Customer Reviews

Journaling: A Spiritual Journey (Revised and Expanded)

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I was looking for a book providing good insights on journaling from a Christian perspective. What I found in this volume is a combination of a few journaling tips and several blank pages for actually writing a journal. Broyles covers six types of journaling: from the events of daily life, in response to Scripture, with guided meditations, from dreams, in response to reading, and in reflection on conversations or dialogues.

This book is definitely an easy read, but is sorely lacking in solid content. I will most likely purchase another book on this topic that is not specifically oriented to Christians. The best thing I gained from this book was news of the Upper Room devotional website, where a person can subscribe to a variety of Christian devotional emails.

I would recommend looking elsewhere if you want a book giving good, solid journaling techniques. If you already have a secular book on the topic and would like to compliment it with a Christian perspective, then this volume would be a good buy.

I am not an outspoken Christian, but I like to think of my internal monologue/dialogue as being spiritual, and this book felt like a kind, strong hand, ready to guide, lead or, sometimes, gently push.

Anne Broyles speaks of journaling as a spiritual journey, and I think that her book helps readers take those first steps on the journey--but this book is not simply for beginners to this discipline! I have kept a spiritual journal regularly for the last seven years (and sporadically for the last 25 years). Broyles' suggestions gave me new insights into journaling and new ways to reflect on this journey.

I'd compare Broyles' work to The Joy of Cooking. Broyles, like the cookbook compiler, offers a multitude of options, then stands out of the way and lets the reader-writer reflect and cook with that reflection.

I've especially responded to Broyles' material on dreams and find this material a valuable companion. The suggestions for journal dialogues--with others and with self--are also creative and wise.