The Thanksgiving Project

Raising a tweenager is becoming harder and harder... people - no one warned me of all this!!! AGHHHH!!

So - in an effort to promote some good solid character qualities in my child of the 2000's....I have started the Thanksgiving Project.

In 2010, after a tumultous two years of rediscovering myself as a mom, a wife, daughter and friend (you could pretty much say that I failed at each one during that time!!) I came across a book by Ann Voskamp called ""One Thousand Gifts." If you haven't heard of it or read it - I REALLY encourage you to - no, seriously --- run to the store....I will wait!

Okay - glad you came back. The premise of the book is simple and yet oh some complex! Thankfulness - thankfulness for all we have, all we see, feel, taste, touch, give, accept, put out into the world is the KEY - the KEY, people....to JOY! Not just "happy dance" kinda worldly joy -- but true PEACE and JOY!! The kind that only God can give, the kind that only comes from a heart too full of being grateful to hold onto grudges, sin, sadness, envy -- just a grateful heart with the spaces filled in with JOY!

The book changed my life. I started looking for ways to be happy, to be thankful for even the smallest thing in my day -- to change my outlook from WHY ME? to WHY NOT ME?  To shake the cobwebs off, to realize the blessings I do have and let go of the what if's that plagued me for far too long.

I want more for my daughter. I don't want her to have to face questions and regrets and sorrow until she can't stand up and then turn to try and find purpose and joy. I want her to catch it on the upswing of her life, to know the secret years before she even knows she needs to find the answer.

On November 1st, she and I started a new Thanksgiving Journal. She is really into journals with cute picture of puppies on the cover and writing and cool pencils with glitter and sparkles. I am more interested in the inside of the pages. Pages where each day, she and I take a few minutes to write three (or more) things that we are thankful for that day. It is amazing to watch. She is getting it...she is turing her thoughts to gratefuless and realizing the joy in the small. I am proud as punch to see this character trait developing. It tops the list on my pages --- everyday!

The Thanksgiving Project...well worth the time this holiday season in our home -- for certain!!