Family Gratitude Journal

I have been wanting to do this for years (literally) and finally got around to it. I bought a large journal (at WalMart for $8) and covered it with some cute paper and one of my satiny flowers.

This journal was inspired by a Church leader, President Henry B. Eyring, who said,

I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or how early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: “Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?” As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done.

More than gratitude began to grow in my heart. Testimony grew. I became ever more certain that our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I felt more gratitude for the softening and refining that come because of the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ. And I grew more confident that the Holy Ghost can bring all things to our remembrance—even things we did not notice or pay attention to when they happened.

This talk was given in Oct 2007. (You can see it in full here.) I remember being struck by the thought of the Lord touching my life each and every day. If I could only look and recognize Him in my life at the close of every day, I knew I would come out strong in testimony and gratitude.

I want that for me and my family, so each night before we study scriptures together, we are writing down in our Family Journal of Gratitudes and Inspirations, the way He has manifested Himself to us.
I also glued a copy of the talk onto the inside cover of the journal to remind me of the goals and blessings behind daily use of the journal.

We have only done this for a couple days so far, and I have already been surprised in looking back over the day, at the ways He has been there for us.