Family Time

If you are in the process of raising a family, I hope you are making the most of the time you have together since the time will go by so quickly; it may not seem like it now, but before too long you will be wondering where the time went.

Through a Bible study on Facebook that I've been participating in recently (Donna Partow's Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be - A 90-Day Guide to Living the Proverbs 31 Life) I learned of a compelling way to bring families closer together and help to cement relationships.

• Set a specific time for your family to gather together on a regular basis (everyone participates) - pick whatever day works best for your family.
  
• Make it special - share a particular meal, be festive, use a particular room in your home that you will associate with good times, play games, sing, talk about your day/week, etc. (Donna's family shares communion during this time.)
  
• Criticism is "off-limits" during this time together - you can't criticize anyone and no one can criticize you. You can admit your own faults, but NO ONE can be criticized or punished for anything he or she admits.

This can become a time for making memories, learning about each other in a more meaningful way, and developing deeper relationships that will take you through the difficult times that may come.

Donna's book is filled with information from which everyone (including men) can benefit. I'm looking forward to her new study, which begins on Facebook on July 20th - Becoming the Woman I Want to Be - A 90-Day Journey to Renewing Spirit, Soul, & Body. You can join this study by going to www.facebook.com (join if you are not already a member), click on "Groups" and find the one with the title (of the book) I just gave. The title is there along with a picture of Donna in a black and white outfit. You'll be glad you did.

Have a great evening.