When I first wrote about our family purpose statement, we were a younger family living in a different country. I was in the throes of depression, and we were one person short.
It’s not that we’re old hats at the parenting thing now, but I can pretty confidently say we’ve grown and wisened-up a bit in the past few years. We’ve been through a lot, and we’re a little different. More of who we were made to be.
But what’s refreshing is that I look at our purpose statement, and it still rings true. We wrote it to be as timeless as possible, while still being specific enough to be useful.
Our family purpose statement
We will:
Put each other first.
Cultivate deep relationships with one another.
Extend love to those around us.
Live simply.
Be true to who God made us.
Take care of our health.
Be good stewards of creation.
Be lifelong learners.
This summer, Dee of Red Letter Words sent us a canvas emblazoned with our purpose statement. I may or may have not teared when it arrived in the mail.
I love that her talent sits in our living room, purposed as a reminder for us to be who we are. To be the Oxenreiders.
Dee’s family purpose statement hangs in her house as well. Beautiful reminders, they are.
And this weekend, Ree would like to give a Simple Mom reader the chance to get his or her family’s purpose statement printed as a canvas as well. To remind you to be you.
Giveaway
To win your family’s purpose statement on a 20×30 gallery wrapped canvas print in any color from Red Letter Words, please use the widget below (if you’re reading this via email, you’ll need to click over to the blog to enter the giveaway):
Important: Because the cost of shipping something this size is rather costly, Dee can only offer free shipping to a U.S.-based winner. If you’re outside the U.S. and are chosen as the winner, you’ll need to pay for the difference in shipping to your country. Thanks for understanding.
This giveaway will end Saturday night, October 20 (that’s tomorrow!), and I’ll announce the winner soon after. I hope you win!
About Tsh
One word to describe our family. Kind. We strive for kindness with each other and to extend that beyond our family.
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gifts
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The first word that comes to my mind is “united”. We have moved across the country twice in the last year, and have had to start over in a brand new place both times. We have learned to depend on each other and be closer.
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Respect
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I would love to describe my family as real. No matter what we’re going through, I hope my family is a place where everyone can be free to be themselves and still be loved and safe.
My family is loving
one word: attached
With two very young ones, I often feel like they are attached to my hip, but I also value the love and unity that we share as a family.
This is hard! I would say, maybe, refining. We have lots of room to grow and improve and we strive to do better every day.
Loving. Our family is very loving to all. Family, friends, or strangers, we love to show love & kindness.
One word to describe our family would be active.
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unique!
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Blessed
We have much to be thankful for– health, a roof over our heads, food on the table, each other… and a God who loves us so.
The first word that came to me was “Connected.” A lot of love and connection.
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One word: funny. We’re all making each other laugh all the time.
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Simple.
One word: together. Thanks for the giveaway!
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hospitable (or at least we strive to be!).
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Loved. By each other and by God.
Beautiful!! This would be lots more fun than my computer printed version:)
Tight. As in “holding on tight to one another in this crazy, wonderful world!” Tsh, I have always love your family’s guiding words. I used them as a jumping off point in my first mission statement four years ago. Thanks for the inspiration and giveaway!
Connected
loved
Blessed!
Hopeful.
One word to describe our family: Faithful
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We are “One.”
Our family is striving to grow by Faith. Everyday we learn to trust and use faith in all we pursue.
Thanks for a beautiful giveaway!
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I would like to think Caring fits us.
Hmmmm…I like what Leigh said, refining. That seems closest to the truth.
Thankful. Thanks for a wonderful giveaway!!
i’d say the one word is “thoughtful.”
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Blessed!
We are “united”!
One word is hard but compassionate I think is where it is at for our family right now.
One word: Hugging.
Real
Faithful. My husband is in the USMC and after two deployments we have learned to blindly trust ourselves and our love, as well as our little baby girl
One word that describes our family: funny. We all have a sense of humor, and love to laugh. We are all compassionate and tender too.
Vibrant!! Our girls are so excited and lively and colorful!
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One word to describe my family: faith-filled
Joyful! We are trying to live Psalm 100 as we love and minister to the Sukuma people in Tanzania.
One word to describe our family would be “crazy”. We have a lot of fun together and try not to take things too seriously
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safe
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Love
The one word to describe my family is, “small,” but, I’d love to win this so I could convince my husband to sit down and help me write a family purpose statement before the baby comes.
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Grateful
Blessed.
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Stewards. Of creation, relationships, and all God has entrusted to us.
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Love these! Thanks for the chance to win.
What a wonderful idea!
Loyal
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Dynamic.
My little family is dynamic in many different ways. We consistently change and grow and progress. We also have great intensity, but it varies based on moods, projects and ambitions.
Love this idea. Love love it!
Tight-knit (Is that two words?)
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Loyal
One word? Kind.
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one word….I’d have to choose “blessed”
One word to describe our family… loving. We really try to love each other the best we can each day!
My family is following. Following His way.
Committed – to each other and to what God calls us to do!
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We are a work in progress family! But one word? Blessed.
Growing
Blessed! Richly!
Active!
Committed!
We haven’t gotten that far with a purpose statement. Beautiful idea. I will work on that.
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learning.
Love this idea! What a beautiful way to keep our mission at the forefront.of.our.minds.
Blessed!
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wow! that is just beautiful! I love her work!
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Blessed! Or Humorous
Love Red Letter Words. Please count me in!
Purposeful
Growing. In love for each other, in trusting the Lord, in how to live rightly, in our to make our mark on the world, in number of children too!
United. That would describe out small family.
“What is ONE word to describe your family?”
Committed
We are committed to each other through the good, bad, ugly and amazing. There is nothing we cannot survive when we push through together.
As of this moment, our family is spirited!
Loud….4 spirited kids make our lives loud, and we love it!
Flexible.
Growth…in our relationships and in our faith!
Our one word we try to stive towards every day is generous.
One word is together. We like to do things together always.
dedicated
Energetic. I think that describes us very well. xo
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one word: love
My family is love. God’s love shining through us and our love for one another.
learning
My family is precious.
overflowing!
Young. Been married just over a year and still growing into what are family wants to be.
One word to describe my family: eclectic.
There are so many of us, and we all look different and have different interests, but we all love each other so much, and it helps that we have the same sense of humor!
My one word to describe my family: Aspiring.
Compassionate!
Quirky
One word to describe our family is, simple.
Lots of words describe us, but one that comes to mind is appreciative.
Inique
intentional
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The word that best describes my family is FUN!
One word/phrase to describe my family? Trusting. We constantly learn to put trust into one another, trust in ourselves and trust in God–that He will guide us where we need to be and to put us in front of those He wants us to serve.
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one word? mine.
Together!