Blog : Priming the Positive Pump

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9/30/2009 10:15 am

Priming the Positive Pump

Priming the Positive Pump Philippians 1:2,3 (NIV)
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God every time I remember you.

I wonder how many of us thank God every time we remember our parents? Almost everyone has negative memories of their childhoods. But there seems to be an epidemic of parent blaming these days, and I want to suggest a way to balance this with positive memories of your home.In case it's hard to get these positive thoughts flowing, here are some pump primers. (You might want to answer several of these on a date with your spouse.) Where did your parents take you on vacation, and what did you do? What did you enjoy doing with your dad most? Your mom? What smells today remind you of Dad and Mom? What was your favorite room in your house? What was your favorite family tradition? What were the family jokes? What special phrases or nicknames did your family invent? What was your favorite Christmas? Your favorite birthday? What problems did your parents help you through as a ? What did other people think about your parents? What values from your childhood home are you trying to pass along to your ?

As you think about these questions, thank God for the positive memories and the power they have to give your own home strength and stability. You may want to write some of your thoughts down and, if possible, send them in a letter-or perhaps a more formal tribute-to your parents. It's a practical and tangible way to let them know you wish them "grace and peace."

Prayer:

That you will be able to extract the strongest positive memories from your childhood home and implant them into your own family life.

Discuss: Spend some time answering the above questions.