Perhaps you have seen in stores those small, heart-shaped, oven-fired, clay stones that each has word implanted on them such as “honesty” or “delight” or “healing.” They are called hearthstones.
This activity invites you to make your own set of hearthstones and then describes a specific activity your family can do with the stones. Follow these easy steps.
Gather 24 small, flat, smooth stones. A creek-bed is a good place to find them.
Using colorful acrylic paints, paint a different word on each stone:
Rest
Compassion
Light
Courage
Play
Freedom
Humor
Tenderness
Delight
Honesty
Joy
Healing
Trust
Love
[your own word]
[your own word]
1.Let the paint dry on the stones and then put them all in a bowl or basket.
Activity
Now that you have your own set of homemade hearthstones, try this activity.
Choose a day that you know all family members will be together for supper in the evening.
On the morning of that day, set out the bowl or basket of hearthstones
Ask each family member to take a stone and carry it with them throughout the day. Mention that each time you reach into your pocket you’ll be reminded of your stone.
Tell them that at supper, each person will be asked to share about his or her day in the context of the word on his or her stone.
At supper, have each family member share about his or her day by responding to this question: “As you look at the word on your hearthstone, was this a gift you were called to give today, or a gift you were called to receive?”
Close your evening meal with a simple prayer of gratitude for all the gifts God showers upon us.