DECEMBER 31 REVIEW

Life without a purpose is a languid, drifting thing; every day we ought to review our purpose, saying to ourselves, “This day let me make a sound beginning, for what we have hitherto done is naught.” Thomas Kempis

REVIEW

A whole year has passed since you started journaling. Congratulations on keeping up with your writings. Now, take time to review what value this spiritual practice has brought to your life.

Do you feel closer to God? What has changed? What is new in your life? What has passed away? What challenges have you overcome? What new wisdom do you possess? How have you grown spiritually?

DECEMBER 30 ENDINGS

A good beginning makes a good ending.
Proverb

ENDINGS

Life is full of stops and starts, beginnings and endings. Everything has a lifespan, a designated birth and assigned death. Things have to end so that we may have new beginnings. Death has to occur so resurrection can follow. It is natural and normal to mourn the loss and feel the sadness of an ending.

Some endings are joyful. We are always glad to end a spoiled relationship or unfulfilling job. There is a feeling of accomplishment at having ended a struggle or overcome a difficult challenge.

You can try to delay the inevitable, but things that need to end will always do so. There is a natural process that will occur if you don’t stand in the way. Don’t try to keep things alive that need to expire. Let go of your fear.

DECEMBER 29 CELEBRATION

There is delight in singing, though none hear beside the singer.
Walter Savage

CELEBRATION

There is cause to celebrate. You have made it through another year. You have faced your challenges, solved your problems, and somehow come through it all without too much damage.

Use this journal to make a list of your top three successes this past year. It is important for you to see your progress and notice how much you have grown. Once you have made your list, decide how you want to celebrate your successes. It’s time to party!

DECEMBER 28 DELIGHT

Love consists in desiring to give what is our own to another and feeling his delight as our own.
Emanuel Swedenborg

DELIGHT

There is never going to be a time in your life when absolutely everything is perfect. There will always be some issue to face, challenge to overcome, or problem to solve. That is the nature of human experience.

This is why it is so important to take delight in those moments in life of sheer pleasure and ecstasy. Wallow around in the joy of friends and family as they come together. Let yourself be absorbed in those joyful moments. Lose yourself in gladness.

Set down your burdens for a while, and take refuge in those moments in life when nothing can disturb your happiness. You can always pick up your troubles later. They will be waiting for you. However, you will notice they have somehow become lighter.

DECEMBER 27 CHEERFULNESS

To insure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life.
William Londen

CHEERFULNESS

Wherever children play and laugh, you may be sure that God is present. Our Creator takes pleasure and joy in Its creation. Life is not meant to be a burden. It was created for joy and ease. Children know this. That’s why their primary activity is play.

Try to get back in touch with your childlike nature today. Go play. Spend time with someone who makes you laugh. Go see a comedy or watch a comedian on television.

Regardless of what challenges you have faced, try to end this year in joy. Bring to mind all of the joyful moments you have had this year. Make a list of the top three.

DECEMBER 26 CONTENTMENT

When you can think of yesterday without regret and tomorrow without fear, you are near contentment. Unknown

CONTENTMENT

You are growing in wisdom. You are learning about love. You are facing your fears. You are coming into your own authority. You are becoming authentic.

Each experience in your life brings you closer to God. Every challenge you face and overcome teaches you how powerful you really are. With each passing year, you mature spiritually.

Spiritual maturity has a side effect called contentment. It arrives gracefully, as a peaceful knowing that all is well. You begin to live a serene life, unmoved and unaffected by the chaos of human life. When others are crazed and worried, you remain calm and peaceful. Enjoy this contentment. Make your home in it.

DECEMBER 25 HAPPINESS

Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.
Buddha

HAPPINESS

Author Dennis Prager realized that most people tend to regard the pursuit of happiness as selfish, as opposed to a moral demand. He writes, “When we think of character traits, we rightly think of honesty, integrity, moral courage, and acts of altruism. Few people include happiness in any list of character traits or moral achievements.”

Happiness is an important way of contributing to the world and making it a better place. Sharing your happiness could be one of the greatest gifts you’ll ever give.

DECEMBER 24 GIFTS

Life is the first gift, love is the second, and understanding the third.
Marge Piercy

GIFTS

Make a conscious decision today to give your love in the form of understanding, and you will discover the most powerful way to enhance your life and the life of everyone around you. Without insisting that your love be received or even appreciated, consider this an experiment on how much you can listen to those around you. You can express this kind of love in a few words and with few actions. At the end of the day, you will be able to look back and assess the effects of giving your love.

DECEMBER 23 MIRACLES

Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see.
C.S. Lewis

MIRACLES

A miracle is commonly defined as a noticeable interruption of the laws of nature, which can sometimes be explained by Divine intervention. But there is another way to look at a miracle. Think of it as seeing the ordinary with careful attention. Think of it as noticing the details, mystery, and wonder of everything around you.

For a meditative practice today, choose something to examine closely. It could be a flame on a candle, a plant in a pot, or a sleeping pet. Look at it for a long time, and let yourself imagine how it came into being.

DECEMBER 22 WONDER

He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.
Albert Einstein

WONDER

When we encounter something new or are surprised by something, we frequently experience the feelings of wonder and astonishment. It is as if we experience a moment of pause to take in the event or object with rapt attention.

We can practice being aware of the Presence by consciously feeling wonder at ordinary objects and events. Another way of practicing this is to appreciate everything and everyone you encounter in the next hour. Try to notice how the items and people you observe support your existence, and silently say a few words of gratitude for their Presence.