thanksgiving

September 12, 2019 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

How to Go From Grumbly to Grateful

If I want to see change in my kids, it has to start with me. Today let’s look at 6 tips on how to go from grumbly to grateful.

How to Go From Grumbly to Grateful

Sometimes my kids drive me crazy. They are too negative, too cranky, and too quick to point out ways their siblings fall short. They get frustrated with the dog and they don’t often pick up after themselves. Grumble. Grumble. Grumble.

One day, as I was going through a list of all the ways my kids were falling short, God pointed my finger back at me. It’s easy to tell my kids what to do and more difficult to model what needs to be done. Sometimes, I tell my kids to be nice, to be kind, while at the same time having a stinky attitude. However, if I’m picky with my kids, yet offer myself grace, I’m being double-minded.

I am negative, cranky, and I don’t always pick up after myself … yet I expect so much more from my kids! Hmm… Deep down, I know that this parenting style won’t get any of us very far.

If I want my kids to change, it all starts with me.

I have to model kindness and gentleness. I have to clean up after myself. If I want to model gratefulness, I have to pray, asking God to help me and help them. And be patient with the dog! (Even when she chews up my books!) This is how to go from grumbly to grateful.

So how does real change—in you and your kids—happen? Where do we start?

1. Write down your kids’ weaknesses. Then ask yourself, “Which ones are my own?” Seek God. Ask Him to show you the core issues that need to be rooted out. Pray for God’s wisdom and grace.

2. Realize your change isn’t up to you alone. Romans 12:1-2 says, “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him … fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out” (The Message). When you give everything you do to God, then He has the chance to work!

3. Confess your weaknesses to your kids. Point out areas that you struggle with. Ask your children to pray for you, too. I don’t know why we as parents pretend to be perfect. It’s obvious to our kids that we’re not!

However, in 1 John 1:19 the Bible says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Being honest with our kids and ourselves is how we go from grumbly to grateful.

4. Be grateful for small changes. Praise your kids for every small step they take toward change. The more praise, the more kids are encouraged. It’s amazing how well this works.

5. Rejoice in your changes, too. Tell your husband or a cherished friend about the changes you are making. Ask that person to rejoice with you.

6. Don’t stop with easy, outward fixes. Even as change comes, don’t be content with being “good enough.” I often pray Psalms 139:23-34, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (NIV). God knows our hearts best. He knows us the inner issues that are hurting us more than we think. He knows how these will impact our kids.

Allow God to reveal deep flaws that you might not even be aware of and turn to Him for healing.

The changes you make will forever impact your children. When you are healed, you’ll be able to offer guidance to them. Don’t let your unwillingness to allow God to work negatively impact your children. God can help you to change, but it must start with, “Lord, I am willing.”

As you turn to God for change in yourself, you’ll be amazed how much your kids will change, too. Children do what we do, not what we say. When we do all we can for the glory of God they’ll learn to do that, too!

How to go from grumbly to grateful.

You might enjoy my book The Grumble Free year. I hope it will be a blessing to you as you move towards a life of gratitude and thanksgiving. You can read the first chapter for FREE here: https://triciagoyer.com/grumblefreeyear/

In The Grumble-Free Year, the Goyers invite readers into their journey as they go complaint-free and discover what it looks like to develop hearts of gratitude. They share their plans, successes, failures, and all the lessons they learn along the way, offering real-life action steps based in scripture so that readers get not just a front-row seat to the action but also an opportunity to take the challenge themselves and uncover hearts that are truly thankful.

November 22, 2016 by Tricia Goyer 2 Comments

7 Amish Recipes for Your Thanksgiving Table

In search of a recipe for your Thanksgiving celebration? Look no further! Here are a few of my favorite good old-fashioned family and Amish recipes for your Thanksgiving table. Enjoy!

Banana Sour Cream Bread

Come again? Banana bread made with sour cream!? Don’t worry—I was skeptical when I first saw the recipe, but trust me, it’s the best. The sour cream makes the bread so moist and doesn’t taste funny at all. Recipe from Simply Delicious Amish Cooking.

Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Pie

Thanksgiving and pies go hand in hand. I love this Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Pie recipe from Made with Love.

Broccoli and Cranberry Salad

In charge of a side dish this Thanksgiving? Leslie Gould’s broccoli and cranberry salad is easy, delicious, and so festive! Recipe from notquiteamish.com.

Cranberry Bread

Perfect for a hostess gift or family gathering. Marie Dittmer’s recipe for cranberry bread is colorful and packed with nutritious ingredients. P.S. it’s even better the next day—the flavors get more intense! Recipe from notquiteamishliving.com.

Mema’s Fudge

Recipes passed down from generation to generation make them that much sweeter! Teri Lynne shares her grandmother’s recipe for fudge on notquiteamishliving.com and it’s a good one!

Sherry’s Best Pecan Pie Recipe

Sherry Gore is one of my favorite cooks and her pie recipes are to die for. This one pecan pie recipe is a crowd-pleaser.

Bake Caramel Popcorn

My grandma’s recipe for baked caramel popcorn is a must this time of year. The smell alone brings back memories of being a kid and eagerly awaiting the yummy treats grandma had in the oven. I’m overjoyed I can share this recipe with my own kids and grandkids!

Need a recipe this Thanksgiving? @TriciaGoyer shares a few of her favorite #Amish recipes:

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Download our Free Printables of these 7 Amish recipes for your Thanksgiving Table!

Thanksgiving Recipes 1

Thanksgiving recipes 2

Need a hostess gift to bring to an upcoming gathering? Get a copy of The One Year Book of Amish Peace!

September 29, 2014 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Don’t Miss Your Kids in All Your “God Projects”

I’m a project person. I like lists to check off and gold stars (even if they are imagined) placed on my jobs that are well done. As an author I like to type “The End”at the completion of my novels. As a Teen MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) leader, I like getting into my car after a meeting and letting out a contented sigh, knowing the speaker’s message touched a great need.

The problem is that kids don’t like to be projects. And even if I’ve created the perfect “moment”as a mom, they’ll do something crazy like cut their American Girl doll’s hair off with no warning. (Just like two of my daughters did just last night!)

As a project person, I tend to gravitate toward things I can fix or manage. If faced with cleaning out the refrigerator or coloring with my three young kids, my natural tendency is to let the fridge win. After all, the fridge looks so shiny when it’s done … and the kids’ papers? Not so much, especially when they don’t color in the lines!

Even worse is when a “God Project” is involved. You know what I’m talking about. Doing a good thing for God, like planning a Sunday school lesson or writing an inspiring blog post (ahem). Those things draw me even more than the fridge, mostly because I don’t have to deal with moldy food, but also because I’m doing something for God. Didn’t He say to go into all the world and preach the gospel?

[Read the rest of this post on MomLifeToday.com]

Prayer

God, thank you for my children and the desire I have to serve you. Please open my eyes to see the moments I am missing with my children. Allow me to let go of whatever projects I’m doing that don’t serve my family in the long-run.

I’m a project person. Problem: kids don’t like projects. @TriciaGoyer

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More Resources

Whit’s End Mealtime Devotions: 90 Faith-Building Ideas Your Kids Will Eat Up! by Chrystal Bowman and Tricia Goyer

Lead Your Family Like Jesus by Ken Blanchard, Phil Hodges & Tricia Goyer

Women Living Well by Courtney Joseph

Anything: The Prayer That Unlocked My God & My Soul by Jennie Allen

To celebrate launch of The Lulu Tree Boutique, I’m doing a giveaway!

Ten winners will receive a copy of my book“Life Interrupted.” One grand prize winner will receive “Life Interrupted” and a Lulu Doll! Only those in the U.S. are eligible to win. Winners will receive an email and be announced next week! a Rafflecopter giveaway

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July 3, 2014 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Sharing The Stories of The Greatest Generation

About 14 years ago I was on vacation with two friends when I first heard about the 11th Armored Division–the men who liberated Mauthausen and Gusen concentration camps.

