Imperfect Reflections: The Art of Christian Journaling by Kirsten Birkett

Review by Adam Curtis

“Don’t ever underestimate the value of your handwriting. Thinking something to yourself can be powerful; saying it out loud even more so; but writing it down has a power to change your emotions and your brain.”

Kirsten Birkett, Imperfect Reflections (Christian Focus Publications, Scotland, 2022), p19

In our modern age few people seem to have time for writing. A quick text is acceptable, but anything more substantial is considered a drag. A friend of mine the other day told me that he even gets ChatGBT to write his emails. He simply doesn’t have the head space.

Yet as Kirsten Birkett helpfully demonstrates in Imperfect Reflections writing is powerful. It has the power to change our emotions, our thinking and to lift our eyes to heaven. She demonstrates how powerful writing is through example (the book is filled with her own reflections) and practical tips.

Kirsten encourages the reader to “Write Wisdom.” To reflect on a resent experience and assess why they did what they did with the purpose of growing from that experience. “We grow, not just by having experience, but by getting the meaning out of experience.”[1]

Kirsten encourages the reader to “Write Thankfulness.” There is a lot of evidence that thankfulness is good for our mental health, but it is also good for our spiritual health. The practice of writing your thankfulness is a practice that increases your thankfulness.

Kirsten encourages the reader to “Write Prayers.” To write a prayer is to think deeply about a prayer. It is not more effective, but it gives us the space to intentionally think about what we are going to pray. Healthy prayers are filled with thanksgiving and requests, but also theological reflections on God’s character. To write the prayer allows us to be intentional about this.

These are just some of the practical tips that Kirsten encourages her reader to try, the book is filled with many more. Even though this book is very short it took me a while to go through it because every time I finished a chapter I wanted to try out what had been suggested.

Part of me wants everyone who reads this blog to go out and buy this book. I think writing will increase your faith! But I also know that not everyone likes to write. So I would encourage those who do, to get this book and be more intentional about your practices as there is more fruit to be had!!!

---

[1] Kirsten Birkett, Imperfect Reflections (Christian Focus Publications, Scotland, 2022), p23