{"id":765,"date":"2014-12-30T12:11:59","date_gmt":"2014-12-30T19:11:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/?page_id=765"},"modified":"2015-07-09T10:02:00","modified_gmt":"2015-07-09T16:02:00","slug":"gratitude-journal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/gratitude-journal\/","title":{"rendered":"Gratitude Journal"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

\"Isaac_bouncing\"<\/a>Grumpy attitudes? <\/em><\/p>\n

Kids complaining? <\/em><\/p>\n

You getting weary? \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Here’s a quick fix! I read my Gratitude Journal whenever I need a lift!<\/p>\n

A Gratitude Journal can just be a document on your desktop of your computer, that you write on every Sunday, for example. Or a list on your fridge or bulletin board that you try to jot on daily. As a title I have written at the top, “What am I grateful for today?”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The point is that being thankful is “good medicine”<\/strong>\u2014it helps you put your problems into perspective and moves you in the right direction of trying to focus on what is going well in your life or on simple comforts. We are used to making “to do” lists that require our energy and work to accomplish. But making a list of what we appreciate, what is pleasant for us, requires no effort on our part other than recognizing happiness<\/strong>. It is a very positive experience.<\/p>\n

\"crocus-582980_1280\"<\/a>To make an entry, I write the date and then number 1 to 4 on the lines below. Then I consider what I am truly grateful for and jot it down, just by keyword or phrase. I don’t read any of the other entries first, but try to use my own original thoughts at the moment and make my entries unique<\/strong>. I try to choose something besides<\/em> the obvious (my family, my house, my car, my health, my freedom, etc.) \u00a0Children may find it more fun to draw<\/em> their 4 choices, rather than write them. Moms may find that more fun too! \u00a0See my watercolor journal <\/a>here!<\/p>\n

This little exercise doesn’t take much time, but it makes a huge difference in my outlook. Reading back over a few entries\u2014after I’ve written \u2014I am always amazed that my gratitude is prompted by such simple things<\/strong>. Here are a few random examples, looking back in my Gratitude Journal:<\/p>\n

April 4
\n1. A wispy cloud next to the mountain.
\n2. I am not ill.
\n3. The daffodils are blooming
\n4. My new grandbaby!<\/p>\n

August 11
\n1. The morning is cool and the rooster is crowing.
\n2. There is an abundance of inspiring religious art and music in this day,
\ncompared to the time I grew up in.
\n3. Louisa cleaned my bedroom for a surprise!
\n4. Carpeting that is so soft and such a pretty color of green<\/p>\n

January 27
\n1. Time to sit and rest.
\n2. My laptop computer that makes life\u00a0so easy
\n3. My wonderfully naturally curly hair
\n4. Fire and how it comforts me (candles)<\/p>\n

\"orange-188082_1280\"<\/a>Of course, there are days when I feel hard-pressed to come up with even just\u00a0one<\/em> thing<\/strong> to be grateful for! I know that sounds absurd to even say, living in America with so many freedoms and privileges and luxuries. This is an especially good exercise for me on those days. I have listed such simple things as “oranges” in my Gratitude Journal. When problems weigh you down, perhaps that is the only thing you can identify to appreciate!<\/p>\n

And there are the days that you find it difficult to stop at #4. That helps too. It helps in reading back to see that life is up and down<\/strong>, and when you are feeling low, seeing that pattern helps you have hope and know that you’ll have “overflowing blessings” days in the future.<\/p>\n

There’s another reason for keeping this journal. Think how well your children or grandchildren\u2014and generations unborn\u2014will we be able to see right down into your heart<\/em> and life in a positive light through your Gratitude Journal!<\/p>\n

Once you get in the habit, you’ll find\u00a0everyone’s attitude improves when looking for things to appreciate!<\/strong>
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

