my prayer journal

I finished filling up this prayer journal a few weeks ago. I'm grateful for the time I've had to pray, causing it to fill up fast, but I wish I had more time with it; the design had so much character! I still remember my thought process when I bought it...

Wow, can you say "addict"?  Hmm, I like coffee...

(back cover)

Aww, cute lattes!  (look at front over again)...Oh, I get it!  It's a "coffee from around the world" journal!!

(inside front cover)

"muchas gracias!"  aww cute!!  And what's this? (The inside says "A cup of coffee commits one to forty years of friendship - Turkish Proverb")

A Turkish proverb?!?!  This journal was made for me!!  What's on the back cover?

(It says: "Black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, sweet as love.")

HAHAHAHAH!!!  Is this about coffee or a woman?  OK!  I may not have the same love affair with coffee as this guy, but it's still so funny! I'm buying it!

I never thought I would proudly own anything that speaks of the devil or hell in a positive light.  But now the inside surely doesn't.  Just like in my other journals, I can reread it and be reminded of and amazed at how that black-as-coffee loser has truly become more and more defeated in my life as Jesus and I enjoyed together many battles, praises, tears, requests, confessions, secrets, hopes, dreams, disappointments, struggles, songs, psalms, poems, sketches, encouragement, fears, funny experiences, pleas, and victories (all usually with a cup of coffee).  Not to blow my own horn, because God deserves all the glory for this, nor give praise to journals, because the power of prayer is God's alone, but I do think that one of the coolest things about prayer journals is being able to look back and just read about what God has done specifically, what I asked for and seeing how He answered, and seeing how He's growing me, hopefully to be more and more like Him.  He and I have been through many journals before and by His grace I'm confident there will only be many more to come.  Praying in a journal isn't for everyone, but I'm thankful for it.

I hope I can find cute, cheap journals in Turkey.