[#life Series] Parenting Part 1Намуна

Building My Family Team

Some things in our society are fraying our family. To protect the family, we can view it under the framework of a team. Loyalty, love, and faithfulness support its structure. But what other elements do we need?

Time. Love them with your calendar, not just words. Be at the meals, the sporting events, the activities, and do things together. If you are a busy person or you are a single parent, you will need to figure out how to make it happen. If you travel for a living this would mean some sacrifice, but you could take your family with you from time to time. You would make less money because of the travel expenses. But you will be with them and it will be worth every minute of it.

Experiences. Have fun together. Go camping, hunting, or fishing together. Play golf or throw the Frisbee together. Eat out together. Go on vacations together. Do a lot of things together. This will build common experiences. Don’t try to live in a museum—create memories. Your house and the things in it shouldn’t be more important than the people who live there. A messy house may mean memories and experiences that will last forever.

When having fun together, be careful about how many friends you invite, because what will happen is everybody will end up hanging out with their friends and not with the family. Just make sure you keep that team tight. There is a time for friends, but there is a time for only the family.

Attitude. We are a tight unit as a family. The best story is not with your girlfriend, your boyfriend, getting drunk, or doing drugs. The best story is written here because the people in this house are more for you than anybody on the planet. You are a blessing, not a burden. We want you right here next to us. You are special, and you are loved.

Mission. A cross-cultural service and life on purpose. Get your kids in places, locally and abroad, where they honor, serve, or help someone older, widows, or less fortunate people so that they are able to realize not everybody has everything they have.

They will come back thankful and generous kids who are not entitled anymore—kids that are in love with the Lord instead of in love with themselves.

Use these four things to put your mission statement together.