Having Fun Yet?

The ache for home lies in all of us; The place where we can go as we are and not be questioned -Maya Angelou

From Karen A-D's cluttered desk… (Because she’s out, involved in frivolous or hectic activity!)

FUN=a source of enjoyment, amusement, diversion, etc. Pleasure, gaiety, or merriment. Jest or sport. Frivolous or hectic activity.

FUN! Have you ever heard the saying that “the family who plays together stays together”…? Perhaps you’ve heard it with the word ‘couple’ substituted for ‘family’. Either way, it’s a compelling thought for all of us parents today!

How do we put that ‘Fun’ element into action?

How do we make it happen?

How do we take our eyes and ears away from the tyranny of the urgent and turn them onto our little children, and spouse?

Those very people that we yearn to know deeply and walk through life in close relationship with! I think like everything worthwhile in life, we choose to! It’s up to us! We have the power in our own hands to determine the temperature of our homes… Our Fun-O-meter responds to the choices, decisions and actions we make! We need to step up here, take charge and make it happen, it’s up to us. Nobody wants to live a life of quiet desperation or frustration. We enter into this role of ‘Mum’ to train our little ones, to guide them, to love, nurture and protect them. The best way to do that is by making it fun for them and yourself! I admit there are times when I feel so overwhelmed that the idea of adding another thing to the agenda seems crazy… but then I take in a little bit of ‘perspective’… by asking myself; is it really going to matter in 5 years if this washing gets folded today? Or if the house was tidy today? I believe it’s going to matter more then, that the time I took away from doing those things and investing in a little silliness with my kids; dancing, reading, chasing, teasing, marveling, BEING…. is soo much more important and, necessary! Our lives are so crammed full of deadlines, schedules, meeting needs etc. that sometimes we need to take stock of where we’re headed long-term. As Dr. Heartsill Wilson put it….

A New Day

This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it- or use it for good, but what I do today is important, because I am exchanging a day of my life for it! When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving in its place something that I have traded for it. I want it to be gain, and not loss; good, and not evil; success, and not failure; in order that I shall not regret the price that I have paid for it.

The easiest and most enjoyable way to do that for everybody; is with fun! I read recently that “your home will always be the most beautiful when you stretch out your arms in welcome!” So, I encourage you to welcome your children and your partner into your home with open arms, tender hearts, and joy on your face. Plan for and set aside a regular ‘family night’. Play board games, go on picnics, play dress-ups, lie down on the rug with your baby, go through a car-wash with your toddler sitting on your lap, turn up the radio, turn out the lights and have a disco night, run through the sprinkler on a hot summer’s day, lay out your sleeping bags in the lounge room and all have a sleep over watching movies and eating popcorn…. Add your own special touches to your family.

What do you want your kids to remember about you when they grow up?

Could it possibly be that they had a mum who was willing to play? My prayer for today is put so eloquently by Emilie Barnes: “Life is about Living! Dear Lord, let me live fully each day and find time for laughter so that Your joy is always evident in my home.”