Focus on the Family Magazine - April/May 2022

HACKS & FACTS / JOY
HAPPY HEARTS
Our family recently participated in our church’s workday. At first, our girls weren’t
thrilled about going, but once they began helping with the others, their hearts
were transformed. They weeded flower beds, waxed cabinets, washed windows
and cleaned baseboards all with a happy heart. We were exhausted by the end
of the day, yet the ride home was filled with satisfaction. My 9-year-old daughter
told me, “It made me feel joy when I was helping others.” While finding joy wasn’t
our motive, it was a natural outcome of working together with our church.
—Katie T. Kennedy
enjoy the wow
the flip side
My daughter can become sulky when life seems
dull. Many days after school, she would ask if
she could go play at a friend’s house or visit a
restaurant or store. So on days when we planned
to hang out as a family at home, we used the
phrase, “Enjoy the wow that’s happening now,”
to gently remind her that joy is always at hand—
even in the ordinary. While it took some practice,
now she can find and savor her own fun. For
example, she can recruit her brothers to play a
giant game of “the floor is lava” in the backyard.
She now knows that real joy is not something
“out there” that we chase after. Instead, it’s
something we carry with us.
—Elizabeth James
Our family began something that we call “flip it.”
For each negative thought we acknowledge, we
accept the emotions that go with it, but then
flip it to say why we are blessed. For example,
my daughter would say, “I don’t get to go to
school.” We would flip this thought and turn it
into a reason we were blessed: “Not going to
school is hard and makes you sad, but it means
we are safe, healthy and get to spend extra time
together.” After some time, she began flipping
her own thoughts and seemed to understand
that it is OK to be sad or upset, but that even
in the hardest times we can find ways we are
blessed.
—Autumn Shaffer
VIACHESLAV LAKOBCHUK / STOCK.ADOBE.COM
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FOCUS ON THE FAMILY
APRIL / MAY 2022