Comments on: The Stolen Journal

By: riverside arthritis doctor

riverside arthritis doctor — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 00:04:29 +0000

That is so sweet of you husband. Buying you a new journal not just any journal but a very special one. Where could I buy one of these moleskine journal?

By: Catherine Whittinghill

Catherine Whittinghill — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:43:12 +0000

Oh ouch, few things hurt more than losing a journal. I am so sorry that happened. But I rejoice that you are starting again! I cannot overstate the importance of journaling in my life. I started writing in my first one at age 6 (and can barely read the five words that are written on each page) and haven’t ever stopped. The most important part is to be forgiving with yourself – sometimes you don’t want to write for a month, or even six months, and at other times it’s a twice-a-day thing. And that is fine. You can’t force introspection when it’s not happening.

I marvel when I go back and read the prayers I recorded at this time last year, or this time five years ago. No other exercise has bolstered my faith like journaling has – it’s cold, hard proof that someone is listening, someone is transforming you, and miraculous things ARE happening.

I’ve used tons of journals but my favorites have been the Moleskine journals with watercolor paper. I never use lined paper so I can vary my writing and sketching/doodling.

By: Jason Aten

Jason Aten — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 05:15:55 +0000

I have an Ecosystem journal I love. It’s like a Moleskine, with a little less history. Honestly, the real reason I choose it is that every page is perforated so that I can tear them out and scan them to Evernote if I want. Each one also has a cool little serial number that you register so that if it’s ever lost, it can be returned to you.

All that said, for someone with a MacBook Air, an IPhone, and an iMac, it’s still a journal that goes with me everywhere – to every meeting, on every plane, on every vacation. It’s where I dump my brain every single day. It’s where I think, process, dream, plan and explore.

Welcome back to the club

By: Juli Reitler

Juli Reitler — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 20:58:52 +0000

Oh Erin! While I was reading this I literally felt an ache, as though it were my backpack full of memories that had been stolen. I completely agree: I would rather have my expensive technology stolen than my journals and pictures. They are a part of me. My journals are my safe haven where I can say anything and not be judged. I can tell my most embarrassing fears, my most outrageous aspirations, and my most intimate prayers. I think it’s wonderful that you are going to start journaling again. You may get to know a part of yourself you haven’t even met yet.

By: Andi Nicole

Andi Nicole — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 05:56:04 +0000

As I have said before…your writing is amazing. I always feel your emotions when you write! Recently I have wanted to start to journal again but I just havent….I probably should. I love to read my past journals and see the heartache and hurt and then see it gradually get better and better as I was healing from emotional pain and finally was to love again. By the time I got married…I felt I didnt need to write anymore because I’ve been so happy. But…shouldnt we write down happy thoughts too? YES! So thank you Erin for this topic because I am encouraged more than ever to get back into the groove

By: Shawna

Shawna — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:42:06 +0000

I personally have never been a “journaler.” Chalk it up to laziness, apathy, whatever…it was just never for me. That was until earlier this year. In trying to cope with the loss of my mother, I couldn’t find ANYONE who understood the crushing, painful, and searing loss that I was going through. One night in prayer, the Lord spoke to my heart and told me that He knew and understood the pain. In an effort to face my feelings (I was in fear of actually coming face to face with these painful giants) and in a way, I was writing out my prayers I began to journal. This was HUGE for me, since it required raw emotion and a determined effort on my part to actually “do it.” While I don’t feel liberated just yet, I definitely feel more hopeful. In some ways I think that by writing and journaling, it feels like the weight of the loss has been lifted off of my shoulders.

Who knew?

By: Erin

Erin — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:16:03 +0000

@Brendan Thanks so much for sharing your post! That’s so sad to hear about your own journal! It was in the same relationship stage as mine too, which is partly what made it so traumatizing. Have you noticed any lingering hurt over it?

By: Erin

Erin — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:06:53 +0000

@Anthony Gross @Lindsey Eaton Why is it so scary to start a journal after so long? It’s a deep kind of scared too, like opening an old wound or a dusty closet or an old box of memories. I’m a little scared of what I will write too – as if I’m scared of my own thoughts. A journal should be a safe place for those thoughts, but I wonder if the theft of my journal broke my trust in that safety?

By: Brendan Cheney

Brendan Cheney — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:40:02 +0000

http://frameitcheney.blogspot.com/2010/11/living-into-unpredictability.html

By: Brendan Cheney

Brendan Cheney — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:39:43 +0000

Erin, love this! I had my journal stolen last December, the one with all my thoughts about my first year with Emily. Sad to lose those things, because they’re so precious. But I’m excited that Jeff is encouraging you to start again! I wrote something about the feeling of beginning a new journal: