“The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.” Proverbs 12:22
Gratitude Journal - April 18, 2021 Today, I am grateful for honesty. There is nothing more hurtful in life than dishonesty and deceit. Further, there is no reason for it other than selfishness, fear, and lack of integrity. Just be honest. Tell the truth, especially to those for whom you are supposed to care. For honesty, I am grateful.
Mindfulness Journal - April 17, 2021 - Day 19 of 365 I completed my meditation first thing this morning in a peaceful, quiet house. For me, that is the key to success: a quiet and calm home: no one else up, no interruptions. Today was a good day.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5
Gratitude Journal - April 17, 2021 Today, I am grateful for popcorn. Popcorn is an awesome snack and I enjoy it. For popcorn, I am grateful.
Mindfulness Journal - April 16, 2021 - Day 18 of 365 My meditation today focused on my breathing and how thoughts can impact the breath. When you are not actively thinking about your breath, it just works—air in, air out. You don’t even recognize that it is happening. However, when you start paying attention to the breath, you find that each breath is different. Each chest rise is more or less than the last, and the volume of air and length of intake continually changes. Anxiety can cause you to breathe differently. Exercise can make your lungs work harder. Everything you do can impact the automatic process of bringing air in and out of your lungs. Yet, we very rarely even think of what is happening. We are not present enough to recognize the subtle changes in our bodies. Mindfulness helps me bring this presence back to other parts of my life by allowing me to focus on the simplest of things and let everything else pass by.
“God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.” Psalms 47:5-7
Gratitude Journal - April 16, 2021 Today, I am grateful for getting up early and accomplishing a couple of my most important tasks. The quiet of the morning helps me achieve the things I need to without interruption. For this, I am grateful.
Mindfulness Journal - April 15, 2021 - Day 17 of 365 Today I focused on applying my mindfulness techniques to my stretching routine. Today’s routine was long and I use the breathing and focus techniques to help make the time and stress of stretching pass a little bit quicker. It worked very well and I was able to find clam while improving my flexibility. Big win.
“He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”” Psalms 46:10
Gratitude Journal - Apirl 15, 2021 Today, I am grateful for all the wonderful places I have visited in my life. While I am not a world traveler by any means, I have had opportunities to see much of the United States. Some of what I saw was from a bus window traveling during high school, other times I was traveling for work or a family vacation. Every corner of this country is unique, interesting, and beautiful. For this, I am grateful.
Mindfulness Journal - April 14, 2021 - Day 16 of 365 I worked overnight last night at the fire station and got very little sleep. As such, when I went to meditate this morning once I was done, I was concerned that I was just going to fall asleep. What I found was the opposite. I was able to focus better, concentrate more fully, and follow the prompts more easily. Today was a good day.
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Luke 16:13
Gratitude Journal - April 14, 2021 Today, I am grateful for crisp, clean, and fresh-smelling bedding. There is nothing better than crawling into a nice bed with clean sheets, especially when you are tired. I am looking forward to heading to bed soon. For this, I am grateful.
Mindfulness Journal - April 13, 2021 - Day 15 of 365 I started the day off today with some headspace and found some calm. Excellent.
“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6
Gratitude Journal - April 13, 2021 Today, I am grateful for Mr. Johnson. Mr. Johnson was a high school teacher who made me understand that I could do more and be more than I thought I could. He believed in me, and because of that, I tried harder and pushed myself. He wasn’t always nice, and there were times I thought he was mean, but today I realize he just cared. Not many people like that find their way into your life, and I am thankful that he was my teacher. Mr. Johnson died many years ago, but I have never forgotten him. For Mr. Johnson (and all the other teachers like him), I am grateful.
Mindfulness Journal - April 12, 2021 - Day 14 of 365 Today was not a very productive session, and that’s ok. I’m good with it. Part of learning mindfulness as a skill and practice is learning to accept that some days will not feel as relaxing or calming as others. Some days may feel like a bit of a chore, one more thing that needs to get done in an already busy schedule. I hope that I’ll have less of those days and more of the calming and productive days that I have come to enjoy, but I need to be willing to accept whatever comes. Tomorrow is another day, and the blue sky is always just beyond the clouds.
“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” Hebrews 11:3
Gratitude Journal - April 12, 2021 Today, I am grateful for people who genuinely care about the environment and are working to find ways to take better care of our planet. I firmly believe that those fighting for our planet’s health are doing so from a genuinely good place. They are looking to make the world better for all of us. Regardless of if I always agree with the message or tactics, I choose to believe that their motivation is positive. For this, I am grateful.
