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25 Ways to Enjoy Your Family

by Marci Ferrell
Christian Living Marriage Motherhood Titus 2

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I’d love to help you simplify your meal planning. Check out my new menu planning course here.

Summer is upon us, and I know how quickly our schedules can fill up. We can easily get addicted to activity and not enjoy our family time. @mferrell

Summer is upon us, and I know how quickly our schedules can fill up. We can easily get caught up in a flurry of activity and miss out on enjoying our time together as a family. 

Summer is upon us, and I know how quickly our schedules can fill up. We can easily get caught up in a flurry of activity and miss out on enjoying our time together as a family.  Click to Tweet

Below are some ideas adapted from Little House on the Freeway by Tim Kimmel. This book would be a great read to start your summer. It's a helpful, practical read and just a good reminder that there are many things we can be doing but we don't have to lose our calm and joy along the way.

 

Mr. Kimmel helps us to see how Jesus had a hurried life placed upon Him, but there were things he did specifically that enabled Him to maintain joy and calm in the midst of it.

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

~ Psalm 90:12

I'm sharing the ideas below for summer but they are year-round activities.

I'm usually the planner in the family, so I'm going to print out this list and work some of the ideas into our weeks this summer. Even though our kiddos are adults, I can still work some of these in with them and with my grandbabies.

If you'd like some date night ideas with your spouse, check out this post and this one for questions to work through as a couple. There are some helpful family conversation starters here for those dinner nights at home.

25 Ways to Enjoy Your Family:

1. Eat dinner together as a family.

2. Take your wife on a dialogue date.

3. Read your kids a classic book

4. Memorize the Twenty-third Psalm as a family.

5. Hug each family member for twenty-one days in a row (They say that's how long it takes to develop a habit, whether or not that's true, it's a great habit to start.)

6. Pick three nights (or more) of the week in which the television will remain off.

7. Pray for your spouse and children every day.

8. Plan a vacation together.

9. Take a vacation together.

10. Sit together as a family in church.

11. Take a few hours one afternoon and go to the library as a family.

12. Write each member of your family a letter sharing why you value them.

13. Take each of your children out to breakfast (individually) at least once a month for a year.

14. Let your kids read a story aloud to you or the whole family. 

We have only the time allotted by God, and none of us knows when it will run out. Every Christian life runs by His divine timetable and against His divine clock. We do not know how long He will hold open the door of a given opportunity or of our entire time of service. “Be careful how you walk,” Paul counsels, “not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:16). God gives us many things without limit – His love, His grace, and many others. But His gift of time is strictly measured.

~ John MacArthur

15. Put together a picture puzzle (five hundred pieces or more)

16. Encourage each child to submit to you his most perplexing question, and promise him that you'll either answer it or discuss it with him. Don't be afraid to work through their hard questions about their faith. These are good opportunities to learn together. 

17. Tell your kids how you and your spouse met.

18. Call your wife or husband from work just to see how they're doing.

19. Complete a family tree and teach your children the history of their ancestors.

20. Get involved in a family project that serves or helps someone less fortunate.

21. Spend an evening going through old pictures or videos of family vacations. Put together a ChatBook from the photos on your phone.

22. Praise your spouse and children—in their presence—to someone else.

23. De-clutter your house together.

24. Become a monthly supporter of a Third World child. Write them letters together as a family or assign the children different turns each month to write and send a picture. (We support a child with Compassion.)

25. Give each child the freedom to pick his favorite dinner menu at least once a month.

Final Thoughts:

My last thought is the reminder of how special bedtime rituals are as a family. My children are grown but my son was back home for a short season, and I still loved just sitting in his room with him chatting together and kissing him goodnight.

We can get so busy and forget to cherish these moments together. Give your children the sweet gift of the sense of calm and peace before bed. If you don't have a bedtime routine established, I encourage you to start one. Maybe it's stories, praying over them or singing them a song as you tuck them in. I still have memories of my grandmother tucking me in at night and singing sweetly to me.

Let's slow down the pace if we're feeling hurried and take the time to determine our priorities as a family. 

There are some simple options from this list that you can incorporate daily to get those moments to sit and just be with your kids and your husband. Again, figure out what good things you may need to say “no” to so you can say “yes” to the best.

