but ultimately, you need a husband who will embrace the main leadership role as the head of the family and not abscond from it.

A recommended resource is ‘Rocking the Roles: Building a Win-Win Marriage’ by Robert Lewis.

Questions to ponder:

• Does he shy away from responsibility?
• Who leads his life? Is it him or does he leave that to his parents/guardians?
• Does he still behave like a child and not like a grown man?

Summary

You will not find a man who is perfect and you’re not perfect either. But you need someone who is willing to grow in these areas- teachability, emotional stability, hard-working, his treatment of women and his ability to lead.

Don’t worry. There still exists single Christian men who are willing to not only hear the Word, but to also live it out, even when it feels uncomfortable.

That’s the kind of godly husband you want. May God make you the kind of woman who will be a blessing to that type of man.

To recap, here are some essential qualities to seriously consider when choosing a godly husband:

1. Teachable
2. Emotional Stability
3. Hard-working
4. Treats women with honour and respect
5. Ability to lead

I’d would love to hear your feedback. What are some deal breakers to you? Comment below! Thanks for stopping by!

#madeforlove

With love & laughter,

Kimberly Garth

Other Helpful Resources:

Top 5 Attractive Qualities Single Men Want

5 Guys to Consider as Future Husbands 

Recommended Books:

‘The Power of a Praying Wife’ by Stormie Omartian

‘The Power of a Praying Woman’ by Stormie Omartian

‘Rocking the Roles: Building a Win-Win Marriage’ by Robert Lewis

The post 5 Essential Qualities in a Godly Husband appeared first on Petals Bloom.

Have you been wanting to journal for a while, but you just can’t get started?  Has journaling consistently been a challenge for you?

Like you, consistent journalling had evaded me for years!  I’d start and stop, start and stop (sometimes even stop for years!). To help you to start journaling immediately, I have a list of what you need at the bottom of the post.

Then finally, about three years ago, on January the 1st, I actually restarted journaling and I haven’t stopped since.  Yippee! Well, to be honest, I have missed a few days here and there, especially when I was traveling, but I would consider that a significant improvement.

Let me share with you what has helped me to begin and maintain this habit.  If I can do it, you can too.

Here are my tips for starting a habit of journaling:

1) Keep it short and sweet!

I remember that at the start of my job training, I had to keep a journal.  I was excited to get started. As a result, I would write pages upon pages for one journal entry … like I was writing a book!  Well, I certainly couldn’t keep that up. At the end of my nine-month training, my journal was looking rather sparse.

When I restarted three years ago, I decided to keep it to only one page of my journal notebook.  Since you’re forming a new habit, it’s best to start small.  

Or, you may end up giving up the whole practice altogether because it just takes way too long.  You can try to devote 5-10 minutes per day for journaling.  When your habit has been cemented, then you can write for longer.

2) Write to God.

You can choose to write to God … so you can tell him all your troubles. And thank him too.  He’s the only one who has the power to do anything in any case.

3) Have a writing guide to start journaling.

It’s always good to have something to guide your writing.

Here’s a loose guide for you:

1. Things that happened in the day that made you feel thankful.  It’s always good to cultivate a grateful heart.  Regardless of what happens in a day, there’s at least one thing for which you can be grateful.
2. Next, express your concerns to God.  We know that He already knows, but it can be extremely healthy to pen your thoughts to Him.
3. Write your notes on what you are learning from the Word.
4. You can write your requests to God.  Basically, this is writing your prayers.
5. Close.  I write, ‘Love, Kimberly’.

It’s like a love letter to God. Easy like peasy!  Get my FREE printable journal and access to my resource library (at the bottom).

4) Be honest and gracious with yourself.

Express how you are feeling at that particular moment.  You don’t need to pretty it up. Also, when you’re now starting, you may miss a few days since the habit is pretty new.   Don’t throw in the towel and say, ‘next year I’ll try again’. Just start again when you remember.  Be gracious to yourself and get back on track.

5) Write something every day.

You’ll probably be more successful in developing this habit if it were to be done daily instead of every other day or three times a week.  A daily commitment is key. When I’m extremely tired, my journal entries tend to be super short but that’s OK. Just write something … even one line.

6) Say goodbye to perfectionism.

Your language doesn’t have to be perfect.  It doesn’t have to be in paragraph form. As a matter of fact, you can use a bullet list if that tickles your fancy. You can even draw if you so choose.

7) Choose the best time of day.

This may seem inconsequential but don’t underestimate the time of day when you write.  You can journal at the start of the day by reflecting on the previous day and thinking of the day ahead.

Alteratively, you can use it to reflect and debrief at the end of the day.  I’ve done both and I prefer the nights.  Do whatever suits you. But do try to be consistent with either one to form a routine.

8) Select a medium to start journaling.

I’ve used both hardcopy versions of journals or digital journals .  Which is the best for you?

A traditional journal book is best for you, if you:

1. Love the feel of real books.
2. Prefer to actually write, using a normal pen or pencil.
3. Like to collect journals.
4. Feel comfortable that your journal is in your physical space and not online.

Then this is the one for you.

You can get one like this journal notebook.  

However, I have created a free journal printable for you. Print it out and make copies. However, I have made it editable so you can save the trees and simply write in it. It is in my free resource library and you can get the password to it at the bottom of the post. Let nothing stop you from your desire to start journaling today!

A digital journal is better for you if you:

1. Want to save money. You can use a Word document (Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, free Open Office Text Document or free Google Docs) or a note-taking app (Microsoft OneNote, Apple Notes or Google Keep) that is already on your device or can be installed for free.
2. Travel frequently and you want to travel as light as possible. It can be installed on devices that you already carry around (your tablet or smartphone). One less item to pack when you’re traveling.
3. Find that your handwriting is utterly illegible when you’re tired. Typing might work for you if you plan on reading your journals in the future.
4. Want to insert pictures, audio or video to further enhance your memory of a moment.

Get your free editable journal in my resource library.

For the techies like myself, you can get a dedicated journal app.  You have the option of securing your private information with a password or fingerprint.  

9) Start immediately.

To get you started NOW, get my FREE journal printable (get access at the bottom of the post).  You have the best of two worlds.  You can either fill it or you can print it and write on it. You’ll also have an added bonus of receiving my weekly encouragment.

10) Enroll the help of a friend.

You and a friend can start journaling at the same to encourage one another.  Or, you can ask your friend to hold you accountable. It is said that it takes 21 days to form a new habit.   Sign up for my 21-day journal challenge and I would be very happy to ‘hold your hand’ as you establish this habit.

What you need …

A desire to journal.
An intention to journal.
A hardcopy journal notebook, a program, a journal app or my printable journal (which is also editable) from my resource library.
A pen/pencil/stylus/tablet/phone/computer.

So there you have it…10 tips to quickly and easily start a life-changing journaling habit!  Get my printable journal and access to my resource library (see below). I’d love to hear your tips, the benefits you’ve found or even the setbacks of journaling that you’ve encountered.  Let’s have a conversation (use comments section). Thanks for stopping by!

With love & laughter,

Kimberly Garth

Free printable journal here!

Get the password for the library with the printable journal by filling out this form:

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