We chose a 12-year-old boy with Cerebral Palsy who has lived in an orphanage all his life. Due to international rules of privacy for these children, I will call him Ron.

I will always love him, and will always remember the lessons he taught simply by being himself. Those lessons included having gratitude for what I have, taking the time to really get to know and enjoy each member of my family and slowing down to enjoy the simple things in life.

Cultivate gratitude

We are blessed to live in a country that has been prosperous. Though we are living in a tough economic time, we can still go to the store and walk among aisles and aisles of a variety of foodstuffs and toys and gadgets. Yet, many of us are having to cut back. As we do so, it helps to focus on how much we still have. An attitude of gratitude can help us see joy in the small things, something I learned from Ron.

Ron expressed joy over everything he was given. One day I took him to the grocery store with me. We were walking through the produce section when Ron said, "Please? Please? May we get a cucumber? Please?" Urgency and joy punctuated Ron's voice as he pleaded to put a cucumber in our shopping cart. I told him yes. He continued, "How many? Can we get two cucumbers?" A look of astonishment and excitement spread across his face as I stated two cucumbers would be fine to put in our basket. A smile of pure excitement spread across his face as he exclaimed, "Thank you, mom!"

Take time to get to know and serve your family

We live in a busy time. It is easy to let work schedules, kids' activities and the general everyday tasks of living to get in the way of truly seeing each other. Tasks and the clock become our masters. It is good to re-evaluate the commitments you have made and cut the less important tasks in favor of spending more time with your family. As you trade that pressing task of trimming the hedge in favor of a bike ride with your child you may learn things about that child you didn't know before. The doors of communication will open. That is another lesson I learned from hosting Ron.

When Ron came, I had to put my own tasks and time clock on hold. He needed to stay home and be close to us as he developed a sense of security and bond. I found myself putting aside everyday tasks and canceling appointments in favor of sitting with Ron on the couch watching Scooby-Doo DVDs. Ron snuggled up to me and I sat with my arm around him. We talked about the video, and later he shared things with me about his life. He also loved cooking and searched the Internet for recipes from his country that he could make for us. I can still see the smile and exuberant joy that filled not just his face, but his whole body as he pulled us in one by one to the table filled with food he had prepared. Ron found joy in serving his host family.

Enjoy the simple things in life

The stress of making ends meet and, in general, being the grown up can sometimes make us forget about the joys of the little things. How long has it been since you took off your shoes and ran barefoot through the grass? The other day I was driving in with my daughter and we decided to open up the sun roof and feel the breeze. We stopped at a traffic light and looked up, and found the figure of a Scottish Terrier in a cloud. I have Ron to thank for that.

Ron loved rain. One Sunday he decided to venture out to attend church with me. My home is within walking distance, so we walked to church that day. The weather was fine on the way up, but after the meeting it began to rain. I suggested that we wait for my husband to pick us up, but Ron laughed and said he loved rain. He bolted out the door. All the way home he jumped in the puddles, raised his hands to the sky, and laughed as the rain fell on him. His joy was contagious. It felt good to run through the rain and laugh with him, and I vowed I would take time for the little things more often with my children.

As you develop an attitude of gratitude you can feel a deeper sense of well-being and joy in life. Learning to truly slow down to listen to one another and serve each other can deepen and strengthen your relationships with your spouse and your children. There is inexplicable joy in jumping in rain puddles with your children.

The post What I learned from hosting an orphan appeared first on FamilyToday.

It went like this: People read the story, watched the video, and if they felt moved, they could go to this family's blog and give a few dollars. The suggested donation was $5. Then, pass the story on to five more friends to do the same. The concept caught on with a closing figure for the fundraiser close to $1,000.

In contemplating that experience I could see the story of the widow's mite found in the New Testament, Mark 12:41-44. In this story the Savior, Jesus Christ, is watching people donate money to the treasury. As he watches he sees a poor widow cast a small coin into the bucket. Jesus turns to his disciples and tells them that she gave more than all the others because they gave the excess of their abundance, but she gave all that she had.

I understand this to mean that it isn't the amount that we give. The poor widow had very little. But what little she had she shared willingly. So it is with us. What we give to others does not have to be big, just from our heart. It is a concept I am trying to remember, and a concept I am trying to teach my children. I want my children to learn to see the people around them and be courteous. Here are a few ideas we have developed in our home.

It doesn't cost a lot of money to make a difference

Have you ever gone to a fair and as you are walking through the aisles, you see a fundraiser? Someone is selling items to help fund an adoption, some kids are trying to make some money for a school trip or maybe a family is trying to raise money to help a sick child.

I believe people struggle to give because they feel they can't give enough to help the cause. They feel compassion but they are struggling to keep their own household budget afloat in these difficult economic times. I have learned two things:

1. A kind word and an acknowledgment that you care goes a long way. If you can give a dollar or two, it lifts the spirit of the person trying to raise the money. That is important as it helps that person keep going. And if you don't have money, donating items for them to sell can help too. I have had my kids help me bake cookies to donate to fundraisers, and run a booth or table.

2. The small amount you donate multiplies. And if you share with your friends and acquaintances the cause and ask them to give a dollar or two it multiplies faster. In our home we don't have a lot of cash to give, but we give what we can and help spread the word. In our local church congregation there is a little boy who is sick. Friends and family have been selling bracelets to help offset the medical costs. We bought bracelets and have tried to help spread the word to encourage others to buy.

Random acts of kindness matter, no matter how small

It's easy with the stresses of today to get lost in your own struggles and forget that the person next to you is a person too. And that person is facing their own struggles. In your homes, your neighborhood, or society you can give encouragement by the small things you do. Your children will follow your example and do the same.

I am a believer in the ripple effect. Like the widow's mite, you can offer small acts of kindness that come from the heart. You can leave the person next to you feeling good, and they in turn will do the same for the person next to them. Here are a few ideas that you can incorporate either in your home or out.

1. You are in the grocery store and have half a cart full of items. You glance behind and see the person next in line after you only has three items. Give them a smile and let them go ahead of you.

2. Hold the door open for someone as you walk out of a building. Give them a smile and say hello. It acknowledges that you recognized they are there just a few feet behind you. It's nice to know that someone notices you are alive.

3. Notice something good your spouse or child has done, and either thank them on the spot, or leave a card for them letting them know you appreciate them.

4. Send a card in the mail to your child just to say you love them. I have a child who likes to check the mail, hoping to find something sent for them. In a day of quick email and texting, it is fun to find something for yourself in the mailbox.

5. Send a note or card to someone telling them how much you appreciate them. In fact, if you are sitting in your bench at church and have a fleeting thought of kindness for someone, grab a piece of paper and jot a quick note, then slip it to them as you pass by.

6. Say thank you to the person who is serving you in the store or restaurant. Acknowledge the good they do. Your children see this and will learn to do the same.

Like the widow's mite, anything small given from the heart can make an impact for good. Small acts can ripple and create good feelings and hope for those around us - starting in our homes, spreading into our neighborhoods, then into society at large.

The post The widow’s mite: What we can give has more value than we realize appeared first on FamilyToday.