Day Sixteen- An Attitude of Gratitude

Children are naturally self-centered beings.  Because they are always growing and learning, it comes as no surprise that their focus is often primarily on themselves.  However, left unchecked, the tendency towards being self-centered quickly leads to selfish and demanding behavior. How do we combat this?  I think the best way is by helping our children to develop an attitude of gratitude.

Gratitude is defined as the quality of being thankful or appreciative.  Learning to be thankful puts the focus on what we have, rather than on what we don’t have.  Since whatever we focus on gets bigger, we need to keep our focus in the right place.

It is nearly impossible to be selfishly motivated when counting your blessings.  Also, when we are thankful, we can find contentment and peace.  Striving to get more stuff or to get our own way is exhausting.  I’ll take peace over chaos any day!

Delayed gratification is a valuable concept that we need to be constantly working on with our kids.  Teaching them to wait for the things that they want is a lesson that will serve them well throughout their lives.  Perhaps this is a lesson that we as parents also need to learn. What do you do while you wait?  Keep giving thanks for all that you have and for all that you will receive in the future!

Cultivate an attitude of gratitude in your home.  You will be thankful that you did!

“The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!”  ~Henry Ward Beecher

 

November...already?

And when October goes
The snow begins to fly
Above the smokey roofs
I watch the planes go by
The children running home
Beneath a twilight sky
Oh, for the fun of them
When I was one of them...


This Barry Manilow song has been echoing through my brain for the past few days. I'm trying to come to terms with the fact that it is already November, I suppose.


I should have prefaced this all by stating that autumn is my favorite season of the year. For as long as I can remember I have always looked forward to fall. School starting, football games, leaves changing color, warmish days with cool, crisp evenings, fresh apples, all things having to do with pumpkins...I just love this time of year!


A good friend of mine once chided me saying, "Your favorite season is when everything starts to die?" Until that moment, I had never thought of it in those terms. That just seemed sooooo depressing. But autumn is definitely a season of dramatic change. Days get shorter, temperatures cool down, and the leaves fall from the trees.


I am in a season of life that is challenging me to my very core. Like the trees, I find myself being called upon to release things that have been attached to me for quite some time. Old attitudes, habits, material desires. At times I feel quite bare, just like the trees in my yard. What will happen next? What will the next season in my life bring? I don't have any answers.

As October goes, November arrives. Traditionally a time to express thanks for all of our blessings. An attitude of gratitude. A thankful heart overflowing with the abundance of God's grace and mercy. While I'm waiting for the next season, I think I will take some time to enjoy where I am and count my blessings.

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder