I have gone to church my entire life, but it wasn’t until COVID that I started being able to recall prior weeks’ lessons the following Sunday or Wednesday.

No, it wasn’t some peculiar side effect of the virus, although the pandemic did present a unique opportunity to recreate the way I lived out my faith. Rather, it was the result of purchasing a journal at the end of 2019 in which I planned to keep track of my New Years resolutions.

It is with confidence that I can say the journal fulfilled it’s purpose, even if it didn’t occur in the manner I anticipated it to.

You see, I struggle with memory. While I know almost every lyric to the soundtrack of HAMILTON, my brain often fails to retain more valuable information. This information often being Bible lessons, and as I learned in school, anything regarding dates or science.

That is, unless I write it down.

I have now been writing every lesson or Bible study I do down for over a year and a half. In that year and a half, I have completed one entire multiple hundred page notebook and am currently on page 64 of the notebook I started on June 19. More important than the number of pages I have filled, is the change it has led to in my life.

Since I first started writing it down, I have made the decision to turn from the sins that once consumed my life, realized I have been putting myself at the center of my life and have started working towards correcting that so God is seated on the throne of my heart, and have taken responsibility for the success or failure of my faith.

And while there is nothing extraordinary about these journals – both came from Target – they are two of my most prized possessions. The first serves as a reference of how God has turned my life around and has set me on a new path.

The second, I carry with me for moments of solitude in which I can listen to faith based podcasts and lessons, or simply search the word for passages that encourage, challenge, or convict me and my current understanding of God and how I should be living out my faith.

So – While it took me 24 years to come to this realization and reap the benefits of writing it down- I want you to start reaping the benefits today.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1. A notebook you want to take everywhere. I recommend a hardback notebook for note taking wherever you find yourself diving into the word or catching a lesson. I love the look and feel of this one I got at Target! (https://www.target.com/p/wit-38-delight-lined-journal-pink-linen-note-to-self/-/A-78628484)

2. Something to write with. I personally can’t stop buying these pens from Walmart. (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Paper-Mate-InkJoy-Gel-Pens-Medium-Point-Black-4-Pack/49316870)

3. And as our Youth Group leader, Jeremy Myers would say, “An open heart, willing hands, and a submissive spirit.”

Pretty reasonable, right?

Stay encouraged Brothers and Sisters and never quit seeking the Lord.

To a better Us,

Heather Martindale