Table-Discipleship Principle: ” Learning to see ourselves as people who reach out and meet the needs of others, everywhere, all the time, is at the heart of a lifegiving ministry.”
I hope that you have gleaned some great information and seen changes in your home as a result of reading this book. While we still have much work to do in our home, I love the positive changes that I have seen as a result of implementing some of the many ideas. Making a few simple changes, such as planning ahead for Sunday breakfast and lunch and being intentional about our meal time conversations has paid big dividends. I also really appreciated the reminders that the seemingly insignificant things that we do for our families each day really do make a difference.
” I know that for me to keep my marriage alive and growing, to invest in my friendships, and to pass on a legacy of faith, mentoring, focused love and training in the lives of my children, I have to plan my time carefully and make sure there is room in my schedule for what matters most___ my people!”
This is an area that I’ve been working on and will continue to work on. There are so many things going on in my life right now and I can easily get bogged down in all of the tasks that are waiting for me. I have to be very intentional about setting aside time for my family and my friends. I feel like over the course of this book I’ve gotten better about scheduling that time with my husband and my children. My goal moving forward is to continue to strengthen those relationships while also making more time for investing in friendships. I have some wonderful people in my life and I need to cultivate those relationships in order to grow and flourish. Knowing that Sally is writing from a life that is much different than mine, but similar in that it is very full with many different tasks and people help make it seem so much more achievable. Sometimes I read books and it feels like they think I can just magically make the other responsibilities go away. However, I felt that what Sally was suggesting was much more like the story of filling a jar. Put your big rocks in and then the smaller stuff so that you don’t fill your days with the small stuff and have no room for the big stuff.
Making time for God each day is one of those important things that needs to be prioritized in our day. It is so easy to get into the day and take care of all of the urgent needs of those around us and forget to make time to fellowship with him. We have been implementing a quiet time routine for my older two children as well as myself and it has been so helpful in me being consistent. I know I may have to be a bit flexible when the new baby arrives but continue to prioritize that time, so that I have what I need to continue to give and meet the needs of my family.
She begins the chapter with a quote from one of my favorite authors. “Eating and reading are two pleasures that combine admirably.” C.S. Lewis. If you know me or have been reading the blog for very long, you probably realize that I enjoy both of those pleasures and sharing them with my children. They love to snuggle up on the couch with a treat and some hot cider and listen to me read aloud or gather around the table for our poetry tea times. In our area the weather is supposed to get quite cold and yucky again so I’m planning some warm times and good memories tonight with a new book and a sweet treat.
- What is a time every day when you can schedule time with God?
- Place anchors in your week that bring you delight, comfort, and pleasure.
- What do you need in order to keep your body going in a healthy way?
- What can you read that might give you great stories to fill your soul?
There was a long list of things to try at the end of this chapter. I do not suggest that you try them all at once because for most people that would be overwhelming and lead to burnout. However, I encourage you to choose a few that you can implement in your life and see how it strengthens you and your family. I have decided to make the four ideas above the ones that we focus on first. If those are going well, I may revisit and try to add a few more. I’m being intentional in small things, like daily quiet time, drinking lots of water to keep my body healthy, reading books not just for learning but also for pleasure, and putting anchors into our week to bring delight and keep my priorities in check.
It would be a blessing to me for you to share in the comments how this book and study has influenced your life and family. I’ll be taking a few months off from formal book study group for the upcoming arrival of our new baby, but hoping to start a new book in the spring so stay tuned! If you are looking for book suggestions to keep you reading, check out My 2018 Book List.
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