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Thoughtful Thursdays: Show Others You Care

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I decided to go look at my old “thoughtful”  posts from February to see what I had already posted on love.

I found a post where I made some printables with some verses on love, and another post where I shared many verses that talk about God’s love.

Then I found this old post from 3 years ago that I never posted. I don’t know why it was never posted, when I had written the whole post and even added pictures and printables, but I want to share it with you today. 

This originally should have been posted a couple of weeks after Valentine’s Day, and I had titled it, “Love Does not Need to End Just Because Valentine’s Day is Over.” I left this the way I wrote it 3 years ago, and added a few notes on the bottom.

Last week, I was rebuked in my soul.

Family is very important to my husband and me.  Growing up, neither one of us came from a family that was financially wealthy, but we were rich in our family’s love for each other.  “Blood is thicker than water” was instilled in us at a very early age.

Now I am grown with five children of my own, and I have told people, “I may not have a lot of money, but I have five children.  We may not be able to retire in style, but that’s why we have five kids–they can take care of us!”

And I would get responses such as, “That’s not the way it  is anymore.”  “Kids don’t take care of their parents these days.”  

And I would vehemently oppose that.  I would think, “But it doesn’t have to be that way!”  

Now, I know of course that sometimes parents need more help than children can give and that it is in the parent’s best interest to get them some help. I am just opposed to the idea that children don’t want to mess up their lives to take care of aging parents.  I feel that it is my responsibility to do as much as I can to take care of the parents who invested their lives and money into the raising of my husband and me.

So I blithely continued on my way.  And then last week, I got a wake-up call.  

I decided to call my grandma who is 91.  She lives eight hours away from me and her son does a great job making sure her physical needs are met.  But while I’m on the call, she tells me that I am her favorite grandchild.  (Shh–don’t tell my sisters and cousins!)

Now probably part of the reason for this is because I went to stay with her for a couple months right after my grandpa died unexpectedly.  My grandma was only 64, and she had 50 cows to care for on the farm, hay growing up around her, fences that had to be mended, and she just lost the love of her life.  Her life had revolved around him for over 40 years, and now he was suddenly gone.  So as an eleven year old girl, I helped carry pails of water out to the barn dressed up in her old sweater.  We would go down in the basement and stack her wood for the next winter.  I would hold the hammer as she fixed the fence out in the hay fields.  We would take turns pushing that old push lawnmower around her huge yarn.  And we would play card games and make grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup.  I gave her a reason to keep living–she just couldn’t stop as she had to take care of me.  She took me to church as she knew that is what my parents would have wanted–and she made new friends.

me on the farm with grandma

Pictures are grainy–but they are from 1986!

A few years ago, I also took care of her for a few weeks after she had been sick.  I was the only one able to do it, but the caretakers came in my house, and she always felt a little bad about that seeing I had 3 very small children at the time.

But another reason is that I call her periodically.  However, it had been two months since I had called her–and that smote me to think that she thought so highly of me, yet I was too busy to call my own grandmother who now is stuck in her house most of the week.  And I say that I expect my children to take care of me some day?

How do I pass on that love for the elderly, that love for family, if I talk the talk but do not walk the walk?

Well, we had already decided that we were going to go visit some Senior Citizens who live in a retirement center right by our house for Valentine’s Day.  I feel that my kids “get, get, get,” and that for Valentine’s Day, we should show some love to others that are not just their friends.  So we prepared a plate of goodies for the three apartments we were going to–and I packed a box of goodies to mail to my grandma.Love gifts to the elderly

We were able to go visit these people on the Monday before Valentine’s Day, and it was such a special occasion!  The one couple used to live in Germany. They were 13 years old when the war started.  I can’t wait to hear their story one day.  The other couple is close to 90 years old as well.  They had a display of shells and sea stars under glass that the kids loved seeing, and the last lady had a teacup Maltese that my kids absolutely adored.

Visits to our elderly friends

Visits to our friends

To tell the truth, we got more of a blessing out of it than they did!  Two couples have already sent us Thank You notes–talk about good manners that are lost today as well!  

And what did we learn from it?  That love does not have to end just because Valentine’s Day is over.  We have already told them that we want to visit them more in the summer when we can have later nights and we can go outside (their apartments are small for 7 additional people–5 of them being rambunctious children!)  

