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Transforming Wounds into Words – Ann Voskamp

Written on April 29, 2011 by Deb Chitwood in Encouragement, Gratitude

“If it were up to me … I’d write this story differently” (One
Thousand Gifts, p. 20).

Be honest. Haven’t you felt that way sometimes? It was natural for Ann Voskamp to feel that way when her first memories were of her toddler sister’s death, an event traumatic enough to send her mother to a mental institution and to overwhelm her father for years.

And that event wounded Ann Voskamp. Read chapter one of One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are to feel the deepness of the wounds, the intensity of Ann’s pain. But out of a place of pain and woundedness, Ann used a pen and gratitude to transform her wounds into words of encouragement.

Follow me to Spring Snow Publications to read the entire article.

Photo Credit: Photo by Lisa Sohl at Flickr Creative Commons.

Tags: Ann Voskamp, encouragement, gratitude, One Thousand Gifts, words of encouragement, wounds into words

“Become the Blessing” Word-Art Freebie

Written on April 27, 2011 by Deb Chitwood in Freebies, Word-Art Quotation Freebies

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Here’s some word art from a quote by Ann Voskamp.

To download word art, click here, then right click on the image and choose “Save Picture As . . .”

Please “like” the Raising Figure Skaters Facebook page to wake up to an inspirational Quote of the Day in your Facebook News Feed each morning!

Tags: Ann Voskamp, become the blessing, digital scrapbooking freebie, quote, word art, word-art freebie

How to Help Your Kids Have an Attitude of Gratitude

Written on April 15, 2011 by Deb Chitwood in Character, Gratitude, Parents' Role

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Having an attitude of gratitude is something that is very important in my life. It’s also something I’ve worked to instill in my kids. I’ve talked before about how gratitude can help families in sports: “Let Gratitude Carry You through the Competition Season.” Of course, gratitude isn’t just for sports families … an attitude of gratitude can help any kids and any families.

Ann Voskamp, the author of One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, wrote a great post this week called “How to {help} Raise Grateful Kids.”

Ann Voskamp’s suggestions to help raise grateful kids:

Pass around flower-shaped sticky notes once daily for everyone to write what they’re grateful for. Stick the flowers on the window.
Sing around the table.
Write out daily more of 1000 gifts or fill out the “7 Gifts” page. (In the “How to {help} Raise Grateful Kids” post, there’s a link to a free printable with spaces for 7 gifts each day.)
Write thank-you notes. Have a basket of thank-you notes left out as an invitation to give thanks.
Have your child put a sticky note on a mirror telling what he or she is grateful for right now.

How kids benefit from an attitude of gratitude (found through research and listed in Ann Voskamp’s post):

Better attitudes
More likely to achieve personal goals
Closer relationships and greater happiness
Better grades
Greater energy, attentiveness, and enthusiasm
Greater sensitivity to situations where they can be helpful and compassionate

Ann also had a link to a helpful YouTube video of an interview with Dr. Christine Carter from the Greater Good Science Center.

Some of my favorite points from the video “Change Your Kids’ Attitude With Gratitude”:

Happiness is in many respects a skill that parents can teach their children, and the relationship between gratitude and happiness is really strong. – Greater Good Science Center’s Dr. Christine Carter

Christine Carter talks about giving kids a lens through gratitude glasses.

She recommends practicing gratitude daily or even once a week through activities such as the following:

Keep a gratitude journal.
Keep a family gratitude list (post it on the refrigerator).
Go around the table and have each person say something they’re grateful for.
When you put your kids to bed, have them tell you three good things that happened to them or that they did during the day.
Write gratitude letters (letters to someone who has done something for your child that has gone unthanked).

Christine Carter says that people who practice gratitude become more helpful and feel happier, stronger, more energized, and more determined.

Here are some links to other ideas that can help your kids have an attitude of gratitude. Just choose whatever gratitude activities work best for your family.

Montessori Gratitude Jar
The Blessing Jar from I Can Teach My Child
Gratitude Board from Make a Vision Board
Garland of Gratitude from Family Fun (garland shape could vary according to the season)
Blessing Bowl from Jennifer Janes at the Homeschool Village
Gratitude Tree (ideas from My Insanity, Gracious Rain, and Show Me Crafts)

“Gratitude is the Best Attitude” Word-Art Freebie

UPDATE: 11/17/2011 I have a post with links to many more resources: How to Help You Kids Have an Attitude of Gratitude, Part 2.

