Life isn’t always champagne wishes and caviar dreams…

(Hah – do you hear Robin Leach’s British voice from Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous?)

but every couple has good stuff to celebrate!

How do you document & celebrate the good stuff?

Pictures

I imagine you take photos of monumental moments – do you display those photos?  Many people have scrapbooks or photo albums or use computer/online mediums to store their photos.

When I was a child, I remember my parents having “slide show” evenings with friends.  A large screen was set up in our living room, and the lights were turned off.  The projector was turned on and like magic these huge pictures of happy events or beautiful sunsets (my Mom couldn’t pass up taking pictures of sunsets) appeared on the screen.

It was a real social time where the group would gather, enjoy food and an evening filled with happy memories.  Often those in the room were in the slides and exclamations of laughter and stories about the events were bantered back and forth.  Pictures became the way to remember the good times – the good stuff of life.

Today we have online resources – Facebook being a very popular way to share photos of happy events with friends and family.

And then we display our photos in our homes.  Some homes have more photos than wall and table-top space.  If you’re a fan of Pinterest, there are many ideas on how to display photos…

 Journals

Someone once said that

If life is worth living, then it’s worth recording…  

Do you keep a journal?  There are many resources and ways to journal:

I’ve written in a journal since my kids were small.  It’s fascinating to go back to those first pages and visit that young woman I was to reminisce over all the joys and frustrations of a time long ago.

Every now and again I read to Robert something that I wrote about years ago.  Journals have become my way of seeing God moving in our life through circumstance and answered prayers.

On our 25th Wedding Anniversary

We celebrated our 25th Anniversary three years ago.  At that time I made up an 8-page photo journal highlight of our life:  family, where we lived, our kids, our churches, our professions, our friends etc.  It made for an interesting journey down memory lane.  As I write this blog post it’s sitting on the table next to me.

Looking back builds HOPE

By documenting the good stuff of life, we have the opportunity look back and celebrate our blessings.

Most times looking through our photos and journals promotes happy smiles and laughter.  However, photos and journals can hold bittersweet memories of loss: loved-ones who have passed, friends no longer part of our journey, or places/things dear to our heart no longer in our life.

Regardless.  Everything can still be celebrated.

Our lives are a gift from God.

Where He has blessed us in the past, He will give new blessings in the future. He has a plan.  

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

~ Jeremiah 29:11

God – the creator of heaven and earth – is a God of Hope.  Our hope lies in Him.

Take time today to revisit your past.

Sit with your spouse and look through old photos.  Or tour through your home with your spouse to really see each photo.  (Sometimes the stuff on our walls becomes part of the scenery & ignored.)  Create a commentary.  Talk about the celebrations you shared – and focus on the good stuff.

From that looking back, start a conversation to imagine all the good God will do in your life in the future.  The future doesn’t have to be viewed years forward – it can be in the next few days, or weeks, or months.  Every day (if you look and document it) you’ll see God’s blessings.

Build your hope for a good future – together!  Be inspired with hope.

Start recording all the good stuff NOW.  

Do you have other ways to document your good stuff?