I do not know for sure that my kids will care for me when I am older and frail, but I hope that they at least will have a love for the elderly and those who need help — and that is my job to teach right now!

It does not have to be complicated.  It can be just a conversation, a card, a phone call, or a hug.  When we went, I just took a paper plate, punched some holes in around the edge, ran some ribbon through the holes, and tied a bow at the top.  I tied it up in some basket cellophane wrap that I had and attached a tag I made.  I did not want my children to have the excuse that you have to go out and buy something big to go show love.  Even those who do not have much can be a blessing to others.

We can still show love to others all year long!

If you would like to print out these little cards for yourself,  just click on them!

Printables that you can put on a gift to show someone you care.

Click on the picture to print.

Printables that you can put on a gift to show someone you care.

Click on the picture to print.

Update to this post:

My grandma is still alive at 94, but doesn’t remember me unless she sees me as she has dementia. She is now in a nursing home as she needs too much care for her 70 year old son to give her. 

I called her recently and said, “This is Tammy — your favorite granddaughter!”  She said, “Well, I don’t know about that, but thanks for calling!” She still has a sense of humor even with her dementia. I don’t call her like I should. This post was a reminder of what I need to do as a daughter and granddaughter. 

The husband of the couple that I mentioned that we went to see from Germany just passed away a couple of weeks ago. What a sweet couple they were!

Now we live in Florida and are in a church that is comprised of 60% of the congregation being over the age of 65. Before Christmas, another mom and I were taking 1-2 of our children weekly to go visit different elderly people in our church who needed encouragement. They are so kind and loving and full of wisdom. We need to start going on visits again.  We also go swimming in a couple of the pools that are owned by elderly widows in our church. They have become 2nd moms/grandmas to our family. 

 

Things come and go. Relationships and people are what matter. Take time to nurture the people in your life!

Make a gift for someone that shares you care. It doesn't have to be expensive! It just takes a paper plate, hole punch, ribbon, some goodies, and these free printables. The heart printables are perfect for Valentine's Day, but they can be used all year long!

Here are some other Valentine’s Day posts you may be interested in viewing:

Here are a couple of posts I enjoyed last week:

Come link up your thoughtful posts to Thoughtful Thursdays linky party!

Here are the rules for this linky:

The thoughtful topics for your posts could be related to but not limited to the following topics:

* homemaking * homeschooling * devotional or Biblical posts * Christian in nature * family/marriage * inspirational *

  1. Do NOT link up recipes, reviews, giveaways, diy, or crafts.
  2. Link up to three posts that have not been linked up to this linky previously!
  3. We would love it if you visited a couple other posts and left a comment or shared/pinned the post!
  4. If you include your e-mail in the linky form below you will be added to a weekly reminder e-mail when the link party goes live. Your e-mail will not to added to any other lists or given out.
  5. If you wish, please follow Creative K Kids by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on social media.

If you link up, we would love if you put this button somewhere on your blog (sidebar, post, or party page) or provide a text link so that others can also find these great posts.

Creative K Kids


75+ FREE Printable Valentines

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase those items through my links I will earn a commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link.

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If you are like me, you like to make your own Valentines for parties, but you don’t want to search and search for the perfect Valentine.

I found over 75 Valentines that can be printed off and done at home.

Over 75 Valentine Card ideas that can be printed at home!

There are so many ideas, I don’t know which ones we will choose! Since I have 5 kids, there are ones that will make all of them happy.

I found all of these on Pinterest, so all of the links except one will take you to Pinterest, and then you can click on the link which will take you to the blog post. One of the links on Pinterest did not take you to the blog post, so I found the blog post and included it instead of the Pinterest link. I do check all of the links, and if they do not work, I do not include them.

On the top, you can see the picture links, but I’ve also included text links below the pictures. Have fun!


  1. Tic Tac Toe Valentine’s Day Card — at least 64,600 pins
  2. Have a Kool Valentine’s Day Printables — at least 58,200 pins
  3. Share the Love: I’m beary happy you’re in my class — at least 49,500 pins 
  4. Glow Stick Valentine Candy Free Card for Kids and Free Printable — at least 41,900 pins
  5. Free Printable Smarties Valentines — at least 37,100 pins
  6. Valentine Donut Printables — at least 34,700 pins
  7. You’re the “Balm” Valentine’s Day Card Printable — at least 26,600 pins
  8. Printable Religious Valentine Cards for Kids — at least 24,600 pins
  9. Goldfish Crackers Printable Valentine Cards — at least 24,200 pins
  10. Printable Starburst Valentine Cards — at least 22,200 pins
  11. Valentine Heart Bookmarks to Print and Color — at least 21,000 pins
  12. Starburst Valentine Label Topper (goes to the blog as the Pinterest link was not right) — at least 20,100 pins
  13. Free Printable Valentine “You Make My Heart Race” Valentines  — at least 17,500 pins
  14. Friendship Bracelet Valentines — at least 17,000 pins
  15. You’re AwesomeSAUCE, Valentine — at least 16,200 pins
  16. Star Wars Valentine’s Day Cards for Kids — at least 15,700 pins
  17. Printable Valentines cards with Skittles — at least 15,600 pins
  18. Printable Valentine: Have a Colorful Valentine’s Day — at least 14,600 pins
  19. “you’re exSTRAW special” easy printable Valentine’s Day card — at least 14,400 pins
  20. Printable Star Wars Valentine’s — at least 13,000 pins
  21. Free Printable Valentines For Kids — at least 11,600 pins
  22. Free Hotwheels printable! {Valentines for boys!} — at least 10,500 pins
  23. One in a Melon Valentine for Kids {Free Printable} — at least 10,400 pins
  24. Printable Star Wars Valentine’s Day Cards — at least 10,400 pins
  25. Printable Kid’s Valentine — at least 9,400 pins
  26. You’re All That and a Bag of Chips Printable Valentine — at least 7,700 pins
  27. Free printable Valentine cards — at least 7,000 pins
  28. You’re A-MAZE-ing Free Printables — at least 6,400 pins
  29. LEGO Valentine’s Day Cards – Printable — at least 5,600 pins
  30. Free Printable Valentine Paper Fortune Cookies — at least 4,900 pins
  31. Bubbles Valentine & Free Printable — at least 4,300 pins
  32. Printable Pokemon Cards — at least 4,200 pins
  33. Free Printable Valentine’s Day Cards for Kids with Owls and Birds — at least 4,100 pins
  34. Pencil Arrow Valentines — at least 3,900 pins
  35. Orange  You Glad Printable Valentines— at least 3,500 pins
  36. Homemade Valentines? Check! Grab this printable Pencil Arrow themed Valentine’s Day cards. — at least 3,400 pins
  37. Hey Smartie! Printable Valentine — at least 2,900 pins
  38. Free Printable Dinosaur Valentines — at least 2,800 pins
  39. Heart Stamper Non-Candy Valentine with Printable — at least 2,600 pins
  40. Finding Dory Valentine – Free Printable — at least 2,600 pins
  41. Disney’s Frozen Free Printable Valentines — at least 2,600 pins
  42. Free Printable Valentine’s Day Chocolate Bar Wraps — at least 2,500 pins
  43. Kids Printable Valentines Using Extra Gum! — at least 2,400
  44. Emoji Printable Valentines — at least 2,300 pins
  45. I Like You Beary Much Valentine Printable — at least 2,200 pins
  46. Free Printable Pokemon Valentine’s Day Cards – 6 Designs with Lollipops! — at least 1,800 pins
  47. Free Star Wars Valentines Printables — at least 1,700 pins
  48. John 3:16 Printable Valentines with Globe Keychains — at least 1,600 pins
  49. Printable Pop Rocks Valentine’s Day Gift Tags — at least 1,300 pins
  50. You Make My Heart Pop! Valentine’s Day Idea — at least 1,200 pins
  51. Playdough Valentines — at least 1,200 pins
  52. Free Flashlight Valentine Printables — at least 1,100 pins
  53. Modern Lego Printable Valentines — at least 1,100 pins
  54. DIY Fishbowl Valentine Printable — at least 1,100 pins
  55. Free Valentines with Bubbles Printable for Kids — at least 1,100 pins
  56. Free Valentine’s Day Printables: Donut Labels — at least 1,000 pins
  57. Free Printable Car Valentine Card — at least 1,000 pins
  58. Free Printable Valentine Lunch Box Jokes — at least 950 pins
  59. Butterfly Printable Valentines — at least 946 pins
  60. Free Printable Valentine’s Coloring Bookmarks — at least 900 pins
  61. Free Printable Valentine’s – With Bible Verses — at least 851 pins
  62. Free Star Wars Printable Valentines Cards Idea with DIY Pencil Lightsaber — at least 770 pins
  63. Free Printable Valentine’s Treat Tags — at least 655 pins
  64. 8 DIY Non-Food Valentines for Kids — at least 563 pins (You can find these here on Creative K Kids)
  65. Applesauce Valentine Printable — at least 554 pins
  66. Dino-mite Valentines — at least 530 pins
  67. Rice Krispies “Treat” Valentines with free Printable Tags — at least 399 pins
  68. Tic Tac “Mint to Be” Classroom Valentine’s — at least 361 pins
  69. Free Printable Emoji Valentines — at least 354 pins
  70. Printable Bookmark Valentines — at least 345 pins
  71. Printable Classroom Valentines — I Like How You Roll — at least 344 pins
  72. Star Wars Printable Valentines — at least 326 pins
  73. Simple Sunglasses Printable Valentine — at least 322 pins
  74. Heart Tangram Printable Valentine Cards — at least 287 pins
  75. Color by Number Printable Valentine — at least 257 pins
  76. Printable Valentine Cards with Crayon Hearts — at least 250 pins (Find this printable HERE on Creative K Kids)
  77. Printable Frozen Valentine’s Day — at least 100 pins (Find this printable HERE on Creative K Kids)

