Two years ago, on Christmas morning, my husband posted a picture on social media of us with his family in front of a Christmas tree. The picture was well received and “liked” by many friends. The tree we were standing in front of was in his parents’ church. The whole family—siblings, spouses, and children—was together for Christmas. What’s not to love when you see a picture like that?
Near my house, there is a hiking trail that is relatively flat and very easy to hike with my two young children. It is less than one mile in length and makes a nice circle that is simple to follow. Hiking is probably a generous term for this area, but we rarely complete this loop. There are large rocks to climb at the entrance to the trail and the path itself is comprised of very tiny rocks that my children love to constantly stop and touch.
Change and transition can be fun and exciting. Change and transition can also be difficult and tedious. In my family, which currently includes two toddlers, change typically falls into the “difficult and tedious” category more often than the “fun and exciting.”
Children, especially at a young age, need to learn how to utilize all five of their senses. They’re learning that a stove can be hot to touch, that cookies smell good, that they don’t like the taste of green beans, that they recognize their mom’s voice out of all the others in a room, and that they must wait to see the WALK sign before crossing the street.
Kids have a lot of emotions, and they’re way worse at hiding them than adults. (Well, maybe not all adults. I once cried because I wanted falafel, but couldn’t make it because my food processor was broken.)
Doing family devotions takes a lot of commitment, consistency, and motivation! There may not be a more challenging time for that than the middle of the summer, when family vacations, holiday celebrations, family gatherings, and just plain old summer fun fill our calendars.
It’s not easy to gather your entire family in one place at one time, but using spare moments to draw your family closer to God is key.
If you’re looking for small ways to make a difference in your family’s summer routine, family devotions are one way to do that! The Everyday Faith Calendar can be quick—if you only have five minutes in between dinner and a softball game, you can squeeze it in. Or if you want to go more in-depth, you can do that too!
Here are a few summer-centric ideas for finding time in the Word with the Everyday Faith Calendar!
The Fruit of the Spirit is a common lesson in Sunday School and religion classes. Children sing the catchy little song, recite the fruits in order, and then ask if "kindness" is available in a fruit cup they can put in their lunch bag.
Spring is here, and so is the Everyday Faith Calendar for April!
The Book of Proverbs is known for its wise sayings about faith and life here on earth. We get nuggets of wisdom like Proverbs 1:7, where we’re instructed on the difference between those who fear the Lord and those who don’t:
