Jesus is the Reason....

I've been thinking a lot lately, on how I can teach my children to be thankful. I chuckle because we are thrust in to one of the most indulgent seasons of the year, immediately following a season of gratitude. I've been trying to come up with some ways to keep my families focus on Giving vs Getting, Gratitude vs Greed, and most importantly... JESUS. Because He is the very reason for the season. What's a mom to do? :)

Here are a few ideas that I came up with....

1. Show gratitude in my own life and by my own actions. (Why does complaining come so easily, when I have set my mind to be thankful..... OY! I'm still a work in progress!:)

2. Teach my children to show gratitude to the people who make our civilized lives possible... ie, the policemen, the firemen, soldiers, the snowplow driver, the mailman, etc. We can show our gratitude to them by sending a card, baking cookies, etc. I thought it would really impact my daughter more if I made her part of the entire process.... You know, going to the store... buying the ingredients... picking out the card... driving to the stations, etc.

3. Give a gift as a family to someone who needs an extra blessing this time of year. Maybe it is someone without a family, someone who has lost a loved one, or maybe someone who is sick... Again, I want to make my daughter part of the whole process... Hopefully, it will teach her how to be sensitive to hurting people. The world is filled to the brim with people who need some good ol' fashion TLC :)

4. I try to talk to my daughter every day about the the TRUE Christmas story. (Sorry, fat guy in the red suit!) Jesus humbled himself enough to come to a world that hated Him and rejected Him-- to save sinners like me! My husband bought her one of those sticky decals for her bedroom window. It's a picture of Jesus, Mary and Joseph at the manger... It's a great conversation starter for me because she loves to play with it 24/7.

Please share with me ways that you encourage your family to be thankful and keep the right focus this time of year... I need all the help I can get! :)

I LOOOOVE the snow! :) Isn't it pretty? :)

"I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Acts 20:35