26 Inexpensive Things to Do with Your Kids this Summer

When the kids are out of school, it can be a bittersweet time for parents. Lots of fun comes with summer, but the kids' boredom can set in quickly. Parents have a great opportunity during the summer to make lasting memories with their kids while keeping the kids entertained at the same time!

We put together some inexpensive ideas for you and your kids to have some fun together this summer!

1. Local Parks & Playgrounds

    Pack a picnic and head out to a local park!

• Carl Miller Park

• Neighborhood Playgrounds

2. Dollar Movies

Did you know that many movie theaters have dollar movie days/mornings?

Regal Cinemas offers $1 movies on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings throughout the summer. Check their website for specific details. Sit back and enjoy a kids' feature in the air conditioning!

3. Hiking

Put on comfy shoes and head out to explore nature. Make sure you pack extra water and snacks!

• Line Creek Nature Area

• Kennesaw Mountain (Civil War history may interest older kids!)

• Chattahoochee Bend State Park

4. Library

Libraries have lots of resources and fun for kids other than just books. Head over to your local library to find out what they have going on during the week. Sometimes they give free classes and read books to the kids!

5. Go Swimming

Find a friend with a pool or visit your neighborhood pool. Maybe there's a lake that you love to go to as well. Make sure to jump in and enjoying splashing and playing with your kids!

• Lake Lanier - There are many areas within Lake Lanier, so don't feel like you just have to go to the main section!

• Lake Martin

• West Point Lake

6. Make Slime

Find out how to make slime and where to buy materials HERE!

7. Sprinklers or Slip n’ Slide

Sprinklers may not sound thrilling to us as adults, but for kids, it’s the best! Running around with the water falling is great and having a slip n’ slide is even better!

8. Ride Bikes

Riding bikes around the neighborhood is fun, but there are also plenty of places to ride bikes in Peachtree City and at Callaway Gardens!

9. Catch Bugs

Buy a little bug catcher or use a jar and let your kids find crickets, ladybugs, caterpillars, and other fun bugs to watch. Magnifying glasses are available at dollar stores to get a really close view!

10. Play Sports

Playing sports is always a fun time during the summer. Grab a ball or frisbee and get outside! Use stools, hula hoops, or other items to make an obstacle course in your yard. Time each other to see who makes it through the fastest!

11. Make S’mores

S’mores by the fire are so yummy, but did you know that you can also make s’mores in the microwave on those rainy days? Click HERE to find out how!

12. Build a Fort - Blankets or Cardboard Boxes

Building a fort is a classic! If you don't have boxes, place a large blanket over the kitchen table, and everyone can crawl inside. Use flashlights and tell stories or read. Don’t miss out on indoor "camping!"

13. Bake Cookies

Baking and decorating cookies is not only fun for the kids, it’s also beneficial for you! 

14. Pick Berries at a Farm

Head over to a local farm and pick some blueberries or strawberries!

• Whitley Farms

• Adams Farms

15. Water Balloons

Let your kids get outside and fill up some water balloons. Have a water balloon war and see who wins! For older kids, use sidewalk chalk to draw targets with points on the driveway and play water balloon "darts."

16. Finger Painting

The good thing about summer is that you can do so much outside. Grab some paint and old clothes and let the kids use their hands to create art. Let your kids paint with inexpensive household items for cool textures (i.e. toothbrushes, hairbrushes, small brooms, or combs).

17. Sidewalk Chalk

The awesome part about sidewalk chalk is that you can draw over and over again. As soon as that chalk washes away, the kids can draw again! Trace each other on the pavement and create your own chalk "selfies!"

18. Bowling

Bowling alleys often provide special discount offers. Check out your local bowling alley’s website to find a day to go!

19. Music

Turn on some music, play dress up, and get to dancing! Everyone loves a good beat.

20. Sno Cones or Popsicles

Buy a shaved ice maker or just some ice trays with popsicle sticks. Put some soda or juice in the ice trays, put in the popsicle sticks, and in just a few hours, you’ll have refreshing popsicles!

21. Bubbles

Who doesn't love bubbles? Head over to Walmart or the Dollar Store to get a couple of different sizes of bubbles and wands!    