So intrigued by the history of these men, I wrote two novels about them, From Dust and Ashes and Night Song. In the course of writing these books, I attended two of their WWII reunions. I interviewed them, looked through their photo albums and cried with them as they shared their experiences about being young kids fighting a big war. A few years ago I got to see many of my veteran friends again as I attended their 68th, and last, reunion.

I can’t tell you how much it meant to me to go.

Walking into the hotel and seeing the men in their 11th Armored caps brought tears to my eyes. I know their history. After being with them, I understand their friendship. I know that although they looked weak and feeble they were once young and very brave. Actually, they are still brave. Many traveled to their last reunion despite their failing health. Others came knowing that many of their friends were now gone. They came and confronted painful memories. I saw glances of knowing as they looked at each other across the room. Only their friends there could truly understand, having experienced what they did, too.

Many people label these men and women as the greatest generation.

I was reminded again how true that statement is. They were raised in a time when the United States was a Christian nation. They have lived lives dedicated to God, country and others. After the war, their hard work didn’t end. They came back and attended school, started businesses, and created a foundation of community for their children and grandchildren. Some of the men, in their 80s and 90s, still work and give. They know they could have lost their lives on foreign soil, and they don’t waste a day wishing the world was different. They know WE are the difference.

At the reunion, I spent time with wives too. I talked to some of the women who were home during the war. One woman talked about being in high school and every week seeing a flag at half-mast … knowing that they’d lost yet another young man from their community. The women cared for our country during the war. They raised families afterward. And some of them now physically care for the men they promised to love in sickness and in health. For most, those years of health have passed, but their dedication and love hasn’t.

I interviewed these veterans again. I spoke to some who attend the reunion for the first time in 30 or 40 years. Knowing it was the last one they had to come and say their final goodbyes. I talked to men who drove tanks, who fought from foxholes, who supplied the troops with fuel and ammunition, who cooked on the front lines. Their faces may fade in my mind over time, but their stories will always be with me.

I have to admit that tears are flowing down on face as I write this.

First, because there were many of my veteran friends who didn’t make it to this reunion. Arthur, Charlie, Roy, Pete, John … you were missed. You are remembered. But I’m also thankful I got to sit by Bert and hear his stories again. I’m thankful that Tony was around watching out for me. I’m thankful for the hugs I got from LeRoy and that I danced with Darryl. I’m thankful for talking to Chet and Phyllis and so many more.

I’m also crying because I’m so grateful for the opportunity to know this men. My own grandfather died before I had a chance to hear his stories. I missed out for sure, but God gave me 100 adopted grandfathers. I care for them and they care for me. When I walked among them I was appreciated. I gave voice to their inner memories. I brought their stories to life. And they do think of my novels as THEIR story. Each one feels the novels are about him. I love that. I want them to feel loved by the words on those pages.

One man, Gerald rereads From Dust and Ashes and Night Song twice a year. He’s told me many times that I got it right. I took his words to heart.

They deserve to have their stories told correctly.

I can’t believe there will be no more reunions with these men. Tears come again when I realize I won’t see them again, this side of heaven. When I left the reunion that last day some still lingered in the hotel lobby. They had suitcases by their sides and a far-off look in their eyes.

They couldn’t believe it was the last reunion either, but they all decided it would be.

They’re getting too old to travel. They’re hoping their children and grandchildren will pick up where they left off. Will still meet and remember.

The last moment of my time with them was spent saying goodbyes. One of the guys I had the hardest time saying goodbye to was Tony. He grew up in New York and told me about getting care packages from his mom during the war. “I’d open the box and it would be filled salami and cheese,” he’d say with a chuckle. Tony is New York though and though, but his tough exterior crumbled on the last day.

“This doesn’t seem right it being the last one,” Tony said in our last moment together. There were tears in his eyes.

