This, obviously, is the first entry in my "Personal Spiritual Journal". I thought maybe I should start with some profound insight into the psychology of Journaling, or maybe one of my philosophical theories, but I think maybe I'll just start with the spiritual stuff that happened in my life today-ish. I don't need to try to impress anyone with this, and it's probably most beneficial to me to reflect on spiritual matters, rather than intellectual ones. There, I just wasted half a page, and now it's time to get on with it. I was at a high-school friend's house today for the first time since school started. I was surprised to learn that his dad once studied theology for a year before switching to something else. He intended to become a minister, but for some reason changed his mind. He said they don't go to church anymore, though they tried it out again a couple years ago. "It didn't meet our needs." I wasn't sure whether to press him for more info (I didn't), but I told him about my new church and invited them to come, to which he gave some non-committal reply. I guess he's had some sort of disillusionment, either suddenly or gradually, which let him to leave his church. I'm kind of excited to sort of get a foot in the door with them spiritually, though I'm not sure how to proceed. I want to have a talk with him very much, but I don't know his feelings. I'll have to start praying for them hardcore. Anyway, I'm kind of done. I'm not sure how to end this, maybe just - The End

Looking back, the little story about my friend's father is a fitting way for my journal to have begun. In some respects it forshadows of my own gradual disillusionment during Bible School, which is a major theme of this journal. Almost like I planned that. There's a lot of opinions and ideas in this book that are embarrassing to me now, not the least of which is the evangelical zeal expressed here (which even by this point was beginning to ebb). I respect those who believe theirs is the only true belief and have a passion to share it with others, but I was never very comfortable in my own attemts to emulate them.