This morning I forgot what day of the week it was. If it weren’t for school and the few activities my kids are in each week, I may never remember the dates as the year rolls on with no clear differentiation between one 24-hour period and the next. At times, life can seem rote and mundane.

My forgetfulness isn't because I don’t have things to do; in fact, if you haven’t heard we’re writing a book. WE’RE. WRITING. A. BOOK. And after having four deadlines this summer and, now, looming edits due to our editor (the second of which just passed, thank you, Jesus), I feel extra pressure to put my head down and whittle away at stories a little at a time. Sometimes I forget the joy, the magnitude of seeing a dream fulfilled with the pressure to actually do the work that it takes to finish the project. (Dreams have a way of being way more work than you ever imagined, who knew?)

Happy Monday! Thanks for being with us as we co-host for Make A Difference Monday, a place to get intentional about starting our week focused on the positive and dream up ways we can make a difference in the world. Today we're so excited to feature Katie Nguyen from Kangacoo. As parents, we want the best for our children -- but it can be hard to know what that looks like. That's why I love Katie's wisdom and practical suggestions on five ways to help your child find their purpose. We're also looking forward to her small group study on teaching your children to embrace their God-given talents and using them to serve others (coming soon!).

Do you want your child to be happy? I know that is an easy question, but let me ask it this way: What are YOU doing to ensure your child will be happy when they grow up? As parents, we all do our best to encourage, discipline, educate and nurture our children to the best of our ability. All of these are important, but if you want your child to grow into their full potential as an adult, there is one thing you MUST do: Help them to discover their purpose. 

Purpose seems like a tricky thing. We all have questions like, what are we here for? What should we do with our lives? What’s the best way to live? People have been preaching and writing and selling their ideas to finding purpose since the beginning of time. Let me save you time and money and turn you to the Bible. 

The Bible says we are all here to love our God and love others (The Great Commandment). What greater act of showing that love is there than praising God for the talents he has given us and by using those talents to serve others? (Corinthians 12) 

How do we teach this value to our children, in turn giving them purpose and future happiness? Here are five ways to get you started: