“I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.” -Psalm 86:12

There is a strong connection between the words thankful, grateful, grace, and mercy. However, even though the words thankful and grateful are used interchangeably, to be thankful is to feel an emotion, and to be grateful is to take it a step further and express that emotion in action. Thanksgiving is a holiday to be thankful for our many blessings. We should encourage our kids to be thankful and grateful and this can be done using simple gestures and tasks.

During this episode, Lee Ann elaborates on the following ways to encourage kids to be thankful & grateful every day, not only on Thanksgiving Day:

• Say thank you often for simple gestures throughout the day.
• Send thank you notes for every occasion and help your children create their own thank you cards for friends.
• Let your children hear you thanking God and ask for forgiveness out loud daily.
• Post Bible verses about giving thanks throughout your home.
• Make a gratitude journal or board.
• Instead of expressing what someone did wrong, express your appreciation for what they did do.
• Have a positive attitude in your words and actions.
• Let your children see you extend grace to others who don’t deserve it.
• Pray! Praying is an action!

Also, don’t forget to read our blog post: 3 Simple Ideas to Help Your Child Have a Thankful Heart.

Resources mentioned:

• “25 Bible Verses About the Importance of Being Thankful,” by Leah Hall.
• “11 Ways to Show Thanksgiving to Our Heavenly Father,” by Rachel Bruner.
• “5 Christian books on Thankfulness and Gratitude,” by David Kaywood.
• “How Grateful Are You? Interactive Quiz + Seven Strategies for Cultivating Gratitude,” by Happier Human.

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