This year let's gain something instead of giving something up

For many people tomorrow will be their last hooray before they prepare to give up something for the season of Lent ( the 40 days before Easter).  While sacrifice and fasting can be good spiritual tools, it seems these days that Lenten fasting is more often about saving a few dollars (no Starbucks), or weight loss (no sugar, no chocolate).

So my friends, this year I want to encourage you to take the season of Lent to gain something, instead of giving something up.  I want to encourage you to gain some more Jesus in your life by ...

....gaining the practice of reading scripture daily (alone or with your children).

.....gaining the practice of a daily time of prayer.

.....gaining the practice of regular service to the poor.

                 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than                          burnt offerings - Hosea 6:6

For our family this will be a season of reading and prayer. We will journey with Christ through the gospels.  Being reminded of His love each night as we add another candle and draw a little closer to the greatest of days, Easter Sunday.

Our family would love for your family to join us.  You can print out my 40 day reading guide, Prepare Our Hearts.  I pray you will leave this Lenten season with more Jesus:   a stronger understanding of who He is, and a deeper personal relationship with Him, and you can even keep eating chocolate and going to Starbucks - what a deal! 

I Love You Mail

Don't you love to get mail?  I mean real mail that arrives in the mailbox, not the electronic kind.  For the past 5 years our family has given and received a flurry of mail to one another in the week leading up to Valentine's Day.  We call it I Love You Mail.  We each have a small decorated mailbox which sits out on our counter.  For a week, we deliver small love notes, pictures, homemade coupons and even a few candies.  It becomes a game to get mail into someone else's box without them catching you.  It is cloaked as a fun, sometimes silly, week-long tradition, but at its heart is making sure we tell one another "I love you,"  "I love you,"  "I love you!"  Kids, and moms and dads too, can never hear that enough.

In lieu of a family devotion for February, I am posting a print out of 6 scripture-based I Love You Mail cards for your kids.(Click here to download)  Small mailboxes are available at Target, Joanne's, and Micheal's.  These cards can also be stuck in lunchboxes or on a bathroom mirror.  I hope your family will join ours in taking this next week to share with one another ....

        I love you!

                    I love you! 

                             I LOVE YOU!!!

Celebrating mom

Today is my birthday.  This is what I found waiting for me when I came down for breakfast.

My oatmeal decorated with cake toppers, a drink umbrella in my water, a gift wrapped in tin foil.  Next to the table were two beaming little girls.  I can't imagine a better birthday breakfast.

I named this blog The Celebrated Family, because we desire to have a family who celebrates the amazing life with which God has blessed us.  In our house we celebrate special days with some basic traditions, and one of my favorites is a festive breakfast.  While the girls may help decorate for their birthday parties or special dinners, I surprise them with their breakfast celebrations.  This morning, who knows when, they snuck down and did the same.

In that little drink umbrella Sarah and Emily blessed me with the gift of knowing that they are learning they can celebrate others. They are learning to be the blessing instead of just receiving it.  They are learning that celebrating others is not about the money you spend, it is about the love you offer, to me it's the very core of living a celebrated life.