Are there special times in your life when you feel spiritually connected to someone or something? If you are like most people, you do, but ...

• You may not have thought about what makes you feel spiritual, or closer to God.
• You may not have the words to express what you are feeling. 
• You may feel that spiritual matters are private.
• You may not want to express these feelings of deep connection for fear of being laughed at. 

Studies by Robert Cole, a psychiatrist and author of The Spiritual Lives of Children, have shown that young children in all cultures show evidence of feelings of deep spiritual connection to the world around them. Yet by the time they are eight years old, most children stop talking about such feelings because they feel ridiculed for doing so.

People are spiritual beings whether or not they admit it. Words are a powerful witness. Once you are in touch with what makes you feel spiritual or closer to God, try to find words to express yourself. Then mention your feelings to your family from time to time without being preachy. What makes us people of faith is our willingness to share the Good News, however quietly.

An example of what I've said to my children, "When I am kneading bread, I sometimes think about the wheat and how it grew and was ground into flour and how magic it seems when the yeast and some heat turn the dough into bread. Then, when I smell the bread baking, it smells so amazing that I feel close to the mystery of how the Earth feeds us -- and closer to God who made it all."

Although older children -- and even your spouse -- may seem dismissive of what you are saying, they will go away and ponder it in their hearts.

An investment banker who gave up his lucrative career to become an ordained minister once told me that it all started with a simple suggestion from someone: before getting out of bed in the morning, he should make a list of 10 things for which he was thankful. 

As I raise my children who have so much and want even more, I resolve to make it a practice when the family gathers for meals to have each of us list 5 things we are grateful for.  If you'd like a picture book for children and adults that delightfully illustrates this point, see The Table Where Rich People Sit  by Byrd Baylor.