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Thank you God! A prayer of gratitude
Published August 13, 2010 | 
When I was a child we learned a prayer that we sang, giving thanks to God. It went something like this:
Baruch atah Adonai, Thank you God!
Thank you for my mommy, thank you for my dad-
Thank you for my……
I can hear the tune in my head but I don’t remember the rest of the words. Essentially, we sang a list of things that we were thankful for. We sang about the blessings in our life. We acknowledged and thanked God for them.
My childhood religion happened to be Reformed Judaism. I am sure that no matter what religious background you were brought up in, you may remember something from your childhood too? A bedtime prayer perhaps? Giving thanks at the dinner table?
The practice of gratitude is so important and powerful. I believe life just works better when we come from a place of thanks and we are mindful of our blessings. Life is so rich! Let’s be thankful for each day.
I encourage us today during our quiet reflective times to express a prayer of thanks to God, the Universe, or whatever spiritually works for you. In your journals, you can write down a list of things you are thankful for. You can think of them during a meditation or while taking a walk. You can sing them to a tune like I did as a child.
The feeling of gratitude can show up in the way you go about your day today: your stride, how much you smile at others, how kind you are to other drivers on the highway etc.
I feel so blessed and thankful for many things on this morning.
Baruch Atah Adonai, Thank You God!
Debra : )
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Posted in Affirmations, Benefits of Journal Writing, Family life, Journal Prompts, Love, Meditations, Most Popular Posts, Parenthood, Prayers, Prosperity, Self-empowerment, Spirituality, walking | 
bedtime prayers, blessings, god, gratitude, Jewish prayer, journal writing, prayers, thanking God | 
Leave a comment“Play is the only way the highest intelligence of mankind can unfold” ~ Joseph Chilton Pearce Making time to play
Published August 11, 2010 | 
We know children need to play. But guess what? We adults do too! It is especially important as we get older to be playful and do fun things on a regular basis.
Play for adults:
- Energizes us
- Is good for our brains
- Is good for our bodies
- Will help keep us young
- Gives us a chance to break out of our regular routines and recharge
- Gives us opportunities to connect with others in a positive way
- Keeps us from feeling stagnant and bored.
- Gives us something to look forward to
- Will improve our work performance on the job
- Will improve our abilities to be good parents, spouses, teachers, etc.
- Will help us sleep better at night
With all of the many benefits of play, how can we do it more? Most of us do have responsibilities and busy lives. We just have to schedule play in and make it happen (and not just on the weekends and vacations!).
Today during your quiet journal writing time, think about ways you can get more play into your daily life. What kinds of activities would you like to do? Will these be solitary or with others? When?
It doesn’t have to be a big planned thing either. Little playful breaks can do wonders for our spirits.
I will start a list of a few ideas and then you continue with your own:
- Hula hoop!
- Turn on some music and dance around in your living room
- Play cards, Scrabble, or board games with friends and family
- Do puzzles
- Take a bike ride
- Go to the beach and build a sand castle
- Try an improvisation class at your local community theater
- Make funny faces at your kids and spouse
- Tickle family members
- Play hide and seek with kids
- Have a picnic
- Do something you haven’t done since you were a kid: go rollerskating, bowling, boogie boarding, etc.
I will stop there, but there are many things we adults can do. We are never too old to play. In fact, it is absolutely essential that we do find time to play. We need to make play a priority.
So write down your list of ideas and go play!
Debra : )
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Have you loved, reached out, and connected with others today?
Published August 3, 2010 | 
Have you told someone you love them today?
Have you given someone a hug?
Have you given someone a kiss?
Have you smiled?
Have you laughed?
Have you thanked someone today?
Have you helped somebody?
Love, connect, and reach out to others today. It will do them and you a lot of good.
Debra : )
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Posted in Family life, Love, Parenthood, Self-empowerment, Spirituality | connection, helping others, love, needing other people | Leave a comment“In family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony” ~ Eva Burrows Harmony In the Home
Published July 30, 2010 | 
A peaceful home is so key to living a high quality life. Ideally, home is an oasis for us: a refuge from the stresses of the outside world. If you don’t look forward to coming home because your family life is stressful, that is something to really work on changing for the better. Here are a few ideas for the day.
15 ways To promote peace with family members and create harmony in your home:
- Prepare and share meals together
- Turn the TV off
- Really listen to each other
- Keep the home clean and clutter free- have each member of the household help
- Keep home smelling good. Research has shown people behave better towards one another in places that smell of citrus and other good aromas.
