Greetings!
"May my teaching drop as the rain,
my words distill as the dew,
like gentle rain upon the tender grass,
and like showers upon the herb."
Deuteronomy 32:2
Don't you just love Spring? It's such a refreshing season of renewal. Tender green leaves, swelling buds, ambitious new shoots, and welcome bursts of color are sure signs of this season of growth.
Spring is also a great time to refresh our most important relationships. To think about how we've been loving our mates and shaping our children. What better season to encourage new growth in these relationships!
A good way to start is to identify the values that are important to your family, and the character traits you want each member to internalize. Almost 300 years ago, Benjamin Franklin decided on thirteen values he wanted to work on. Thirteen worked nicely, for it allowed him to focus on one value (or character trait) for one week per calendar quarter. When you integrate his system with scripture, your list can be a great foundation for a powerful family vision statement.
Another way to invigorate your home is by making your marriage an even higher priority than it already is. In busy homes, it's the easiest relationship to take for granted, yet it's the one upon which the success of your family hinges. Start by renewing your commitment to your spouse. Unconditional devotion is "rocket fuel" to most marriages. Next, protect your marriage from intruders, so it can grow and thrive. (Your children can fall into that category!) Finally, carve out more time for your mate, and plant those dates on the calendar.
A third way of injecting new life at home is by focusing on your parenting -- shaping the precious ones with whom you've been entrusted. Melissa and I seem to be more effective when we pay more attention to our children's needs, than to their wants -- especially their emotional needs. Rather than reacting to a child's behavior (which I'm always tempted to do), we're trying to be more sensitive to the feelings beneath the behavior. And, then to help each child learn how to express those feelings. Like most things of value, these projects will take us well beyond the tender green leaf season before we see new growth at our house!
Spring's a great time to spray weeds, plant shrubs, and fantasize about a summer lawn without crabgrass. But it's an even better time to do what you can to invigorate our most important relationships. Please share your thoughts with us! We'd love to hear from you.
Robert
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Peace in the Home, Inc. is a registered charity with Ukrop's Golden Gift Program this year. If you hold a Ukrop's UVC card, you'll receive a certificate by mail during the first week of May, detailing your household's points accumulated during the program period. Would you partner with us by donating your certificate points to Peace in the Home to assist us in strengthening families? Please