I ordered my first “Daily Jo” journal back in February. I am a Catholic mom of 6 kids who range in age from 14 to 27. I work full time in business development at a big four accounting firm and when I am not at work or hustling from one kid event to the next, I am serving on the board of the American Diabetes Association, chairing our big event the “Tour de Cure” and connecting with amazing women at my church.
Last year, I attended a 4 day women’s ACTS (Adoration-Community-Theology-Service) retreat and my faith was forever transformed. As you can imagine, I am busy. I have planners for work and live and die by my calendar. But something was missing. I start my day with about 30 minutes of reflection/prayer/reading – it is the first thing I do in the morning. Then a quick shower and as soon as I hit my desk, I pull out my “Daily Jo”.
I like many, take for granted all of the great gifts that I have in my life. Six healthy children, a loving husband who knows me so well, an abundance of friends, a nice home, a great job, wonderful parents – I could go on and on. I think it is easy for us to fall into the trap of wanting more and more. I was reading up on GRATITUDE and came across the “Daily JO” journal. I love that it is small and fits in my purse without weighing it down. It has helped me to overcome that feeling that something is missing in my life. I have better days when I start my day in my journal. It reminds me of what is important in life, the people and things that I am so grateful for. It helps me focus on ONE GOAL that is really important and helps me remember to release my frustrations, anxieties and fears and to replace them with joy, peace and trust. These are a daily battle for me.
I have enjoyed it so much that I am going to introduce it to a group of my ACTS sisters as one of the tools that I use to stay grounded in my faith. I am also going to suggest that we each select an accountability partner so that we can all help each other in attaining our goals and staying focused on what is important. It is amazing what happens to your mood/faith/outlook on life when you focus daily on gratitude!!
Beth — Houston, TX.