New Year, New Journal

I'm a sucker for new journals and all things new, crisp, cute and pretty paper-like.  I like to look at and collect such things.  Using them is another matter.

In the past couple years there has been one little journal I have tried to consistently keep nearby and actual write in.  It took me nearly 3 years to fill up this one:

Well worn and coffee stained, this tiny little book holds 1000 reminders of God-sized grace in my life from March 2011 until the fall of 2013.

The fact that I filled an entire journal, regardless of how small it is, seems accomplishment enough for me.

But lo and behold there was more to be gained for me than just filling up pages with ink.  Almost three whole years ago I began a journey of looking for and being mindful of evidence of God's grace in my life, small and great, hard and blissful alike.  I was inspired to do so from Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts.

A word, a thought, a sentence...a few one day, ten on another.  Line by little line, with simple and unpoetic language, I learned to see God's gracious hand more clearly in my every day.

And now I'm starting over again with #1001...

AND I get to use one of my cute new crisp clean little journals...knowing it will get beautifully worn, and most assuredly coffee-stained, just like the last one.

I'm wondering if it will take me another 3 years.  Regardless lots of grace-filled moments in THIS year of 40 will be inked.

This is my favorite medium...real paper and real ink.