Two weeks ago I didn’t get to the last points of my sermon, so I want to share them now.

Often we encounter teaching on the family that is persuasive, but seems overwhelming.   I think it is great if your family has a daily rhythm of family devotions, a sit down dinner and a family board game.   I actually know some great families who accomplish this, but that hasn’t been the case for us.

Beth and I have intentionally chosen to participate in the public school system and community activities.  We love and support home-school families and faith-based extra-curricular activities, but we have chosen a different path.

So, we have a very complex schedule of school, church, football, dance and family time.

In order to set realistic goals, here is what we shoot for:

Practical Suggestions:

Monthly Fun:   As the budget allows, we try to do something fun and memorable together.   Last month, we went on a big vacation together.  This month, I’m taking the family with me to Gatlinburg during a speaking engagement.  Some months it may be a movie, or a memorable night at dinner.

Weekly Prayer:   We pray over each meal and at bedtime, but I love the weeks when we take time to specifically pray for each other and our needs.  This is also an important time to pray for the world.

Daily Love:  When the day is hectic and less than ideal, “perfect love” covers for our deficiencies we have as a family.