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Day 27 – Maintaining our Freedom & a DIY Journal

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Write 31 Days – 31 Days,Every Day,One Topic

Day 27

(day 1 starts here)

I cannot believe how close we are to the end of this 31 Days. It has been intense y’all. I’ve shared my story, my path to freedom, and I’ve shared how the enemy would like to steal that freedom right back! Today I want to share with you the KEY to maintaining freedom.

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A New Journal For The New Year

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Putting into practice an attitude of gratefulness can be life changing.  Even when one is going through times that may not seem to hold much in the way of blessing, there is ALWAYS something to be grateful for.  In our search for that something, followed by the act of writing it down, there comes a proven shift in our way of thinking. This change in thinking reaches all the way down into our hearts where we begin to FEEL a difference in our attitudes. 
We are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).

You don’t have to be a writer to keep a Journal, and a Gratitude Journal is a good place to start.  I’ve been journaling for several years now and sometimes I’ve purchased really pretty journals (at really pretty prices) and sometimes my writing has been done on whatever random notebook I’ve had on hand.  I came across the idea of covering mini-composition books (3-1/4″x4-1/2″) at The 36th Avenue and was inspired to make my own.  Here’s how:

I bought two different types and sizes of notebooks. The larger composition book is 9-3/4″ x 7-1/2″ and was .99 cents at Office Max.  The smaller spiral notebook is 7″ x 5″ and the cost was $1.99.  I like the smaller one a lot because it has a pocket inside that you can slip a little note into for gift giving.

I started by lining the cover up over the paper I would use to cover it,  then traced it and cut it out. 
The notebooks can be covered with a variety of materials . . . leftover fabric from another project or an old article of clothing, scrapbooking paper, wallpaper or even thick wrapping paper.  Just glue your material on with a gluestick after you’ve cut it to size.
The black spine of the composition journal looked fine with this particular paper but I decided to use the reverse side of the scrapbooking paper for contrast.  The strip I cut and applied was about 2-3/4″ wide by 9-3/4″ long.  Note:  If you are using fabric it takes more glue to make it stick as the fabric tends to wick up the glue (a lesson learned by trial and error).
Now, for a little heavy reading atop the notebook while it dries!

 

So here are the books I covered today.  This is a quick and easy project, especially when done assembly line style.  I did 17 of them in one evening to give as gifts to friends (okay, so I’ll admit, it was one really LATE evening).

 

Some of the notebooks received an extra little embellishment, a fabric rosette . . . (tutorial here)
. . . or a stamp with a message and some old buttons . . .

 

. . . a cutout monogram with a button glued on to match the buttons on the paper . . .

 

 . . . and a plain paper monogram in a contrasting color.  I used my handy dandy glue gun to add the embellishments.  You could get really imaginative and have a lot of fun with this part!

 

 

I can see the future of my journals now . . .

 

 

. . . instead of being in random places all over the house, my personal journals will now be uniform in size, organized by date, tied up with a pretty ribbon and artfully displayed on my office bookshelf. 
Just another little vignette to make me smile 🙂
  So . . . who or what are you grateful for in your life today?  
Is there someone that has helped you or met a need?  
Is there someone who has been kind to you or just blessed you with a smile? 
Are you grateful for the beauty of creation around you?
 Have you had any recent answers to prayer that you can be grateful for? 
I am thankful for so very much . . . a warm fire on a cold night, a hot cup of tea, my family’s love, friends that accept me for who I am, doggie kisses (I know GROSS, right?) . . . my list goes on and on.  And while this may seem trivial in the grand scheme of things I’m also thankful for things that bring beauty to my home . . . 
things like .99 cent journals covered with old scraps of fabric or paper. 
These are the little things that brighten up my small corner of the world.
And always, I’m thankful for YOU,

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