My One Sentence Journal

I have always loved to journal.  My first journals start around my 6th grade year.  I continued to journal all of my thoughts, emotions, ideas, loves, and lost loves through my middle and high school years.  I journaled sporadically while in college.  Once I was married and the boyness began, journaling was a thing of the past.  Until I discovered blogging.  I was much more faithful at my journals than I am to blogging.  I have BOXES of my journals downstairs.  I go through them every now and then and LAUGH!  I recently discovered a new form of journaling in a magazine and thought I would share it with all of you that would like to try one.  It is simple and fun.  I can't wait to have several months worth to go back and look over.  It brings those little moments back that are so easily forgotten.  It is called a One Sentence Journal.  Each day you are supposed to jot down one sentence about your day, your husband, kids, etc.  I am doing mine on my computer and then going to print each page and add to a book, or you could just grab a notebook and start a one sentence a day journal right now!  It is such an easy way to capture scattered bits and pieces of life.  My biggest problem is sticking to ONE sentence!  Here is a copy of mine.  It is non-exciting every day Presson moments, but it will help you get an idea...

One Sentence A Day Journal...

May 16, 2012 – I started Advocare on Apr 30^th, weighing in at *** pounds. :( So far I have lost 10 pounds :), and TODAY I started the treadmill! Proud of my accomplishments thus far!

May 17, 2012 – Clark went to work at 4:30 this morning so he could be home in time to eat supper with us and mow the grass. These constant late night hours are so hard for me. He mowed the grass and mulched until it was dark, and then worked by the porch lights. It was wonderful to have him home on a weeknight, even though he wasn't in the house!

May 18, 2012 – Avery's last day of 8^th grade! Can't believe I will have a highschooler in the fall. Very emotional day! Landry & our Ladybug played in the sprinkler. She could hardly stand the fact that the ground got muddy! Landry rolled in the mud. Oh, the differences between my boys and this girlie girl! Down 12 pounds! AND Leslie found out she is having TWINS in January!!!!!!!

May 19, 2012 – Clark left for a claim this morning at 1:30 and has been gone all day. We were all desperately needing to spend some time with him this weekend. Since that didn't happen, I took the kids to the Fort Loudon “Beach”. It was fun! We will be going back this Summer!

May 20, 2012 – Another lllooonngg day with Clark back on his claim. I was glad he got to come home and sleep for a few hours. He made it to church by 6:30 tonight. The ACA students presented their Competition performances. Awesome as always.

May 21, 2012 – Emery Baker is getting a new heart today at 1:00. Thank you, Jesus, for this miracle of life! God is so good!

May 22, 2012 – Competition is happening this week, so Avery is loving being in Knoxville all day without the rest of us. Riley and I are still trying to finish up 5^th grade. We got a couple of weeks behind due to my back situation and his IL trip. Everything went great with Emery. Happy Birthday to Selina!

May 23, 2012 – All the kids and I headed to Knoxville for Competition at 7:30 this morning. Avery did his Science Fair Interview. BuSy day!

May 24, 2012 – Another looonngg day of home school. It is hard when the rest of the house is off for the summer. We planned on going to the fountains at Maryville College, but they weren't on. Major sadness in the van, so we headed to Townsend to get wet in the mountain streams. 13 pounds down.

As you can see, one sentence is a bit difficult.  Just thought I'd share the memory-collecting idea!

He Holds My Seasons!

I have been thinking the past weeks on the seasons that life takes us through.  The Lord created them.  It is His will for things to change.  We love the seasons when we are on the mountain top.  However, it is the valley that I seem to remember the most.  Perhaps because that is the time in which I grow.  This past weekend we took a trip to Jackson, TN., the place where Clark was born and raised, and the town that we spent out first ten years of marriage.  I took some time to drive around.  I visited one of our past homes. I drove and wept as I thought of the seasons that our life went through in those ten years.  The ups and downs, the growth of our marriage, the births of two of our sons, the times of laughter and weeping. 

Life often takes us through seasons that we share with others.  Our pain is lessened when we can share it.  However, my season of late has been with God and me.  It is a lonely place.  I have shared it with my husband, but even then, there are times when only the Lord understands and loves us still.  There are seasons when we sing, "It's me, oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer.  Not my brother or my sister, but it's me, oh Lord..."

During this time, the Lord has drawn me yet again to one of my favorite places in His word, the book of Ruth.  Naomi and Ruth certainly went through many of life's seasons.  I've often wondered if Naomi made the correct choice in leaving Bethlehem-Judah.  I realize the search for sustenance drove her and Elimelech out.  The fear of your children starving would cause any parents to run.  However, there were many that stayed and survived.  Her decision to leave her homeland caused such a season of terrible loss in her life.  A season of loneliness that I would never want to experience.  Yet, in her heartache she was able to return home.

Naomi changed her name to Mara, which means bitter.  She was determined, that because of her loss, the hand of the Lord was against her.  During this season, her bitterness made her unable to feel the touch of God, but it had not made Him unable to touch her.  One of my very favorite parts of Naomi's life is God's timing, the season in which He directed her back to Bethlehem-Judah.  She and her family left in a season of famine, wanting, and need.  However, the Lord allowed Naomi to return during the season of barley harvest (Ruth 1:22).  Harvest season is a time of rejoicing, a time of plenty, and time of joy! 

Earlier today, I was reading an article and a sentence jumped off the page and into my heart.  It said, "Appreciate this season of life."  My first thought was, "Are you sure, Lord?"  It is hard to appreciate the tough, frustrating, and lonely seasons.  However, the Lord is quietly confirming that He will eventually change my season, just as He did Naomi's.  He began to change Naomi's life from bad to good. As we know, Ruth's season bloomed into love, and Naomi became the nurse of Obed, Ruth and Boaz's son. (Ruth 4:16) The one who called herself Bitter cared for the boy of the lineage through which the ultimate Redeemer, Jesus Christ, comes.   Naomi's story is such a beautiful reminder that His timing is perfect.  He holds our seasons in His hands! 

Thank you Lord for the miracles that you bring with the change of life's seasons.