Focus on Love

I don't know about your days, but mine are often a mix of declared love and frustration. Little girls who don't do what they're asked. A mommy who doesn't respond as quickly as little girls would like. We desperately want to start our days off with the right focus, but sadly, the we often fail.

I struggle with single days that are set aside with the intent of celebrating something that I believe should be an everyday occurrence...Mother's Day, Father's Day, Valentine's Day, Thanksgiving...but I guess that sometimes it takes being extra intentional for one day to remind us to bring our focus to the everyday.  In that spirit, I share something that Olivia and I started 3 years ago...  

We regularly talk about the  importance of words (and tone). Of ho words can build others up or they can tear them down. Sadly, all too often, it is those that mean the most in our hearts who receive the poorly chosen and spoken words resulting from a bad day or unfortunate exchange with others. 

During the month of February, each morning at the breakfast table, we pick up a paper heart and write on it something that we love about the other person.  The first week is easy and the things we write are obvious.  But as the days and weeks pass, we sometimes have to think a little harder, look a little deeper.  After we have written down the attribute, we then share why we chose it.  The hearts are then hung on a door.  It is fun to watch the door fill up.  And even more fun to watch Olivia pause at the door throughout the day to read them. It is my prayer that on the days where she is feeling low, that if I've neglected my job of telling and showing her how precious and loved she is, that she will remember the words that were once posted and be encouraged.

Our hearts have been purchased for this year (*hint, I found them at Hobby Lobby) and on February 1 we will start again. This year our door will be be fuller as Callie now is home and has the words to join us!

"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Psalms 119:103

P.S.  We also do the same thing during November, only instead of things we love about the other, we write things for which we are thankful.