Thoughtful Thursdays: Make This Year the Best Year of Service

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase those items through my links I will earn a commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link.

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 Last week, I shared some thoughts on “What type of person should I be this year?” 

I shared answers and promises from God’s Word that will shore us up when we have doubts or questions about life and our abilities. Today, I wanted to finish the conversation about how we can have the best year ever when it comes to living for and serving God.

There are 5 steps we must take to have a great year in our service for God:

  • Step 1: Presentation of our bodies as a living sacrifice

Romans 12:1 -- I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1

We get out what we put in. We need to put our whole self in without holding any part of our life back from God. This is a decision we must make daily. It’s a matter of our will.

When we consider what God has done for us in providing His Son as our means of salvation and then the daily blessings He gives us, this offering of our whole self for His service should be an automatic and expected response.

  • Step 2: Separation from this world

And be not conformed to this world: Romans 12:2a

We must live in this world and be salt and light to those around us; but no longer are we “of” this world. I love how Hebrews 11:13 says that the patriachs of faith all:

. . .died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

We are pilgrims just a passing through, as the song This World is Not My Home says:

This world is not my home I’m just a passing through
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its mold. J. B. Phillips

"Don't let the world squeeze you into its mold."

  • Step 3: Transformation with Scripture

but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2b

We must think the way He thinks, and that is only possible if we read His book. This will reveal His mind to us and will change us to be more like Him.

  • Step 4: Cooperation in service

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office. So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Romans 12:3-5

We finally can serve! But we must do the 3 steps above first! We cannot truly serve if we do not present our bodies as a living sacrifice, separate from the world, and have a transformed life from the inside out. 

Now we are ready to have a great year in service for our God. We  must do one final step:

  • Step 5: Evaluation

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, Romans 12:6a

Each one of us must look at our own self honestly – what has God gifted me with that I can use for His service?
If we do each of these steps, we truly will have the best year of service for God.

Recent posts:

Here are a few posts I enjoyed last week:

Come link up your thoughtful posts to Thoughtful Thursdays linky party!

Here are the rules for this linky:

The thoughtful topics for your posts could be related to but not limited to the following topics:

* homemaking * homeschooling * devotional or Biblical posts * Christian in nature * family/marriage * inspirational *

  1. Do NOT link up recipes, reviews, giveaways, diy, or crafts.
  2. Link up to three posts that have not been linked up to this linky previously!
  3. We would love it if you visited a couple other posts and left a comment or shared/pinned the post!
  4. If you include your e-mail in the linky form below you will be added to a weekly reminder e-mail when the link party goes live. Your e-mail will not to added to any other lists or given out.
  5. If you wish, please follow Creative K Kids by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on social media.

If you link up, we would love if you put this button somewhere on your blog (sidebar, post, or party page) or provide a text link so that others can also find these great posts.