“The more scarce something is, the more valuable it is. Gold and diamonds would be worthless if you could pick them up like pebbles on the side of the road. Time would not be so precious if we never died. But since we are never more than a breath away from eternity, the way we use our time has eternal significance.”

~ Donald Whitney

Recommended Resources:

Little House on the Freeway by Tim Kimmel

90 Family Dinnertime Conversations Starters

20 Questions to Help Build Intimacy in Your Marriage

Enjoying Ordinary & Special Moments with Your Spouse {with 70 Fun Date Night Ideas}

90+ Family Dinnertime Conversation Starters

 

Related posts:

  1. Simple Ways to Share the Gospel as a Family
  2. 90+ Family Dinnertime Conversation Starters – PDF Printable Cards
  3. Homemaking 101 Series: Simple Ways to Get a Jump Start On Your Day
  4. EP 25: The Family Dinner Table


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Marci Ferrell
“Designed for good deeds. It’s as simple as th “Designed for good deeds. It’s as simple as that. It was God’s idea. He did the designing. He expects us to work, just as the designer of a precision instrument if he understands the principles involved and designs it accordingly, expects the thing to work. It is no great credit to the instrument if it does.”⁣
~ Elisabeth Elliot⁣
⁣
The quote is from EP 6: What Does Self-Discipline Look Like in Our Homes come listen in at the link in my profile @thankfulhomemaker (click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image)
Self Discipline is essential to spiritual growth a Self Discipline is essential to spiritual growth and it is useful in our lives in so many ways. Living lives that are disciplined means saying, “yes” to God in every area of our lives. Jesus is our ultimate example of what it looks like to live a disciplined life.⁣
⁣
Come listen to EP 6: What Does Self-Discipline Look Like in Our Homes? at the link in my profile @thankfulhomemaker (click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image)
One of my favorites from Corrie ten Boom:⁣ "Look One of my favorites from Corrie ten Boom:⁣
"Look around you and be distressed, look within you and be depressed. Look to Jesus, and be at rest." 🥰
Journaling is often viewed as just a way to rememb Journaling is often viewed as just a way to remember or keep track of life's events. Many people who aren't Christians keep a journal. As a Christian, I've been thankful to keep spiritual journals (consistently at times and inconsistently at times) because it has helped me see God's grace and mercy at work in my life over the years of walking with Him.⁣
⁣
Please read the rest of Journaling Tips from Elisabeth Elliot at the link in my profile @thankfulhomemaker (click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image)
“Journaling is a way of slowing life down for ju “Journaling is a way of slowing life down for just a few moments, and trying to process at least a sliver of it for the glory of God, our own growth and development, and our enjoyment of the details.” ⁣
~David Mathis⁣
⁣
Come listen to EP 57: Spiritual Journaling (Spiritual Discipline Series) at the link in my profile @thankfulhomemaker (click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image)
Spiritual journaling is a way to slow our lives do Spiritual journaling is a way to slow our lives down and ponder deeply over the events of the day. In my life journaling has helped me to grow spiritually by discerning my thoughts and motives. It has shown me areas where I need to give thanks and praise to the Lord. My journaling time has reminded me of situations or people I need to be in prayer for.⁣
⁣
Come listen to EP 57 on Spiritual Journaling at the link in my profile @thankfulhomemaker (click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image)
“True freedom from the bondage of technology com “True freedom from the bondage of technology comes not mainly from throwing away the smartphone, but from filling the void with the glories of Jesus that you are trying to fill with the pleasures of the device.”⁣
~ Tony Reinke⁣
⁣
Come listen to EP 33: Is Your Smartphone Changing You? at the link in my profile @thankfulhomemaker (click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image)
We're chatting about our use of technology on the We're chatting about our use of technology on the flashback episode and pondering the question: Do we master our smartphones or do they master us?⁣
⁣
Please come listen to Is Your Smartphone Changing You at the link in my profile @thankfulhomemaker (click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image)
Christ will hold us fast. But we need gospel frien Christ will hold us fast. But we need gospel friends to hold us close.⁣
~ Albert Mohler⁣
⁣
Come listen to EP 4: What Does True Biblical Friendship Look Like? at the link in my profile @thankfulhomemaker (click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image)
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