Enthusiastically, Dawn

Welcome to Summer Journal as we head into our sixteenth prompt. If you are new, or need refresh- head here: SUMMER JOURNAL 2025!

Or just jump in and journal right now, and check the backstory later.

I was sitting with my journal earlier this week and considering the things that have been bringing me joy. That got me thinking and listing moments of joy experienced most recently, and also thinking more about God’s blessings. So today, we will be enjoying that vibe, how does that sound. Oh, what prompted my joy journal venture on my patio? A bad attitude. So if you need an attitude reset today, jump in and enjoy this one with me.

Let’s start with a dictionary.com visit and define our words today. I thought I would place the full definitions in this post (with thanks to dictionary.com) for you to see and compare for yourself.

Blessing: noun

1. the act or words of a person who blesses.
2. a special favor, mercy, or benefit.the blessings of liberty.Synonyms: bounty, profit, gain, boon, advantage
3. a favor or gift bestowed by God, thereby bringing happiness.
4. the invoking of God’s favor upon a person.The son was denied his father’s blessing.
5. praise; devotion; worship, especially grace said before a meal.The children took turns reciting the blessing.
6. approval or good wishes.The proposed law had the blessing of the governor.

Joy: noun

1. the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation. She felt the joy of seeing her son’s success. Synonyms: rapture Antonyms: grief, sorrow, unhappiness, misery
2. a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated.Her prose style is a pure joy.
3. the expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety.
4. a state of happiness or felicity. Synonyms: bliss

After reading the definitions let’s go ahead and jump in to our journal and write.

Option 1: How do you define the difference between blessing and joy? Write your own definitions, explain why. If you want to write more, tackle one or both of the next prompts as you feel led.

Option 2: Find a spot to write that brings you joy. Settle in and think back over the past 24 hours. List the things (experiences, events, places, moments) that are bringing you, or have brought you joy this season. Be descriptive. Are these the same joys as 1 year ago? 5? 10? How are they different? What might they reveal about what is different in your life?

Option 3: Remember the song, “Count Your Blessings”? Well, you are going to go ahead and list those blessings, name them one by one, and yes, look and see what God has done. Look at the past week. Reflect on the days, and how the week unfolded. Look for God’s hand in the details. Write down your many blessings. Seek and surely they will be found. Trace where there was a need met, a challenge brought forward, or a simple moment where God’s blessing was palpable to you in some way. Consider that blessings can also be corrective measures if you are a believer.

Option 4: Journal about how blessings and joy are similar, and different. Consider the difference in your journal and discover something new through your writing out your thoughts on paper. Keep asking yourself as you write, how? Why?

I hope this prompt today, allows you to connect with God, yourself and others better- because I believe one of the greatest gifts of journaling is in that exact outcome!

Happy Journaling!

Enthusiastically, Dawn