1. Get involved in church - Not just "attend" church... but really be involved. This will do several things, including help your family grow in Christ, stay spiritually focused together, build a support system (this is so important), and train your children to serve the Lord. When serious problems happen in life, side-line church folk often drop out completely, while those who are very involved seem to rise up out the ashes even stronger than before. 
2. Get your priorities set - You really want to do this as soon as possible. Without a well-defined list of priorities, you will waste money and time. Time is the stuff life is made of... don't waste time. Don't freak out if these priorities change over time, just keep moving toward your goals.
3. Live in a place you can afford - This will partially be determined by #2. There is a lot of stress when you can hardly pay your bills, because you have too much house. Be sensible, and get a safe, quality home that meets the needs of your family.
4. Drive what you can afford - The sooner you outgrow the immature notion that you have to maintain a certain "image" by what you drive, the better. If your family sometimes struggles financially, you might not need $3000 wheels on your car.
5. Take vacations - You need to spend time with your family. Make some memories. If you can expose your children to foreign cultures, that would be wonderful. It's big world out there, and there's lots to see and do. It doesn't have to cost a fortune... see #2 again. Whether you are camping at the State Park, driving to another state, touring National Parks, going on a cruise, flying to a resort, visiting theme parks, or going to spend time with relatives... take vacations. Some of the greatest family memories are vacation memories. Turn the phone off, turn the world off, and spend time together. You'll be glad you did.
6. Eat meals together - In this fast-paced society we live in, we often have to eat on the run. There are many benefits to having at least one meal a day, sitting together at a table. There have been several studies that show this is important. Try to have that mean without all the electronic interruptions, too. Go crazy, and actually talk to one another.
7. Have "Date Night" - Leave the kids with someone else, and get away. You need to look your spouse in the eyes, and talk. It's going to be really awkward if you use children as an excuse to never spend time together... then, when your children grow up and move away, you find yourself living with a stranger that you happen to be married to. Dates don't have to be fancy restaurants... go to the lake and watch the boats go by, take a long walk, play Frisbee, rent some horses, or find something else that you like to do together.
8. Save money - Don't be wasters. Put money back all the time. The more, the better. It will take stress away when you need car repairs, have a layoff, have to make home repairs, or need to help someone. Money doesn't solve everything (at all), but it can give you more options.
9. Have fun - Enjoy life. Work a job that you enjoy, if you can. Spend time with people that make you happy, and enrich your life. Try to find out what your family likes to do, and have fun to together. Laugh a lot. There's enough pain in this world, to go around... enjoy what you can.
10. Make friends - To do that, you'll need to be a faithful friend. Teach your children to make friends. Be friends within your own extended family, if you can. Make friends with church family. Make friends with neighbors. Make friends that go to other churches... or that maybe don't go to church at all. Use your friendships and circle of influence to draw people closer to Christ, make them stronger with your help, to meet needs, and have needs met. Fight the urge to be "clannish", and to keep to yourself. Be the type of family that other people want and need to be around, and spend time with people that help your family to be even stronger. Don't waste time with negative people that will slow you down, or hinder your family's spiritual growth. Let the light of Jesus Christ shine through your family!!
No comments:
Post a Comment