"I would suggest... taking the time to savour every moment of life. Enjoy to the fullest everything, no matter how small it is. Whether it's a piece of chocolate or a cup of tea, take the time to really appreciate it and be grateful for it."
That was what one of my closest friends of freshman year told me in response to my long vent about how complicated school, relationships, and life in general were. It was some of the best advice I was given that year.
I wrote before about counting blessings. While reading Real Learning by Elizabeth Foss, I liked her idea of keeping a small journal of sorts to write down five blessings at the end of every day. I was already writing things down in my regular journal, but having a small notebook just for blessings sounded delicious.
Mrs. Foss' experience sounds very similar to mine. In her book she says:
Ideas for a journal:
Pick one especially for the purpose. Choose the perfect journal: one that's just the size that you like, that has a lovely cover, that suits you. Choose a journal that you'll love to write in at the end of the day, one that just begs to be filled with beauty.
Make it beautiful. Though a journal filled with the little blessings of every day is beautiful enough, there's no reason that you can't add to the appeal with some visual beauty. I decorated mine with images of Victorian fashion plates. Look online for vintage clipart and other images that will add to the gentle atmosphere of the book. Or, if you have the artistic ability that I lack, decorate it with drawings of your own.
Take your time. Writing down five blessings of the days isn't a very time-consuming chore, so there's no reason why you shouldn't take it slow. Don't just scribble things down hastily, but write them in a more elegant hand. The journal is a wonderful thing to browse through on those really bad days, so make it thoughtful.
Leave room for extras. I leave a blank third of each page for any little extras that I might want to record: an inspirational quote from a saint, an amusing quote from a dear friend, an excerpt from Scripture, or a prayer.
Don't forget the Source. The point of the journal is to cultivate gratitude to God for all His goodness. Never write in your journal without thanking Him.
That was what one of my closest friends of freshman year told me in response to my long vent about how complicated school, relationships, and life in general were. It was some of the best advice I was given that year.
I wrote before about counting blessings. While reading Real Learning by Elizabeth Foss, I liked her idea of keeping a small journal of sorts to write down five blessings at the end of every day. I was already writing things down in my regular journal, but having a small notebook just for blessings sounded delicious.
Mrs. Foss' experience sounds very similar to mine. In her book she says:
This discipline fosters gratitude. Over time, when you know that you are to be accountable to your gratitude journal, you begin to look for things to record. Slowly, you nurture a grateful heart.And it's certainly something I'd like to pass along to my children... a book of all the things that made mamma smile.
Ideas for a journal:
Pick one especially for the purpose. Choose the perfect journal: one that's just the size that you like, that has a lovely cover, that suits you. Choose a journal that you'll love to write in at the end of the day, one that just begs to be filled with beauty.
Make it beautiful. Though a journal filled with the little blessings of every day is beautiful enough, there's no reason that you can't add to the appeal with some visual beauty. I decorated mine with images of Victorian fashion plates. Look online for vintage clipart and other images that will add to the gentle atmosphere of the book. Or, if you have the artistic ability that I lack, decorate it with drawings of your own.
Take your time. Writing down five blessings of the days isn't a very time-consuming chore, so there's no reason why you shouldn't take it slow. Don't just scribble things down hastily, but write them in a more elegant hand. The journal is a wonderful thing to browse through on those really bad days, so make it thoughtful.
Leave room for extras. I leave a blank third of each page for any little extras that I might want to record: an inspirational quote from a saint, an amusing quote from a dear friend, an excerpt from Scripture, or a prayer.
Don't forget the Source. The point of the journal is to cultivate gratitude to God for all His goodness. Never write in your journal without thanking Him.
That sounds like a lovely idea! I have a journal which I try to write in regularly. In the past year, I've filled about 2/3 of it...and have written more steadily in the past, but I usually go through about a 2-3 week phase of remembering to write something every day, or every other day, and then go a few weeks without touching it.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to keep up a regular journal, to detail my thoughts, and feelings, or just something wonderful that happened that I don't want to forget. But keeping a small journal, to just write down blessings of each day, in the Light of the Source of all blessings, will be so inspirational and comforting! I think I'll just have to try that! At least in my "regular journal" until I can get a special book.
Thanks for this post Clare! I think this will really help me to remember to see blessings, and not just sorrows, anger, and temptations. God is my life, and my blessings come from Him.
~Liz B
Oh heavens, this is such an awesome idea!!! ^_^ Thank you!
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