family day

  • Impacting The Next Generation

    Let this be written for a future generation,
    that a people not yet created may praise the Lord:
~Psalm 102:18 NIV

    Yesterday we celebrated Family Day in Canada.  I’ve got to say, it was a weird one for this girl.

    FAMILY DAY

    Todd and Sherry photo boothThis Family Day was the first time we weren’t able to coordinate getting together with any of our kids since none of them live within two and a half hours from us and one is in another country. I was super thankful we got to end out the day with a Facetime visit and see my son Brandon and his beautiful girlfriend Niall but during the day I was really glad we helped at our church’s Family Day event, so I was distracted from missing my family.

    Todd and I ran the photo booth and took pictures of kids and their parents all day long. Most were families with young children but there was this adorable married husband and wife in their eighties who wanted to get couples’ photos. Throughout that day I took photos of their son, who brought his neighbor to the event. I know the family because at our church there’s more of their kids, a few of their grandchildren and even some great-grandchildren. As I thought about it, this couple was still impacting the next generation!

    While we celebrated Family Day in Canada, American friends honored Presidents Day. I know it may seem a stretch but hear me out; I feel these two holidays have more in common than you might at first recognize and I believe they have a deep connection to this week’s Soul H2O verse.

    Clearly, God cares about family and He cares about impacting the next generation. Multiple verses echo the sentiment that God wants to show his love, mercy, grace, compassion, and salvation to every generation.  I encourage you to read through some of these verses listed in today’s Drawing From The Well section below.

    [tweetthis]God cares about family and He cares about impacting the next generation![/tweetthis]

    To help create this impact, Family Day was started in Ontario the year my son went to University.  Its purpose is to give Canadians more time away from work, so they can invest in their family relationships; something that will have lasting effects on future generations.

    Presidents Day is observed near the time of George Washington’s birthday; United States’ first president. He from 1789-1797, a mere eight years of the nation’s 243-year history. Washington’s leadership accounts for only 3% of the country’s governance yet the narrative of his final address, which is still read in the United States Senate, influences the country today.

    Impacting The Next Generation

    My desire is that what I write causes future generations, a people not yet born to praise the Lord! God’s desire is that the impact of His life in ours would be found impacting the next generation, the generation after that, and the generation after that…

    Just like George Washington can’t be here to speak with his fellow Americans, we won’t always be able to talk to our family members.  Distance may hinder and death will eventually halt our Facetime with family, but I’m encouraged as I learn how Washington’s Farewell Address was read aloud in the Senate yesterday.  Washington’s life is still impacting the next generation.  It’s God’s desire that you would live a life, impacting the next generation; regardless of whether or not you get to spend Family Day with your kids!

    Prayer

    Father…I’m so thankful for Your impact in my life.  I wouldn’t be who I am without your love, mercy, grace, compassion, and salvation. The blessing of your faithfulness to what You’ve promised keeps my heart secure and builds a longing in my heart to share that with others.  I want them to know the difference You make in my life and could in theirs.  Please help me to be found always impacting the next generation. In Jesus Name…Amen.

    WHERE YOU CAN OFTEN FIND ME LINKING UP MY BLOG WITH OR PLACES WHERE MY WRITING HAS BEEN FEATURED

    Soul H2OIf you liked the refreshing in this #SoulH2O devotion, you’ll love my latest Soul H2O Devotional book: 40 Thirst Quenching Devotions for Women.

     

    Drawing From The Well

    1. Psalm 102:18
    2. Exodus 20:6/Deuteronomy 5:10
    3. Luke 1:50
    4. Psalm 105:8

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  • My Advice For A Happy Family Day

    Here’s my advice for a Happy Family Day!

    family day advice

    LOOK INTO THE EYES OF SOMEONE YOU LOVE!

    Praying you have an awesome day with the ones you love!

    See you tomorrow for the weekly #soulh2o Devotion.

    In His Grip, Sherry

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  • Spend Time With Your Family

    HAPPY

    FAMILY DAY IN CANADA
    &
    PRESIDENT’S DAY IN THE USA

    Enjoy the break and
    Spend Time With Your Family Today!

    Here’s a link to a website that gives 50 Family Fun Ideas.

    [imic_button colour=”btn-primary” type=”enabled” link=”https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/842477/50-family-fun-night-ideas-for-families” target=”_blank” extraclass=”” size=””]50 Family Fun Ideas[/imic_button]

    Check Back Tuesday For The Soul H2O Devotion

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  • Happy Holiday!

    Happy Presidents Day to all my American friends!

     Happy Family Day to all my Canadian friends!

    “There remains, then a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.”
                                                                     Hebrews 4:10-11 NIV
    Today is a holiday for Canadians and Americans alike.  A day to kick back, relax and for most, take a day off of work!  Could there be a better time in the calendar to have a holiday than in the dead of winter?  I know you southerners can’t understand, but this year has been one of the harshest winter’s North America has ever experienced!  It leaves you tired and worn out.  Like bears in winter, we need a little extra time to rest.

    Genesis 2:2 says “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.” (NIV)

    We live in such a fast-paced society that the work never seems to be done.  It’s hard to let ourselves take the time to rest.  The problem with not following God’s example and later His law to rest is that we go beyond the limitations God set in the human body.  Without adequate rest our bodies get run-down and burn out.

    Wikipedia gives a review of a report from the Journal of Health Psychology,8. It says that Burnout decreases your job performance, causes physical and mental health issues, along with cognitive impairments.  The study found that “burned out workers reported as many depressive symptoms as clinically depressed patients”2

    The writer of Hebrews encourages us that “anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work”.  Allow yourself the blessing to enter into His rest and Have a Happy Holiday!

    Prayer

    Father… I thank-you that you have provided rest for my.  Please help me to enter into your rest and allow you to renew my spirit today!  In Jesus name, Amen

    If you think you may be struggling with clinical depression or anxiety, check out my MENTAL HEALTH page for some guidance and links to great resources.

    1Bianchi, R., Boffy, C., Hingray, C., Truchot, D., & Laurent, E. (2013). Comparative symptomatology of burnout and depression. Journal of Health Psychology, 18 (6), 782–787.
    2https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnout_(psychology)

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