No way was I going to suffer that humiliation! My journal was and is a place for me to share my feelings, struggles and thoughts. Here’s an example.

July 14
Dear Diary, I don’t know — it’s weird! I mean the way I like guys. I like them for so long, and they don’t like me. Then they like me, and I don’t like them.

What could have looked like blah, blah, blah to other people was important to me. I only wish I’d written more. The problem was, sometimes I didn’t know what to write. The blank page seemed to stare at me, begging for a sentence or word. Then I’d write something like, “Dear Diary, Today I was going to go bowling but I couldn’t. That’s all that happened.” Please! How boring is that?

Do you ever get a bad case of writer’s block? The next time your journal tries to stare you down, just pick a “journal starter” from one of the five topics listed here, and start writing. It’s that easy. Soon your pen will be dancing down each page of your journal.

School Days
• Best School Bud: Who do you spend time with at school? What do you like about this friend?
• A+ Teacher: Why do you like a particular teacher the best? What’s so great about his or her class? Is he or she strict? Fair? Describe him or her.
• Eeek! Embarrassing Moment at School: Describe what happened. Did someone else cause the moment or was it your fault? Were you able to laugh at yourself or did you cry?
• School Is Cool: What are your favorite subjects or classes? Why?
• He’s a Cutie: What’s his name, and what does he look like? Is he nice? Athletic? Smart? How does he treat other people? Have you talked to him?

If . . . (You Finish the Story)
• If I could go back in time, I’d visit _______________. Why? Who would you take with you? What would you do?
• If I were principal of my school, I’d ________________.
• If I could be invisible, I’d __________________.
• If I traded places with my dog, I’d ________________. And my dog would likely ____________________.
• If I could fly, I’d ______________________.
• If I could change the world, I’d start with ________________.

All About Me
• I’m good at _________________.
• The car of my dreams is ________________. Got a picture? Tape it inside your journal. If not, draw it! What color is it? What does it look like? Is it fast or classy?
• My style of clothes is _______________. Paste some pictures from magazines of the type of clothes you wear or what you’d like to wear.
• My room is _________________. Draw a map of your room and write down your thoughts about it. What would you change? What do you like the most?
• Make a list of your favorite TV shows, Web sites, books, magazines, songs, singers, friends and sports.

Family Fun
• My family is _________________. Create a collage of the people who care for you (Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa). Interview them about their lives as teens. What did they do for fun? Did they like school? Write down what you learn.
• Describe any family traditions you have.
• Family vacations are _________________. Where have you gone? What were your favorite parts of the trips? Attach pictures from your journeys.
• When it comes to movies, my family likes to watch ___________________. List your five favorite movies. What’s numero uno and why?
• For pets, I have __________________. What are their names? If they could talk, what would they say? Paste pictures of your animals inside your journal.

Spiritual Growth
• What are you learning about God? Jesus? The Holy Spirit?
• Write a prayer letter to God.
• Record how you’ve shown Christ’s love to people around you recently (or how others have shown His love to you).
• What goals do you have for your spiritual growth and relationship with the Lord?

9 Ideas for a FUN Journal
1. Use different colored pens, pencils, crayons or markers. Are you feeling purple, green or red?
2. Draw, doodle or create borders. It’s your book!
3. Got stickers? Use 'em!
4. Paste pictures, ticket stubs, fliers, brochures, cards or letters to the appropriate pages.
5. Try to write every day. If this is too much, write at least three to four times a week. Soon your journal will be bulging at the seams with precious memories to cherish for a lifetime. Someday you’ll look back and think, I can’t believe I wrote that!
6. Get comfy. Sit beneath the shade of a cozy tree, lie on your bed or curl up near a crackling fire. (Chocolate is always good for inspiration. Mmmm. A few smudges on the pages here and there won’t hurt!)
7. Just write! Don’t worry about grammar, spelling or punctuation. This isn’t a test. Share your thoughts, feelings and ideas freely. (If you must, you can edit your words later.)
8. When writing about yourself and your world, look for details. Use all of your senses. Describe what you see, hear, feel, taste and touch.
9. Have fun!