Creative K Kids


Thoughtful Thursdays: DIY Brag Book on God

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase those items through my links I will earn a commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link.

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 Last week, I shared on how I wanted my kids to be “dazzled” with God. I said that I wanted to make a “brag book”  where our family could share things God has taught us, prayers God has answered, ways God has worked, and fun things God has allowed us to do. I also said that I would try to have mine ready plus a printable that I used for our brag book that you can use as well if you wish. 

I got my brag book almost done. 

Make your own Brag Book about God using a composition book, scrapbooking paper, and free printables.

I used a composition book and covered the front and back of it with scrapbooking paper. (This scrapbooking paper had the little gems on it. Beautiful and easy to use!) I still want to put tabs in it to divide it into sections. I shared HERE how to make these cute notebooks a few years ago.

I used a couple of the 3″ printables below for the front of the journal. After I used a glue stick to glue on my “brag book” printables, I spread mod podge over the top of the journal with a sponge brush to ensure that the printables stay in place. And it was done! (Except for the tabs that I want to put  in place for a blessings section, fun memories section, prayer requests/answered prayers section, and ways we have seen God lead and direct section.)

Make your own Brag Book about God using a composition book, scrapbooking paper, and free printables.

At the end of the year, it will be fun to go back and read all our memories and brag once again on how good God has been to us.

I made a PDF of the following pictures that you could use for the front (or back) of your brag book. The PDF pictures are about 3″ x 3″. I also made a Google document of the same pictures where the pictures are 4″ x 4″. If you want them bigger, just let me know.

Make your own Brag Book about God using a composition book or a notebook and these free printables.

Printables: (Each printable is 2-3 pages, but you can print out just one page if you want.)

Go HERE for the 3″ Brag on God printables.

Go HERE for 4″ Brag on God printables.

Make your own Brag Book about God using a composition book, scrapbooking paper, and free printables.

Here are a couple of posts I enjoyed last week:

featured posts from Thoughtful Thursday's party

Come link up your thoughtful posts to Thoughtful Thursdays linky party!

Here are the rules for this linky:

The thoughtful topics for your posts could be related to but not limited to the following topics:

* homemaking * homeschooling * devotional or Biblical posts * Christian in nature * family/marriage * inspirational *

  1. Do NOT link up recipes, reviews, giveaways, diy, or crafts.
  2. Link up to three posts that have not been linked up to this linky previously!
  3. We would love it if you visited a couple other posts and left a comment or shared/pinned the post!
  4. If you include your e-mail in the linky form below you will be added to a weekly reminder e-mail when the link party goes live. Your e-mail will not to added to any other lists or given out.
  5. If you wish, please follow Creative K Kids by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on social media.

If you link up, we would love if you put this button somewhere on your blog (sidebar, post, or party page) or provide a text link so that others can also find these great posts.

Creative K Kids


Thoughtful Thursdays:  4 Reasons Why Jesus did NOT Come

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase those items through my links I will earn a commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link.

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This past Sunday we had our kids’ Christmas program.

I worked with the kids in learning the songs; therefore, I knew the story line of the program. My husband had to give a little challenge after the program, so he asked me what the program was about. I told him the gist of the program where a little boy finds out the story of Christmas. The end of the program, the boy’s friend asks his dad if they can tell his friend the rest of the story of Jesus before Easter.

So my husband’s challenge included “the rest of the story.” Or he shared the reason for why Jesus came by sharing reasons why Jesus did NOT come. I found it an interesting message. Meditate on these thoughts about why Jesus did NOT come to earth:

We see in the Bible 4 reasons why Jesus did NOT come to earth. We also see why He did come to earth. Let's follow in His footsteps.

  • HE DID NOT COME TO BE SERVED.

Mark 10:45 — For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

  • HE DID NOT COME TO DO IS OWN WILL.

John 6:38 – For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will…

  • HE DID NOT COME TO CALL THOSE WHO WERE RIGHTEOUS.

Mark 2:17 – … I came not to call the righteous…

  • HE DID NOT COME TO JUDGE THE WORLD.

Jn 3:17 — For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

If these are the reasons why Jesus did NOT come, then the opposite of these reasons are some of the reasons why He DID come. The reasons why He did leave all to come to be our Savior challenges me on how I live. 

