We are to worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Frankly, how often are we there in person but not in spirit? While the preacher is expounding on the word of God, our minds are with our badminton players battling it out at the Olympics games, or we might be thinking about what to wear to a function next week, or fretting over an impending exam.

Some people can concentrate without making much effort. I am not one of them. To keep my mind focused, I take notes. I used to write on a paper notebook, then on my compact laptop which can be converted into a tablet. Now I write on my smart phone which comes with a stylus.

It was last year that I decided to do mind-maps. But as the phone screen is very small, sometimes I had to squeeze in the words to fit. There was a phase when I typed out the text. Now I am into graphic notes taking.

Here’s a tip. If you are using your smart phone which has internet data, switch off the internet. That way you won’t be distracted by notifications that pop up on Whatsapp, Facebook and other social media. It also reduces the temptation to surf the web when your mind should be engrossed in the worship service.

No matter how you take your notes, whether it’s a mind-map, graphic notes or text, or where you write it, whether it’s an old diary, a tablet or your smart phone, it is the very act of writing it down that makes you focused on God’s word so that you can worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Give it a try.

by Lydia Teh