Gratitude Journal

By Dolores J. Rush

I made a little gratitude journal as a gift for each lady in our Bible Study. The blank notebooks came from the Dollar store and the poem by Helen Steiner Rice called "Thank You, God, for Little Things" I  computer-generated, cut out with decorative scissors and attached to the inside front cover (poem below). The Gratitude Journal rubber stamp is by Teresa Collins, (TC-5281) Gratitude. Follow the instructions below to make your own personal journal.  Be sure to date each entry so that you'll have a permanent record of gratitudes and answers to prayer!

Instructions:

1. Pounce journal stamp on a Memories Pine Green dye ink pad several times until the rubber stamp is shiny with ink. Carefully press stamp onto off-white piece of paper. Then take a light golden brown or butterscotch dye ink pad and a stipple brush to pounce on ink around edges of stamped image until significantly "aged" to your liking.

2. Punch out saying with a slightly larger circle punch or trim closely with scissors.

3. Attach circle to journal cover with hot glue or foam poster tape.

4. Copy, paste, and print Helen Steiner Rice's poem on computer word document. Cut out with fancy scissors and attach inside the front cover with double face tape.

5. Tie on fiber or ribbon to front cover.

Thank You, God, for Little Things

By Helen Steiner Rice

Thank You, God, for little things

That often come our way--

The things we take for granted

But don't mention when we pray--

The unexpected courtesy,

The thoughtful, kindly deed--

A hand reached out to help us

In the time of sudden need--

Oh, make us more aware, dear God,

Of little daily graces

That come to us with "sweet surprise"

From never-dreamed-of places.

My gratitude list today is:

1. I'm thankful God sent the rubber stamp and poem my way. I'd had the idea to make the journals for some time, but since I was a crafter, I wanted to find just the right words to use and I did!

2. I'm thankful that God blessed a girlfriend. She was at the right garage sale at the right time and was able to obtain some wonderful crafting supplies!

3. I'm grateful for God's grace, wisdom and mercy.

4. I'm grateful that our electricity was off Sunday evening only for a little while. Thank God for the electric company service guys who fixed our transformer! The lights came back on before we went to bed! J

5. My husband and I are celebrating our 31st wedding anniversary tomorrow! His grandma said to me about his grandpa -- "Sometimes I can't stand him, sometimes I love him to death and we've been together for 50 years. You'll find it the same." On our wedding day, my husband said with a twinkle in his eye, "Dear, you're stuck with me and we're staying together for 50 years. After that who knows!"

Let's have a praise party! And celebrate God's goodness with each other! Click "comment" and type your gratitudes into the box!