Make Time For Family
The family is where children are molded into the adults they become, as every child's primary source of love, inspiration and strength. There is no substitute in an individual’s life for the powerful impact of their family.
More than a decade of research has revealed staggering evidence that dinner is a critical element in the development of successful children. But the stark reality is that most families are caught up in their own activities and distractions, and inadvertantly lose the most critical family connection time.
Dinner gives our kids a repeated message that they matter to us, that we want to spend time with them and that we will go to the trouble to make that happen. Let us encourage you to make time for your family.
I feel constantly beckoned to simplify my life - to simplify the life of my family and stick to the things that really matter, letting the rest slough off.
Instead, I jump on the hamster wheel with the rest of the world, only to add more, crowding the plate already full. More stuff, more activities, more phone calls, more money, more goings and doings, more fast food, more promotions, more buying, more busyness, more house, more decorating, more, more, more.
Yet less of this stuff really does mean more, more of the right stuff – more time, more enjoying, more embracing, more capturing moments, more memories, more eternal perspective, more reflection and prayer. It means more of all the things that truly matter - the people we love, the God to whom we belong – the things that will last and stand the test of time.
With my oldest already away to college, I can’t freeze-dry these moments, but I can slow down so they don’t pass me by. This is it. Time is of the essence. We’re on the last verse of the song before she sets sail.
And on the dance floor of my life period, I better step out there now. I can’t change how long the music will play, but I can slow down and make sure I don’t dance so fast. I don’t know what tomorrow will hold, so I’ll dance for today and hold fast to what’s dear. Sticking to what matters, loving my family, loving my God, and living out the Hope that’s meant for all!
All the countless things we do for our children to us feel so routine. We even deem them “unspiritual” simply because they feel tedious. Let’s face it, in the moment it doesn’t feel spiritual to prepare dinner, help with homework, or pick out clothes for the next day. It didn’t “feel” significant when I was little either. But it was.
Yet what feels “unspiritual” in the moment, in reality is the very opposite! To a child, it’s their very security. It’s the “over and over” they need. Repetition. Routine. Making their world predictable, safe, secure, unconditional. It’s the being there day in, day out - waking them up, pouring their cereal, eating dinner together, tucking them in. All the things we do, thousands of times.
Raising a family is much like painting a portrait. It has to be done slowly, one brush stroke at a time. You can’t fast forward or rewind. It’s the here and now, seizing the moment, knowing a thousand days, one by one, will be the substance of who they become. Every effort you spend making dinner happen for your family is another loving brush stroke that will strengthen the canvas of your family – giving them a lifelong picture of unconditional, steadfast love.
In Old Testament days, “the city gates” were referred to as an important place where the affairs at the end of the day were discussed and where the old taught the young. In pioneer days, the “hearth” was considered the center of the home. In fact the Latin word for hearth is focus. In the modern world, “the city gates,” or the “hearth” of the home is now the kitchen – where a good meal is served and the family gathers at the end of a busy day to focus on each other.
Suffice it to say that when a home gives up its hearth, it gives up its focus. It gives up a rare opportunity for nurturing familial relationships as well as a time to pass on values to our children.
In the book Twice Adopted, Mike Reagan gives “seven focused, proactive things you can do to make the most of the quality time and quantity time you spend with your kids.” One of the seven is to “make time for family meals together!”
Reinstate the “city gates” in your home. Reclaim the dinner table as your “hearth”, as a place to gather at the end of the day - to discuss, recount, enjoy good food, laugh, linger, and pass on a heritage that will one day go beyond the gates of your home.
The family is where children are molded into the adults they become, as every child's primary source of love, inspiration and strength. There is no substitute in an individual’s life for the powerful impact of their family.
More than a decade of research has revealed staggering evidence that dinner is a critical element in the development of successful children. But the stark reality is that most families are caught up in their own activities and distractions, and inadvertantly lose the most critical family connection time.
Dinner gives our kids a repeated message that they matter to us, that we want to spend time with them and that we will go to the trouble to make that happen. Let us encourage you to make time for your family.
Less Means More
By Jane DeLaneyI feel constantly beckoned to simplify my life - to simplify the life of my family and stick to the things that really matter, letting the rest slough off.
Instead, I jump on the hamster wheel with the rest of the world, only to add more, crowding the plate already full. More stuff, more activities, more phone calls, more money, more goings and doings, more fast food, more promotions, more buying, more busyness, more house, more decorating, more, more, more.
Yet less of this stuff really does mean more, more of the right stuff – more time, more enjoying, more embracing, more capturing moments, more memories, more eternal perspective, more reflection and prayer. It means more of all the things that truly matter - the people we love, the God to whom we belong – the things that will last and stand the test of time.
With my oldest already away to college, I can’t freeze-dry these moments, but I can slow down so they don’t pass me by. This is it. Time is of the essence. We’re on the last verse of the song before she sets sail.
And on the dance floor of my life period, I better step out there now. I can’t change how long the music will play, but I can slow down and make sure I don’t dance so fast. I don’t know what tomorrow will hold, so I’ll dance for today and hold fast to what’s dear. Sticking to what matters, loving my family, loving my God, and living out the Hope that’s meant for all!
Dinner Is Not a Waste of Time
All the countless things we do for our children to us feel so routine. We even deem them “unspiritual” simply because they feel tedious. Let’s face it, in the moment it doesn’t feel spiritual to prepare dinner, help with homework, or pick out clothes for the next day. It didn’t “feel” significant when I was little either. But it was.
Yet what feels “unspiritual” in the moment, in reality is the very opposite! To a child, it’s their very security. It’s the “over and over” they need. Repetition. Routine. Making their world predictable, safe, secure, unconditional. It’s the being there day in, day out - waking them up, pouring their cereal, eating dinner together, tucking them in. All the things we do, thousands of times.
Raising a family is much like painting a portrait. It has to be done slowly, one brush stroke at a time. You can’t fast forward or rewind. It’s the here and now, seizing the moment, knowing a thousand days, one by one, will be the substance of who they become. Every effort you spend making dinner happen for your family is another loving brush stroke that will strengthen the canvas of your family – giving them a lifelong picture of unconditional, steadfast love.
Whatever Happened to Family Dinner?
In Old Testament days, “the city gates” were referred to as an important place where the affairs at the end of the day were discussed and where the old taught the young. In pioneer days, the “hearth” was considered the center of the home. In fact the Latin word for hearth is focus. In the modern world, “the city gates,” or the “hearth” of the home is now the kitchen – where a good meal is served and the family gathers at the end of a busy day to focus on each other.
Suffice it to say that when a home gives up its hearth, it gives up its focus. It gives up a rare opportunity for nurturing familial relationships as well as a time to pass on values to our children.
In the book Twice Adopted, Mike Reagan gives “seven focused, proactive things you can do to make the most of the quality time and quantity time you spend with your kids.” One of the seven is to “make time for family meals together!”
Reinstate the “city gates” in your home. Reclaim the dinner table as your “hearth”, as a place to gather at the end of the day - to discuss, recount, enjoy good food, laugh, linger, and pass on a heritage that will one day go beyond the gates of your home.