About Journal
Habakkuk 2:2b ISV Write out the revelation, engraving it
clearly on the tablets, so that a courier may run with it.
- "Your high tech treasure house - the
electronic journal"
- "God's word, the insights and wisdom you had
learned should be easily retrievable."
- Additional tips
- What MySword Journals can do for
you
- Download the highly recommended Sample Journal
for MySword 2.0
"Your high tech treasure house - the
electronic journal"
Prov 2:1-5 NET My child, if you receive my words, and
store up my commands within
you, by making your ear attentive to wisdom, and by turning
your heart to understanding, indeed, if you call out for discernment - raise
your voice for understanding - if you seek it like silver, and search for it
like hidden treasure, then you will understand how to fear the LORD, and you
will discover knowledge about God.
A. Imagine physical treasures. These are the things that you will probably
do:
- You will build a secure treasure house for them so that the enemy cannot
steal them.
- You will employ security guards, high tech surveillance and security
system.
- You will organize, catalog and compartmentalize them so that it will be
easy for you to retrieve or locate them when they are needed.
- You will install a system that will allow you to search the catalog
easily, show you photographs, description, and the location in your
treasure house.
- You will share your museum to your friends.
B. In the same way, the precious treasures you find in God's word should be
stored up or treasured properly:
- Your journal is the secure treasure house. The enemy can only steal your
treasures if you forget them so journalizing them is properly storing and
guarding them.
- You will also guard your journal - put it in a secure place and back it
up (that is the advantage of an electronic journal).
- You will also organize your journal, catalog the entries by giving each a title and an ID, and
compartmentalize the entries by assigning categories or tags so that it
will be easy for you to retrieve or locate any insight when needed.
- The electronic journal has the greatest advantage as it
allows you to have an easily searchable collection of documents
(insights) using full-text search; automatic ID assignment; easy
document retrieval; cross referencing with other entries; photo and
drawing/diagram support; and link integration with the Bible,
commentaries, dictionaries and other books. On top of that is
portability - I can bring my journal anywhere if a copy is in my smart
phone.
- All these are made possible with MySword!
- You will also share your insights and discoveries to your friends.
C. If you treasure the insights God has given you this way, treating them
as very precious, then God will give you more because you are being a good
steward.
"God's word, the insights and wisdom you
had learned should be easily retrievable."
Prov 4:20-21
KJV Let them not depart
from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
NET Do not let them
depart from your sight,guard them within your heart
If something is always in front of you, you will not lose sight of it unless
you close your eyes. Now if you place many things in front of you, the
situation changes a bit.
If you have many little things you can spread them in such a way as none is
obscured by another. But finding an item is hard if they are not organized. If
they are all organized into sections, and a section is organized into
subsections and so on, you can easily retrieve a certain item.
If you have several big things, it is hard to arrange them in such a way as
not to obscure some items. Organization is still very important but this time
it is like a supermarket that you have to walk to the desired aisle to get your
item.
So how do we not lose sight of God's word, the insights and wisdom
we had learned? Make it easily retrievable just like organized things.
In previous insights, I had already talked about journalizing, meditating,
memorizing, applying, etc.
The following are additional tips:
1. Paper-based Bible and journal
- A Bible with concordance is a great help for looking up a verse using a
keyword that you remember.
- A table of contents will be helpful for your journal.
- If you are brave enough, create also an index of keywords.
- For the table of contents and index, use the date of insight, anyway your
journal is already chronologically arranged.
2. Electronic Bible
- PDA, PDA cellphone or Smartphone is better than Desktop PC based because
you can bring it anywhere. Last 2007, Windows Mobile-based with Pocket
e-Sword is best. You can easily go to a certain verse of a certain Bible
version. There is also a search capability but a bit slow if you are
searching the entire Bible or even the Old Testament. However, there are
several dictionaries you can use for a topical search. Fast-forward to
2011, MySword is now a better alternative for Android devices.
- The next best tool is a tablet PC. It is faster than the PDA and you
still have the convenience of using the stylus or a keyboard (assuming
convertible) or your fingers. With this you can also use mind-mapping
software. Thankfully, we now have a proliferation of Android tablets.
- Using electronic Bible is, of course, better than a paper one. Try
MySword!