“I know Tony, it doesn’t.” I gave him a hug. “But I’ll keep writing stories. I’ll keep telling people to remember.” Hearing those words seemed to give him a little peace.

As he hurried over to the shuttle, loading up for the plane ride home, I said a prayer for thankfulness. I don’t know what I deserved to be honored to get to know these men, but I’m forever grateful.

I’ll keep writing stories. I’ll keep telling people to remember. @TriciaGoyer

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Daily Prayer

My heart is full with gratitude for the World War II generation. Thank you God, that a generation with such a rich strength of character preceded my own and future generations. May we never stop sharing our stories.

I have a few books on sale right now! Generation NeXt Marriage is $2.99. You can also get my four World War II novels in the Liberators Series for $13.99.

Are you new here? You might want to subscribe to my email updates, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Instagram.

June 25, 2014 by Tricia Goyer 2 Comments

An Update from Kenya

At age 17, I became a teen mom…

During my pregnancy it seemed that wherever I went I felt labeled. People noticed my “mistake,” but they didn’t see my heart. Few noticed how I was seeking God, and trying to make changes. My large, round stomach was all that they noticed.

They are called slums because that’s why they are.

It’s easy to overlook what’s truly important. @TriciaGoyer

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It’s easy to overlook what’s truly important, to miss smiles and wide eyes filled with hope in a place like the Kibera slums in Nairobi, Kenya. They are called slums because that’s why they are. Small shacks are used as homes, businesses, and churches. Narrow muddy paths are lined with garbage and raw sewage runs in the ditch inches from the walking path. Yet down one narrow lane is a school. And inside the school are 200 children. It could be easy to look at the bare feet and scabbed heads, but these children didn’t give me a chance to notice.

When I pulled out my camera they were quick to pose, and then when I showed them the photo laughter erupted.

They forced me to look into their faces.

My eyes connected with theirs as I snapped photos. Wide brown eyes. Round cheeks. Shy smiles–well, at least at first.

And then a chorus of voices began to call out, “Look at me. Look at me. Look at me!” If I heard that phrase one time, I heard it one hundred. And as I left that day, I carried those faces in my mind. I carried their smiles in my heart.

In a place like Kibera it would be easy to focus on the mud, on the houses that are no more than shacks, or on the dirty sore-covered feet. But the children urged me to look at them, to see them, and to snap photos so I won’t forget.

Isn’t that they cry of all of us?

“Look at me!” We want to be seen. We want to be known. We want to be appreciated. We want to be loved.

We want to be seen. We want to be known. We want to be loved. @TriciaGoyer

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And I’m happy to saw that although these children had torn clothes, ragged shoes, and walked along these muddy, garbage-strewn paths, love was something they had in abundance. They not only had the love of their teachers, but because of Awana these children had the love of Jesus. They knew His Word, and recited it for us. They sang His praises.

When one of our team members Steve Greenwood asked the children if they knew Jesus 200 hands shot into the air. And as they laughed and play with the members of our group, their joy and love was contagious. In this world’s standards they have nothing, but because of the good news they cling to they have everything in Christ.

Romans 2:11 says, “For God shows no partiality.” His love is for those who have little, and those who have much.

I’m guilty of having much and wanting more. More clothes, more shoes, more books. But these children remind that the only thing that will truly make me happy is having more of Jesus.

I’ve crossed the globe and tonight I’m going to bed knowing that there are good people out there who are following God and going into horrific conditions to share the good news of Jesus. God hasn’t called me to move to Kibera. Instead, He’s simply called me to tell the story. He’s calling me to remember that the little I give can be multiplied into much.

The amazing thing is that there are tens of thousands of children who are involved in Awana in these slums. How is this possible? Because a dedicated Awana missionary name Bernar trains leaders, who train leaders, who train leaders. They don’t have student books or vests, but they have passionate adults who teach them Scripture and songs and share Jesus’ love.