22. Water Color Painting

Get outside or set up a painting table for water color painting. A spray bottle filled with water color paint is also a fun way to paint an old bed sheet or tablecloth. 

23. Picnic

Enjoy an outdoor picnic at a local park or even in your backyard! Let the kids make the sandwiches and help pack up the snacks. Have them take their favorite beach towel or blanket to sit on.

24. Make Tie-Dye Clothes

Learn how to make tie-dye clothes HERE!

25. Decorate Cookies or Cupcakes

Pop some cookie dough or cupcake batter into the oven and get the icing ready! Give each child a container of icing and let them spread it on. Get creative with fun toppings such as brownie pieces, sprinkles, Reese's, M&M's, Skittles, or other small candies.

26. Marble Painting

Get an old or cheap container (foil baking pans work great!), some marbles, a piece of blank paper, and paint. Give one to each kid and have them rock the containers back and forth to make the marbles roll through the paint and create art! Click HERE to see how.

Whatever you choose to do this summer, enjoy spending time together and make lots of sweet memories.

Conversations in a Jar

School is back in session, and it would be difficult to find a family that’s not busy. Work, sports practices, games, rehearsals, lessons, homework, doctor’s appointments, and countless other activities keep our calendars full. Among all of the busyness, I would argue that it would also be difficult to find a family that doesn’t long for closer relationships and connection.

How can we build deeper relationships with our children and spouses in the midst of a hectic schedule? I believe one vital thing we can do is make our family members feel important and valued. We do that by prioritizing time to really listen to each other.

Everyone’s favorite neighbor, Mr. Rogers said, “There’s no person in the whole world like you, and I like you just the way you are.” Every single person wants to feel valued. Even the most introverted person you know needs to be noticed and acknowledged as a valuable creation of God. When I listen, really listen, to someone’s ideas and thoughts, I automatically show that person he or she has value to me.

You say, “All that sounds great, but who has time to listen? All my kids talk about are Fortnite and memes!” Again, I know we’re busy, so I’d like to make it simple. Keep in mind I hesitate to give parenting advice because I’m in the “deep weeds” of parenting myself. However, I found something that has worked to get us talking through the years.

First, we try to have dinner together as a family as many nights a week as possible. Sometimes that’s seven, and sometimes that’s two. Either way, we make an effort to sit down together around the table. Keep in mind, the average family dinner in America lasts 20 to 30 minutes, so we must be intentional about that time.

In order to give each person at the table their time to be heard, we ask a question, and everyone must answer. Other family members must be quiet and listen (no technology!), and no one is allowed to comment negatively on the response. Where do we get the questions? We started with a glass jar filled with strips of paper that I printed from the web. We have since graduated to joke books (take turns reading a few), Would You Rather books (gross but hilarious), and conversation starter cards I bought at a Christian book store. The other night, my youngest asked me to pull out the jar, so we’ve circled back to where we started.

To be honest, we haven’t done this every single time we sit around the dinner table, but we have created a habit to give each person a turn to share. Both of my children tend to “talk over” each other, so it’s been a great way to practice listening skills. By asking random questions, you may also learn things about your children or spouse that you didn’t know.

I encourage you to just give it a try. Grab a notepad, a plastic bowl, or a jar and write down the following questions (or print them). Fold the papers, stick them in the jar, and set it on your table. The next time you have dinner with your family, let someone pull out one question. It’s that easy! Have fun creating questions or searching the internet for new ones when your jar is empty. (I stick the used ones in another jar and “recycle” them for much later. My children’s answers have changed as they’ve gotten older!)

20 Questions to Start Conversations in a Jar

1. What was the worst/best part of your day?

2. If you could have one super power, what would you choose?

3. Who is someone you look up to?

4. If you could only eat one food for a year, what would you eat?

5. If you could be any character in a movie or TV show, who would you be?

6. Which do you like better, the mountains or the beach? Why?

7. Would you rather be really tall like a giant or tiny like a mouse? Why?

8. Would you rather travel to the bottom of the ocean or to space? Why?

9. Share a time you made a good choice with your actions.

10. If you could visit any imaginary place, where would you go? Who would you take with you?

11. Would you rather be really strong or really fast?

12. Do you think your name suits you? If you could change your name, what would you call yourself?

13. What is your favorite exercise?

14. What would you do if you could camp out in your favorite store for one night?

15. Share a time when you were kind to another person. How did it make you feel?

16. What do you think makes someone cool?

17. What three words describe our family?

18. What is your favorite type of weather?

19. What is your favorite toy or keepsake? Why?

20. What is the best vacation or activity we’ve done as a family?

Now go get those conversations started!