May I recommend:<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n

\"rebekah_reads\"
\nAn Attitude
\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\"feet-619399_1280\"
\nDon’t Serve From an Empty Platter
\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\"13598\"
\nWatercolor Journaling Kit
\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Grumpy attitudes? Kids complaining? You getting weary? \u00a0 Here’s a quick fix! I read my Gratitude Journal whenever I need a lift! A Gratitude Journal can just be a document on your desktop of your computer, that you write on every Sunday, for example. Or a list on your fridge or bulletin board that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6068,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[22,10],"tags":[254,142,332,115],"class_list":["post-765","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-molding-the-heart","category-why-homeschool","tag-attitude","tag-gratitude","tag-journal","tag-writing","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Isaac_bouncing.jpg?fit=445%2C400&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6IrRN-cl","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":293,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/the-world-is-mine\/","url_meta":{"origin":765,"position":0},"title":"The World is Mine","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0The World is Mine Today upon a bus I saw A girl with golden hair; She seemed so gay, I envied her, And wish that I were half so fair; I watched her as she rose to leave, And saw her hobble down\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Molding the Heart"","block_context":{"text":"Molding the Heart","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/why-homeschool\/molding-the-heart\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/children-433165_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/children-433165_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/children-433165_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/children-433165_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/children-433165_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":632,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/project-souvenir-rocks\/","url_meta":{"origin":765,"position":1},"title":"Project: Souvenir Rocks","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"We love to travel! From an educational standpoint, travel really intensifies learning! And family memories are made that form a wonderful store of inside jokes, and shared experiences. (We arestill laughing about too-hungry Emily's comment when locating a road sign that announced that the state police were on the right.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nurturing"","block_context":{"text":"Nurturing","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/why-homeschool\/nurturing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"souvenirrocks","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/souvenirrocks.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1022,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/summer-journals\/","url_meta":{"origin":765,"position":2},"title":"Summer Journals","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"Writing in a journal is wonderful in the summer because there is often so much more to write about! Swimming, vacations, gardening, the county fair, church picnics, camping . . . all these topics give my children plenty of writing ideas for their daily journal entries. In the summer, when\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "English: Writing"","block_context":{"text":"English: Writing","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/what-articles\/english-writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/69.195.124.81\/~homescp3\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/homeschooling_1081_zpicnic1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1341,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/keeping-a-nature-journal\/","url_meta":{"origin":765,"position":3},"title":"Keeping A Nature Journal","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"Every day I walk in the river bottoms, across the road and down the country lane from my house. It is so breathtakingly beautiful and peaceful there. I am all alone, and very rarely see another person in the 45 minutes that I am wandering through cornfields and along the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Science"","block_context":{"text":"Science","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/what-articles\/science-articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/20150419_143942.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/20150419_143942.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/20150419_143942.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/20150419_143942.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/20150419_143942.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":265,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/writing-in-my-homeschool\/","url_meta":{"origin":765,"position":4},"title":"Writing in My Homeschool","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"Come take a peek inside my homeschool. Here's how I teach writing! And it works\u2014one of my sons got a perfect score on the English portion of the ACT test for college. Journal Writing Each day I expect my students to write a journal entry. I use the number of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "English: Writing"","block_context":{"text":"English: Writing","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/what-articles\/english-writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"emily_journals","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/emily_journals-234x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8032,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/feel-good-place-cards\/","url_meta":{"origin":765,"position":5},"title":"Feel-Good Thanksgiving Place Cards","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"Make your Thanksgiving table extra \"feel-good\" this holiday by tucking a heart-warming surprise inside each guest's place card! Make homemade place cards by folding a plain\u00a03 x 5\" index card in half (or cut your own from colored card stock). Write each guest's name on the front and decorate with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"gratitude\"","block_context":{"text":"gratitude","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/tag\/gratitude\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"emily_centerpiece","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/emily_centerpiece-255x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/765","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=765"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/765\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6484,"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/765\/revisions\/6484"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=765"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=765"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=765"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}