Appreciation Journal ~ Should You Have an Introduction Page?

     Do you need an introduction page for your journal?  The short answer is "No."  You can make your journal however you want.  You can ease your way into it with an introduction or a quote.  Or you can jump in on the first page and get right to it.  The only requirement here is that it should be a happy book filled with positive things.

     When I began my Appreciation Journal a few weeks ago, I spent some time thinking about the words gratitude, appreciation, being thankful and it brought to mind a particular Bible verse.  I just happened to be at the beginning of the journal, so I wrote my thoughts down on the first two pages.

     As you can see in the photo above, my writing isn't the greatest.  When I was in high school, I had a friend whose writing was like a work of art.  Her handwriting flowed and swirled all over the page in beautiful script.  No matter how much I practiced, and I practiced a lot, my writing never seemed to get any better.  I've learned to accept it, though.  And I've learned to appreciate that, at the very least, it's consistent.

     Anyway, here's my introduction:

     In the Holy Scriptures, at 1 Thessalonians 5:16, we are told to "Always be rejoicing."  To rejoice means to feel or show great joy or delight.  But, life can be complicated and hard, and sometimes bad things happen.  So, how in the world are we to always rejoice when we find ourselves in difficult and worrisome situations?

     1 Thessalonians 5:17 gives us the first key to rejoicing in every situation:  "Pray constantly."  When we open our hearts to God and tell him everything, something amazing begins to happen.  Look at Philippians 4:6 & 7 to find out what that is.

     1 Thessalonians 5:18 gives us the next key to rejoicing:  "Give thanks for everything."  Even when things are difficult, there is always something to be thankful for.  Some days will be harder than others to find something to appreciate.  That's when we have to look hard at those very small, everyday things that we wouldn't otherwise notice.  Just keep looking.  You'll be glad you did.