Here are a few "family history" ideas:
- I think blogs have helped me to overcome the "blank page plague". If I have something I want to write about, I just create a draft and when I have time, I get to it.
- Another idea came as a bridal shower gift years ago. It is a cute box and in the box are 365 index cards, with a card marked with each day of the year. When something significant happens, I pull out the card associated with that day, write the year, place, and whatever it is that happened. Ex: on the card for the day Cody and I were married, I wrote, "2008 - 1:00 PM, Cody and Jessi sealed for time and all eternity in the St. Louis Temple" or on the day Emma was born, "2011 - Emma Lynn born at 2:53 AM, 6 lbs, 1 oz, 19.5 inches long, Douglas County, Nebraska". Over the years those cards will fill up with a "family history". It is easier and faster than writing a whole journal entry, and fun to look back and see what happened on this day over the years. I am not AWESOME at this, but pull it out periodically and can quickly jot down events so that we remember.
- A dear friend of mine keeps a daily gratitude journal with her husband. Everyday they write one thing that they are thankful for. It can be in relation to each other or just something that they experienced that day that they want to remember or express gratitude for.
- I periodically keep a journal of things I love about Cody. It's usually when I've had a frustrating day and want to be critical or am feeling particularly "naggy" that I pull it out. It helps me to remember how much I love him and cherish our relationship.
- Reading this week has lead me to ponder about a talk that Elder Eyring gave years ago in conference about his Tender Mercy journal that he kept every day. He would record at least one event in the day that was evidence that Heavenly Father was there and was watching over him and his family. What an incredible thing to be able to pass on to your children. When my parents pass away, that would be one thing that I would be SO grateful to get from them - a list of their day-to-day testimony strengthening events. One goal I would like to have is to keep a journal like that for my children.
"There is one subject I wish to speak upon and that is the keeping of a journal with respect to the dealings of God with us. I have many times thought the Quorum of the Twelve and others considered me rather enthusiastic upon this subject; but when the Prophet Joseph organized the Quorum of the Twelve, he counseled them to keep a history of their lives, and gave his reasons why they should do so. I have had this spirit and calling upon me since I first entered this Church. I made a record from the first sermon I heard, and from that day until now I have kept a daily journal. Whenever I heard Joseph Smith preach, teach, or prophesy, I always felt it my duty to write it; I felt uneasy and could not eat, drink, or sleep until I did Write; and my mind has been so exercised upon this subject that when I heard Joseph Smith teach and had no pencil or paper, I would go home and sit down and Write the whole sermon, almost word for word and sentence by sentence as it was delivered, and when I had written it it was taken from me, I remembered it no more. This was the gift of God to me." (Matthias F. Cowley, Wilford Woodruff: History of His Life and Labors, pp. 476-77; italics added.)
What would it feel like to have that kind of drive to keep a journal?? "I felt uneasy and could not eat, drink, or sleep until I did write".
I will be praying to have an attitude like that regarding record keeping.
What a fabulous post. I LOVE the ideas you have for keeping a family record. I especially like the idea of writing on note cards. What a fun way to see other things too (like pen color, hand writing,etc. nerdy? yeah...) And yea, man oh man I long for that type of attitude! What an example!
ReplyDeleteI love the note card idea! That's totally awesome! I think its amazing that Wilford Woodruff wrote so much, and that his journals are used so much today. What a blessing. Someday I hope to be that kind of blessing to my posterity.
ReplyDeleteI too LOVE the box card idea. I am so going to do that. I feel like that is something I can do quickly and easily and yet it is a great way to keep track of the big events. Thanks for all your thoughts and ideas!
ReplyDeleteI love each of these ideas. I've done a bit of the husband-gratitude stuff or just telling stories to the kids about how great "dad" is, even when wally was a wee baby. But to have it written down! Brilliant. And YES to gratitude, I've been thinking that gratitude is the easiest way to immediately feel the Saviour's love. Thanks for sharing. I'm motivated!
ReplyDeleteseriously, I just went and wrote a 2 line journal entry. Thanks for motivating.
ReplyDeleteI also like the idea of the husband gratitude journal. Phil and I like to tell each other every day times that we felt loved by the other person. I like the idea of writing things down. There is a lot of power in writing things down.
ReplyDeleteEspecially since conference, I have been more determined to writing down daily insights or revelation. I have not been consistent daily, but I am hoping to make it habit. It always strikes a chord with me when the apostles say that writing our revelation down helps us communicate to God that we are taking it seriously. I have also found that writing it down helps me take myself seriously. It easy to feel good about something and then the next day wonder if I was just making it up. Thanks for all the great thoughts!