Come for a service during Family Weekend for more inspiration on how to connect with your family!

Quality Time During the Summer “Slow-down”

Summer. What does that mean for you?  For some it is a time to rest, getting caught up on that never ending list, and spending quality time with family. Well, at least that is what we all hope for. You know there is something about the summer season when people hope for time to slow down, allow for rest, and things to get reset. Before I became the Elementary Children’s Director at our church, I was a teacher for seven years, and summer was just that, a time for rest while the rest of the year was non-stop. 

Now, I have a glimpse of what working parents deal with during the summer. The pace doesn’t slow down, just the mindset of some people may shift. When I say mindset you know what I am talking about - the vacation mindset, beach mode, I am off. For my family this summer is bringing big changes. We are closing the chapter on being a family of three and starting our new chapter to becoming a family of four. Therefore, this summer I am trying to dedicate quality time with my daughter while I am still a working parent. I don’t have it all figured out, but I do have some key points that are working for us.

Set a Work Schedule and Stick to It

In order to have the quality time that you may want with your children during the summer, you will have to set a work schedule and plan accordingly. Do you have the ability in the summer to work from home on some days? If so, do it! Determine the hours needed to work throughout the week and plan ahead. 

For me, I have set office hours work and then work from home the remainder of the time. For those who may not be able to work from home, you may ask if you can adjust your hours each day for the summer in order to have a little more time at home. Think about this: if you got to work one hour earlier and stayed one hour later four days a week, you would have an extra day. Again if that is an option, try to make it happen. Planning out your schedule is going to ensure that your work will get completed but will also allow for you to focus on family time not during those scheduled hours.  

Be Intentional

Some of you read my first point and probably laughed out loud, “Must be nice to set your own schedule.” This would be where being intentional will come into play. Whether or not you have a schedule set for you or you have some flexibility, being intentional is key. Just like in any situation, being intentional is going to make the plan work for your benefit. Spending quality time with your children this summer must be intentional. Guess what? We all need to tell our time what to do, or it will tell us what to do. In a quick blink, our children are back at school, and we missed out. 

To be intentional means to get off of your phone, close out social media, and be present with your children. Spending intentional quality time with your children doesn’t mean that you need to spend money or be with them every second. Play a board game, play outside in a sprinkler or with water balloons, go to the park, play dress up, make cookies or fruit popsicles together. Allow your children to show you what being young again is like. Being young again brings me to my last point. 

Have Fun!

This is challenging for me. I like to be in control and not let go. I believe it's difficult for most of us adults to use our imaginations and simply have fun. When I think of having fun with my daughter I also think of the mess that will be made. I like order, and, in times of fun, I have to breathe through the mess and find the joy in the moment. 

Seeing my daughter smile and laugh provides me with joy that cannot be explained. Let your children see you smile, let loose, and have fun. Get involved with your children when they play this summer, be a kid again yourself, and truly have fun.  

How the Church Partners with Parents

Did you know that from the day your child is born until high school graduation you have about 936 weeks? Every week counts. In fact, every day counts. Let's be real, parenting is not for the weak. I remember when my daughter was a few weeks old and wouldn't sleep, and I thought, “This is it?” Don't all parents go through that at some point?

The church is here to partner with you. I mean, not necessarily through the sleepless nights, but we are here to share this journey and help make your spiritual impact the most effective in your child's life. You may be thinking, "How does the church partner with parents?"

First and foremost, you must remember that God is for you. The church, as the bride of Christ, is for you too. The church is modeled after Christ, and we are called to love one another. In order for the church to love on parents, we must partner with parents. Here are a few ways you as a parent can ensure that you and the church are working together.

