slow down
The average human has 70,000 thoughts per day! That’s approximately 50 thoughts per minute. Our brains are constantly spinning in every direction, a mile a minute, trying to figure out our next move. The world tells us we must act fast, hurry up and get a move on. This mindset of a hurry has deprived us of the beauty of slowing down. The hurried life will only make us completely exhausted and drained.
Hurry is the great enemy of our spiritual lives. Hurry is incompatible with love, joy, and peace. That’s why it’s no surprise that the first word the Apostle Paul uses to describe love is “patient” (1 Corinthians 13: 4-8). We are called to live set apart and tune into the speed of God’s spirit, which is slow, not in a hurry.
To combat hurry I challenge you to write your thoughts down with a good old pen and paper. Stop and think, be present in the moment. Allow the peace of God to rest on you. Every time you have a thought or see a glimpse of God’s glory, write it down!
write it down
I call this my commonplace journal!
This journal place where all the thoughts of my day can rest. The questions I have won’t drift and be forever forgotten. The things I hear, the places I go, and the experiences I embark on will have a place in history. I’ve had this notebook for about a year and it’s full of so many thoughts and ideas!
If I had not written those thoughts down I would have forgotten. It’s been a place where I have deliberately chosen to slow down and step away from the hurry of everyday life.
The shortest pencil is longer than the longest memory
Mark Batterson
We can try to remember everything, but we will fail. Our brains just don’t work like that. When we write our thoughts and ideas down we are able to learn on a deeper level. We actually engage the mental world with the physical. When we choose to slow down and become present in the moment, that’s when the speed of our soul becomes more in sync with God’s. We become lifelong learners, lifelong disciples of Jesus!
My commonplace journal has become a place of inspiration! I have quotes from hundreds of people, little snippets of wisdom, and moments I’ve seen grace in action. Each day learning from the last, learning more about God’s character and His creation! We will never stop learning from God, for He is all-knowing, and holds all wisdom and understanding. If God were an ocean we only stand at the shore.
The thing I love about a commonplace journal is that you can put anything you want there! Here is a small list of things I include: quotes, Bible verses, observations, and information from books, conversations, movies, song lyrics, podcasts, life experiences, and literally anything else you want.
Through all of this, I want to focus my thoughts to see the gospel, to see JESUS (Romans 12:1-2). To slow down and stop all the hurry.
progress
Over the course of the last few months, I’ve made major progress in my hand lettering. This journal has also been a place for me to practice my handwriting! Through the creation of this journal, I’ve been able to focus my energy on things that glorify God.
reflection
As I reflect back on my commonplace journal and see all the things I have learned this year, I see even more the importance of keeping a journal. The moments where I’ve taken my fears and anxieties and written them down and then handed them over to God are the moments I’ve felt most at peace. I’ve learned to slow down and stop hurrying. Resting in the presence of God daily and tuning into what he has to say.
