I was challenged many years ago to start a blessings journal. Basically, it was to take time every day to write down the blessings God gave me (and/or my family) for that particular day. It could be something as simple as finding money in my coat pocket I’d forgotten I put there, to someone paying it forward in the drive-thru … or even just “Thank You, God, today’s over and you promise me a clean slate to start over tomorrow.”
Over the years my blessing journal has grown to include much more than just writing down the blessings God gives each and every day. I have started writing down promises He speaks over me and my family, prayer requests He has answered, the specific word He gives me for the upcoming year, significant Bible verses He wants me to focus on for a particular season, and my commitment for times of fasting.
Every December, I take time to go to the store and pick out the blessing journal that I think best fits the word God gives for the upcoming year. It has to be the perfect color, style, etc. and each year it’s different. I like using fancy notebooks with different sections in place of an expensive journal, just because I like to have a section for all of the above and I like having a notebook I can fold over and write in easily since that’s the purpose of the journal – writing down the ways God speaks, blesses and answers. During particular difficult periods of time in my faith journey, I will reread past journals to remember the ways God has blessed, spoken and answered and it encourages me to endure, not give up, and finish strong the assignments He gives.
If you’d like to learn how my blessings journal has evolved and changed, and the new things I’m implementing in 2022, head over to Cheer UP! Podcast on January 12, 2022 and listen to that episode. In the meantime, stop over to Cheer UP! Podcast and catch some of the other past episodes. Starting your new year with encouragement sounds like a great way to start counting your blessings!
https://cheeruppodcast.buzzsprout.com/
© Cheri Swalwell 2021
What a beautiful idea to journal blessings and promises!!