Family

Family Worship

As you are looking ahead to all that this new year may hold for you, I’d like to issue a simple challenge. Read an old Christian book this year . I suppose I should challenge you to read two old Christian books this year. Certainly, your soul would benefit from regular encounters with God’s Word – a two- to four-thousand-year-old book. But in addition to a regular diet of Scripture, read an old Christian book this year .

Gratitude and Perspective: Home (sick) for the holidays

Last week as we drove across the bridge in town, my kids squealed with delight as they took turns guessing when all the ice would be off the lake. We searched around our neighborhood for the handiwork of our Creator as He began to unfold to us a masterpiece in each bud of the crocuses that peeked out of the cold hard ground. Mother robin prompted them onward as the treasure hunt to find her secret began. Discovering the home for her babies presented yet another invitation to more wonder as the process of life would soon unfold in the treasure of bright blue eggs and eventually babies in the coming days.

Becoming a parent has been the best, yet most challenging experience of my life. Try as they might, no one can quite prepare you for what it’s like to be a parent. I had so many people give me advice, tips, tricks, cautions, etc., which were all so helpful in their own way! But none of them could fully prepare me for what was ahead. Probably one of the most unexpected things about becoming a parent is how much it’s taught me about my relationship with my Heavenly Father. It has brought to life so many characteristics of our Heavenly Father and caused me to experience them in a whole new light.

My parents had planned a trip to Italy and were supposed to go in early 2020. But their plans were postponed due to the COVID pandemic the world began to face. Over the course of the next year and a half, Mom and Dad worked on refreshing different documents and accounts so that, if anything should happen to them while they’re on their trip, we (their children) would be able to help from home.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to stand as the “best man” in a wedding. And as I was preparing the speech, it really got me thinking about my dear friend, his future bride, and what I believe God teaches us about marriage. I hope this will bless others, single or married.

As I savored a quiet moment to gaze upon the glistening waves on the lake across the street from our home, my thoughts turned to the changing of seasons. The nearby maple’s fiery orange and golden leaves reminded me of the preparations needed for the myriad of traditions our family enjoys each Holiday season. My mind quickly began to fill with lists of things to do, but an excited shout from my youngest daughter swiftly redirected my attention. “Mommy, Mommy, when do we get to go see Mr. Clint and get a candy cane?”

With our annual Fall Retreat just around the corner we thought it would be valuable to look at why we go on a retreat, and why we chose our theme this year, “One Thing.”

As we think about families and kids starting school this year, we are full of uncertainties. Families are making the choice to send their kids to school not necessarily knowing if there will be face to face teaching happening five days a week or a “hybrid” option. Some parents, for the first time in their lives, are looking at the option of home schooling, in addition to working their regular jobs, to try and give their kids more stability in their days during these uncertain times. So, what can we do, in all these situations, to help families be better equipped for a successful year?

There are families who have not spoken to one another in not just days or weeks, but months, years and even decades. They’ve allowed hurts to fester and grow, as well as create walls and barriers between one another. They have lost out on opportunities to grow together, and to get to know each other’s family. I know an older woman with two sisters; who had not spoken in decades due to past hurts. They finally came together, when one of the sisters was diagnosed with cancer. Walls came down, and their relationships began to heal. There was sadness in the realization that they missed out on many years of being able to get to know one another. Yet, they experienced great joy when they mended fences, rebuilt their relationships, and changed their twilight years.