Thankful Tree

{November 27th’s entry from Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence}

Thankful Tree

The last few years this Thankful Tree has become one of my very favorite traditions. I posted our tree for this year and got so many comments on it I decided to do a blog post all about thankful trees.It’s such a simple yet beautiful way to FILL your home with GRATITUDE.

Every day in November, our family adds 1 thing they are thankful for to our thankful tree. I love this simple act of saying THANK YOU to God through the whole month!

Every year our Thankful Tree looks a little different, but the process is still the same.

Several years in a row, I used the circle punch out of lots of scrapbook papers and we wrote on those. This year, I found these black chalkboard type tags at our walmart. {What I bought is very similar to these: Chalkboard Tags} And we are using sharpie gold/silver paint pens to write on them. {This is the exact set of pens I purchased at our local walmart: Sharpie gold and silver paint pens} I LOVE how it’s turning out!

Intentional Gratitude

There are lots of ways to help our hearts be grateful…as well as the hearts of our children. Now, we are not the Holy Spirit, so don’t try to be in the lives of your children. But, there are certainly ways we can foster a home of gratitude and pray for the Lord to do His work.

• Keep a gratitude list/journal. Every morning write down 3 things  you’re thankful for. Or maybe do it at night before bed. My favorite journals that don’t fall apart after a few months are these moleskine journals.
• Pray Scriptures of thanksgiving. Praying the Scriptures has changed my prayer life AND my heart. Use these verses every day in November to cultivate a heart of thanksgiving. (or ANY month!)
• Print off this FREE gratitude journal and keep one as a family! Leave it on the kitchen counter and let everyone add to the list!
• Memorize Psalm 100 together as a part of your devotional morning or homeschool morning. Use this free copy work page if you want your children to also WRITE the Word!
• Learn the hymn Come, Ye Thankful People Come or Count Your Blessings together. Use these youtube videos and printable lyrics to help your kids in learning the hymns.
• Keep a gratitude journal in your Journaling Bible . Note things you’re thankful for beside passages that the Lord has brought to mind or that you’re reading in your daily Bible time. Make sure to put the date beside it so you can remember all the times God has shown His faithfulness to you! Read more about using your journaling Bible as a journal, prayer journal or gratitude journal.
• Include thank-you card writing in your homeschool day!

 Happy November, friends! I hope these ideas spark your creativity in cultivating a grateful home! If you have additional ideas to share, I would LOVE to hear them!