Are you Using Your Honoring Voice???

As I was reading a blog from another mom, she had a top 10 list of random topics--one topic being "the top 7 things I say most often". The one that struck me was "are you using your honoring voice?" I immediately looked at my husband and said that is what we need to be asking our kids (as they seem to have become quite the whiners lately). However, the thought struck me that it is quite possible that I might too should be asking myself if 'I am using my honoring voice?'. As I look back over the day, what I remember most is the nagging, harsh tone, and dare I say "yelling" at the kids to pick up this or do that or don't do that...Are my whining kids picking up bad habits from mom? My goal for this week is to stop and make sure I am using an honoring voice--a voice that honors my God, my husband, and my children.


Other random thoughts:
Today is Easter. My husband and I struggled on how to down play the secular/Easter bunny stuff. Although in our heads it was quite easy to say--no Easter Bunny, no egg hunts....but we still gave them a "present" just from us and we did color and hide/hunt for eggs in the backyard. I feel like we gave-in so to speak, but when I think about Christmas, I am not sure if I am willing to give up "Santa" and all that....why is my heart in the wrong place? Why is it so hard to be different in this culture??? Something to think about.....