Grateful kids

A much needed day off happened today.  A day where I was surrounded by my girls.   A day filled with laughter.  A day filled with fun.  A day filled with smiles.  At least that is the kind of day that I expected to happen.   For the most part, the day was wonderful, but before the sun had awakened one daughter had already complained no less than nine times.   The complaining was apparently catching and pretty soon I had three complainers on my hands.

This ungrateful stance led me down a path where I began to wonder...  Have I instilled thankful hearts in my daughters?  Am I complaining so much that it is rubbing off on them?  My prayer journal is filled with thanks.  I have pages and pages of praise and thanksgiving for all the wonderful things in my life.  Do they know that?  Do they see my heart as thankful or as ungrateful?

God clearly calls us to give thanks.  He doesn't call us to give thanks occasionally. He doesn't call us to give thanks only when something really great happens, but instead He calls us to give thanks ALL the time.  "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  1 Thessalonians 5:18.   

I fully believe that having a thankful heart leads to pure joy.  I want my daughters to experience a life where they can fully experience the blessing God has poured out for them.  I want them to experience the joy of thanking God for the small things-  for the fridge full of food, for socks right out of the dryer, for snuggles, and stolen moments of family time.    The more they thank God for these things, the easier it will be to be thankful on the days when things are not quite as easy.

All that remains then is this:  How can I better teach my daughters to have thankful hearts?  To do this I think there are two different categories.  The first category is full of  things I can do everyday, and the second are things we can do in the long-term.

Ways to be thankful everyday:

1. Stop and thank God out loud for the everyday things that surround us. These are the things I am already praying in my head, but I can share them out loud!  I can give them concrete examples!  If I am not thanking God out loud then they won't be either!

2. Ask them the question: What would you like to thank God for today?  This is something we do in our evening prayers.  We thank God for something that happened that day.  It is one of my favorite moments at bedtime.  

3.  Say "Thank you!"  Sounds simple enough right?  But kids are not going to say thank you unless we are!    Be the example and say thank you!   Bonus points if you thank your child!

Ways to expand their thankful hearts:

1. Create a thankful jar.  This idea is simple enough, decorate a jar and leave it somewhere that the kids can fill it with slips of paper listing things they are thankful for.

2.  Keep Thank you cards in the house.   I love sending thank you cards, and I love having my daughters help.

3.  Create a bigger picture.  Volunteer, and help other people.  I want my daughters to experience a world, and a life story that is bigger than just them.  By creating a bigger story my daughters can grow to be thankful for what they have.

4.  Refill the glass.  It is normal for everyone to see the glass as half empty from time to time.  But I can look for moments to teach my daughters to see the silver lining in those situations!  

Why we can't blink

I wipe down the counter tops in my kitchen, and breathe in the stillness after a busy day.  Cups, napkins, and cupcake wrappers are strewn across the kitchen.  I am standing in the after math of a great birthday party.  Friends and family came to celebrate the littlest daughter's third birthday.

My daughter was delightful.  She squealed in joy when each person came in the door.  She embraced everyone in excitement.  She didn't even care about the presents-at least- not until I told her she could open them.  I love that about her.  I love that she is so open with her joy, and her lovely heart.

As I stand here wiping down the counters I see the "3" candle that we used for each of the girls sitting on the counter.  Bits of frosting, and cupcake crumbs cover the base of the candle, with a few teeth marks where they have licked off the candle after blowing it out.    Suddenly, it hits me.  I don't need that candle anymore.  I don't need the tiny candles, I don't need a diaper bag, I don't need little white stride rites for my girls to take their first steps in.  That is all done.  I don't have any babies anymore.  I don't even have a toddler anymore.

It has all gone by so incredibly fast, and I know that time isn't slowing down.  I am so thankful that I have gotten to stay home with them through all the important milestones.  That I have gotten to go to the concerts, and the school parties, and all the swimming lessons.  I realize, it is so important that I continue to savor all the moments.  To be in the moment with my girls.    Because if I blink those moments are gone.  

But today, as I clean out my diaper bag for good, and as my daughter hands me her pacifiers and tells me she doesn't need them anymore I am feeling like- I shouldn't have blinked.

