Tag Archives: grateful

Bring Back the Jar

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Thanksgiving is fast approaching, so I’m bringing back my Blessing Jar. I’ve been very stressed lately, so it is time to shift my focus back to my many blessings. I will post an earlier blog in case you’d like to join me and don’t remember what I’m talking about.

Several years ago, I was privileged to join Heart to Heart on a trip to Guatemala. We were installing water purification units and distributing deworming pills for the kids. The people were so grateful for clean water—something we take for granted in the United States. The homes we visited were small enough to fit into my bedroom, with thin corrugated steel walls and leaky roofs. Most of the kids only had one extra pair of clothes. No iPhones. No computers. And yet, they were happy. They were grateful for what they had. (Check out the book I wrote for Heart to Heart about their water purification project.)

I hope that one day my kids can go with us to serve in a third world country. I want them to experience what it’s like to live without so much excess. This could be a life-changing adventure for your family as well. I don’t know about you, but my family will need to save money for a while to get us there. In the meantime, here is a thought you can discuss with your teenagers: What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?

A project for all ages, is to write down your blessings. You can do this in a journal (like my family did after reading One Thousand Gifts), or you can write them on strips of paper and put them in a jar or box. November is a natural month to do this, due to Thanksgiving, but it could also be a year-long project. Your family could read all of the blessings on New Year’s Eve.

A visual way to teach the concept to younger children could be through the book The Blessing Jar by Colleen Coble. The story is about a little girl who is having a bad morning. Her grandma takes her on an adventure where they collect small objects related to happy memories. They place these objects in a blessing jar to remind them to be thankful, chasing away the grumpy attitude. After reading the book, you could begin your own blessing jar. This activity would be extra special if you had grandparents available to join in the fun.

Lessons learned in the Autism Room: There’s Always Something to Sing About

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Our Autism Room is brimming with interesting sounds. Many of our students enter our room at three years of age and leave when they are ready for kindergarten. They often start out as nonverbal, so you might assume the room is quiet. Not so.

Most of the time, you hear adult voices modeling words and young voices trying to talk. Each student receives one-on-one personalized training, so with eighteen people, it can get loud. Sometimes you hear screams of frustration (from the kids, not the adults—though our patience is also tested). Occasionally, you hear singing (from the kids AND the adults). Maybe it’s because of my years as a music teacher, but hearing little ones sing brightens my day.

There is one small boy in particular whose singing makes me smile. He hasn’t started talking yet, but that doesn’t stop him from sharing the song in his heart. Sometimes he hums. Other times he uses sounds like “duh-gah duh-gah” to fit the tune. His singing is contagious and I often join in. I’ve found that both of us feel better afterwards.

What does he sing about? I’m not always sure, but sometimes I recognize the song. His favorites include You Are My Sunshine, We Are the Champions, Here I Come to Worship, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I’m guessing many of his tunes are originals that he composed.

He reminds me that there is always a reason to sing. We all have challenges and go through hard times. If we focus on the bad, we can easily become depressed. But if we look for the good, we will find something to sing about. Our grateful attitude will seep out through a song or a smile and spread to others. Why add complaining to a noisy room, when we can be singing?

So keep singing, sweet boy. I wouldn’t be surprised if music opens the door to your vocabulary. Either way, thank you for reminding me (and now others) that there is always something to sing about.

Filling the Blessing Jar

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blessing jar pic

Several years ago, I was privileged to join Heart to Heart on a trip to Guatemala. We were installing water purification units and distributing deworming pills for the kids. The people PassThecup picwere so grateful for clean water—something we take for granted in the United States. The homes we visited were small enough to fit into my bedroom, with thin corrugated steel walls and leaky roofs. Most of the kids only had one extra pair of clothes. No iPhones. No computers. And yet, they were happy. They were grateful for what they had. (Check out the book I wrote for Heart to Heart about their water purification project.)

I hope that one day my kids can go with us to serve in a third world country. I want them to experience what it’s like to live without so much excess. This could be a life-changing adventure for your family as well. I don’t know about you, but my family will need to save money for a while to get us there. In the meantime, here is a thought you can discuss with your teenagers: What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?

A project for all ages, is to write down your blessings. You can do this in a journal (like my family did after reading One Thousand Gifts), or you can write them on strips of paper and put them in a jar or box. This could be a year-long project. Your family could read all of the blessings on Thanksgiving or New Year’s Eve. I’m just starting this method with my own family.

A visual way to teach the concept to younger children could be through the book The Blessing Jar by Colleen Coble. The story is about a little girl who is having a bad morning. The Blessing Jar Book picHer grandma takes her on an adventure where they collect small objects related to happy memories. They place these objects in a blessing jar to remind them to be thankful, chasing away the grumpy attitude. After reading the book, you could begin your own blessing jar. This activity would be extra special if you had grandparents available to join in the fun.