Morning Session

We have reached day thirty. Well done. A few final thoughts from the books we’ve drawn from:

From the Joyful Journey book:
When we practice Immanuel journaling with a trusted group, we start connecting with God and others at the same time. This is a real and delightful way to form a group identity as God's children. As we rhyme thoughts with God, a space is created within us to become attuned with others. When we listen to a journal entry read aloud, we become the third person in the three-way bond as we enjoy the bond between the reader and God. When it is our turn to read, others enjoy our mutual-mind with God.
~ page 51, Joyful Journey, Wilder, Kang, Loppnow, Loppnow

Session A: We continue revisiting joyful memories recorded on your Golden Moments list. Look for God’s presence in the joys. Invite Him to share thoughts about joys you’re recalling. Again, notice body sensations, attitudes, heart rate, etc.

Reading your journal is powerful. Doing so face to face adds to the depth of connection:

From the Joyful Journey book:
The final step of reading our Immanuel journaling aloud brings harmony deep within our hearts, minds and souls. Reading aloud is a simple step that takes our experiences to another level. Some people might be tempted to skip this step since their interaction with God in writing brought so much relief that they feel better. Nevertheless, when people read aloud their interaction with God, an integrative and a restorative experience takes place. Reading aloud can take what was experienced alone into the presence of love and compassion from others. When we read aloud, we blend the words of the left brain with the emotional experience of the right brain. Therefore, reading aloud has benefits for us internally and externally. The community also becomes a chorus that amplifies all the good outcomes of the Immanuel journaling experience. As things begin to fit together, we feel shalom that is amplified as we speak and others listen.
~ page 48, Joyful Journey, Wilder, Kang, Loppnow, Loppnow

Session B: Thought Rhyming as Immanuel Journaling:
Take one or two of your joys from today (or your list) and envision God responding with one or two sentence “thoughts” in the following areas: 

Merely pleasurable experiences don’t create lasting joy. They are fun in the moment and then they are over. Satisfying experiences create a feeling of pleasure we can revisit again and again. The feeling lasts over time.
~ page 172, The 4 Habits, Warner, Coursey

Session C: Reflecting with Interactive Gratitude:
Spend five minutes reflecting on the day or week. 

[there] is a universal angst most people experience as they look for a way to fill the longing in their hearts. Many of these people experience joy now and then but know there is still something missing. We have seen many people searching for an answer to this longing find what they are looking for in a relationship with Jesus. From this perspective, the worldview of Christianity is especially suited to help people live with joy and peace. It offers a solution to shame through the forgiveness of sins. It offers a solution to the fear of death through the promise of eternal life. It offers hope in times of despair and a God whose love cannot be measured.
~ page 155, The 4 Habits, Warner, Coursey

In numbers 6 we read that every day the high priest of Israel was to pray this blessing on his people.

If you think about it when someone’s face shines upon us, it is because they are happy to see us. When someone lifts their face toward us, it means they see us and are happy to be with us. This is our hope for you too.

~ page 179, The 4 Habits, Warner, Coursey