  • He came to serve. Am I serving others?
  • He came to do God’s will. In John 4:34, He even said His meat or food was to do God’s will. That is what fed Him and kept Him going. Do I desire to do God’s will above all else?
  • He came to save sinners. Am I concerned about the souls of those who are perishing?
  • His desire was to save the world, not to judge them. We have a lot of problems in this world, but sometimes I think we Christians spend more time talking about all our political and economic problems and about all the wicked people around us instead of focusing on the only One who can solve those problems. We are to make righteous judgments and to not excuse sin; but if we spent as much energy into sharing the Solution with those who surround us as we do complaining about what is going wrong, then hearts can get changed and God can begin a mighty work.

This Christmas, remember WHY Jesus came. Don’t just remember the story of Him being born in a stable; but think about why He came and how we can follow His footsteps here on earth.

** Next week, I will not have the linky party. I may post a Merry Christmas post, but I’ll be taking it easy next week as our family enjoys our first Christmas in Florida. Merry Christmas!

Here are a couple of posts I enjoyed from last week’s party:

Come link up your thoughtful posts to Thoughtful Thursdays linky party!

Here are the rules for this linky:

The thoughtful topics for your posts could be related to but not limited to the following topics:

* homemaking * homeschooling * devotional or Biblical posts * Christian in nature * family/marriage * inspirational *

  1. Do NOT link up recipes, reviews, giveaways, diy, or crafts.
  2. Link up to three posts that have not been linked up to this linky previously!
  3. We would love it if you visited a couple other posts and left a comment or shared/pinned the post!
  4. If you include your e-mail in the linky form below you will be added to a weekly reminder e-mail when the link party goes live. Your e-mail will not to added to any other lists or given out.
  5. If you wish, please follow Creative K Kids by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on social media.

If you link up, we would love if you put this button somewhere on your blog (sidebar, post, or party page) or provide a text link so that others can also find these great posts.

Creative K Kids


Thoughtful Thursdays:  Choosing to Praise

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase those items through my links I will earn a commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link.

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Life is a choice. Your attitude is a choice. Having fun is a choice. 

I say phrases like this many times to my teenager (and my other children as well). In our comfortable house with food, toys, clothes, devices, and more, they can still find something to complain about — often. As my one daughter complained to me about an activity she did not want to do, I told her she did not have to do it; however she would have to do others. As she continued to complain about how not enjoying this (fun) activity was, I said she was right. It was ranked right up there with walking miles to get a gallon of water to drink, dealing with AIDS or cancer, having no food to eat, having a war-torn country, and more. 

My speech at least convinced her to go to bed and to stop complaining at the moment. All of this to say that I have often told her that her happiness is a choice. She can choose to have a positive attitude and deal cheerfully with the inconveniences she may sometimes face or doing something that she does not love to do or she can choose to complain and make her own life miserable. When I have told her that she is very often negative, she has said that I am not very positive either. So I have to consider her comment. Is she accurate? Or is she so negative that she sees others as being negative too?

I know that I could easily be negative, and I don’t want to be. I want to be a positive person. I want to choose to think on . . . things that are true, things that are honest, things that are just, things that are pure, things that are lovely, and things that are of good report. (from Philippians 4:8)

To  choose to think positively needs to become a habit if one is to succeed in being a continually positive person. My husband in prayer meeting challenged all of us to praise God for something different each day this week. If  we praise God everyday, then we will think His thoughts and have a joyful life because He gives us joy. 

Praising God is acknowledging God for who He is and what He has done. I’m sure all of us can think of so many things to praise God for, but we can find 8 metaphors of God that we can praise Him for being in our lives in II Samuel 22:1-4:

Our God is worthy to be praised!

So join me this week on praising God every day!

Here are a couple of posts I enjoyed from last week’s party:

Come link up your thoughtful posts to Thoughtful Thursdays linky party!

Here are the rules for this linky:

The thoughtful topics for your posts could be related to but not limited to the following topics:

* homemaking * homeschooling * devotional or Biblical posts * Christian in nature * family/marriage * inspirational *

  1. Do NOT link up recipes, reviews, giveaways, diy, or crafts.
  2. Link up to three posts that have not been linked up to this linky previously!
  3. We would love it if you visited a couple other posts and left a comment or shared/pinned the post!
  4. If you include your e-mail in the linky form below you will be added to a weekly reminder e-mail when the link party goes live. Your e-mail will not to added to any other lists or given out.
  5. If you wish, please follow Creative K Kids by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on social media.

