I have been thinking a lot about the upcoming Valentine’s day, and what that means for our family. Ordinarily, Valentine's day is a time when I make pink heart shaped pancakes. It is a time when I help the girls make their class cards, and we each make cards for each other. My favorite part is in the morning on Valentine's day before the kids go to school. I make a bigger breakfast than usual and they each get a very small trinket.
I love the holidays and I find great happiness in spreading joy to my family and friends. I know that my daughters see me loving other people, and they see me giving. But in a world where they receive so many things I think it is important to show them that their life story is bigger. Life is bigger than just getting pink pancakes and a Lalaloopsy doll.
In order to really make this clear for my kids, and to make it fun I created a Valentine's Day challenge. I created 7 daily challenges. One for each day leading up to Valentine's day. Each morning when the girls wake up they will open an envelope that gives them a challenge for that day. I am hoping that by spending the next 7 days doing things for other people they will see a bigger story to loving other people. After all, Jesus came and told us to Love God, and Love Others. Jesus taught us that love is the most important thing of all.
I tried to incorporate the challenges with a verse each day. That way the girls see where the challenges are coming from, and have a better understanding of why we are doing them.
Here are the challenges:
Day One: Say something kind to someone at school today. "Kind words are like honey- sweet to the soul and healthy to the body." Proverbs 16:24
I think with so many unkind words going around the schools, and the daily challenges and frustrations it is important that my daugthers practice kind words.
Day Two: Do a secret service for someone in your family. "The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person wins friends." Proverbs 11:30
Secret service for us is just at term that means a favor. Maybe they will choose to make someone else's bed, or do a chore. It can be any basic act of service.
Day Three: Bake cookies and deliver them to one of your neighbors. "Love your neighbor as yourself." Mark 12:31
This challenge is a little more time consuming, but the time we will spend baking the cookies and deciding who we will deliver them to will also open up a little time for more conversations about why we are doing the challenges.
Day Four: Spend 10 minutes with Jesus today. Thank Him for loving you so much. "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33
It is just as important to love God as it is to love others, and while it is more tangible for kids to deliver cookies, or help others I think it is also important to teach them to give time to God.
Day 5: Call someone today just to tell them that you love them. "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13
I love this challenge. How much fun is it to get a call from someone just because they love you!
Day 6: Write a letter or send a card to someone who might be lonely, or who you miss a lot. "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart." Proverbs 3:3
Who doesn't love getting a letter in the mail?
Day 7: Think of your 3 favorite things about everyone in the family. Share your words around the dinner table. "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11
I love this challenge because I think it makes our family bonds stronger, encourages each other, and once again leaves us open for conversation.
When the challenge is over of course, I will still be making pink pancakes, and yes my daughters will still get a small trinket. But I am excited to see how much more their hearts will change from the challenges!!
