THE OLD DENTED BUCKET

You may well have read this one before but I think it's worth having another look what a great story. Hope you enjoy it. I sure did.

THE OLD DENTED BUCKET

Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore . We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to out-patients at the clinic.


One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. "Why, he's hardly taller than my 8-year-old," I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body. But the appalling thing was his face, lopsided from swelling, red and raw.

Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, "Good evening. I've come to see if you've a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there's no bus 'til morning."


He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no success, no one seemed to have a room. "I guess it's my face .... I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments .."


For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: "I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning."


I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch.. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old man if he would join us. "No, thank you. I have plenty." And he held up a brown paper bag.


When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes. It didn't take a long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her 5 children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury.

He didn't tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was preface with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going...

At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch.


He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said, "Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I won't put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair." He paused a moment and then added, "Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don't seem to mind."


I told him he was welcome to come again.


And, on his next trip, he arrived a little after 7 in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen! He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that they'd be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. And I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.


In the years he came to stay overnight with us, there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden.


Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk 3 miles to mail these, and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly precious.


When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning.


"Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people!"


Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But, oh!, if only they could have known him, perhaps their illnesses would have been easier to bear.


I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude to God.


Recently I was visiting a friend, who has a greenhouse, as she showed me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, "If this were my plant, I'd put it in the loveliest container I had!"


My friend changed my mind. "I ran short of pots," she explained, "and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn't mind starting out in this old pail. It's just for a little while, till I can put it out in the garden."


She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining just such a scene in heaven.


"Here's an especially beautiful one," God might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman. "He won't mind starting in this small body."
All this happened long ago - and now, in God's garden, how tall this lovely soul must stand.


The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7b)

Shared by Patty B.

THE GIFT OF FRIENDSHIP

by Helen Steiner Rice

Friendship is a priceless gift that
cannot be bought or sold
But its value is far greater than a
mountain made of gold-
For gold is cold and lifeless,
it can neither see nor hear,
And in the time of trouble it is powerless to cheer.
It has no ears to listen, no heart to understand,
It cannot bring you comfort
or reach out a helping hand-
So when you ask God for a gift,
be thankful if He sends
Not diamonds, perls, or riches,
but the love of real true friends.

Shared by Patty B.
Dedicated to all my true friends!

Letting Go

Every place we find must in the end be relingqushed, if it is not to become our prison....life and faith always insist on moving forward; I cannot move forward without leaving something behind...there is no strength greater than that of God to help us to let go of the past, and to escape from its bonds. But that past was in fact the strong support that God gave us to help us to leap forward towards him.



Author: Paul Tournier
From: A Place For You

Shared by Patty B.

No Other Love Like Mother's Love

A Mother's love is something

that no one can explain,

It is made of deep devotion

and of sacrifice and pain,

It is endless and unselfish

and enduring come what may

For nothing can destroy it

or take that love away.

It is patient and forgiving

when all others are forsaking.

And it never fails or falters

even though the heart is breaking.

It believes beyond believing

when the world around condemns,

And it glows with all the beauty

of the rarest, brightest gems.

It is far beyond defining,

it defies all explanation,

And it still remains a secret

like the mysteries of creation.

A many-spendored miracle

man cannot understand

And another wondrous evidence

of God's tender guiding hand.

Shared by Patty B.

Taken from "Sunshine of Joy"

by Helen Steiner Rice

Change Your Thinking

It will take just 37 seconds to read this and change your thinking..


Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.
One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.
His bed was next to the room's only window.
The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end.
They spoke of their wive s and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation..

Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and colour of the world outside.


The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake.
Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every colour and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.
As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by.
Although the other man could not hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.


Days, weeks and months passed.


One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep.
She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.


As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside.
He strained to slowly turn to look out the window besides the bed.
It faced a blank wall.


The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.
The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.
She said, 'Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.'


Epilogue:
There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.
Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.


If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy.
'Today is a gift, that is why it is called The Present .'

The origin of this letter is unknown
Shared by Patty B.

Orange Sherbert Salad or Dessert

Whip 1/2 pt. whipping cream. Set aside.
Combine 1 cup hot water with 1 6oz. pkg. orange jello. Dissolve well.
Fold in 1 pint orange sherbert, the whipping cream and 1 can drained mandarin oranges.
Chill and then enjoy!
Patty B.

The Easter Story

By Linda Sue Pochodzay Edwards
What an awfully sad day it had been for the friends of Jesus! They had stood watching sorrowfully, as Jesus hung on the cross dying. They didn't fully understand why it had to happen.

