A Quick Prayer To Give You Strength

I was recently reading a copy of for women First magazine, and I read this lovely little prayer that Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts (cancer survivor) says every morning. I think this would be an excellent start to any day-

The Light of God surrounds me.
The Love of God enfolds me.
The Power of God protects me.
The Presence of God watches over me.
Wherever I am, God is.

I know I took strength from these words when I read them. Hope you have a beautiful day, people. Sorry for the short post but stay tuned for tomorrow's post where I'll be sharing a low-carb, gluten free coconut banana bread recipe!

No-Pressure Journaling- One Line A Day, or More!

I remember the first diary I regularly wrote in. It was a pink, paperback teddy-bear embellished affair that I had started using in fourth grade, and I quickly filled it with all my juvenile hopes and dreams (many of them involving a certain undeserving boy). I also remember being devastated when I lost it at school in fifth grade, and later found it in pieces all along the hallway...Oh, the cruelty of youth. But back to the subject at hand...

One of my resolutions for 2013 was to start journaling again, and I had found the perfect plan for me- the "line-a-day" journal! Imagine one diary that would cover five years, by dating each page with the month and day, and then allotting just a few lines for each year. So at the end of five years, you have a brief history of the time period with only the most noteworthy (pun intended) moments recorded in one consolidated book. There was one you could buy that was already dated just for this purpose like this one, which you can click if you want to check it out:



but I wanted something more unique, and, yes, cheaper! So I found a lovely red, hardcover journal with cream colored, lined pages, on SALE! I have been methodically dating each page as I go. I loyally wrote an entry a day for the first 15 days of January, but since then I have been rather sporadic. I am happy to report that I have still recorded most days, and that mostly I have recorded what I made for dinner! I love this idea which I borrowed from Jenny Rosenstrach, the author of Dinner: A Love Story: It all begins at the family table. It allows me to look back at which meals and treats were our favorites and those which need to be tossed out of my repertoire. I've also recorded special dates with my husband, fun things that we've done as a family, and milestones and funny sayings of my kids. If you've been thinking of journaling as a way to document the special memories or meals of your life, but you don't have the time or desire to put too much effort into it, the line-a-day, or, in my case, paragraph-a-day, method is probably perfect for you.

To Be Happy, You've Got to Live Happy

Books really saved me when I was going through what was probably the saddest, toughest part of my life. Even if I couldn't control everything that was happening to me, I could definitely control how I responded to it. I could let it break me, or I could learn from it and get stronger- and that's what I've tried to do. But, when I was so sad and hopeless that I would spontaneously burst into tears at least once a day, having positive people and reading materials really helped change my perspective from doom and gloom to light and hope. This book was one of those things that helped me so much- 365 Ways to Live Happy- Simple Ways to Find Joy in Every Day, by Meera Lester.

In this cheap, little paperback tome, I found 365 positive things to re-focus my energy on. Little ideas, projects, goals, experiences that I could concentrate on instead of my heartbreak and sadness. Reading this book helped me start climbing out of the dark hole I had suddenly found myself in. Thank you Ms. Lester for your positive, bright words.

If you would like to read 365 Ways to Live Happy, please click below, and check out my Books to Inspire tab for other inspirational reads: