Last week I spent time praying for and focusing on cultivating peace in myself, my family and my home as part of the “Making Your Home a Haven” challenge. This week I’ll be in praying for gentleness in myself, my family and my home.
My tones and words are not typically of a gentle nature in the midst of stress or difficult situations. As the mother I know just how much of an influence I have on the atmosphere of my home. In order for our home to be filled with gentle tones, words and attitudes it first must start with me.
Developing Gentleness in Myself
Gentleness is an attribute that I have longed to have in myself and I plan to spend much time in prayer this week seeking God’s direction on developing it in my life. In preparation for this week’s challenge, God laid a few places for me to start on my heart.
- Pray each time I see the candle that I will be gentle to my family throughout the day
- Talk less, pray/think/listen more
- Do not raise my voice
- Take time to get “girly” each day – fix my hair and makeup a bit
- Spend extra time baking and in the garden
Developing Gentleness in My Family
My desire is that my family would follow in my footsteps desiring and developing gentleness in themselves. This week, I am going to strive to encourage my family to develop gentleness in the following ways.
- Begin our day together in prayer for gentleness in our lives
- Help each other with chores and daily tasks using gentle tones, words and actions
- Require manners to be used at all times (please, thank you, yes ma’am, no ma’am, etc.)
- Ensure door is opened by my son for myself and my daughter
- Teach my daughter to serve her daddy’s plate first
- Memorize Titus 3:1-2 together
Developing Gentleness in My Home
For a home to be abounding in gentleness it must be filled with peace. A gentle atmosphere will encourage developing gentleness in myself and my family and I plan to create this atmosphere by doing the following.
- Play soothing music throughout the day
- Rough house type play will be done outside only
- All family members will write on note each day to another family member saying something they like about them
- When voices raise, 5 minutes of silence will be required by all family members
- Gathering flowers or greenery for kitchen, dining and living room decor
To encourage my family and our home to be filled with gentle spirits, words and actions I must be the example of what I desire to see in them.
I made a printable to use in my home this week, to help us memorize Titus 3:1-2. I’ve included it in the link below as a free printable for your home should you like to use it.
Get Your FREE Titus 3:1-2 Printable For the Home Here
How do you strive to develop gentleness in your home?
I’m thrilled to be teaming up with some of my favorite girls online as a new co-host to a Monday link up here at Beautiful Ashes.
More specifically, how are we as blogging mommies, wives, and women, being salt and light towards others online?
Here is your chance to generously sprinkle some salt and shine a light: a link up where you share a post that you enjoyed recently from someone else’s blog or website.
Be the Salt & the Light to the world this week and share:
- Faith in Jesus – What inspired your faith walk with Jesus
- Marriage – What touched your heart for your spouse
- Singleness – What has inspired you to reach out to God
- Mothering – What encouraged you to be the best mom you can be this week
- Health – A new recipe that you hope to bless your family with, or health tip that will benefit your family
- Service – A story of service that touched you
- Finances – A tip that will serve your family well
- Homemaking – Inspiration to make your home a haven for your husband, kids, and guests
- Time – Share a story that opened your eyes to the use of time in our life
- Beauty – A reminder of what beauty really is in a world that tries so hard to
And of course, if you have written an encouraging post you would like to add to the link up, go ahead link up a second, personal post.
Weekly Feature:
Bridget, Mandy, Marissa and I are picking our own favorites each week to feature, so make sure to check out both of our sites to see if you were featured. My favorite this week is “A Morning Prayer” by Cheryl from Since I Became a Mom.
Your Chance to be Salt & Light
More specifically, how are we as blogging mommies, wives, women, being salt & light towards others online?
Here is your chance to generously sprinkle some salt and shine a light: a link up where you share a post that you enjoyed recently from someone else’s blog or website.
Make sure to follow Marissa, Bridget, Misty and Mandy so you don’t miss future opportunities to be Salt & Light to others! Oh and check out Salt & Light’s pinterest board… your post might just show up there!
The fine print: Please understand that by linking up with the Salt & Light, you are agreeing to allow Rays of Grace & Joy, Beautiful Ashes, Women of Worship or Becoming a Godly Wife to feature you in a future post. That includes a link to your post, and a picture you’ve used on that post. You are also allowing Rays of Grace & Joy, Beautiful Ashes, Women of Worship or Becoming a Godly Wife to share any post you link up with pinterest, facebook, twitter and/or google+. Also, by posting in this hop, you are allowing your email address to be used for a weekly reminder of the hop – your email will not be used for any other purpose, period.
Such a wonderful post. You gave me things to think about!
<3 Thank you for coming by Cheryl! Blessings!
I love all your practical suggestions for cultivating gentleness. Yes, we should pray for it, but also yes, we should do the things that the Spirit inspires us to do. I discovered about myself that I was more gentle when my kids were babies, so I had to recultivate that spirit over and over as they grew into teens. 😉
Oh yes, I spent much time in prayer prior to writing this post. He definitely spoke to my heart the things that I needed to work on last week. Blessings Lisa!
Developing gentleness in our actions and voice is so important. I look back and wonder how my children endured me at times. Then I am reminded that God forgives and forgets all my iniquity and (harshness too.)
Thank you for sharing your interesting post with us here at “Tell Me a Story.”
Yes, I wonder the very same thing looking back. How thankful I am that each new day provides a new beginning! Blessings Hazel!