They believed that Jesus was the Son of God, and they remembered how He had healed the sick and made blind people see. They remembered how He had fed thousands of people with just a few loaves of bread and fish. They even remembered how He had caused dead people to come back to life. He was such a good, kind man; why did He have to die?

Just before the sun was beginning to sink into the west, Joseph, one of Jesus' friends, noticed that Jesus was no longer breathing. He hurriedly went to ask Pilate if he could have the body of Jesus so he could bury Him. When Pilate agreed, Joseph and Nicodemus (another friend) carefully wrapped Jesus' body in clean cloths. Then they took Him to a tomb to bury Him.

The next day, the Pharisees started thinking about Jesus. They were the people that had wanted to kill Jesus. They remembered how He had taught them, saying that He would rise again after three days. They were worried that it might be true! They also thought that Jesus' disciples would remember and might try to steal the body from the tomb just so they could say that Jesus rose again. They went to Pilate, suggesting that the tomb be closed up with a huge stone and that guards be placed all around the tomb.

Just before daylight the next day, the most amazing thing happened! There was a GREAT EARTHQUAKE! An ANGEL from the Lord came down from heaven, moved the gigantic stone away from the door of the tomb and sat on it. The guards began to shake with fear! They fell down to the ground as if they were dead!

Mary and some other women had decided to get up very early in the morning and go to visit the tomb where Jesus was placed. While walking down the road, they were discussing how they were going to get inside the tomb. They had brought along some spices and perfume that they wanted to place on Jesus' body. They knew the huge stone had been placed in the doorway and they had no idea how they were going to move it.

What a SURPRISE they found when they reached the tomb! The stone had already been moved! And . . . there was an ANGEL sitting on the stone! The women were quite afraid, but the angel spoke gently to them:

"Don't be afraid. I know that you have come to see Jesus. He is not here; for he is risen just as he said. Come inside and see the place where he lay."
The women went inside the tomb and found it empty, just as the angel had told them.

The angel spoke to the women one more time:


"Go quickly and tell the other disciples that Jesus has risen from the dead; and he is going into Galilee where you will see him."

The women did just as the angel had told them. They ran quickly from the tomb, with fear and great joy, to tell the good news to the other disciples. But . . . when the women found Peter and their other friends and tried to tell them the good news, . . . no one believed them!
When the women persisted, Peter decided that he needed to find out for himself.
He ran all the way to the tomb.
He went inside.
He saw the cloths that had been wrapped around Jesus, but the body was not there.
He wondered if it could possibly be true. Did Jesus really raise from the dead? Was Jesus really alive?

Two of Jesus' other friends were going on a journey to a village called Emmaus. As they walked and talked, they discussed all the things that had happened over the past few days. A man came along and joined the group. He walked along with them and wanted to join their discussion. Cleopas began telling the man about how Jesus was crucified on the cross. They talked about how the women found the empty tomb.


As they continued their journey, they invited the man to come in with them and have dinner. When they sat down to eat their meal, the man picked up a loaf of bread and broke it in pieces. Then he prayed for the meal and gave the bread to the men. At that very moment they realized that the man was JESUS! They had been talking to Jesus the whole time and didn't even know it!

Then . . . ANOTHER strange thing happened. As soon as they realized who it really was that sat at the table with them . . . Jesus disappeared! They talked about the wonderful time they had talking with Jesus down the road, and they just couldn't help talking about his strange disappearance. They got up from their meal and returned to Jerusalem where they told all the other disciples the good news that Jesus REALLY DID raise from the dead and had talked with them.


As they were talking, Jesus again appeared to them. They were afraid and thought they were seeing a ghost, but Jesus told them not to be afraid. He showed them His hands and feet where He had been nailed to the cross, so they would believe that it was really Him.


When they saw the nail holes in His hands and feet, they finally believed that Jesus had risen from the dead, just like He said He would. They were soooo happy and joyful to have their friend with them again. They were soooo excited that they had to tell EVERYBODY the good news that JESUS IS ALIVE!

Stress and Our Children

Experts estimate that up to 75% of all meidcal disorders are directly influnced by stress. In addition to the link to the development of coronary heart disease and other life-threatening diseases, psycho-social stressors may also cause gastrointestinal problems, including peptic ulcers and ulcerative colitis, skin disorders such as eczema, headaches, hypertension and respiratory aliments such as asthma. Recent research has also identified specific effect of stress: changes in lymphocyte levels, a strong risk factor for cancer; innumoreactivity; and sodium and fluid retention that cause hypertension. The growing suicide rate in the United States and high incidence of depression have also been correlated with stressful life events. Stress also creates many physiological changes and there is a close relation between stress and anxiety.  Anxiety reduces a child's ability to learn and there are several behaviors related to anxiety which interfere with proble-solving ability.

