The Service Grinch

   This year we found our Grinch from last year and decided to do our service Grinch again. I am so glad we found it to because my kids have really taken this service to heart. For those don't know about the service Grinch (and for myself that doesn't have very good memory) here is what they service Grinch is. For family night we had a lesson about what Christmas is. We talked briefly on how we are really celebrating Christ birth but also this is a time of service and doing what Christ did. Then we talked about service. We had to briefly tell the story of the Grinch and how he was mean and wanted to take away Christmas from the whos but in the end, he realized that Christmas wasn't about presents but about being together and then he brought everything back to the whos. Our goal as a family was to do service for others and then come report it to put a heart on the Grinch, to help give him a heart.  An example of this is Ethan asking if he can help mommy do something in the house to get a service heart to put on. Addison also has been finding ways to help, like helping brother find his blankie when he loses it or being really good at long meetings Mommy has to go to. 

      Addison was really impressive when she asked if we could pick up trash at the bus stop. They kids have been noticing all the trash as we walk to the bus stop everyday. So Addison looked at me while at the bus stop and asked if we could bring bags and pick up the trash. Of course this Mommy was beaming with pride and a little shocked that my three year old would come up with such a plan. So a few days later, (because Mommy always forgets to get bags out before going to the bus stop) we finally each had a plastic bag and we had a trash treasure hunt to the bus stop. They had so much fun and we really did clean up. Sadly, they realized that even after cleaning, it gets messy again. Now they want to pick up trash daily. I told them that we could do it once a week. From this service, I told the kids, since I was so impressed with their service and coming up with it on their own they each got to put two service hearts on. 
       The kids realized that doing service is contagious as well. While picking up trash, other kids would come up to us and ask us what we were doing. We told them that we were finding trash. Then other kids would find trash and either pick it up and put it in our bags or yell at us that there was trash over here. 
        We have even put up service hearts from family members or friends that have done service and shared with us. Mommy called Grandpa Brooks the other day and he was washing dishes for Grandma. I told him we would put a service heart on the Grinch just for him, and I did. Good job Grandpa. Like I said, this Mommy is proud at how my children have taken off with doing service and have noticed that their isn't a lot of talk about what they are going to get for Christmas. Not saying their isn't any talk of presents, they are kids after all but they don't seemed wrapped up in all the toys and I feel they have been learning the true meaning of Christmas. Living like Christ and serving others.