30 Days of Thanks

It's not that I don't like Halloween, though it's not my favorite holiday.  But lately I've felt that the other fall holiday has been unceremoniously pushed aside.  Ornaments next to costumes.  Candy buckets on the same aisle as tree stands.  Thanksgiving has somehow been relegated to one day of gluttony and sports.

Last year, in an attempt to put more focus on thankfulness, the kids and I made a paper chain and leaf banner for the breakfast nook and tied the words of Psalm 100:4--"Give thanks to Him and praise His name"--to it with twine.  Very cute.  We did a tree craft with foamy leaves and card stock and wrote things we were thankful for on each of the leaves. I wanted the changing seasonal decor to be intentional.

 This year, after browsing through the PBKids catalog, I recreated their Tree of Thanks calendar (maybe not quite as fancy, but definitely cheaper--if I don't count man-hours).  And with help from my co-conspirator in all things kids & crafty, Kellye, we focused the activity on praising and thanking the One who gives all things.  Each day, the kids will pull a card from the pocket, read the Scripture or prompt, and respond by writing their answers on the cards. My hope is that we can begin a tradition and, more importantly, foster a mindset of thankfulness.  Even if you don't have a tree, maybe you can start a tradition of 30 days of thanks in your home.  Leave a comment and tell me about a Thanksgiving tradition you have found helpful!

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."

Here's what we'll be reflecting on:

THIRTY Days of THANKS: Thanksgiving 2010

1. 1 Chronicles 16:34, I’m thankful to God because…
2. Thank you God for my family because…
3. Thank you God for providing…
4. Thank you God for answering my prayer for…
5. 2 Corinthians 1:3, Thank you God for comforting me when…
6. Thank you God for my siblings because…
7. Thank you God for showing me kindness when…
8. Luke 1:68, Thank you God for…
9. 1 Corinthians 15:57, I praise you Lord for…
10. 2 Corinthians 9:15, I’m thankful for grace because…
11. Thank you Father for being our provider! I love our house because…
12. I praise you Lord for using me to show your love to…
13. My favorite toy is… Thank you for good gifts & fun things!
14. Thank you for painting our world with color! My favorite color is…
15. I love my friends! I praise you for…
16. Thank you for the gift of my mommy. I love her because…
17. Thank you for the gift of my father. I love him because…
18. I praise you for creating me and knowing all of me. My favorite thing about myself is…
19. Psalm 119:105, I praise you for the Bible because…
20. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Thank you for being with me when I feel…
21. 2 Thessalonians 3:16, Thank you for peace when…
22. Psalm 121, I praise you Lord for…
23. Thank you God for my church because…
24. Zephaniah 3:17, I praise you oh Lord my God for…
25. John 1:14, Thank you for Jesus because…
26. Psalm 105: 1-4, God, I’m thankful for your wonderful act of….
27. Thank you for the cross because…
28. John 1:16, Thank you for grace because…
29. Hebrews 12:28, I’m thankful for heaven because…
30. Psalm 100, Thank you Lord for…