If you link up, we would love if you put this button somewhere on your blog (sidebar, post, or party page) or provide a text link so that others can also find these great posts.

Creative K Kids


Thoughtful Thursdays: Free Resources for Advent/Christmas devotionals

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On Tuesday, I shared a post about how to avoid stress this holiday season.

And I’m already feeling stressed. For real.

I have to give a devotional on Friday for a ladies activity, and I hadn’t even started studying for it yet. It’s the first devotional I will have to do here in our new church, so that in itself can be a little nerve wracking. Plus there are about 5 million other things I have to do. 

I was going to put the devotional together for this post– kill 2 birds with one stone. Get my devotional post together by writing the Thoughtful Thursday post. I had no great ideas as of yet, so I googled Christmas devotionals and found a site I had used a long time ago — Julia Bettencourt’s website called Creative Ladies Ministry. We used one of her ideas for a Mother’s Day luncheon a few years ago.

I loved a few of her Christmas devotionals, so I’m just going to go with one of the devotionals she has already written for our ladies activity. I also found a couple of other sites in just a few minutes that may be helpful for you if you ever have to do a ladies activity and want a devotional.

Many of these ideas you could also use for children and for  family devotions. 

Here are 12 different free resources that you can use for Christian devotionals for different Christmas gatherings. You can also use many of them at home for family devotions during the Advent.

  1. Creative Ladies Ministry/Julia Bettencourt — has devotionals for many different occasions as well as event themes and printables
  2. Christian Christmas Devotionals from Heavens Inspirations
  3. Christmas Devotional for a ladies meeting from Shoestring Budgets and Skeleton Crews
  4. The 12 Days of Christmas — would be good for family devotions
  5. The grinch that steals Christmas from Laced with Grace
  6. ‘Tis the Christmas season from The Entourages– many of these links are broken, but some still work and you may find a devotional on this website.
  7. Holiday devotions for women from Because of God Ministries
  8. Here are some Christmas devotions from Butt0n-to-God
  9. Youversion has a short devotional for 25 different Christmas carols plus other Christmas devotional series.
  10. Crosswalk has some Christmas devotionals that may be good.
  11. This ebook, Christmas Joy, may give you some ideas.
  12. You can get a free advent ebook HERE from Women Living Well that also can give you some great talking points.

Here are a couple of posts I enjoyed from last week’s party:

Come link up your thoughtful posts to Thoughtful Thursdays linky party!

Here are the rules for this linky:

The thoughtful topics for your posts could be related to but not limited to the following topics:

* homemaking * homeschooling * devotional or Biblical posts * Christian in nature * family/marriage * inspirational *

  1. Do NOT link up recipes, reviews, giveaways, diy, or crafts.
  2. Link up to three posts that have not been linked up to this linky previously!
  3. We would love it if you visited a couple other posts and left a comment or shared/pinned the post!
  4. If you include your e-mail in the linky form below you will be added to a weekly reminder e-mail when the link party goes live. Your e-mail will not to added to any other lists or given out.
  5. If you wish, please follow Creative K Kids by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on social media.

If you link up, we would love if you put this button somewhere on your blog (sidebar, post, or party page) or provide a text link so that others can also find these great posts.

Creative K Kids


Thoughtful Thursdays: Praising God during Tragedies

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase those items through my links I will earn a commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link.

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Last week, I shared this printable for Thanksgiving:

Print out this coloring sheet/journaling page to record what you are thankful for this year.

Click on this picture to print out the coloring sheet/journaling page.

It’s interesting what a week will bring. I started off this week on a high note. We have been at our new church for five months, and we are loving being here. Our church had a praise service on Sunday afternoon following a potluck dinner, and it was an uplifting, encouraging service.  It’s easy to praise God on days like this past Sunday.

On Monday, I saw on Facebook that a 14 year old girl from our previous ministry had found out the previous Friday that she had leukemia. On Tuesday, she passed away from complications. Then on Wednesday as we decorated Thanksgiving cookies, we heard ambulances, and later we heard later helicopters. Down the street from our house there had been a major accident. One man who was 26 years old died from the accident. Both of these lives were gone so quickly, without a warning. Both of these people have loved ones who are grieving this Thanksgiving. It’s harder to praise God when tragedy strikes.

