New Every Morning

I’ve been using a new kind of journal recently.  I should explain that I’m one of these compulsive diary-keepers who likes to write down what happened (or what I thought happened, or what I’m worried might happen, etc.!) at the end of every day.  I can’t really account for this strange habit, and I often wonder why I do it.  But when I stop keeping my diary for any length of time I get jittery, and I feel like life is slipping away from me – so I’ve accepted that it’s something I need to do to keep on an even keel.  And in the past year or so, it’s been absolutely vital to me.

I took a chance and ordered a copy of Ellie Claire’s New Every Morning journal a while back.  I have to say I’ve really enjoyed using it.  As you can see, it has Christian quotes on the left hand page, and space to write on the right-hand page.

(If you want to read the quotes, you can click on the photo so it appears large on your screen.  I liked this page because it has a quote by Izaak Walton.  Michael and I had a memorable Christmas visit to the Izaak Walton Inn, in Glacier National Park, once.  The train stops nearby and people help you out into the snow and to the hotel.)

New Every Morning

What I’ve found myself doing is, after I write about the events of the day, I turn the page and read the quotes for the next day, underlining any bits that I particularly like.  Then the next evening I am essentially re-reading the quotes on the left-hand side, which gives me a feeling of having had a bit more time to soak them up.

The challenge has been to limit myself to one page per day, but that’s also been a benefit insofar as it makes me think of what’s most important.  However, once I finish with this journal I think I’ll be glad to be released back into unlimited white pages.  I’ll miss the quotes though!  As an academic, I am a little bit bothered that the quotes are only accompanied by the author’s name and no more.  But in this day of the internet, if I wanted to pin one of them down, I probably could.

I’ve also found the title encouraging.  When the day has been really stressful or worrying, I’m reminded that tomorrow is a fresh start.  A dear friend said something to me that has been very helpful to remember:  “Every morning brings you closer to being settled in your new home.”  And this journal reminds me of that truth.

I realise that many people aren’t interested in Christian quotations, but this format could be a really good one for any kind of focus.  You could make up your own book!