Ponderings

I am sitting in my family room which is blessedly quiet at the moment.  It is rare that no one is  talking,  moving, or asking me to return to the kitchen where I spend most of my waking moments.  

It was a long week, a busy week.   I find myself looking back wondering if I  appreciated all of the small moments, before realizing that I cannot even remember what the small moments of the week were.   I am not using that as a complaint.  Not at all.  For all it's busyness this week was incredible.  

I just wanted to take a moment to share the 5 things I am most thankful for this week. I wanted to look back through the busyness and savor a few of the small moments.  (They are in no particular order.)

1.  Heat.  Every single time I walk into my house out of the frigid cold air, I am reminded of how immeasurably lucky we are to have heat, and a house.   It is not always easy to remember to be thankful for something that seems so common, but I am.  It is amazing.

2.  My new journal.  Every year I keep a prayer journal.  I fill it with thoughts and prayers, and happenings in my life.  I love cracking open the spine on a new journal and starting to fill it with memories.

3.  Out of the mouths of babes.  My daughters were incredibly sweet this week each complimenting me out of the blue at different moments, and for different things.  It is in those moments that I feel so loved because I know that they really mean it.  

4.  Praise and worship.  Bill and I got to lead praise and worship together for church this week for the first time together.  I know that it will be something I never forget.  There is something so amazing about being able to lead people in worship with your husband.  Samantha even said, her favorite part about this week was when we were rehearsing she got to fall asleep to the sound of my singing. My heart totally melted.

5.  Joy and Laughter.  This week was filled with so much laughter.  Bill and I had a few nights where we fell asleep smiling and laughing.  Samantha made me laugh so hard at her dancing I almost cried.  Phebe slipped in the kitchen (she was totally fine and that is why it was so funny.)  and she was laughing so hard at herself that she couldn't stand up.  I in turn, laughed and it took two of us giggling to get her off the floor.  Claire is joy in and of itself.  She makes me laugh a dozen times a day!  I love all the joy and laughter.  

They might not be big moments, but they are the important ones!

On bended knee

Sometimes the days feel brittle hollow.   They are dry and grey.  I stumble around searching for relief, searching for grace.  I fall to my knees on these days.    Bending in a state of thankfulness.   A bold and wonderful move, to fall on my knees, despite the situation, despite the trials, despite the circumstances.  And not always easy to do.  It is easy to just get through and push forward.  It is easy to forget to give thanks.

I hope that I always remember to fall on to my knees no matter how weary I am feeling.   To thank the Lord, the giver of ALL things.  My Protector, my Provider, my Strength.  The one who made my knees to bend, and my heart to yield.  He created me to be a temple to serve Him.   A woman to sing His praises!

I admit that the last week has been trying.  I feel wilted like the leaves of a flower under the hot summer sun, tired and restless all at the same time.  But something happens as I continue to choose to pray first, something shifts.  The light streams through the window- a glimmer of hope, a reminder that this to shall pass.   A feeling of grace and love, changes the world from darkness to light.  A reminder that sometimes blessings come from the strangest of places, the strangest of days, and the darkest of hours.

New Year

It is quiet in the house this morning.  A welcoming fresh, new awakening to the year.   My girls walk with padded footsteps in their pajamas slowly down into the morning light.  No one seems to be in a hurry to do anything or go anywhere.  It feels peaceful.

I sit on the couch spending the first quiet moments of my morning in prayer, and in solitude.   This is the way I want to spend the first moments of today.  These moments are the perfect start to a new year. 

The new year is often filled with lofty goals, and hopes for a brighter future.  A fresh start.   A new beginning.  I can think of a lot of things I want to do better this year, to change, to make new.  But as I glance down at the blank pages of my new prayer journal I cannot think of anything I am more excited for than this.

 I cannot wait for the moments of praise.  The moments of thanksgiving.  I cannot wait for the pages to be filled with prayer, and reflection.  I am so excited  to find out all the things that God will reveal to me in the next year.    The pages are all open opportunities.   

The pages are waiting to be filled with moments of life traveled with God.  I know that some of the moments will be hard, some of them life altering.  I know that some of the moments will be great and filled with joy.    It does not matter what the moments are, just that they are waiting for me.

^“ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”  Colossians 3:17