10,000 reasons

After about 5 months, I'm back to blogging. I felt like I needed a break to step back and let myself learn and grow without constantly trying to put everything into words. But now I'm back just in time for Africa, and I'm looking forward to using this blog to write about what God teaches me while I'm there. 

My friend Natalie just came and visited for a week, and while she was here, she showed me her Joy Notebook, in which she recorded at least 3 things a day that brought her joy. It made me remember a book that I started in 2013. I called it my 10,000 reasons notebook, and in it I wrote things I came across during my day for which I can praise God in an effort to one day get to 10,000 reasons to praise God. I kinda forgot about it and stopped doing it in April, but Natalie inspired me to start it back up, so on the 12th I began writing things I could praise God for throughout the day. Let me tell you, if you ever need a joy boost, do this! My reasons have varied from tiny mundane pleasures like a cup of hot tea with milk and sugar to huge blessings, like God's unfailing love or a specific incident of His provision. When I begin to see again that everything, every little minute thing is a gift from God as He romances me, my joy skyrockets. In just 3 days, I have become extremely attached to my little notebook, and I carry it everywhere. It is impossible to be sad while reading it. 

I know one day, probably 10 years from now, when I get to 10,000, the song by Matt Redman will have so much more meaning as I hold my little notebooks full of tangible, experienced reasons to praise Him. And I'll never want to stop.