Epic Kidz

This month’s virtue is – SELF‑CONTROL

This month’s virtue brings to mind many things that I need to work on, and it comes at a perfect time.  The New Year is when people make plans to be more self-controlled in many different areas, and it is so hard.  I am a sucker for well-done commercials, especially when it comes to food.  I may not have been hungry before, but when I see that yummy dessert  that has chocolate oozing all over it, I am suddenly feeling like my stomach is in need of something just like that dessert!  We are surrounded by the sights, sounds, and smells of amazing temptation all the time, which is why this month’s virtue is so important to put into practice.  Take time as families to talk about how important self-control is, as we work our way through some wonderful Proverbs this month.

FAMILY FUN!

When I think about self-control,  there are many fun things to do as a family to illustrate it. Here is one example:  choose about 10 unique items from around your house.  Then take turns as a family trying to stack them on top of one another without making them fall.  See who can have the most control,  in order to make their stack the tallest.

This month’s virtue is – GENEROSITY

December has to one of my favorite months of the year, as it is for many people. My parents worked hard to make sure that our time was so special. We ate special food, visited with friends and family, listened to tons of Christmas music, and bought fun gifts for one another. When asked about the specifics of those activities, I don’t know that I would be able to go into detail, but I know I loved it. There is one activity that I remember the specifics of very well, though. Early on Christmas morning, when my brothers and I woke up, we would head to my parents’ room to start the day. We would either climb in bed with them or head to our Christmas tree to read the Christmas story from Luke 2. It was a simple but very meaningful way for me to remember the real meaning of Christmas, and it is one that I hope to continue with my own children. What a great reminder of generosity, when we remember God’s wonderful gift to us!

FAMILY FUN!

Why not try putting a special present underneath your Christmas tree that has a hole cut in the top of it. During dinner in the month of December, take turns writing on a slip of paper, some special gifts that you could give to God. They might include having a better attitude about something, spending more time reading or praying, or just thanking God for what He has done!

This month’s virtue is GRATITUDE!

November is probably one of the easiest times of year to take a moment to stop what we are doing and name the things for which we are grateful – perhaps around the Thanksgiving table.  So why don’t we take time to be thankful more often?  I’m sure there are many reasons, but one of the biggest is that we let a wrong attitude win, and we forget that we have much to be grateful for.  I was recently in a car accident, and I have to say that at first I was upset about it.  The more my day went on,  God helped me realize that I had a whole list of great things happen in what could have been a bad situation.  In the end, I had an awesome time counting God’s blessings and even sharing with others what God had done to protect and comfort me!  This month, let’s practice praising God even when things are not going the way we want them to!

FAMILY FUN!

Why not try counting your blessings in a different way this November.  Put an empty jar somewhere in your house and every time someone in the family catches themselves having a wrong attitude, they should stop for a moment, state something they are grateful for, then add a penny to the jar.  It could be neat to see how many times God changes our hearts if we are just looking for any opportunity to be grateful no matter what our circumstances happen to be!