Daily Divine Connection: A Gift For You & One You Can Give Away!
Does your heart crave a way for your soul to be more in touch with God?
Ever wonder what people actually do when they say they journal?
Wish you could develop a devotional habit that wasn't overwhelming, and that would stick?
Today could be your day!
A number of years ago, I started bullet point journaling. It has been a valuable practice for me, and I want to share the idea with you all. I've included a downloadable prompt in the form of a bookmark you can use to launch your own practice and give away to loved ones this year.
I love bullet point journaling for these reasons:
- Since it's just bullet points, it doesn't take much time at all.
- It helped me build a daily habit to check in with my soul and connect with God.
- It has built a gratitude practice that is perspective-shifting.
- It helps me consider and name where I am at and what God is offering me.
- It offers the opportunity for me to be honest about where I am at and not stuff things down.
- It logs major events in my life.
- It builds my faith. When I do it in my 5-year journal, I can see how God has resolved situations in the past and reframe whatever I am going through as simply part of a bigger story we are writing together.
I recently shared the bullet point journaling idea with someone in a dark place, and they found it to be a game-changer. The simplicity of a habit that only takes a couple of minutes, but offers a check-in of sorts for how you are doing and where you could/should place your focus for the day can make all the difference.
Using a 5-year journal heightens the experience as I can take a quick look at where I was in previous years. A 5-year journal simply has a place for you to log thoughts for a specific day with 5 different year slots.
It looks like this:
I use a little icon/symbol to show what the different items I want to focus on. Each one is so valuable. Let's break them down a bit. Here are the prompts I use:
* Grateful for
I make a little asterisk for each item I am thankful for. This is a great way to slow down and consider how blessed I am. I usually do a few asterisk items each day.
> Looking forward to
Thinking ahead to what is coming is a wonderful reframe and can be especially helpful to people who feel stuck in a certain place or routine.
^ Lifting up in prayer
This is my attempt at making an arrow on a keyboard, but you get the drift. Somehow, writing down what I am releasing is an intentional act of inviting God to hold the situation for me.
? Wondering about
We all have questions - some are about decisions we need to make, or some are just curiosity about something going on around us. Here is a place to log those thoughts.
! Needs to be completed(or happened yesterday)
Noting a priority, or a completed item, gives a sense of focus, especially when you look back at it in coming years.
- Breathe out/Release
For years, I put a heart here and tried to come up with an emotion word to help me connect with what I was feeling. (That is not something that comes naturally to me, so stopping to consider my emotions was/is a worthy effort.) A few months ago, I shifted to labeling an emotion or thought process I want to release and then one I want to receive in the next bullet. This one is something I want less of, or completely removed and then replaced.
+ Breathe in/Receive
Now what? After the "-" has been identified, I take time to consider what I want more of. Here are some examples if it helps.
- Obligation + Discerment
- Anxiety + Rest/Trust
- Overwhelm + Clarity
Others could include: fear/faith, feeling stuck/hope, alone/connected, confused/patient
You get the picture, and as you can see it is not always the complete opposite that you want more of.
I truly pray this idea offers you a way of Divine connection for your soul personally, and also is a gift you can give to others.
Here's the link to the Bullet Point Journal Prompts, and I have included the Amazon link for the 5-year journal as well for your convenience.
Why not make this next year one of divine connection for yourself and for your people?!
Just in case you are looking for other meaningful gifts, here's the link to our products page. I especially encourage you to check out the Traction book for anyone who is, or who wants to be, intentional about goals.