Journaling vs. Blogging

I've been trying to take up journaling again. It was part of the stake's message at Girls Camp. They encouraged the girls to do four things everyday: read scriptures, pray, write in a journal and smile. I think it's from a talk by Sister Julie Beck. Anyway, I'm trying to be obedient, but my journaling and blogging seem to be at odds sometimes. The correct answer is that I SHOULD do both everyday, but that's easier said than done.

I've heard a lot of people say their blog is their journal. That doesn't work for me. There are things you record in your journal that are not public. We all have private struggles and trials and private answers to prayers. I don't think those things belong on a blog. And truly, my blog is less a record of our lives and more of a social commentary on our lives. I don't think that is the intended purpose of a journal. So, I am fully aware that I need to do both.

These days I take a new approach to journaling than I used to. I used to try to record everything about the things I was doing and how I felt about it. The problem was I never had time to finish. The last time I was in YW (seven years ago) I had one of the YW pocket journals. I dropped it into my purse and I would write a line or two when I was stuck waiting somewhere-- the doctor's office, in the car waiting for Nathan, stuck in road construction. Those are some of my favorite journal entries. One went something like this:

"I woke up with a headache. Yelled at Dylan (I didn't even record why). I feel like a complete failure today, and it's not even 8:00."

I must have written it when I arrived at school that morning before I started my teaching day. The hows and whys are long forgotten, but my small records remain. So, I've taken President Eyring's advice and I'm trying to write a few lines everyday, because consistency, it seems is more important than great content.

Eventually, I think I'll end up with great content anyway.