- Arrange furniture in home so that there are spaces for coming together and enough spaces for individuals to have their own private areas.
- Respect each other’s privacy
- Mind your manners: say your please and thank yous. Treat family members as you would guests and other people.
- When in a disagreement, choose words carefully. Use “I” statements. Often, negative emotional states pass- can you wait to cool down before confronting your family member with whatever is upsetting you? The feeling may pass all together.
- Have set family “business” meetings where you and your partner can discuss finances, chores with kids, etc.
- Don’t bring work home with you. Venting once in a while is fine- but don’t make it a habit to come home and do nothing but complain about your day to your spouse and kids.
- Plan fun things to do together as a family.
- Be generous with hugs and kisses.
- Be playful
- Promote an atmosphere where each member of the household knows he or she is loved and valued.
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Posted in Family life, Love, Parenthood | family life, family meetings, harmony in the home, love, peace, turning of the tv | 2 CommentsTending to hearth and home for restful nights
Published July 13, 2010 | 
A message you will hear frequently on posts here at The Warm Milk Journal is that how we live our days really affects how we sleep at night. Our home and family life is a very important component to a well lived life. If we are not experiencing peace in our homes with our loved ones chances are we may be having unrest at night. Here are ten ways to promote blessed peace in our homes.
- Be sure every member of the household is respected.
- Household chores are clearly assigned to each member (adults and kids) so everybody is helping to run the household smoothly.
- Keep house clean and orderly.
- Keep house smelling good: citrus, something yummy cooking in the kitchen, etc.
- Share meals together.
- Turn the tv off once in a while.
- Promote reading in your household.
- Promote conversation.
- Have fun together.
- Make sure every member has a space of his or her own to get needed solitude from time to time.
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Posted in insomnia, Love, Parenthood | family, family dinners, good scents for home, order, peace in home, turning tv off | Leave a commentGuess what my daughter just gave me for Mother's Day?
Published May 9, 2010 | A new journal! It is a beautiful little notebook with colorful flowers on the cover. She brought this to me on the bed this morning just as I had published the previous post about journal writing. How cool is that?! : )
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Posted in Benefits of Journal Writing, Heartwarming Stories, Humor, Parenthood | journal, mothers day | Leave a commentFor All You Mothers Out There
Published May 8, 2010 | For the new mothers: You are losing sleep right now feeding and nursing and soothing your babies throughout the night. You are chasing toddlers and arranging play dates and countless other activities for your families and households.
As your kids get older there will be school issues and different life issues as the years pass. Kids grow up. Moms remain moms.
I am 44 years old and I still need my mom. I am thankful for the talks, the cheering up during times I am down, the candles and clothes from Kohls sales she likes to send me, and her just being there.
There are moms out there who may still have children at home and are also dealing with the strain of aging parents. God bless you.
There are moms out there adjusting to life with empty nests. Kids in college or out on their own working , marrying and raising families of their own.
I am thankful for my two kids, Stephen and Aimee, ages 15 and 12. They are getting older but still need me. The best thing that ever happened to me was when my son was born (almost 16 years ago now). I can still remember those early days with that new baby and thinking: now what do I do? I don’t know how to be a mom. Here was this most exquisite little creature completely dependent on me. The days of being home with him, nursing him, holding him, watching every little development…it was a magical, miraculous time and I really felt like I was hanging out with God.
I am thankful to know what it is to love something greater than myself and learn to give so much of myself. There were times during those earlier years that I didn’t think I would make it. Lonely days as a young stay at home Seattle area mom. Sleepless nights. Tears like the rain that so often fell. Older moms would tell me that they are little for such a brief time. Enjoy the time with them. I would nod my head, but back then not really understanding. Back then, it would seem I would always be the mom of little kids: immersed in the world of plastic toys, baby board books, mommy-toddler story times at the library, play dates with other kids and their moms ….., intricately planned themed birthday parties, camps, girl scout troop meetings, etc.
Now, they are older. Instead of trips to Toys r Us for presents during the holidays or for birthdays, it is gift cards or cash. They want to do their own shopping. We still have family time but what they really want is time with their friends. They are older. They still need me. But it is different.
I remember when I first found out I was pregnant. A coworker of mine excitedly exclaimed: “Oh, Debra, you are going to have a little boo-boo! Children are such a blessing!”
Children are a blessing. And so are their mothers.
Happy Mothers Day
Debra : )
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