Great Way to Journal through the Bible

From my FB friend, Matthew Perry, comes the endorsement to journal through the Bible with Journibles from Reformation Heritage Books. From their website is the idea behind these journals:

In Deuteronomy 17, Moses is leaving final instructions concerning the future of Israel. As a prophet of God, Moses foretells of when Israel will place a king over the nation (v. 14). In verse 18, the king is commanded to not simply acquire a copy of the law (the entire book of Deuteronomy) from the “scroll publishing house,” but to hand write his own copy of the law. Thirty-four hundred years later, educators are “discovering” that students that physically write out their notes by hand have a much greater retention rate than simply hearing or visually reading the information. Apparently, God knew this to be true of the kings of Israel also. From such understanding came the conception of this series of books.

How to Use These Books

Each book is organized so that you can write out your very own copy of Scripture. You will be writing the Bible text only on the right hand page of the book. This should make for easier writing and also allows ample space on the left page to write your own notes and comments. From time to time a question or word will be lightly printed on the left page; these questions are to aid in further study, but should not interfere with your own notes and comments.

Watch the video below for a bit more info on this fantastic way to study the Scriptures.

Journaling

I have found over the years that journaling is very therapeutic for me. It's a way of "getting it out" if you will, a way of sorting out jumbled thoughts and arranging them for future reference. I journal everything and anything that my mind needs to sort out or moreover, meditate on. Indeed, these blogs are pseudo-journals for me. What I post here and on OMT is what I tend to be studying, meditating on, listening to, preparing for or laughing about. I like a good pen, too. You can keep your Bic blue ballpoints. Give me a nice pen with ink that flows smoothly and evenly. Moleskines are wonderful journals that come in all sizes that are great for recording whatever is on my mind. They're nicely bound and ready to travel wherever I go.

With this in mind it was gratifying to a come across George Grant's Facebook post this morning. Below is the video he shares with us on journaling. Thanks, George!

Dr. George Grant on Journaling from King's Meadow on Vimeo.

Whitefield's Journaling Suggestions

Recently I've taken to keeping a journal. I find it a good way to sort out my thoughts and bring some rough ideas into focus, especially in those areas that make life difficult. Journaling is recommended by Donald Whitney in his Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. Whitney points out that George Whitefield had a list of criteria that he referred to each night for an evaluation of his experiences and actions each day (page 204). So long as we don't get morbidly introspective, using Whitefield's list could be invaluable. His list is as follows:

Have I,
1. Been fervent in prayer?
2. Used stated hours of prayer?
3. Used ejaculatory prayer each hour?
4. After or before every deliberate conversation or action, considered how it might tend to God's glory?
5. After any pleasure, immediately given thanks?
6. Planned business for the day?
7. Been simple and recollected in everything?
8. Been zealous in undertaking and active in doing what I could?
9. Been meek, cheerful, affable in everything I said or did?
10. Been proud, vain, unchaste, or enviable of others?
11. Recollected in eating and drinking? Thankful? Temperate in sleep?
12. Taken time for giving thanks according to (William) Law's rules?
13. Been diligent in studies?
14. Thought or spoken unkindly of anyone?
15. Confessed all sins?

Certainly good things to consider each day as we end this year and start another in God's good and wise Providence.