Thank Therapy

Last night, hubby and I went to our church's parenting class while the children went to the midweek programmes. The class is called 'Power for Parents' and we've been a part of it, on and off, for about 3 years now. This session, the resource material is 'Parenting Teenagers for Positive Results' by Jim Burns. We went last night to check out the material --- to see if it is relevant for us since we do not have teenagers yet. We quickly found out that it was indeed relevant for parents with children of all ages. So, I guess that means we are going to be attending the classes from now on. :-)

Last night's lesson was about 'attitude'. A lot of people complain about their children's bad attitude, but don't realize that it is actually stemming from their own bad attitudes. The children are merely practicing what is being preached! We learned that an attitude adjustment in today's families is greatly needed as attitudes are contagious.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) says --- "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." God's will for families is to be joyful always. According to this verse, joy is achieved by prayer plus having a thankful attitude in all circumstances. If we adjust our attitudes from worrying into thankfulness, it becomes easier and easier to be thankful at all times, even in dire circumstances. The best result in this shift of attitude is that our children will catch it and practice it themselves!

So...one of the in-class activities was to practice 'thank therapy' by writing down 10 specific reasons why we are thankful for our family. Here's my list:

I am thankful that...
~ each person knows Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour.
~ each person acknowledges that every blessing and provision is from God.
~ hubby is a "man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in His commands." Psalm 112:1 (NIV)
~ my children are generally happy and content.
~ my daughter has a very giving spirit.
~ my son is all-boy, energetic and strong-willed.
~ my children love to learn --- my daughter is identified as being intellectually gifted and my son is naturally very inquisitive and is finally getting the hang of reading! Yay!
~ our home is a peaceful place.
~ we have lots of fun together, and,
~ we are a household of faith!

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
---Matthew 6:25-33 NIV