Lifestyle

Prayer Journaling: The Spiritual Practice I Can’t Live Without

Prayer journaling is an essential spiritual practice for me and has been since I was in my late teens. But it was only recently that I realized how much I need journaling to feel connected to God.  

“On a scale from 1 to 10, I’d give us a 3.”

That was my answer when my life & leadership coach recently asked me how things were going in my spiritual life. And by “us” I meant God and me.

“Why so low?” she inquired.

I gave an easy answer: “I haven’t been to church in weeks.”

In March, I started a new job, and I have yet to get a handle on my schedule – hence the absence at church. But I knew that this had little to do with the low score.

When I signed up for life and leadership coaching, I promised myself I wouldn’t spend this money only to spend an hour every other week lying to myself and my coach. So, I got honest.

“But if I’m being real, that can’t be why my spiritual life is in shambles,” I told her. Alice Walker once wrote, “Any God I ever felt in church I brought in with me.” And that’s exactly how I feel, I shared.

“So, what helps you feel close to God?” my coach asked.

“Prayer journaling,” I answered without delay.

As I struggled to adjust to my new life as editor of one of the last few remaining print publications in Birmingham, I not only neglected going to church but prayer journaling was pushed to the back burner too. This chat with my coach showed me that I had to fix this.

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Gifts for Writers: 2025 See Jane Write Gift Guide

It’s time for another edition of the See Jane Write Gift Guide! Here you will find gift ideas for the writers on your holiday shopping list — and if you’re the only writer on your list, take this as permission to treat yo’self! Or you can send this post to friends, family, or your Santa Baby so they’ll know exactly what to get you this year. (This post contains affiliate links.)

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Life Lately: Taking My Teenage Self to North Italia (and a Book Signing)

On Tuesday evenings, I usually host “Write On with Javacia” for members of the See Jane Write Collective. It’s a time for us to check in, chat, and then write. But I played hooky last night because it was release day for Bones at the Crossroads, book two of the Blood at the Root series by LaDarrion Williams. The series centers on Malik, an African American teenage boy who discovers, through a traumatic event, that he has magical powers. He lands at an HBCU for other Black kids with powers, where he begins to learn how to control his powers while also uncovering secrets about his family and even the school. LaDarrion, who’s an Alabama native, had a book signing and Q&A at the downtown branch of the Birmingham Public Library and I had to be there!

Last night, LaDarrion said so many things about the importance of representation that had me wanting to yell “Amen!” But the thing that stuck with me most was his statement that he’s healing his teenage self by writing the BATR series.

We often talk about healing our inner child, but what about our inner teen? I don’t know about you, but mine definitely needs some TLC.

What can you do, what could you write, to help heal your inner teenage self?

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Introducing “Life Lately”

New blog feature alert!

Life Lately is a new feature to the See Jane Write blog that will allow me to share snippets of my life beyond the laptop in a more in-depth way than I can on Instagram.

My hope is to share what I’m watching, reading, listening to, and obsessing over while still telling you a bit more about my writing life with the goal of sparking your creativity along the way.

Let’s jump in…

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Life Lately and the Future of See Jane Write

Today – March 24, 2025 – is the 14th year anniversary of the first See Jane Write event. That’s right. See Jane Write is 14 years old today. Unfortunately, I’m not doing anything to celebrate except publishing the blog post – the first post I’ve published since January. Needless to say, life has been lifin’!

Last year I had a brunch with cake and balloons to celebrate Jane’s 13th birthday. But this year is different, because – life happens.

Usually, on See Jane Write’s anniversary, I reflect on what’s next for the community. But to be honest, I’m not sure what the future holds. Here’s what I do know:

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