There are some amazing organizations who feed bellies. Others put shoes on feet, and others provide clothes and medical care. Those are wonderful things, and Awana is the spiritual component to that. They focus on training up men and women who can lead and disciple children, yet it takes money to do that.

Today, you can make a difference and train a leader.

And in turn that leader can reach dozens and dozens of children. For only $10 you can impact one more child, offering them good news. That’s not $10 a month, but only $10.

Do you have $10 to share? I know I do. In fact, if I dig deep I have more than that I can share.

Consider giving to Awana today because in the end these children understand that they weren’t just seen by me. God sees them too. And this children know that and they can trust that for all the days to come.

A relationship with Jesus is the most valuable thing we own and I met hundreds of children who had that because of those of us who’ve given in the past.

And that is something to smile about!

Prayer Request…

I’m still in Africa right now! Please join me in praying for the children in slums around the world who have already accepted Christ. Pray that we would all persevere and make an impact in the locations God has placed us.

I have a few books on sale right now! Generation NeXt Marriage is $2.99. You can also get my four World War II novels in the Liberators Series for $13.99.

Are you new here? You might want to subscribe to my email updates, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Instagram.

June 18, 2014 by Tricia Goyer 11 Comments

Making Hard Choices: Saying Goodbye to ‘Living Inspired’

Making Hard Choices

Saying Goodbye to ‘Living Inspired”

Many people often ask me how I “do it all.” Sometimes it appears as if I do. I write blogs, write books, host a radio show, mentor teen moms, and care for my husband and kids.

The truth is I have to make hard choices to maintain balance. There is a lot I say no to. I’m also cautious about what I add, and I frequently go before God and pray about what I need to back away from.

A few months ago, as I sat and prayed, I felt God telling me it was time to back away from some things. Some blogs I wrote for came to mind as I prayed. Even though they were wonderful ministries, it was no longer my season to write for them.

The truth is I have to make hard choices to maintain balance. @TriciaGoyer

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I didn’t even think about cutting back on my radio show, Living Inspired, but God brought it to mind, too. At the beginning of 2014 I added on a wonderful c0-host Michelle Hill who works in radio at FamilyLife. We were having a blast and talking to wonderful guest(s? Yep! Make that plural.). We had plans on making things (the radio show? Yep, she’s referring to the radio show.) bigger and better, but I felt God saying, “Did you pray about that?”

Yes I had wonderful plans, but the more I prayed the more I realized that God was asking me to walk away from my plans for His plans. He knows what I have coming ahead. He knows the time and attention that my books and children will require. So, as hard as it was, I decided to end Living Inspired. It’s been an AMAZING four-and-a-half years of being on the radio. I’ve interviewed wonderful guests and I was thrilled to be used by God to help promote other Christian authors and speakers.

The good news is that all my old podcasts are still available here.
I encourage you to listen to them and be inspired!

Some Special Thank You’s!

So as I end this season of my life I want to thank a few people:

First, the wonderful people at Toginet! Especially Erik, Sabrina, and Karina. Erik-the-Viking, I especially enjoyed working with you. You’ve been 100% helpful and supportive. Thank you, Toginet, for allowing me to help and inspired other!
Second, the Litfuse ladies. Amy, Caitlin, Christen, and Christine. Thank you for all your hard work managing my schedule and the guests.
Third, thank you Michelle Hill for jumping on board and being a wonderful co-host. You made the last six months the funnest ever.
Fourth, thank you to all the wonderful guests! I loved getting to know you are your hearts! I’m grateful to call many of you friends now.
Finally, thank you for all who listened and supported the show. I appreciate all of you!

And thank you, Lord, for giving me this season of radio … and reminding me that your ways are perfect.

The final taping of Living Inspired is done, but enjoy the remainder of the shows. They’ll be airing until July 17th!

I have a few books on sale right now! Generation NeXt Marriage is $2.99. You can also get my four World War II novels in the Liberators Series for $13.99.

Are you new here? You might want to subscribe to my email updates, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Instagram.