Journaling Again!

(I apologize for forgetting my blog again! I have some ideas about topics soon!)

One of my favorite things to do is journaling. I've written in many over the years. Words here and there to daily paragraphs to just quick jots. I haven't written much of anything recently, whether through blogging or journaling. Sometimes it is daunting to think of a paragraph to write or how in the world do you fill a page. So when I saw this journal today, I snatched it up!! It is a pocket sized journal with a page a day. You write down your favorite moments from/throughout the day! I am so excited about it! As John and I slowly start planning our wedding, and head towards marriage, I don't want to forget all this time we are enjoying engaged! So I am excited to resume journaling, and hopefully blogging. Remind me if I forget to do either! 😉

Beautiful Blessings - 7/25/16

~ the majestic sound of a thunderstorm

~ much needed rain after nothing much since May 22nd

~ finding gifts of raindrops after the storm

~ writing many letters after work

~ picking out special journals for a couple friends <3

What I have been up to! And other Ramblings

I took a bit of an impromptu blogging break this month with life being so crazy! I was getting stressed out Saturday night so my friend Neona suggested that I journal to sort things out and destress myself. I then came up with the brilliant idea of using a journal T-Tot gave me to make myself a to-do list/day planner so I can mentally see everything I need to do.

It wasnt until I started working on this that I realized it wasnt Paris but Venice! And I have had it for a whole year lol

This is my verse for the year!

I split up everything into seasons!

I am also sprinkling in Bible verses just because! :~)

Its already been a huge help! And if you notice in the picture before this, blog is checked off....and you guys are the lucky ones to receive that checkmark!

The back of it has the note T-Tot left for me Christmas 2014, and the calendar for this year in case I need it! :~)

I shall resume Beautiful Blessings now that I have a journal to remind me about it. ;~) And someday Ill continue the hats...someday lol! We shall just wait and see!

Today's Beautiful Blessings:

~ A journal to keep myself sane!

~ Verses that mean a lot to me!

~ Seeing God's hand in many a thing recently!

~ And growing a bit stronger in my faith each day <3

~ Remembering the lovely Saturday I had this past weekend!

Tools for Prayer

I've used many things in my prayer life, to remember to pray, to grow stronger in prayer, and to remember the people I'm praying for.

My first prayer journal (above), I started in Sept. 2011 and used till Nov. 2012. I wrote down everything I was praying for that day, everyday (skipping days here and there). When that became tedious, I used it to ponder on Bible verses or in a few cases to release anger by scribbling and/or writing out prayers of "anguish." This is the most filled prayer journal.

I kinda liked writing out prayers, so Nov. 2012 - Dec. 2012, I wrote out my prayers. It worked, in a way, but honestly I kinda slacked off. The next dated thing in it was from Feb. 2013 in which I did verse by verse study of Philemon. (Exciting, right? lol) In Oct. 2013 I used it for Becoming a Young Woman of Faith. In April of 2014 I used it for 30 Days of Love. This has a lot of empty pages still.

My current prayer journal is a much more usable prayer journal. Since July 8th I've written down the names of people I'm praying for, and I've been fairly diligent in remembering to pray for them. I divided the pages with a straight line down the middle, putting the request/person on one side and putting "answered!" on the cases in which they have. Because of this method, I've only used up a couple pages so far.

I've also used a couple prayer devotional books. One I think was 100 ways to Pray or something like that. I've also memorized a prayer from the Bible. I should work on a few more. I memorized Ephesians 3:14-21 a couple years ago. It is a prayer for Spiritual Strength.

I hope one of these ideas may spark your interest and that you would be able to use one in a diligent manner, yet at the same time, I pray it will be from your heart to God.

Learning in Ecuador

 Today's guest post is from a friend that went on a mission's trip to Ecuador. My friend wrote this in her journal while she was there.

Monday, July 6, 2014

I can't believe I'm leaving Ecuador tomorrow. This has been one of the best trips ever. I love the children, the workers the people, but we have to leave tomorrow morning. Something I've learned from this trip is that God will provide, but in his time. I was super stressed out, thinking about me and N needing to get the money, then when A and K joined I got even more worried and with L on top of that, I just didn't know how we would ever get the money to go. Then I got worried that our planes wouldn't make it, we wouldn't be able to get in due to our passports not working, and all the other little things like making sure each and every one of our 17 suitcases got into Quito fine.

But God has sen us through it all. Even the language barrier, the feeling of being left out it was all fine. God worked it out and I had no reason to worry about anything at all. A has been the animation, K has been the laughter, and L, God bless you girlie, she's been the nurse who has helped each and every one of us girls who have gotten sick. God knew that I would need each and every girl on this trip, for the encouragement, the love, the joy and the friendship they have given me over the past seven days.

I'm glad I came. While I can see myself working at an orphanage like this one in the future, I know that God wants me home right now and I'm alright with that. All I need to do right now is trust him, knowing he is going to provide, but in his time and his way. All I need to do is pick up the rocks and let him do the rest....okay, so maybe I do need to keep up with him, letting him work in my life and not hardening it or turning away from him. God is good and enough, my all in everything I do. He's never going to leave me or forsake me, nor will he ever pretend to be someone he is not. God is good all the time and I can take comfort in that.

You know, before I left Sunday last week, I was having an emotional time. I wasn't eating well, I was nervous (of course) and worried and then people started giving us hugs telling us goodbye and that's when the tears came. Then during worship I just couldn't sing. But M, (love you girlie!) tossed me a note that said, “Hebrew 13:5­6 “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be contend with what you have because God has said, 'never will I leave you, never will I forsake you' so we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.What can man do to me?'”

God as never left me. He never turned his back on me, he's been right here, by my side, helping me even as I think I'm alone. It's such an encouragement especially as I feel a little left out, or alone, I can remind myself that God will never leave me. He's had his hand on me, on this trip, the whole time and I've seen him work through us girl, especially myself, through this trip. It's such a blessing and I'm really, really, really glad I came to Ecuador and didn't let my selfishness or sadness stop me from disobeying God.

­- H