Do you have a favorite way to help your kids have an attitude of gratitude?

Photo Credit: Photo at top of post by mtsofan/John at Flickr Creative Commons.

Added to Its Own Sweet Will.

Tags: 1000 gifts, Ann Voskamp, attitude, attitude of gratitude, gratitude, Greater Good Science Center, happiness, raise grateful kids

Sportsmanship in Sports and in Life

Written on March 11, 2011 by Deb Chitwood in Character, Inspiration

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Every now and then I hear about examples of great sportsmanship. I love the inspiration of seeing athletes rise above their own feelings and fears to reach out to their competitors.

An Example of Great Sportsmanship from Figure Skating

Recently at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, Team USA pairs skater Mark Ladwig had his skate break during his short program. He was given the allowed three minutes to return to the ice and finish the program.

While he was trying to decide whether to use duct tape or screws to fix his skate boot, he was handed a boot from a friend – and pairs competitor – Rudi Swiegers of Team Canada. Because Rudi and Mark wear the same size skates, Mark and his partner were able to complete their short program and the competition. Here’s more about the story from Team USA: Swiegers gives Ladwig the boot.

An Example of Great Sportsmanship from Softball

I first saw this video at The Zen Mama’s Blog in her Inspirational Movie Monday. It’s an amazingly beautiful example of sportsmanship … I still get teary-eyed every time I see it.

Become the Blessing

The description for the “Girls Softball Miracle” video on YouTube says simply

Throw away the selfishness…and let the beauty of helping others comes into our hearts. Be a blessing!

I can’t help but think of Ann Voskamp’s book One Thousand Gifts. Ann talks about finding joy through gratitude. And then she talks about the greatest gift – to become the blessing:

Here I can become the blessing, a little life that multiplies joy, making the larger world a better place. (p. 200)

That’s what true sportsmanship can do in sports – and in life. I think we all need to look at how we can show the best possible sportsmanship, whether it’s in a sport, in school, at work, or in any life situation. Let’s focus on what’s more important than “winning” – being a person of character and integrity … encouraging our friends and competitors … being a blessing whenever we can.

“How You Played the Game” Word-Art Freebie

Tags: Ann Voskamp, be the blessing, gratitude, Inspiration, Mark Ladwig, One Thousand Gifts, Rudy Swiegers, Softball Miracle, sportsmanship

One Thousand Gifts (Book Review)

Written on February 11, 2011 by Deb Chitwood in Book and Product Reviews, Gratitude

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One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are.

by Ann Voskamp

224 pp Zondervan

If you’re looking for a book that could change your life, be sure to read Ann Voskamp’s One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are. I already followed and loved Ann Voskamp’s blog at A Holy Experience. I already belonged to and loved her Gratitude Community. But still, the book was even better than I expected.

Ann’s honesty in describing her woundedness in the first chapter gives power and depth to the entire book … try to imagine your first memory that of your younger sister being killed in a tragic accident.

Ann’s description of that event and her two infant nephews’ deaths and her wrestling with the emotions and questions those events raised give new meaning and depth to the practice of writing down one thousand gifts … the simple process of recording the many little things for which we’re grateful.

Telling of her years of woundedness, Ann articulates many of the doubts we all have about God’s ways at times: “If it were up to me … I’d write this story differently.” And questions the simplicity of recording one thousand gifts: “Some days, ones with laundry and kids and dishes in sink, it is hard to think that the insulting ordinariness of this truly teaches the full mystery of the all most important, eucharisteo. It’s so frustratingly common – it’s offensive.”

But still, she works to “give up resentment for gratitude, gnawing anger for spilling joy…Self-focus for God-communion.” And she truly sees and experiences the life-changing power of gratitude, feels what it’s like to change her default from resentment to gratitude, learns to see God in the details of life.

And she discovers that “As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible.” Ann’s writing is poetic throughout the book, adding to her deeply religious message and to the love story it is … experiencing a real relationship with God and the joy that brings.