Joy Journal

I am a "journaler." When I put my thoughts in writing, it helps me to gain perspective on any certain situation. I have kept journals for years. At times, I like to look back and see how far (or little) I have come.

As I was looking back at some older entries, I noticed that entry after entry was filled with troubled times when I needed God to give me a "happy ending." I came to a realization that I needed to include more entries of thankfulness for the blessings I have been given. God has truly blessed me with so many things, yet I sometimes don't take the time to thank Him. In hard times, I "pray without ceasing," asking God to answer my prayer." In good times, I don't always thank God for the peace and quietness of life.

I realized I needed to change this aspect of my life. I should always "pray without ceasing," in good times and in bad. I don't want to be the type of Christian who only calls on God when things are not going good. I want to go to Him and thank Him for all of my blessings, too. Even in those not-so-good times I want to remember and think on all of the good aspects of my life. This is what prompted me to start a "joy journal."

The "joy" part of my journal is that I always end each entry with what has brought me joy that particular day. Basically, I thank God for the blessings I have received that day. Even if I don't write an entry on any day, I still list at least a couple of things I am thankful for that day. I may write something as big as getting home safely from a trip or being healed of a sickness. It may also be as simple as Logan giving me a big hug or Dustin getting home on time from work. I just want to make a point to be thankful for what I have and to not take it for granted. I also want to learn to focus on the positive and not the negative. (For those that know me, you know that I tend to think the worst of things!)

So, I will share a few things I wrote in my "joy journal" for today.

Thankful For:
1. Today's is Dustin's last day of being "on-call" at work.
2. Logan blowing me kisses tonight before he went to sleep.
3. Our friends the Metcalfs, who will soon be moving out of state.
4. Fall will be here soon. (My favorite time of the year!)
5. Only 3 days to the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy! (Can't wait for McDreamy!)

I want to encourage all who read this entry to remember to stop and thank God for the blessings they have received. It will make a difference in your life...it has mine!