Signs of Stress
Following are symptoms of stress often exhibited by children. Any symptom observed as happening often may indicate need for follow up by a teacher, counselor, parent or physician.

1. Heachaches
2. Stomach problems - diarrhea, constipation, nausea, heartburn
3. Heart pounding
4. Aches and pains
5. Muscle jerks or tics
6. Eating problems - no appetite, constant eating, full feeling without eating.
7. Sleeping problems - unable to fall asleep, wake up in middle of the night, nighmares
8. General feeling of tiredness
9. Shortness of breath
10. Dry mouth or throat
11. Teeth grinding
12. Stuttering
13. Uncontrollable crying or not being able to cry
14. General anxiety, nervous feelings, or tenseness
15. dizziness and weakness
16. Irritable and easily set off
17. Depressed
18. Accident prone
19. Feeling angry in general
20. Feeling overwhelmed and unable to cop - wants to run away
21. Nerous laughter, easily startled, jumpy
22. Bored
23. Feeling rejected all the time
24. Unable to concentrate of inish things
25. Never laugh
26. Does not have friends
27. Does not finish homework

Note: information was taken from "Ready Set R.E.L.A.X." book by Jeffrey s. Allen, M.Ed. and Roger J. Klein, Psy.D.

Staint Patrick's Day Prayers

The Breastplate of Saint Patrick
(version used by the Patrician Brothers)


Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ at my right hand, Christ on my left.
Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise.
Christ in the heart of everyone
who thinks of me.
Christ in the mouth of everyone
who speaks to me.
Christ in every eye that sees me.
Christ in every ear that hears me.


St. Patrick's Prayer


This day I call to me:
God's strength to direct me,
God's power to sustain me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's vision to light me,
God's ear to my hearing,
God's word to my speaking,
God's hand to uphold me,
God's pathway before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's legions to save me.

THIS 'N THAT...2/21/2011

Storytelling can be a powerful tool, a word can be worth a thousand pictures.

The Story of "The Mule"

authory unknown

Once there was a farmer who owned an old mule. The unfortunate mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule brayng - or whatever mules do when they fall into wells.After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened...and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery. Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back...it suddenly downed on the mule that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back...HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP! This he did, blow after blow, "Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up!" he repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed, the old mule fought panic and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP! Of course, it wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well! What seemed like it would bury him actually blessed him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.
**********************************************************************************
Scripture on Courage:
"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak (Isaish 40:29)


"Be stong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord." (Psalm 31:24)

"Have I not commanded you? Be stong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not de discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)


Quote:
Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.
C. S. Lewis

What Are The Benefits Of A Personal Relationship With The Lord?

STABILITY. A relationship with God is like an anchor that keeps you grounded - no matter your circumstances.

SECURITY. Knowing the Father intimately takes away your fears because you know you can trust His unfailing character and provision.

SERENITY. Even in difficult times, you have peace because you have confidence that your situation is in His capable hands.

SENSITIVITY. You become more responsive to the work of the Holy Spirit and to the needs and emotions of other people.

SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING. You will begin to comprehend God's Word in a deeper way than ever before, and He will teach you to see your life from His perspective.

Our intimacy with God - His highest priority for our lives - determines the impact of our lives.

Material  from In Touch Ministries
http://www.intouch.org/

Shared by Patty B. ♥

THIS 'N THAT...2/21/2011

Storytelling can be a powerful tool, a word can be worth a thousand pictures.

The Story of "The Mule"
authory unknown

Once there was a farmer who owned an old mule. The unfortunate mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule brayng - or whatever mules do when they fall into wells.
After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened...and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.

Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back...it suddenly downed on the mule that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back...HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP!

This he did, blow after blow, "Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up!" he repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed, the old mule fought panic and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP!

Of course, it wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well! What seemed like it would bury him actually blessed him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.

Scripture on Courage:
"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak (Isaish 40:29)

"Be stong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord." (Psalm 31:24)

"Have I not commanded you? Be stong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not de discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)

Quote:
"Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point."
C. S. Lewis

Shared by Patty B.

Love and Accept Yourself

We are often most critical of ourselves, but God wants us to love ourselves. We need to love and accept ourselves for who we are, just as we are. Those with a healthy self-esteem are able to recognize their strengths, know their limitions, and still value themselves unconditionally.

Affirmation for the Week: "I am a worthy, valuable and lovable person who is unconditionally loved by God."

1 Corinthians 13

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.  For we know in part and we prophesy in part,  but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.

