Praying on paper. “That’s what I call journaling,” says Leslie Graham.
Leslie has been a Spirit session breakout leader for two Florida Detox events focused on journaling. A married mother of four ages 16 to 28, Leslie is a believer in the power of journaling. The breakouts give her the opportunity to tell her story of faith and God’s power.
As “Unplug: Journaling” participants work their way through session sections, Leslie weaves in parts of her faith story when her 4-year-old son was diagnosed with brain cancer. The illness worsened to the point that at age 6, he was sent home from the hospital to die. Now, he’s 25. Leslie credits the powerful work of God for his healing.
“Sharing my story gives people hope. When they hear about someone experiencing something so huge, it is easier to believe. They think, “If God can do that, He can help me with my thing,” Leslie says.
Leslie is now a freelance content creator for online businesses. It was during her son’s illness that she started keeping a journal as notes for a book she planned to write about the experience.
Even after the book’s publication, Leslie continues to journal every now and then. A part of the process she especially enjoys is reviewing what she’d written before. The thoughts and emotions she penned are reminders of conversations with God.
“They are timeless,” she says. “What I love is to read through an old journal, get quiet, and hear (His) whisper inside. I think, I remember when You told me that.”
Her Unplug sessions give participants time to journal about their struggles as well as other topics. She encourages them to use the Bible as a springboard for their writing as they continue the practice at home. Leslie is inspired by the responses of the women after the sessions, whether this was their first try at journaling, or if they’d previously enjoyed the benefits of the practice.
Leslie encourages other women to volunteer at their local Detox events. “Do it!” she says. “The more you can engage in being a part of the process – planning and delivery – the more you will get out of it.”
Robyne Baker
Writer and Editor
Detox
