Category: Family life

Family life

Inviting God For Supper

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I have such great memories of supper meals when I was a child.  Mealtime was regular, delicious, and a daily family event.  When I got married I was determined to make it the same for my family.  We guarded our evening meal as a sacred time each day to gather together to eat, of course, but also to make memories and build spiritual principles in our girls.  How would we do that?  By making sure that God was always an invited and welcomed guest at our table.

Whether or not you have children, mealtime should be a time that points you and those at your table to God.  Here are a few ways you can do that:

  1. Be sure to stop and say a heartfelt thanks for the meal and those gathered around your table. This may seem like a given, but it’s easy to either forget to pray or to just offer a quick little “empty” prayer. Why not consider:
    Ask a different person to pray each night.
    Have everyone at the table say a sentence prayer.
    Pray at the end of the meal instead of before.
  • Use table conversation starters that point the conversation to spiritual matters.
    “What was a challenge to you when you read  God’s Word today?”
    “How did you see God at work in your life today?”
    “How can we pray for you?”
    “What can you thank God for today?”
  • Make the end of suppertime your family’s devotional time.With busy schedules and hectic bedtime routines that follow the meal, it can be hard to find time as a family to be in God’s Word later.  Take 15 minutes to read the Scriptures and/or a family devotional book while you’re seated at the table.
  • If you have guests, and you’re a singing family, why not sing a hymn together? We have friends whose husband plays the guitar.  What a sweet time we have in their home as he gets the guitar out and we sing and rejoice with them after a meal!

These are simple ideas, but I hope it gets you to thinking about making suppertime a special time to bring your dinner companions to God’s Banquet table!

What ideas could you add to these suggestions?

Tomorrow we’ll talk about setting a pretty table!

With love from my country table,

children · Family life · home

The Happiest Place On the Earth!

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I just heard a comment from a high school senior on her senior trip to Disney World say,

“This has to be the happiest place on the earth!”

Having been there I can understand her sentiment. With beautiful flowers everywhere, light-hearted music, Mickey and Minnie, fun food, fun rides and fun times. Of course it’s a happy place!

 There is another place that should be one of the happiest places on this earth –home. Home should be the most loving, secure and fun place for a child.

What will you do today to make it that way for your little ones? Are you homeschooling? Incorporate spring ideas into math or phonics reviews – put the facts on little paper kites made from construction paper and with each fact they get correct, let them hang the kite on the wall and let it fly! Perhaps you could give them a goal for the week – learning a certain number of new facts and then when it’s accomplished you and your child go fly a real kite.

Change things around today. Let your children eat their dessert first! Have lunch under the table instead of on it. Go to the library and get new books – perhaps books about spring, baby lambs or even a child’s cookbook. Read together in a new place – build a comfy spot on the floor with pillows and cushions or make a tent using all the kitchen chairs as props.

Play uplifting music – Patch the Pirate, The Donut Man, etc. Let the atmosphere of your home be encouraging for them. It’s easy to play what we like instead of what they would enjoy.

How about some fun food? Cut their sandwich into shapes using cookie cutters. Peanut butter and jelly can take on a whole new taste when it’s cut differently! Family Fun has tons of great food ideas for children.

Make your home the “happiest place on the earth” by taking time to be with your children and using creativity to make each day one they won’t forget!

Did you add a fun element to home recently that you could share?  We’d love to hear!

Lovingly,
Family life

Loosening and Laughter

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For this weekend you may have planned for lots of activities – maybe ballgames, shopping, cleaning, and housework.  But have you also planned for FAMILY FUN?  Maybe you will have fun with your family as you do those activities, but can I encourage you to also pre-plan for some fun?

Be intentional about thinking through what you could do as a family that would create fun, memories and laughter!  After a stressful week of school and work, everyone needs to relax and have fun!!  No matter if you’re single, married with no children, married with a whole brood – we all need to plan for a time of loosening and laughter!  Consider:

  • Making homemade pizzas.  Let everyone make a mini one and create it to their personal taste.
  • Playing games.  Twister, Spot it! ( I saw a version of this at Tuesday Morning’s this week!), Hide and Seek, charades, Sorry!, etc.
  • Watching old home DVD’s while munching on Popcorn
  • Look through old photo albums (be willing to laugh at yourself!)
  • Divide the family in half and have a two team digital scavenger hunt using Mom and Dad’s cell phones (parents as team captain).  Take pictures of things like:Everyone on a horse, trying on funny shoes, buying a cookie, etc.  Have a time limit and meet back and see who got the most/best pictures!

The possibilities are limitless.  Just do it.  Loosen up and laugh.  It will be good medicine!

