I’ve never been much on journaling. To me it’s like keeping a diary and that was always a girly thing to do, at least when I was young.
Then I realize that this blog can, at times, be like journaling. It is a daily record of my thoughts as I travel through life and the pages of the Bible.
I have written about what I have seen in life or on television; what I have heard on radio, things in my family, politics, work, church camp, vacations, geocaching, and so on.

I know this blog has changed my life. It makes me sit down and really concentrate on applying scripture to the world around me.
I believe that some form of journaling is something that could be very beneficial to you.
For the past few days the theme has been renewing your mind. Journaling can play a big part in that. Journaling basically puts all the things talked about this week about renewing your
mind into something that you can do every day.

I want to introduce in to something I learned at church camp last week. It’s called SOAPing the Scripture.

SOAP is an acronym for the following.

S for Scripture
Open your Bible to a daily Bible reading. Take time to read and allow God to speak to you. Highlight, underline, or place a mark in the margin of your Bible next to the scriptures that stand out. When you are done, reread the verses you marked, look for one or two that particularly spoke to you that day, and write it in your journal.

O for Observation
What do you think God is saying to you in that scripture? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal Jesus to you. Paraphrase and write this scripture down in your own words in your journal.

A for Application
Personalize what you have read by asking yourself how it applies to your life right now. Perhaps it is instruction, encouragement, revelation of a new promise, or correction for a particular area of your life. Write how this scripture can apply to you today.

P for Prayer
This can be as simple as asking God to help you use this scripture, or it may be a greater insight on what He may be revealing to you. Remember, prayer is a two-way conversation, so be sure to listen to what God has to say. Now, write it out.

The importance of knowing and using scripture in everyday life is very evident in the life of Jesus.
When you are tempted do you verbally use God’s word to fight the temptation? When one of your friends tempts you to do something that is not right do you use God’s word against your friend to change the situation?

Jesus used God’s word to fight Satan’s temptations.
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.
Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'”
Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:
‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'”
Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'”
Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.'”
Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. Matt 4:1-11

I know that keeping a blog/journal has helped me learn scripture and apply it to everyday situations. It can help you too!