Seek and you shall...journal?

I bought myself a Christmas gift.

I've been meaning to get back into journaling for awhile now, so I decided to put an end to my excuses. This journal's format provides space to daily record morning and evening entries. The morning entry focuses on gratitude as well as anticipated challenges and grace you need from God. The evening entry focuses on the high and low moments from your day. At the end of each week, there is a weekly reflection as well as ponder questions and space for prayer intentions.

It's incredibly simple and structured...and that makes it all the more likely I will use it (thoughtfully). I think it makes a difference to go into each day naming a challenge you anticipate so that you are aware of it when it comes and how God can help you in that situation or with those feelings.

The back of the book includes a number of Jesuit prayers. I've included a few of my favorites here:

You can read more about the journal at the Ignatian Resources website. If you think journaling may help your relationship with God and others, I recommend you look into getting one (or at least getting a blank notebook).

In other news, I saw a post on someone's Facebook or Instagram about a Saint's name generator - it's a website that randomly gives the user a Saint. The idea is that you learn more about the Saint or you invoke the Saint's help for the year (or for a time period). Lo and behold, I got St. John Bosco! Needless to say, I was pretty excited (even if it is just a random online generator). I love the Salesians - and they keep finding a way to come back into my life...

The Saints are a great way to grow closer to God and to inspire us to live each day striving to be the best versions of ourselves. Inspired by this, one of my New Year's goals is to invoke the intercession of both John Bosco and Mary, Help of Christians, each day during 2018. (I'm also trying to cook more regularly and eat more healthily this year, but that's another story for another time...)

St. John Bosco, pray for us! Mary, Help of Christians, pray for us! I hope 2018 is off to a wonderful start for you and your loved ones.