3. Electronic Journal
- The key here is speed in searching and mobility as well so that your
insights are easily accessible, retrievable.
- For PDAs, it would be nice to have picture support so you can place
diagrams that will easily convey or illustrate things. Hey, this is now
supported by MySword v.2.0.
- The tablet PC is again the best, the e-productivity winner. You can
easily write your insights either using the stylus or keyboard or fingers.
You can even prepare mindmaps. You have a full PC at your disposal. You are
even not limited anymore in options.
4. iPod, audio players, cellphones
- You can also listen to audio Bibles, though I still prefer reading
because of the control of pace.
- You can even convert your journal into audio.
- You can record key phrases or sentences from your insights and repeat
them so that they will be stored in your heart.
- Of course, the low tech version is an index card, unless you can put the
text or audio in your cellphone.
5. Internet-based journals, diaries, blogs
- If you do not own high-tech gadgets but you have easy access to the
internet always, private on-line journal, diary or blog site can
be useful also.
- However, the access or retrieval time will be longer because you still
have to locate a computer connected to the internet. And such may not be
readily available in your bedroom unless you have a desktop computer there
(booting is another problem though).
- But the advantage is write anywhere, so you can use this to journalize
your activities and some additional insights. Later on, you can export them
and convert to a portable one.
What MySword Journals can do for you
When you first run MySword v.2.0, there are 6 default journals that will be
automatically created for you. You can access them by going to the Journal/Book
View. Here are those journals:
- MyBibleJournal
- Write your own topical notes and insights. The MySword v.1.X Personal
Notes is actually a Verse Notes type, i.e., the notes are attached to a
particular Bible verse. With MyBibleJournal, you can write topical
notes that can span many verses.
- MySermonNotes
- Jot down church outline sermon notes.
- MySermonNotes is a helpful and useful feature that allows you to use
Android smartphones or tablets to write notes during sermons, classes
and Bible studies. It's paperless and has the following features: input
notes anywhere, anytime. You never need to look for paper or pen
again.
- You'll have convenient access to your past sermon notes. You will
never need to search for misplaced past paper notes again.
- Includes verse selector to help you choose any of the 66 books of the
Bible for your notes input, eliminating the need to manually type
them.
- MyDiary
- MyDiary is a good feature which is an excellent way to keep a
personal journal of day to day thoughts, goals, feelings, memories,
dreams, ideas and important events in your life. It is an electronic
personal diary journal for diary writing and keeping. The diary
software helps keep your personal diary organized and retrievable.
Photos can be inserted and articles in other journals, Bible
references, commentaries, and dictionary entries may be linked as well.
It is designed to be a companion that helps you to capture every
memorable moment of your daily life. It is exceptionally easy to use
which you can start using immediately. Diary keeping becomes easy,
exciting and fun!
- MyScripturePromises
- As you read the The Word daily, make a list of links for yourself of
your favorite Scripture promises in healing, financial breakthrough,
protection, wisdom, success, love, forgiveness, courage, guidance,
salvation, righteousness and many more promises of God.
- By confessing them out aloud in faith, miracles of God's blessing,
power and grace will be experienced.
- "In general, choose a particular list of verses that applies to a
specific present need and start reading them through. Ask the Lord to
make them alive to you by the power of the Holy Spirit. Turn those
verses which are "quickened" into prayers of faith, praise and thanks.
Pray them frequently to the Lord. Soon they will be "memorized" in the
heart and will be the channel for the power of God to work" (- Ken
B.)
- WhatsInYourMind
- A blog about spirituality, transformation, ideas and thought. When
you open your mind anything is possible. Now look at the world from a
different point of view. Write or record any God given ideas, wisdom,
plans, instructions and thoughts you have.
- MyNotes
- Write an outline notes on seminars, lectures, meetings, trainings and
other activities. If you want your cellphone and tablet PC to be your
notebook and notepad (reminder notes) you can create your own MyNotes
entries.
Download the highly recommended Sample Journal
for MySword 2.0
The "Sample Journal" is a handbook compiled and arranged to share with you
all the things that the developers of MySword have learned why we need to
journalize the insights we have learned from the word of God. It also
demonstrates what you can do with MySword. You can download this handbook to
your Android device from the Devotional section of the Download Modules
screen.