I developed the habit of taking notes as a student. I would write down everything I could and then go over my notes later to make sense of it all. Even now, I like to write down everything--grocery lists, goals, prayers, dreams, conversations with friends, insights from books, quotes, notes on speeches, chores I have to do, emotions, questions, experiences, lessons learned, travel notes, running logs, people’s names, gratitude lists, emails to friends, texts to myself, divine prompts, words to look up, etc. My mind is full of butterfly images, flitting from one thing to another. The actual act of writing gathers these wandering thoughts into cohesive insights leading to reflection and understanding.
Prayer allows me to set my mind like a net so I may catch the thoughts of God. Written prayers allow me to commit my concerns to God. Once I set them down on paper, I feel a sense of relief that I don’t get from merely thinking or verbalizing. When a prayer is answered, I record that too. This increases my courage and confidence in God. I also write down insightful dreams, conversations, and revelations. I don’t know if something is valuable or not when I am writing, but I also don’t want to miss out on God’s insights because I failed to take notes.
Here are a few tips from my writing practice. Have a small notebook and pencil with you, or use your smartphone and text yourself reminders. Don’t use scraps of paper that can get lost easily. Get in the habit of jotting down anything that makes an impression, even if it seems silly, even if it doesn’t make sense at the moment. Take your notes to God. Ask Him to help you understand what You need to know. Write down these clarifications. Share them with others.
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