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We’re entering one of my favorite times of the year! Aside from Halloween (which if you’ve followed my blog long enough, you know I’m not a fan), the Fall season holds so many memories and reasons to be grateful.
Gratitude is a characteristic I want my children to exhibit in abundance, because the amount we have to be grateful for is beyond abundant! It’s my opinion that a lot of kids (and adults), especially in America, have no clue how good we’ve got it. I’m pointing a finger at myself here in a lot of cases too. We’re jaded and often moving too fast to really sit back and appreciate how blessed we are.
Teaching kids to be grateful is a challenge because it’s not a natural characteristic. Humans naturally want more, want the best, and want it all the time. We live in a world of instant gratification, bigger-is-better, and do-what-makes-you-feel-good. Gratitude requires contentment with what you have, and putting others ahead of yourself.
Being grateful isn’t just a quick “thank you”.
Being truly grateful means reveling in the blessings God has graced us with. It’s understanding that we deserve none of it, but He has given us so much anyway. It’s a deep soulful satisfaction and acknowledgement of a gift. This is what I want my children to understand. Not only to be polite and courteous to someone who has given them a gift, but to also enjoy the peace and joy that comes with pure gratitude. Not striving for more and more, but just enjoying what they have.
In the spirit of this goal and season, I’ve created a new banner. (Remember the ones I made for Valentines Day and Easter?) I’m excited to use this as we enter the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons to encourage gratitude in my kids. I’m thinking we’ll leave it hanging until we set up the Christmas decorations in December (because of course I’ll have a new banner for Christmas 😉 ).
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Here’s how it works:
It’s pretty simple, but impactful. For each letter of the word “grateful” I’ve found a Bible verse that represents why and/or how we should be grateful. You can use it as a countdown to Thanksgiving, or just reference it throughout the season as a helpful reminder. I’m thinking we’ll probably do a combination of the two. Here are the verses I chose:
G– “Give thanks to the God of heaven, For His loving-kindness is everlasting.” Psalm 136:26
R– “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.” Phil. 4:4-5
A– “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.” Col. 3:17
T– “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.” Psalm 28:7
E– “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17
F– “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16
U– “Unto you, O God, do we give thanks, unto you do we give thanks: for that your name is near your wondrous works declare.” Psalm 75:1
L– “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Col. 3:15
So much to be grateful for! I hope this banner can bring some peace and joy into your home this Fall season. May God bless you as you and your family focus on His grace.
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