Reflection and Journaling Card Deck

Finding time to quiet ourselves and process our lives can be a challenge. Our lives overseas can be chaotic, unpredictable, and demand so much from us. And when we do find that space, often we find ourselves so overwhelmed with all of our thoughts and feelings, it can be difficult to figure out where to begin.

Our lives feel like one big jumble in our brains. Where do we start? 

Introducing the Third Culture Thriving journaling and reflection deck

A simple, beautiful, intentional tool to help guide your times of processing and quiet.

By presenting common themes and asking thoughtful questions, the reflection deck can be a transformative asset to your personal times of quiet or journaling, or even gently facilitate a small group discussion.

In this printable deck, you’ll find two types of cards: theme cards, and question cards. The 18 theme cards each have one topic on them that pertains to our lives overseas- here are some examples:

• Family
• Ministry
• Rest
• Physical Health
• Travel
• Finances
• Worship
• Mental health

The question cards each have a general question or two for you to journal about or reflect on during your time, or as a group if you wish. These 30 questions are usually fairly open ended, and allow you to apply the question to whatever part of your life comes up for you first as you consider the question, or whatever part of your life you feel the need to process most strongly in this space.

These cards can be used individually to give some structure to your processing time, or can be used in tandem to help dig deeper into certain topics and themes. For example, you may pull out the “worship” card, along with a question card, and then apply that question specifically to the theme of worship in your life. 

When used for an individual quiet time, you may decide to simply pick one card each day to meditate on or journal about. When used in a group setting each person could pick their own card to share about, the group could choose a theme, or the leader may present several cards and participants can choose to delve into whichever one they resonate with the most. These cards could even be used to facilitate discussion within a team of colleagues or on a date night or business meeting with your spouse. The possibilities are endless here, and I can’t wait to see how this resource blesses your life! 

A quick note here: there’s nothing woo-woo about this process, it’s simply a tool to help you intentionally process your life in a way that is both beautiful, meaningful, and convenient. I think people get a little nervous when they think about decks of cards being used in a spiritual way. I assure you, the idea of reflection cards and journaling prompts is quite mainstream, and an immense amount of prayer and intentionality went into curating this resource to be a gift to our community of women serving abroad. I’ve been using them for several months now, and I am so grateful for the ways this deck has helped me process my life each day with the Lord. 

Using reflection cards of all kinds has been a game changer for me in the last few years, and I am so excited to present this free resource for use in our community. You can also find similar decks for sale from two companies I love: Girls Gone Happy and Cultivate What Matters. The power and intentionality I found in decks from both companies inspired me to create this resource for us, and I would be remiss if I didn’t give them the credit they deserve for spearheading such great resources for women.

TO USE: Print the document double-sided, on cardstock if available. You may wish to laminate, too!