RICH CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKES

Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients:

2 cups granulated sugar
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Liquid Ingredients:

2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk (I used 2%)
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup MINUS 2 TBSP boiling water
2 Tbsp. Chambord (raspberry liqueur)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt or tube pan. I used individual mini-bundt cake pan-it comes six bundt cakes to each pan, and this recipe makes 12 mini cakes. I did not flour the pans because I didn’t want any “white” when I turned over the cakes.

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl of an electric mixer. Ad the liquid ingredients (except for the boiling water and Chambord), and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Stir in boiling water (and Chambord). Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 50-55 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in cake comes out clean. For mini bundts, I baked for about 15 min. and then started checking it until toothpick came out clean. Remove cake from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes and longer, then invert cake onto wire rack and let cool completely. If you try to remove too soon cake will brake apart!

Raspberry-Chocolate Ganache: (Note: The ganache recipe is very generous – I often half this recipe).

1 1/3 cups heavy cream

2/3 cup Raspberry Puree* (instead of making your own raspberry puree which is very time-consuming cuz you then have to get all the seeds out, you can use 2/3 cups seedless raspberry jam).

16 bars (1.5 oz each) Godiva Dark Chocolate, Chopped OR 2 (12oz. packages) of ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips – the bittersweet makes all the difference! And you don’t have to chop), but this ganache recipe came from Godiva.

2 TBSP Chambord (raspberry flavored liqueur)

Heat the cream and raspberry puree in a medium saucepan over medium heat to a boil, stirring occasionally. (don’t let the cream form that “skin” on top. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Stir in the Chambord. Pour over the bundt cake(s) and chill for a couple of hours. Serve with fresh raspberries.

SCRIPTURE ON FEAR

God is the answer to a fearful heart:
Psalm 34:41 "sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears."

Do not focus on fear; focus on what is true or real:
Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable --if anything is exellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."

God is with us in every situation:
Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be stong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will stengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Isaish 41:13 "For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."

Fear of no Protection:
Psalm 91:4 "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart."

Fear of not being provided for:
Matthew 6:26-33 "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 afer 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."

Shared by Patty B.

10 Ways to Propel Your Challenging Child to Greatness!!

by Howard Glasser, MA
Author of Transforming the Difficult Child – The Nurtured Heart Approach
and All Children Flourishing – Igniting the Greatness of Our Children


1. Resist the trap of accidentally energizing negativity! It happens all the time in subtle ways.We accidentally celebrate negativity when we give it our time, energy and relationship. In that way we are sending are child the message that we are willing to celebrate “non-greatness” because that is accidentally what we are most present for.


2. Realize that all the less energetic words or approval like “good job,” “way to go,” and “thank you” and such, do not begin to touch the realm of greatness. They energetically barely scratch the surface compared to the energy we give to what’s wrong.We need to go to the level of “radical appreciation” in order to leave a lasting impression of the greatness we wish to cultivate.


3. Greatness is a choice and for our children to eventually choose greatness on their own we need to “choose” to see greatness and bring it into the realm of things we discern, recognize and appreciated.

4. “Catching a child being good” will not serve you in propelling greatness. There is a much better lens which is “creating” greatness by the way we choose to take advantage of the moments of the day and mirror back what we see, detailing the great qualities the child is showing by the choices he is making in the moment.


5. Children led to feel like they are great by the way we reflect and attribute greatness, come to act-out greatness. This is a much better way of acting out.


6. Instead of giving discussions, lectures, admonishments, warnings, threats, etc. when a rule is being broken, give the energized lectures and appreciation many times a day when rules are NOT being broken. Be willing to flip the switch on your energy 180 degrees.


7. Make these moments super-energized by feeling the gratefulness and emotion that is authentically there. After all, if you have a child who is very disrespectful, then the truth is that when the disrespect ISN’T happening, it is glorious and wonderful.


8. See these moments of following the rules as your child making a great choice because the truth is that your child could be breaking the rules and the great news is that she isn’t at this moment. It isn’t just happening. She is choosing to follow the rules.


9. By doing this you are making yourself the energetic prize. Your connection and relationship is the gift of your giving, so if a rule is broken, just say reset and momentarily remove YOU—the prize.When the rule is no longer being broken, even seconds later, make it your mission to stay in the truth of that next moment and be willing to celebrate that choice of your child having stopped the problem.


10. By celebrate, I do not mean giving things and money, I simply mean giving of yourself. Giving of yourself means opening up the treasure trove of your heart and letting the words of appreciation flow.

Gratefulness Full of Greatness Greatness!
 
Shared by Patty Billingham