Guest Post | Tricia Goyer

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Even a 25 cent notebook can carry a testimony of God's work in your life.

I have a bad habit of leaving journals lying around. I love to jot down my thoughts, observations, ideas, Scripture, but I may leave my journal in the kitchen, or on the bedside table, or tuck it away with my devotional books on a shelf.

When I say journal, I mean notebook. I do have a fancy leather journal (somewhere), but for the most part I use small, ordinary notebooks, including the 25 cent black and white composition books you get at Wal-mart.

Because I pick up and put down journals all over, they follow no specific pattern. The one I pulled out this morning has notes from 2007, 2008, 2011 ... and today. Good luck to my future descendents who try to piece together my thoughts! It'll be quite the task to read my notes in the order that I wrote them.

Of course one bonus is being able to see how God has worked over the years. I can read prayers for books that are now written, printed and read by people all over. I've found notes from mission trips that we now have the photos for. I have pages of Scriptures that spoke to me at just the right time. I'm encouraged that as I've turned to God, He met me. I can see a history of His faithfulness. That encourages me today as I sit down with a cup of coffee, my Bible, and a willing heart.

For example here is something I came across from April 22, 2007.

I could fix my mind on my mission. I could write a list of plans and ideas that would be worthy to achieve. Yet I've discovered a better way.


Lord, more than choosing to be a great woman in the eyes of this world, I desire to be your servant, moldable and available for the master's use. I know when my heart changes everything will change. And may my transformation inspire one life, then another and another. And may these new lives birth hope in the hearts of others.

There is unknown potential in the seeds of an apple, but, Lord, I desire to be a tree that produces nourishing and plentiful fruit with an infinite number of potential harvests.

And then this verse:

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 NIV

Did that encourage you? Yeah, me too. I'm glad I wrote it down.

How about you? Have you every thought about journaling? You don't need any fancy supplies or an organized system. Even a 25 cent notebook can carry a testimony of God's work in your life as you seek Him.

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Tricia Goyer is the author of thirty books including Songbird Under a German Moon, The Swiss Courier, and the mommy memoir, Blue Like Play Dough. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference in 2003. Tricia's book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in 2005. In addition to her novels, Tricia writes non-fiction books and magazine articles for publications like MomSense and Thriving Family. Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences, and has been a workshop presenter at the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International Conventions. She and her family make their home in Little Rock, Arkansas where they are part of the ministry of FamilyLife.