November: A Month of Intentional Thanks

13 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

by Holly Dennis in Holidays

photo 2Have you seen that funny cartoon that’s been popping up on Facebook that talks about how November is one month to give thanks & then you just complain all the time the other eleven months?  It’s kind of funny … and depending on how your outlook on life is … it certainly can be true!

I find it’s typically easier to complain about life than see all the blessing surrounding it.  So as we go through November, I’ve been using it as a reminder to be intentionally thankful for all that surrounds me.  I’m using this printable to write my thankful things on.

This is pretty awesome … and it’s not too late to print it out and enjoy it.  It’s leaves you print out and hang on a homemade tree (or branch).  You can write what you are thankful for on the back.

I got these links from a blog I follow called A Holy Experience by Ann Voskamp.  Her thankful heart has blessed my mom and I.

I’m using this printable right here for my kiddos.  I just print off one a week.  I just found this one by googling ‘I am thankful for printable’.

Might you consider making the rest of November one of intentional thanksgiving?

When Your Child Wakes You Up For The Fourth Time In A Night…

12 Nov 2013 1 Comment

by Holly Dennis in Children, Family Life, Rest, Scripture

Well, it draws many questions … What is going on?  Did you wet the bed?  Bad Dreams?  Spiritual Warfare?  Too cold?  Do you need another blanket?  Do you have to pee?

It draws many emotions … I’m tired; yay! It’s only midnight, 5-6 more hours of sleeping!; oh, dear goodness, NO … It’s only 2 am.; is it bad to turn on the TV at 3 am and just let him sit there while we sleep?; it’s 4:45 … may as well just get up.

It’s weird.  Sometimes I’m actually angry when kids wake me up a lot at night.  That’s kind of revealing … it shows the selfishness of my heart for just wanting uninterrupted sleep.

The ability to not go back to sleep at 4:45 also shows the condition of my heart around certain circumstances right now.  I was worrying.  “what does she think about me.  I don’t want her to think I’m that kind of person, etc.”.  It makes me want to go to said person and say certain things … reiterate things just to make sure she knows I’m not that kind of person.  Control was creeping up.   More

Holly’s Tweets