Welcome to the 30 Days of Thanksgiving for 2017!!! I’m glad you’re joining us. If you missed the background article, why I started doing this over 15 years ago and what it involves, go back and read “Be Thankful“. Since today is Day ONE, I’m going to share a few ideas on how to make a thanksgiving journal for you to keep during the next 30 days. I’ll also share today’s Scripture reading, a poem/story, and a song for you to listen to. Let’s get started!
This post contains affiliate links. You won’t pay any more when you use these but I will earn a small commission on any purchases you make after clicking on them and I greatly appreciate it. Thanks for helping support my little blog!!!
Join our 30 Days of Thanksgiving email list & receive daily emails leading up to Thanksgiving Day!
Scripture Reading – Psalm 69:30
Every day I’ll share a Scripture verse with you. You can copy it into your journal, illustrate it, create a graphic (like the one I made above), or just read it. If you do something creative, I’d love to see it. Come over to our Facebook group and share it with us!
I will praise the name of God with song
And magnify Him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30 (NASB)
Thanksgiving Poem/Story
I’ll also share a poem, story, or article every day. Some will be short enough for you to copy into your journals. Others will be too long to even post here… like today’s! This is just a portion of a poem by Alice Williams Brotherton.
The First Thanksgiving Day
From Plymouth to the Golden Gate today their children tread,
The mercies of that bounteous Hand upon the land are shed;
The “flocks are on a thousand hills,” the prairies wave with grain,
The cities spring like mushrooms now where once was desert-plain.Heap high the board with plenteous cheer and gather to the feast,
And toast that sturdy Pilgrim band whose courage never ceased.
Give praise to that All-Gracious One by whom their steps were led,
And thanks unto the harvest’s Lord who sends our “daily bread.”
Count Your Blessings
“Count Your Blessings” is an old hymn that I grew up singing at our little church back in Texas. I don’t hear it much anymore but it’s kind of my theme this month. This month when I face conflict, are heavy burdened, or tempest tossed, I’m going to start thinking about all the things that God has done for me!
You could copy the words in your journal (Find the text of the song HERE.) or sing along with this video that will show you the words.
How to Make a Thanksgiving Journal
If you’re new to my blog you may be thinking, “Just what is a Thanksgiving journal?” Really it’s just any blank book that you write in every day what you’re thankful for. Don’t worry about being crafty… it can be as simple or elaborate as you want. I’ve used spiral notebooks, composition notebooks, and last year I got really artistic with mine. (I’ll share photos later in the series.)
The journals in the photo above are mini spiral and composition notebooks that I bought at back to school sales. I think they were 4/$1.00! The photo below is what they looked like when I bought them:
Here’s how to make these thanksgiving journals: Cover the front with paper. I used text from an old book that was falling apart and stuck a copy of an old postcard on the front. You won’t believe how many digital vintage Thanksgiving image are available on Etsy! But you could use any photo you like, or decorate it yourself. The cover is not really what’s important — it’s what you write inside.
I have numbered pages 1-30 in my journal and plan on making a list of things I’m thankful for every day. Mine is a little larger than these so I’ll have room for Scriptures and photos, too.
Here’s another example. This one had black pages so I could write and doodle with my gold, silver, and white gel pens. I bought it at a local store but if I find an online source I’ll share it with you.
{{{ Join our 30 Days of Thanksgiving (30DoT) group on Facebook! }}}
I’ll be sharing more photos of my journal in our Facebook group. Meanwhile, if you’re local and would like one of the mini journals, let me know. I have some extra!
You can also follow me on Pinterest. I have a NEW Pinterest board especially for the 30 Days of Thanksgiving! If you share on Instagram or Twitter, tag all your updates with # 30DoT so we can find them.
I hope this was helpful to show you how to make a thanksgiving journal!
Ann @ Duct Tape and Denim
Pinterest | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Etsy | YouTube
Originally published October 19, 2010
Debbie Demmers-Lujan says
October 20, 2010 at 11:49 amAnn, I enjoyed your journals. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and not because I was born on Thanksgiving….many years ago. I am a Christian, too, and Thanksgiving is our holiday where we help serve each year at the Senior Citizens Center…since we do not live near a lot of our family, can't think of a better way to do this holiday. Just had our craft show…maybe pop over to my blog and see. I did some journals there out of composition books, too….thanks, debbie PS…work part-time myself and create. Just let go of one of my job…wonder all the time about whether to work full-time or not. Still have a 13 year old at home.