Journaling

July 11, 2024

Journals

  • Definitions
  • Types
  • Facts
  • Archival
  • Summary
  • Additional Information, Resources
  • Additional Information, Electronic
  • Additional Information, Speculation

Introduction

There are several reasons to journal, and one of the most inspiring is how it may be used in the future. Future uses could be a review of your experiences, or perhaps a descendant will find inspiration through it. Whether you record your thoughts with a small voice recorder, pen and paper, or a computer, journaling can lead to a new understanding of oneself and perhaps something about God. It can also serve as a record of a business transaction or a scientific experiment, but the real magic lies in the journey of self-discovery.

Definitions

The words journal and diary tend to be used casually, often one substituting for the other. In this context, a diary records personal experiences, observations, feelings, and perhaps decisions in any area of life the author wants a record. A journal is a strategic record that falls under a particular theme, such as meeting proceedings. Here, it is personal; themes include church, education, and sports performance.

The word “strategic” in journaling implies a specific theme for a particular purpose. For instance, a Christian may remember times when they felt God’s overwhelming love, and as the years pass, we sometimes go through life changes, reducing the experience of God’s love to a distant memory. However, if the Christian had been journaling during the experience, they could revisit the entry to identify a pattern that fostered the experience or return to God. This strategic purpose of journaling is to provide a valuable resource for the future, offering insights and inspiration when it’s needed most.

Types of Journals

Journals can be exceedingly valuable tools for recording personal actions and feelings. Below, we list a few examples.

A journal may be the record of formal proceedings, perhaps in criminal justice or technical conferences.

They may be used as a record of events or the feelings from an event. Importantly, they can be invaluable when trying to understand and navigate complex social situations.

Journals for believers provide a record of experiences that were true at one time but their essence may be lost and only exists as a memory of what once was.

Relevance: What to Include

For sports journaling, environmental information such as weather, health status, and performance data.

For spiritual journaling, you may want to put all the contextual information into the heading or notes for the entry. These should include the date, time, and place. Sometimes, environmental information, such as weather, location, group, or solitary, will be helpful in the future. You can, such as where the setting was private. Additionally, sometimes, we record salient points during a service and other lessons that come to mind. You may want to record valuable insights and where or who said them.

One Christian reported switching to classic church hymns and songs during the hot summer. Later, he recalled these songs from a summer church camp he attended annually growing up.

Mode of Record: Archive Grade

One of the motivations for this paper is the discovery of old notes written with fading ink. Usually, a remnant remains so the content can be recreated. However, that is if you discover it in time. Some people find that their thoughts flow more smoothly when handwriting, while others are fine with computers as well. Recording or transferring to a computer will provide a searchable record.

Pen or Pencil

Discovering your writing is dissolving and will one day be illegible can be frustrating. Almost everything has a life expectancy.

For many, the act of handwriting a journal is not just a means of recording information, but a profoundly significant process, from the first word to the final full stop. It’s a journey of self-discovery and reflection, making each stroke of the pen or pencil a profound act.

Generally, graphite is thought to last as long as the paper it is written on.

Pen ink varies considerably. There are premium fountain pen inks that are designed for archival use.

There are surprising differences between ball pen inks and soft-tip pens.

If the ink is a dye, it will have a shorter life expectancy than pigment-based inks.

Roller balls can often be archival.

Gel ink is often not archival.

It’s crucial for interested readers to do thorough research before making a purchase. This will empower them with the knowledge to choose the right writing tools that best suit their needs and preferences.

Schneider Xpress for Documents is archival.

Staedtler also makes some pens with archival ink.

Many premium ballpoint pens also have long-lasting inks.

Summary

Maintaining a journal can clarify elements of a complex social situation or create a strategic record of an event. Regardless of your use, it fills a unique role.

If you are not journaling, consider starting. Journalists report that their records have had value to them in ways they could not have imagined.

Notes / Additional Information

Information Resources

There are several websites with articles on journaling and diaries. Some websites exist to provide guidance to those who journal or use a diary.

Various stationer stores and book stores offer books of blank pages, dot-paper, lined, and marked as a journal entry form.

Computer

When electronic memory retention is crucial, choose name-brand storage media. Look for the manufacturer’s life expectancy estimates. Remember that these estimates can change over time, vary between sources, and are not an exact statement of when a particular device will fail.

The following information is from various sources and is only intended to clarify that assumptions may be wrong. Ask experts or do research for current statistics.

CD (Compact Disk), DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), Blue-Ray, and other types also have a limited life expectancy, depending on the disk type and storage environment. Life expectancy estimates range from 3 years to 10, to 20, and 200 years.

Solid State Drives (SSD) and UFDs (USB Flash Drives) are a type of memory limited to the number of read cycles and write cycles. Sometimes a memory bit only has 100 electrons, maintaining the data, a “1” or “0”. These vary significantly in quality, but assuming you bought a premium name-brand product plan for perhaps ten years, depending upon the storage environment.

Optical Storage: Modern microfiche film (media) has been estimated to last 500 years. It has been around for a while so we must classify this as theoretical. Sometimes, a printout is a good fit. Check with the toner manufacturer to find out if the ink is archival. For inkjet printers, the toner may be dye or pigment-based—generally, pigment-based inks are more fade-resistant.

There was a story circulating a few years ago about an engineering company that lost a large contract that was important to them. They would have to use work they had already done many years ago to bid competitively. To their great dismay, they found the backups, but they were on digital media, which required equipment no longer at the company. They could not read the data in time to bid on the contract. After thoroughly researching storage options, they chose QR codes, and physical templates were saved to enable a human to retrieve the data without electronics. Caution: recall that life expectancy varies significantly between printer toner types.

Some people will want to include in their research products under development. Try searching for the article “New tech laser-etches QR codes onto ceramic-coated glass to store data for 5000 years — new working demo system unveiled” for a glimpse into the future.

Speculation

If God gifts Christians with an experience of Him during their pilgrimage toward holiness, then it can be as a sweet aroma. All Christians who have this experience remember it months later. Interestingly, they cannot remember in a way that gives them the sense of reliving that moment. This is when they may begin to doubt its reality. Here is precisely where journaling plays a vital role. What can happen is that the Christian once again enters communion with God where they are aware of the pleasant, sweet Presence again. It can be challenging to predict what facts recorded in the journal will bolster faith. When journaling spiritual events, enter all the basics, such as time and date, in private or not. But then try to capture the experience’s critical point, which can be a sense of God’s love, receiving the answer to a question, or perhaps an intercessory prayer. Sometimes, we guess what may be of value in the future. When you are in an experience of God, which He has gifted you, you know it with certainty. For when we do experience doubt it will almost always come later.

(Heb 11:6 KJV) But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

You know that the believer has been given the Holy Spirit. Try comparing the following verses in various translations of the Bible. Then, take that information and decide what this means to you.

(Heb 2:17 NET) Therefore he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.

(Heb 2:17 ESV)  Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

We know Jesus’ identity was in some way uniquely the Son of God; we know the Holy Spirit (dove) came upon Him at the baptism, and we know that as He grew up, He developed as we do (Luke 2.52). Would you agree with the statement, “By all accounts, Jesus was bodily like us?”

Final comment: there are cognitive (observations, reasoning) and other ways to differentiate between secular meditation, the effects of a relaxing beverage, and a spiritual experience from God. For anyone who believes, trusts, or knows that God has accepted you into His family, keep Hebrews 11.6 (above) in mind.