Christmas is over and I cannot believe that we are on the cusp of a brand new year. 2016, so new and fresh – it is just sitting there waiting to be filled with memories, events, emotions and happenings. I think back on all that 2015 held for me and for my family. It was a year filled with the unexpected, with the lovely and with the difficult; through all those times and more God showed Himself faithful and sovereign.

Those bigger moments, yeah, they stand out. Those tearful times of prayer that had me on my knees in full surrender, they are etched in my heart’s memory. But, what about those smaller moments, the moments where He was moving and I may or may not have noticed it? I don’t want to forget. I don’t want to have lost moments, thoughts, or situations that have marked my life’s story and have revealed how God’s faithful hand was a constant.

A few weeks ago, I found myself lying in bed thinking about a time earlier in the year that had my heart deeply burdened. I remember how I scribbled down some thoughts about it at the time and I can remember how broken and hopeless I thought the situation was. Then as I was lying there, I was thinking about how, months later, that situation had immensely changed. I can see now how when I gave up trying to remedy something that was not mine to fix was when God could take and redeem what was His to restore.

I wish I had kept record of every detail throughout all those months, even just a simple jot or notation, so that I could see just how God’s goodness unfolded. Sometimes, His goodness comes swift and through the sweet and joyous; Sometimes, His goodness comes slower and through the tears and angst. I want to be reminded of when and how God, in His sovereignty, redeems and restores as He works in and through all moments of my life when I surrender all to Him.

I decided I would start writing a daily log capturing my “God Moments”. Every day I want to take pen to paper and write down something, something that reflects my heart to His and His to mine. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy entry, by any means – some days, it might be a word, a line, or a paragraph…maybe it will be a particular situation in my life, a moment of praise, a burden felt, an answered prayer, a verse that is whispering to my soul or even a word impressed.

I look forward to reading back on my entries as the year progresses. I look forward to growing and better understanding Him through chronicled moments, thoughts, and heavenly whispers that are written in my journal. I think of the words from Chris Tomlin’s song, “Noel” – Come and see what God has done…The story of amazing love…These are the words that should be reflective of our hearts and lives. I don’t want to forget a moment that invites me to bask in the wonder of what God has done.

If you interested in starting your own “God Moments” daily log/prayer journal, but are unsure as to how to begin…here are a couple of example entries I wrote.

Tips:

1. Always date the beginning of your entry.
2. Use various writing tools – pencils, pens, highlighter, etc.
3. Box, circle, highlight or doodle around words or phrases that are striking significant importance to you.
4. Jot down the time when you write something important down.
5. Refer yourself back to dates that have similar subject entries (an awesome way to see God working).
6. Don’t overthink this. Let it be natural, let it be you.