This Thanksgiving, some of you may be going through a valley. You may have lost a loved one recently or may be experiencing a tough life circumstance. Even during these tough times, we can praise God.

We can praise Him because He has promised to heal our broken hearts and to bind up our wounds.

God can comfort the broken hearted.

We can praise Him because has promised to give us rest when we come to Him.

God can give the weary rest!

For those of you who are grieving this Thanksgiving, I pray that God will comfort you and encourage your heart. Turn to Him because He can give you rest.

Here are a few Thanksgiving posts that were linked up to last week’s party:

Thanksgiving posts

Come link up your thoughtful posts to Thoughtful Thursdays linky party!

Here are the rules for this linky:

The thoughtful topics for your posts could be related to but not limited to the following topics:

* homemaking * homeschooling * devotional or Biblical posts * Christian in nature * family/marriage * inspirational *

  1. Do NOT link up recipes, reviews, giveaways, diy, or crafts.
  2. Link up to three posts that have not been linked up to this linky previously!
  3. We would love it if you visited a couple other posts and left a comment or shared/pinned the post!
  4. If you include your e-mail in the linky form below you will be added to a weekly reminder e-mail when the link party goes live. Your e-mail will not to added to any other lists or given out.
  5. If you wish, please follow Creative K Kids by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on social media.

If you link up, we would love if you put this button somewhere on your blog (sidebar, post, or party page) or provide a text link so that others can also find these great posts.

Creative K Kids


Thoughtful Thursdays: Coloring/Journaling Printable for Thanksgiving

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase those items through my links I will earn a commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link.

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In years past, I have done many Thanksgiving printables about being thankful.

One of my most viewed posts every Thanksgiving is this set of printables I did 3 years ago.

13 Thanksgiving printables about how we should give thanks for different attributes of God.

There are 13 printables altogether. We used these for family devotions the whole month of November tha tyear.

The next year, I made these printables which went along with the previous year’s Bible study. I made printables for being thankful for those in the service of God, printable Thank You notes, and a printable discussing Romans 12:10.

This year, I did not do any big study like the other years, but I made this simple coloring sheet/journaling page that can be printed out.

Print out this coloring sheet/journaling page to record what you are thankful for this year.

Click on this picture to print out the coloring sheet/journaling page.

My thought is to give it to my kids and as they color in the letters and simple details, they can also think about what they are thankful for and write those things down while they are coloring. Maybe we can laminate them (or frame them), and they can put them in their room. When they are having a bad day or a grouchy day, they can look at this piece of paper to remind them of all they have to be thankful for.

I am so thankful for God’s providence, sovereignty, and guidance over the past 5 years. Our family has had hard times in ministry and joyful times in ministry. I would have never thought we would be living in Florida, but now I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Where God is, He knits your hearts with other believers so that you are family even though you have not known each other a long time. I have said for a long time that older people are my favorite people. God sent us to a church where 50% of the church is over 60 years of age. Even though we are praying to reach younger people, I love the older people  here. They encourage me, can give me wise counsel, love me and my family, and are wonderful examples of how to endure and be joyful in the Christian walk of life. 

I pray that this year will be a wonderful Thanksgiving for you — whether or not you are going through hard times. I pray that through it all you will feel God upholding you and guiding you.

What are you thankful for this past year?

Come link up your thoughtful posts to Thoughtful Thursdays linky party!

Here are the rules for this linky:

The thoughtful topics for your posts could be related to but not limited to the following topics:

* homemaking * homeschooling * devotional or Biblical posts * Christian in nature * family/marriage * inspirational *

  1. Do NOT link up recipes, reviews, giveaways, diy, or crafts.
  2. Link up to three posts that have not been linked up to this linky previously!
  3. We would love it if you visited a couple other posts and left a comment or shared/pinned the post!
  4. If you include your e-mail in the linky form below you will be added to a weekly reminder e-mail when the link party goes live. Your e-mail will not to added to any other lists or given out.
  5. If you wish, please follow Creative K Kids by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on social media.

If you link up, we would love if you put this button somewhere on your blog (sidebar, post, or party page) or provide a text link so that others can also find these great posts.

Creative K Kids


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