Welcome to Random Journal Day!
Our Featured Journal Keeper this month is lovely author, blogger and Scripture Lover Jeannie Pallett. I have come to know my Canadian blogging counterpart through this wonderful world of Christian Blogging and fellowship over the past few years. I had the honor to read her book, which is a delightful, intimate, satisfying study and reflection on Psalm 119 in relation to intimacy with the Lord. I think I might have to re-read it along with the TWO lucky readers who will win their own copies! Be sure and enter the Rafflecopter below after linking your post (you don’t have to link a post to enter the giveaway, though!).
Jeannie has a beautiful and unique offering for us this month, as she tells her story from the perspective of one observing and of an inner journey that leads all the way back…home. Let’s travel full circle now, with Jeannie and her journaling journey.
Journal keeping has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. My first diary was a Christmas gift the winter I was twelve. The cover was a pretty red and gold cloth and on the side was a little lock and key opening up to stiff lined pages that were just waiting to hold the secrets and important events of a young girl’s life. Hiding the key was very important and yet she never dreamed anyone would try to open her little book without the key. She never dreamed anyone cared enough to search through her diary hoping to discover thoughts and feelings of the heart that had gone unspoken.
By the age of twelve, this young girl was already rebelling and was a worry to her parents. She didn’t talk a whole lot and her countenance was usually very serious as she wasn’t sure how to express her emotions. Her deep longing for understanding and connection to something she was sure she was missing sent her on a search even though she didn’t know what she was looking for. She didn’t know where to find it and thought maybe boys; maybe a little drink here and there and all the roads on her search were neatly recorded on the stiff lined paper. Her heart felt stiff too. One day she came home and discovered evidence her diary had been tampered with. Someone had managed to pry open the lock without the key and her longings for wholeness and a sense of belonging were no longer secret. Silence and rebellion had caused desperation in a Mama to know her daughter. If only she had written about how quiet her world was and how she wondered why everyone around her seemed to speak so softly and how disconnected she felt. How she strained to hear and feel a part of the happy life around her. She had grown used to the quiet, silence was no stranger to her and though she felt betrayed, continued writing. The pages seemed to wait for the filling and ink from the pen flowed freely. Her heart was guarded yet the crisp lined pages always welcomed her filling over the years.
She met Jesus and discovered as she wrote out the depth of her emotions, as she voiced the cry of her heart on paper, a new kind of writing emerged. She began to ‘see’ words and pictures on the inside and the words came from somewhere beyond her and yet very much part of her. She wrote about the mundane happenings of life and the Greater One within would remind her how He kept her safe and met her needs. She filled pages with prayer requests and His subsequent answers and in times of trouble she would dig out those journals and read those words to encourage herself to keep on believing and trusting in the One who had revealed Himself to her heart. The writing of the words was like Ebenezer stones. She could look back and see how far He had walked with her, how He had revealed Himself to her and taught her what she needed to grow. She learned to listen to that Voice deep within and sometimes would sit for hours with pen poised over an empty page as she waited to hear. She was never afraid of the empty page.
The outer silence helped hone her inner hearing and as the years passed and the Lord matured her into a woman who loved Him with all her heart, He gifted her with a husband whose love surpassed anything she had ever experienced. He was a man who listened to her and cared for her, noticing her. She would write about the crazy misunderstandings they would have and the things she thought he said that just didn’t make sense.
One day he approached her about getting her hearing checked and told her he would be with her every step of the way and she didn’t need to be afraid. After the visit with the audiologist, she was told she had a moderate to severe hearing loss. She was devastated.
She turned to the familiar place where she knew she would find peace and solace; her pen. Ink recorded the pouring out of her heart but there was also a pouring in as she heard and wrote the whispered words of the Lord as He spoke encouraging words of blessing to her heart. All the words she had written expressing the fullness of her heart she now understood. She had come full circle. The diaries and journals filled with the ponderings and petitions of her heart were now answered by relationship with the Lord Jesus.
Writing had helped her to unwrap her heart and lay bare her soul before the Lord.
His words would continue to come to her, will always come to her and they will be like apples of gold in a setting of silver. A gift from the King. The words would surprise her in unexpected moments but she would be ready. The joy, peace and depth of understanding He had given her through the simple act of forming words on paper was priceless, a gift to be treasured and a gift He would ask her to share.
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Connect with Jeannie at her Blog: Jeannie Pallett, Facebook Page, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest; You can buy her book Here.
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Link up you Journal Posts here, and please remember to visit other fellow Journal Keepers on the journey.
For general information on Random Journal Day, Pop on by THIS PAGE!
