A Thoughtful Way to Bookend Your Days

First Light & Eventide: A Daily Gratitude Journal

How can six simple questions help you better navigate life’s uncertainty?

Contemplative Christians have long practiced a ritual called examen, a simple reflection on how God works throughout an ordinary day.

When you practice this short, twice-daily thought exercise in the morning and evening, you’ll be better focused on gratitude, grace, and greater truth.

As you record your answers to three key questions at the beginning and end of your day — your bookends — you'll be better prepared for whatever God has for you in the hours between.

Examen is a daily time of prayer to express gratitude to God, reflect on the day and notice God’s hand in it, and ask for guidance about what’s next.

It's usually associated with the evening, as a way to close out the day, and traditionally consists of five steps: Relish, Request, Review, Repent, and Resolve —that lead us to notice God’s constant presence. We can also tap into the wisdom of Examen in the morning to bookend our days with contemplation and awareness to help us spend our waking hours well.

How do you do this? First Light & Eventide is a good place to start.

What’s inside the journal?

🤔 Questions for Thoughtful Consideration
Each day, you’ll consider three simple questions in the morning and three in the evening. This is my own examen practice that helps me discover what God’s doing in my day-to-day life.

✍️ Room to Record

You’ll have plenty of beautifully designed space to answer each day’s questions.

📖 Quotes for Reflection

Along the way, you’ll find some of my favorite quotes from authors, philosophers, and influential thinkers. Use these as wisdom guideposts from the past for your present-day life.

Pre-Order Your Journal:

Accompanying Journaling Music

As you develop the habit of morning and evening bookends, my prayer is that First Light & Eventide leads you into deeper contemplation and gratitude.

If you’ve read my other books, you know that I love music. In light of the spirit of examen, here’s a reflective playlist to accompany you throughout the day. I’m grateful for artists who share their gifts with the rest of us! Check as I continue to add to the playlist when I find more music that adds beauty to my days.

First Light & Eventide Playlist:

About the Author

Tsh Oxenreider is the bestselling author of several books, most notably At Home in the World, her travel memoir about her family’s year traveling around the world and living out of backpacks. She’s also a top-ranked podcaster, teacher, and travel guide, and lives in Georgetown, Texas with her husband and three children. She is equally happy fiddling in her backyard garden, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef with her family, and standing in a chilly line in New York City for cheap Broadway tickets with her teenage daughter. Learn more.

You can also connect with Tsh regularly through her weekly newsletter, The Commonplace.