{"id":25402,"date":"2012-10-23T11:21:20","date_gmt":"2012-10-23T16:21:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=25402"},"modified":"2012-10-23T11:24:06","modified_gmt":"2012-10-23T16:24:06","slug":"confessions-of-a-journaling-addict","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2012\/10\/confessions-of-a-journaling-addict\/","title":{"rendered":"Confessions of a Journaling Addict"},"content":{"rendered":"

I think I’ve acquired a journaling\u00a0addiction. I’ve got three I’m working on right now, simultaneously! When I was younger, I hated the idea of journaling. I would get a pretty book, get maybe three pages into it and my hand would cramp up even though I still had many more thoughts to get through. I have a bookshelf of the mostly empty end products. In high school, blogging websites like Livejournal\u00a0and Xanga were popular, saving my achy digits, but they never held my attention long enough. Something about a website with thousands of people’s teenage angst just wasn’t what I was looking for.\u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

However, since coming into full communion with the Catholic church three years ago, I find that\u00a0my life got\u00a0flipped-turned upside down – and for the better. But it’s all happening so fast! In the bigger scheme of new jobs, new apartments, and new friends, I was forgetting the little nuances and quirks that I see God’s love in. So I started journaling. And this time, I’ve stuck to it,\u00a0particularly for\u00a0two reasons.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The reason I think I’ve succeeded so far is that I have a clear theme in mind<\/strong>\u00a0for my journal(s). I started with a journal for vocation discernment and it’ll be the first time I’ve ever filled a journal cover-to-cover. When it came to discernment, I felt like I was grasping at sand; God’s calling was slipping through my fingers and I couldn’t get a solid grasp on it. I turned to journaling so I could keep track of what (and when)\u00a0exactly I felt God’s calling to be.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There’s also more creative topics you could do. For example, my older brother once wrote an entire journal without using any spaces or punctuation. I myself\u00a0keep seperate journal for each topic I write about, just for clarity’s sake.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The reason I journal is because pen and page is more reliable than short-term memory<\/strong>. More often than once have I forgotten some genius idea. I saw a meme once that said “The biggest lie I tell myself is, ‘I don’t need to write that down. I’ll remember it.'” Journaling is my means of time travel. I can re-read old entries and I remember where I was when I wrote it and what was going through my mind at that time. Then I see where I am now and the path the Lord has led me on between the two points. I’m overwhelmed by the amount of grace I see in my life this way. The struggles of the past melt away into virtues of the present, and I can see them much more clearly when they’re written down, unfaded by my forgetfulness.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Time and time again, we hear the Eucharist explained as Jesus’ true presence, true body and true blood, but our human senses fail to comprehend it. I’ve learned that our memory fails to comprehend God’s true presence in our lives, too. Think of the Footprints allegory, where the protagonist’s memory fails to grasp that the Lord carried him through his trials. This is the reason I journal, and I invite you to, too, especially now in the Year of Faith. We are on a journey, even now in our everyday lives, and journaling helps us to see where we have been and where we are going. It’s quite an adventure!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Photo via Pinterest<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I think I’ve acquired a journaling\u00a0addiction. I’ve got three I’m working on right now, simultaneously! When I was younger, I hated the idea of journaling. I would get a pretty book, get maybe three pages into it and my hand would cramp up even though I still had many more thoughts to get through. I… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,90],"tags":[55,1121,1120,74,1066],"class_list":["post-25402","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-blog","category-faith-blog","tag-catholic-2","tag-diary","tag-journal","tag-prayer","tag-year-of-faith","entry","has-post-thumbnail"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2736669,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2024\/11\/always-we-begin-again\/","url_meta":{"origin":25402,"position":0},"title":"Always We Begin Again","author":"Geoffrey, Obl.OSB","date":"November 30, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The Thanksgiving Holiday presents the perfect time to take stock of every blessing we've received from our great God and Savior Jesus Christ and start fresh on the path of holiness.","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/file-8jUis2e89SrwpD2HRURmi9.webp?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/file-8jUis2e89SrwpD2HRURmi9.webp?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/file-8jUis2e89SrwpD2HRURmi9.webp?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/file-8jUis2e89SrwpD2HRURmi9.webp?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/file-8jUis2e89SrwpD2HRURmi9.webp?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":306897,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2016\/10\/weapons-scripture-tradition-review-dual-wielding\/","url_meta":{"origin":25402,"position":1},"title":"Your Weapons Are Scripture and Tradition (Review: “Dual Wielding”)","author":"Lindsay Wilcox","date":"October 11, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I've discovered a new kind of Catholic nerdery! I like books and learning and grammar and trivia, so I've long considered myself a nerd with personality. When I came back to the Church just over a decade ago, I found it only natural to become a Catholic nerd, too. There\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A review of Dual Wielding at ATX Catholic.com","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/atxcatholicdualwielding-550x367.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/atxcatholicdualwielding-550x367.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/atxcatholicdualwielding-550x367.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":42442,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/11\/the-year-of-faith-whats-next\/","url_meta":{"origin":25402,"position":2},"title":"The Year of Faith: What’s Next?","author":"Elizabeth","date":"November 18, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Growing up in a family whose roots are deep in the small Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago I've always heard December 31st referred to as \"Old Year's Night\" instead of \"New Year's Eve.\" I've always kind of liked calling it \"Old Year's Night.\" Calling it that, in a way,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Year of Faith Logo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/images-300x166.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":18804,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2012\/06\/an-open-letter-to-chris-hardwick\/","url_meta":{"origin":25402,"position":3},"title":"An Open Letter to Chris Hardwick","author":"Jason Elizondo","date":"June 29, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I love podcast. I love producing them, listening to them, and hosting them. My love for the media has recently put me the strange position of being caught up on all of my Catholic podcast listening queue. So I\u2019ve been venturing out into the deep and listening to other shows\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"imgres","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/imgres_thumb.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":124040,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/06\/a-response-to-what-sucks-about-the-catholic-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":25402,"position":4},"title":"A Response to “What Sucks about the Catholic Church”","author":"Lindsay Wilcox","date":"June 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Every spring brings the Church a batch of shiny new Catholics, and every year I see the same list of complaints. No, not the ones about people \"taking your pew.\" The ones about the niggling weaknesses in the Church. Many adults who enter the Catholic Church, especially those who were\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A Response to \"What Sucks about the Catholic Church,\" at AustinCNM.com","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/acnmreponsetowhatsucks-550x394.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/acnmreponsetowhatsucks-550x394.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/acnmreponsetowhatsucks-550x394.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":224905,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2016\/03\/battle-plan-against-porn-review-cleansed\/","url_meta":{"origin":25402,"position":5},"title":"Your Battle Plan Against Porn (Review: “Cleansed”)","author":"Lindsay Wilcox","date":"March 15, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I hate pornography, so I am a fan of resources for people who also hate pornography but have a better sense of how to fight the good fight than I do. I'm not foolish enough to think that the problem of porn addiction is going to quietly disappear from our\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"\"Porn kills love. But it can't kill hope.\" \u2014Marcel LeJeune, \"Cleansed\" at ATXCatholic.com.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/atxcatholic_cleansed-550x366.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/atxcatholic_cleansed-550x366.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/atxcatholic_cleansed-550x366.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25402","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25402"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25402\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}