Now let’s have a peek in those journals…
Enthusiastically, Dawn 
19 responses to “Random Journal Day #47 with Featured Journal Keeper Jeannie Pallett (Giveaway)”
[…] Random Journal Day Link-up at Enthusiastically Dawn […]
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Great story, Miss Jeannie, and nostalgic to my own first diary with a lock. Though, I preferred my composition books for serious writing at the time. My diary, as I remember, was one big WHINE of a pity party. My composition books I filled with short stories and poetry that were much the opposite.
I’ve linked in, but not sure which linky version this is, Dawn. It just put the URL in text with no image. Odd.
Joy!
Kathy
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Kathy, you have come a long way in your journaling endeavors and today they are a work of beauty and greatly to be admired. I am sure the Lord considers your heart a work of art as well!
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I LOVED reading your story, Jeannie! What an inspiration…I can’t wait to go read Psalm 119 – and perhaps read your book. Thank you so much for sharing!
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Barbara, it is a story I haven’t shared much of but as I prepare for RJD gathering random journals, I am blown away as I look back and see how God has had His hand on my life.
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What a great writer, and an amazing story showing the importance of Journaling. A great inspiration and a capturing of the heart of why we journal in the first place.
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Deanna, He has truly captured my heart and it really is inspiration from Him that I share! I have learned that my best words come from Him and the empty page as I am searching my head for words is proof enough! I am glad you were inspired and enjoyed my recollections! Bless you!
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[…] am linking up with the wonderful adventure keepers over at Random Journal Day today! I leave you with some photo journaling. (Phototaking has become a new way for me to document […]
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[…] I am linking up with Dawn at Random Journal Day. I just happen to be the featured random journal keeper […]
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Jeannie- Love how God transformed you and your writing over the years…your post makes me want to know more…like how did you respond to your mom…did you and her ever talk about the diary? God truly using writing in our journals to draw us closer to Him in various ways!
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Kel no we never spoke much about my diary-rebellion has a way of keeping one silent!! The best conversation we ever had was two weeks before she died, when she finally opened the door of her heart as she was finally ready to hear about Jesus!
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Thanks Dawn for hosting us each month!
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Jeannie, what a beautiful story of full-circle transformation in the Lord, and how He used your own passionate words and outpourings to draw you deeper into relationship with Him. I, too, have a little red diary with a key and clasp (though I have no idea where that key is anymore!), and it contains the outpourings of a young girl. But my unbosomings weren’t to God. Late, through a crisis situation, He led me (I now realize it was He) to pour out my soul onto paper. Without my even realizing it, those words transformed into prayer–a crying out of my soul, and addressing my words to a God I didn’t know well, but who was waiting to listen and to help me explore my longings. He has used journaling to transform my life–and in times, when I seem scattered or far from Him, He has certainly used His Word, but also my own words in m y journals to draw me back to Him–full-circle–just like you. Oh, your book sounds wonderful. I’d love to read it. God bless you and Dawn and all other journal-keepers as we write our ways to His heart.
Love
Lynn
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Lynn, I love your comment about writing our way to God’s heart-it really is true that writing words leads us to His heart! I love Him for the way He uses it to draw us closer to Himself, unveiling truth and leading us into deeper waters. I am so thankful He has always been present with a heart ready to listen to ours as we pour ourselves out to Him. May we continue to live poured out lives for Him and may He continue to bless and anoint the work of your hands.
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First: love how you tell your story as a narrative. Stepping back from it allows you to see how God has worked. Journals do that as well. Love this so much. You laid a whole lot out there, the the hard parts and the transformative parts. It’s beautiful. God met you there and He meets me in your words. Thank you so much for your willingness to be an open book with such power. (AND, thank GOD for such a husband who loved you as he did/does to open your ears to the truth you needed to hear, and to stand with you as you let the world pour in!)
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Carolyn, the narrative way of writing this story just seemed to be how the words came out this time and I am glad you enjoyed it and could see Jesus in them too. Thank you for your words of encouragement, they mean so much! God is so good to us giving us exactly what we need at the perfect time! Blessings to you!
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Somehow these last few words were missing from post so I am including them here.
” Writing had helped her to unwrap her heart and lay bare her soul before the Lord.
His words would continue to come to her, will always come to her and they will be like apples of gold in a setting of silver. A gift from the King. The words would surprise her in unexpected moments but she would be ready. The joy, peace and depth of understanding He had given her through the simple act of forming words on paper was priceless, a gift to be treasured and a gift He would ask her to share.”
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I added . Not sure why… I copied directly…so sorry, Jeannie. A lovely ending, too. Thanks for taking the time.
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Oh my thank you Lord. I won. Can’t wait to read this.
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