Enthusiasm is expressing joy in each task as I give it my best effort. ~Character First!
Some links in the post below are “affiliate links.” See our disclosure policy for details.
We are enthusiastically starting our new year with a new project. (Affiliate link; see pr & ads) SMASH Folios! They are scrapbook journals. The children are all excited. I bought one of these for 5 of the children. (The 22 year old thought she needed one too!) They have 40 pages each. All of the pages are different and there are several SMASH Folios to choose from. The 7 year old got “Cutesy,” a “Simple Orange” for the 10 1/2 year old boy, “Pretty Pink” for the 12 year old, and “Smart” for our almost 14 year old boy. Each one has a pen with a glue stick in one end. There is a video with ideas on Amazon that is very helpful in understanding how these work. They are a perfect size for carrying around to do Nature Study or take notes in. We’ll be copying quotes and Bible verses into these and pasting pictures and mementos in. The children are excited to press flowers and hair spray butterflies to go into them this summer. We'll collect weeds and draw birds and bugs on the pages. What fun!
I couldn't wait & wanted to use mine as my planner for this year as well, so I made my own. I had no clue I was making mine so close to the same size. Mine is a lot thicker. I wonder-undered fabric on thin cardboard and hot glued ribbon and lace on. I made tabs for each month; actually I just cut some 3-ring binder tabs down to fit. Hubby let me buy a heavy duty hole punch which helped a ton. I cut scrapbook paper, graph paper, ledger paper and some goal sheets, pictures, and calendar pages I printed out for it. I also inserted a few large envelopes to tuck receipts & things into. When I had it all the way I wanted, I punch holes and laced ribbon through. I’m so proud of it! It was so much fun. The 20 year old wants me to help her make one. (She’ll stuff hers full of puppy pictures, no doubt!) Maybe if I get ambitious, I could make extras and sell them on etsy?
Journals, Scrapbooks, and SMASH Folios may be fun things to get enthusiastic about, but we really have many things to be enthusiastic about. Jesus said, “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven.” (Matthew 5:12) Sometimes it’s hard to feel or show enthusiasm. Have you ever been around a person who is bubbling over with enthusiasm? It tends to be contagious. Soon you will find yourself smiling and getting excited too. Likewise if you are around someone who is lacking enthusiasm, it can be hard not to feel gloomy or grouchy with them. With children, enthusiasm can almost get out of hand. I know when I show enthusiasm during our school time, we all have a lot more fun. Sometimes it is hard though. If I’m tired and have a pile of dishes and a mountain of laundry demanding my attention, enthusiasm is not my foremost feeling. I’m more tempted to be apathetic. One secret to living an enthusiastic life is having the Holy Spirit in your life. With Jesus in our lives, even in the hardest of times, He fills us with “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding.”(Philippians 4:7).
If you are lacking enthusiasm today, please take a moment to pray for God to fill you with His spirit. Then turn on some uplifting music and put on a smile. It will make a big difference.
I couldn't wait & wanted to use mine as my planner for this year as well, so I made my own. I had no clue I was making mine so close to the same size. Mine is a lot thicker. I wonder-undered fabric on thin cardboard and hot glued ribbon and lace on. I made tabs for each month; actually I just cut some 3-ring binder tabs down to fit. Hubby let me buy a heavy duty hole punch which helped a ton. I cut scrapbook paper, graph paper, ledger paper and some goal sheets, pictures, and calendar pages I printed out for it. I also inserted a few large envelopes to tuck receipts & things into. When I had it all the way I wanted, I punch holes and laced ribbon through. I’m so proud of it! It was so much fun. The 20 year old wants me to help her make one. (She’ll stuff hers full of puppy pictures, no doubt!) Maybe if I get ambitious, I could make extras and sell them on etsy?
Journals, Scrapbooks, and SMASH Folios may be fun things to get enthusiastic about, but we really have many things to be enthusiastic about. Jesus said, “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven.” (Matthew 5:12) Sometimes it’s hard to feel or show enthusiasm. Have you ever been around a person who is bubbling over with enthusiasm? It tends to be contagious. Soon you will find yourself smiling and getting excited too. Likewise if you are around someone who is lacking enthusiasm, it can be hard not to feel gloomy or grouchy with them. With children, enthusiasm can almost get out of hand. I know when I show enthusiasm during our school time, we all have a lot more fun. Sometimes it is hard though. If I’m tired and have a pile of dishes and a mountain of laundry demanding my attention, enthusiasm is not my foremost feeling. I’m more tempted to be apathetic. One secret to living an enthusiastic life is having the Holy Spirit in your life. With Jesus in our lives, even in the hardest of times, He fills us with “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding.”(Philippians 4:7).
If you are lacking enthusiasm today, please take a moment to pray for God to fill you with His spirit. Then turn on some uplifting music and put on a smile. It will make a big difference.
RSS Feed