Sie sollen ein Tagesbuch haben
The Journey to the Extraordinary Issue 006–2020
Language: German — — Meaning: You should have a journal
I thought it good to have a little language twist + I also like the German word for journal-Tagebuch. It shows an important characteristic-daily (Tage). What effect did the non-English title have on you? Please let me know in the comment section. I am curious😊
I think, sometimes, in my articles, I sound like I know what scripture or imagery to use for every situation. I laugh at the thought of that. Whenever you think that, just know it is the wisdom of God at play. I probably die a thousand times over before raising my head up high.
I sometimes get stuck in the past. I sometimes feel not good enough. I sometimes wallow in my losses and setbacks. At those times I am reminded that that which lays ahead far outweighs the losses of the past. Keep moving. Though you are tired, keep moving…This is how Abba strengthens me. We may rest sometimes but not without the focus of what lays ahead.
On a regular, I have more conversations with myself than I do with other human beings, a habit I cultivated as a child. This is one of the reasons why I don’t appreciate talkatives and noisy places. I find them quite distracting. I am sometimes even pissed when someone breaks-in when I am in such conversations. Creepy? Maybe for you but not me,😄 I enjoy my own company a whole lot. I find it even weird that you do not have conversations with yourself. This behaviour has shaped how I communicate with the Father. In between those conversations, I bring Him in. Well, He is always there-Emmanuel (By the way, Terrain’s God with us has been on repeat. Can’t get over it). 😇
So you are probably wondering why I am touring this path. This blog is called The Journey to The Extraordinary. It is a journey. It’s me sharing my journey with you. It’s me opening up to my struggles, victories and convictions. It also you sharing your experiences too, as some have with #21stcenturyBiblestories, for communal growth. Every day is an opportunity to attain perfection. Every day is an opportunity to get to The Extraordinary, Jesus.
On this journey, it is important to keep a record.
“It said, “Write it in a book” everything you see…” Revelations 1:11 (NLT)
Forgetfulness is a common human shortcoming so it is important to write and keep a record. Sometimes we feel not good enough, accommodating the imposter-syndrome although given a seat at the table. We forget who we are, whose we are, the past victories, but quick to recollect and dwell on the ugly incidents. If only we journal we may not be so susceptible. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a journal as “a record of experiences, ideas, or reflections kept regularly for private use.” Our journals can be for public use also. Some books are published off the journals of individuals. Let’s dive into other virtues of journaling:
- It helps your speaking
In the past, I avoided preparing Ogi for others because I failed at it so much. Ogi like speaking looks like an easy task but upon trial, you’d realise it requires tact.
As you exercise your writing muscles by penning down your thoughts, ideas and experiences regularly, you build writing dexterity. Your good writing, in the long run, helps your speaking because you have mastered thought articulation.
2. It makes you confident to take on new tasks
Journaling is not peripheral. It involves you diving deep into your emotions, thoughts, opinions, ideas etc. Expressing yourself in your own lingo without filters or restraint. You explore old and new fields of thoughts (ideas, dreams, strategy etc). As you pen these things it becomes an archive to refer to as the need arises because it will.
When you have an archive such as this, your confidence has been built over time which helps you express yourself better and confidently try out new paths.
Word of caution: Organise your journal. Filing is another good thing after sliced bread. Don’t just put everything in one book or one offline document. Title it, segment it, put it in folders. For example, I have a book for The Journey to The Extraordinary and another for conversations with Abba. Don’t cluster everything in one place. Also, leverage cloud storage for typed journals, I have lost many of my favourite documents to offline storage. It hurts every time I think of it. Don’t make my mistake.
3. It makes you see your progress or regression
You know when someone says something unwise and you make them repeat it for them to hear themselves just in case they didn’t at the first instance, yeah? That is what journaling does sometimes, as you reflect and daily pen down things you realise how foolish or wise you acted. Depending on how committed you are to self-development, you should improve. As you look through your journal, also, you see how far you have grown or drifted. Imagine reading something you wrote in 2010 in 2020 or reading something you will write today in 2025. Beautiful right? Journaling gives room for self-assessment.
In the quiet of journaling, the Spirit of God tells you things which you would write. As you glance through later, you recollect the instructions and promises of God. For the God-promises fulfilled, count your blessings and for those unfulfilled, you can place a demand or ask for clarity. For example, if He told you in the year 2000 that you’ll get to address members of Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council when going through your journal in 2020, if unfulfilled, you can then lay a demand or ask for clarity on the word because none of His promises can return to Him unfulfilled.
“So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” -Isaiah 55:11(AMPC)
Note: When journaling, include the date and time, they are essentials of recording.
4. It can also be a prayer form
Sometimes, I am not up to pacing around, kneeling or standing. Sometimes, my mouth is heavy but my hands aren’t so I take my pen and write to God, it brings healing and refreshment. It’s also a good way of learning how to pray. Simply, express yourself in writing to God. Remember what we learnt in the fifth issue of #21stcenturyBiblestories, don’t run off immediately after penning your prayer, stay quiet to receive a response from the Father. He is always waiting to speak to those who call upon Him through Jesus. As you build dexterity in journal-praying, you’ll graduate into saying your prayers out loud. You’ll also notice that Eketi in the sixth issue of #21stcenturyBiblestories maintained a prayer journal.
5. It is a legacy
In the beginning, I said, “Some books are published off the journals of individuals.” Not all journals will be published but all can be read by our children after our demise or whilst we live when granted permission. Would not it be beautiful for them to see what made you tick? Don’t hold back when you write. Let them see the pattern of your life so they can form a system out it.
The Journey to The Extraordinary is an intentional one. Gift yourself a good notebook and begin to inscribe your memoirs on its pages. Don’t forget to share your journey (or any other thing you desire) with me as you get into the groove of journaling.
See you in June. Jesus loves you and I do too.
xoxo