Laughter does good like a medicine.
Proverbs 17:22

I heard a great message about this yesterday.  It will encourage you to keep having times of fun as a family!

Stay refreshed!

Christian growth · Family life · Husband · Marriage · Parenting · Pastor

The Most Popular Posts of the Year

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Top ten lists are always fun and informative.  When I look into the stats here, it helps me to know what to write and what areas women enjoy reading.

I recently enjoyed taking a look into my blog to see what RefreshHer’s top ten posts of 2015 were. Let’s have a drum roll and I’ll show you which posts made it into this year’s most popular!

When was the last time someone read “The Little Gingerbread Man” to you?!

#10  This post told Why I went to the Altar again Last Sunday.  Do you remember why?!

#9 The Topic of Conversational Respect was a marriage post that needs to be practiced by each of us wives. How are you doing at this?

#8 Using Mother’s Day as a Measuring Stick told about a trap many mom’s fall into.  The result is not pretty.

#7 Living With the Fear of Getting Caught is a partly funny story on myself;  the lesson I learned is the other part.

#6 Watch Your Step was a post written by a guest and my dear friend, Kellie.  Her insight of walking in “muck” touched all of our hearts.

#5 What you Don’t Know about Infertility was a post written to inform unsuspecting people who feel the need to say something to couples who have no children.

#4 The Best Date that Costs Nothing was close to the top, reminding me that people want help with their marriage and practical ways that will keep things fun!

#3 How To Tell if a Child Is Ready To Be Saved was read by a host of parents who are grappling with what to do with their child who keeps wanting to ask Jesus into their life.  I pray this post has sealed the answer in not only the child’s heart, but their parent’s.

#2‘s post was, How To Refresh Your Pastor.  If you’ve forgotten to pray fervently for your pastor who is fighting great spiritual battles for his congregetation, I trust you’ll hurry over and reread this post so you can be a blessing to this man who gives so much of himself for the Gospel’s sake!

And now for the most read post of 2015..

#1 I must have lots of frustrated parents reading my blog, because the best post of the year was, Training Your Preschooler To Sit in Church!  So, how’s it going?  Do you need a bit of a refresher course?  The key is being consistent with the ideas I shared.

Let me just tell you how much I appreciate each of you who take time out of your day to read my blog.  Thank you.  I pray that I can encourage and refresh your heart, home and life and encourage you to stay faithful in your walk with God.  Being His child is the best life!

Thanks again for encouraging me in another year of blogging!

Is there a topic you’d like to see addressed in this next year?  Leave a comment and let me know!

With love,

 

Christmas · Family life · Rapture · Uncategorized

How To Be Invited Back Over

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In a week you’ll be nearly all packed and ready to head to the family Christmas gathering, but will the family Christmas gathering be ready for you? What I mean is, does your family entering the doors make everyone hold their breath?

You might adore your “rambunctious children,” and make light of their rowdiness, but when they go tearing through Aunt Linda’s house, oblivious to her belongings, to other’s privacy or the work she spent getting the house just right for the gathering, your presence might not create the delightful day for her that it is to you.

The truth is, holiday gatherings can cause friction, and often it’s caused by guests that aren’t as gracious as they could be. As you prepare to head over to someone else’s home – whether they’re relatives or friends, could I encourage you to consider others as you head into their home? Here are a few tips about being a gracious guest that we ALL need to heed:

  1. Arrive on time. Don’t get there after the meal has been served or everyone is seated. Be a little early – ten minutes is good.
  2. Be prepared to help. See what needs to be done with the meal or clean up and lend a hand.
  3. Be appreciative. Let your hosts know how thankful you are for them opening their home – even if it’s your mom and “she always hosts us for holidays!” When it’s your turn, you’ll know what a hero she really is!
  4. Take a hostess gift. Suggestions are here on this post.
  5. Talk to your children before you go. Give them restrictions about what rooms are off limits, as well as what kind of behavior is acceptable. We know you love your child, but be nice and train your child so others will love him too!  =)
  6. Don’t stay too long. Know when things are winding down (that’s before children are crabby and doors are slammed!) and make a gracious exit. Before leaving, have your children clean up any messes they made in their play areas. There’s nothing like finding your child’s room torn apart after guests are gone!
  7. Send a thank you note to your hostess. Swift gratitude is the sweetest. I recently had to apologize for an overdue note! Shame on me!

A little thinking and planning ahead, along with instructing your children will make your family gathering a happy time for both you and your host. And they won’t think twice about inviting you back!

What suggestions do you have for being a gracious guest?

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