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Showing posts with the label generosity

Reverse Advent Calendar Expressing Gratitude and Generosity

I first learned about a Reverse Advent Calendar from English friends who were collecting items for a local charity. There are several helpful sites online, which offer ideas on how to create your own calendar. The idea is to help children approach Christmas with an attitude of giving rather than getting. Of course, the lesson is important for adults as well. Families can do something as simple as putting a pound or dollar (or more) in a container each day, which will be donated to a local food pantry or other community charity at the end of December. Another approach is to place food items or clothes in baskets for each day leading up to Christmas and donate them to a charity. Another suggestion is to organise four bags or baskets to hold items related to nativity themes as suggested by  https://buildfaith.org/reverse-advent/ . The themes focus on the newborn Jesus and his need for food, warmth, care for the parents and care for the newborn. These themes translate ...

Faith and Emotional Health

Ten Ways Spirituality Promotes Emotional Health I was asked to write an article about faith and emotional health. As a Christian, I naturally focused on Christian spirituality. As a psychologist, I examined recent publications describing emotional well-being. In this process, I came up with ten Christian principles and virtues linked to psychological well-being. The complete article can be found in Vital Magazine online ( Sutton, 2016 ). In this post I will just list the ten items and refer you to the magazine article for the content. 1. Strengthen Faith 1 Corinthians 13 2. Nurture Hope 1 Corinthians 13 3. Embrace Love 1 Corinthians 13 4. Express gratitude Psalm 95:2 5. Practice Forgiveness Ephesians 4:32 6. Share Generously 2 Corinthians 9: 6-7 7. Connect with Friends and Family Genesis 2:18 8. Share your concerns Matthew 11: 28-30 9. Manage Anger Ephesians 4:26 10. Enjoy a Sabbath Rest Mark 2:27 A quote from the article: "Emotional health goes ...