ABC's and Sweet Tea: Spiritual Circle Journal for Kids & Teens by Spiritual Circle Journal ~ A Schoolhouse Crew Review

Teaching my children to spend quality time with God is so important to me. I want them to form a long lasting relationship with Him. I have been hearing about bible journaling and journaling in general so I was really looking forward to having Edyn use the Spiritual Circle Journal for Kids & Teens by Spiritual Circle Journal during her bible time.

Liz Lassa, the creator of the Circle Journals, is a Christian Life Purpose Coach. She loves to coach people to find their God given purpose. She created these journals so that kids can have a clear direction on how to spend quality time with God.

The Journal

I am very impressed with the quality of this journal. It is nice and sturdy with thick pages, and spiral bound which makes it very simple to use. The cover is eye catching and colorful with a thick piece of plastic over it, so that it helps protect it. There is an extra white page that gives the child an opportunity to create their own cover, so that it's personalized just for them. You can tear out the original cover so that the personalized one is on top. Edyn loved designing hers.

Spiritual Circle Journal for Kids & Teens is designed to be used with kids ages 8 and up. Edyn is 15 and I think it would work just as well for Gavin who is 11. It is encouraged to be mindful of the child's age because you want this to be fun for them, not something that they get frustrated with and want to stop doing. It's supposed to be a fun time for them and instill a love of spending time with God.

Before the child gets started, there is a great parent section before they journal. This section should be read prior to giving your child the journal. It will help you understand the concept of how it works, and also understanding the importance of journaling. After you read it, you can tear it out and keep it for yourself.

The format of the journal is simple but effective. You will have the custom cover, the key, the personal page, sample journal entry, journal pages, and summary pages.

This journal is designed completely different than most conventional journals. There are 9 designated "prayer circles" to help your child get their thoughts together as they spend time with God. On the back of the customizable cover, there is a key that describes what each circle is supposed to be used for,

The cloud is the Journal Entry (top left) - What's on their mind today?
Circle with flag (top middle) is for the Lyric/Verse - What song are bible verse caught their attention?
Open Bible circle (top right) is for the message - What's the most important thing learned from devotional, bible reading, etc.
Heart circle (middle left) is for confession - What do they need to tell God they are sorry for?
The car (middle middle) is the God moving space - What have they noticed God doing in their lives?
The light bulb (middle right) is the light bulb moment or lesson learned - Have they had an "aha" moment or learned a lesson?
The bag is for Prayer (bottom left) - Anything bothering or worrying them? Ask God in prayer for help with it.
Note with the pin (bottom middle) - This is for thank you or adoration. What can they thank God for or praise him for?
Tennis shoe - This is for actions. What kind of actions is God leading them to do?

There are 65 journaling pages. That way there is one for at least once a week. After the journaling pages there are some summary pages. These are there for lessons learned, or characters pages, favorite verses, etc.

How did we use it and what did we think?

That is the easy part. Edyn would read her bible reading for the week, and then do a journal entry. I told her that I wanted her to use it at least once a week, but that it's there anytime she wants to record something or spend some extra time with God. She has really enjoyed doing it, and it was very simple for her to use and understand. The "circles" give her a guideline or prompt to help her know where to start. She will definitely continue to use it! If you are looking for an easy to use journal I highly recommend the Spiritual Circle Journal for Kids and Teens by Spiritual Circle Journal. You won't be disappointed!