Be the Model

Jesus is our model. We need to use our model - Jesus, and be the model for our children. Our children are watching us. They see everything that we do, and it sticks with them. If we ask our children to do something that we ourselves are not willing to do, we are not being authentic models.  Jesus is an authentic model, so we need to strive for that too. 

There will be times where we will fail and fall short of the glory of God, but thankfully, we can model forgiveness in those moments. To be honest, modeling forgiveness for my child is humbling. Think about this. You do something wrong, and your child calls you out on it. Yep, that has happened to me more than once. In that moment, I took a deep breath and showed my daughter how to appropriately admit my mistake and asked her, as well as Jesus, for forgiveness.

Be Present

Times have changed since I was a kid. Technology is changing daily; our children can have friends that they have never even met in person! Although technology is allowing us to see the world through a whole new lens, it is also allowing our children to be vulnerable. Be present in the things your children are doing on social media. Know their friends and the people they are talking to.

Our children are also facing stress. I know everyone has stress; however, the stress that our children face is like nothing before. The stress of friends, the stress of fitting in, the stress of doing well at school or extra curricular activities, and the list goes on. The stress kids face needs an outlet. Allow your children to talk to you about what they are experiencing each day and provide them with a safe outlet to share honestly. 

When I say safe, I mean a "no judgement zone." Listen to what they are saying and provide them with the Truth to apply to their situation. You may be asking, "How do I know what to say or do?" The church is here to guide you through this process and help you grow in your knowledge of scripture. Knowing your child’s small group leader is also a great way to get guidance.  

Know Your Child's Small Group Leader

This is a huge part of a successful partnership between parents and the church. Your children’s small group leaders are here for them, but they are also here for you. They want to know you and for you to know them. Feel free to go into the group area and introduce yourself to your child's small group leader!

You may be thinking, “Why is it important to know their small group leader?” Depending on your child’s age, his/her small group leader may be an outlet when he/she is struggling with a situation. If the small group leader knows you, he/she is able to share this information with you to help your child in that time of need. In order for all of the suggestions to truly work together for the greater good of your child, you must be involved at a church.  

Be Involved at Your Church

To be involved doesn’t mean just attend on Sunday and be done after that. No, being involved means getting in a small group of other believers who are experiencing spiritual growth. Another way to be involved in the church is to serve in an area that allows you to use your spiritual gifts. Finding where your spiritual gifts fit is key. For example, personally, I would not be happy serving on our security team. Not because I don’t support it, but I would struggle with confronting others in a possibly negative situation. 

Don’t serve in an area that doesn’t fill your heart with joy. Find the place that fits you. Once you become involved in the church, you will model for your children what you want for them. Remember they are watching you, and it will stick!  

936 weeks will be gone in the blink of an eye. Why waste it? The church is here for you each week and will continue to be. Think about your children right now. What phase are you in? How many weeks are left until graduation? What are you going to do to ensure you have the right partnership to raise them to be a disciple of Jesus? We are here for you! Are you willing to let us partner with you on this journey? 

The Remarkable Power of One's Influence

I was having a conversation with a friend and fellow father a short while ago. When we are together our conversations usually become creative dream sessions. We share vision, discuss opportunities, and dream of possibilities. It is quite invigorating for a personality like mine. I love the startup, the creative process, and the activation of great ideas.

During a recent conversation, we discussed the success of two individuals whose work we both admire. These two individuals were friends who were impacted greatly by one friend’s father. We concluded that if that father never accomplished another thing the influence he had on those two boys was great enough accomplishment. The effect of his influence is now being felt worldwide through the influence of those two friends.

Many of us long for positions of influence, prestige, and notoriety. Many push to influence the masses without understanding that influencing one or two could have just as great an impact on the world. I like to think of this way of thinking as the ripple effect. Many sit on the side of the shore afraid to ever cast a rock in the water. They think, "What’s the use? It will have no effect. The size of this rock is too small." It does not matter the perceived size of one’s influence. Everyone can be a person of influence.

Regardless of the size of one’s influence, the effects continue even when they become seemingly unnoticeable. Just like the small rock thrown into the lake. The water ripples for a second and seems to dissipate, but, unnoticed to the naked eye, the molecules continue to move.

As parents we are given the wonderful opportunity to daily impact the life of another. Our children may very well be our legacy. We should leverage our influence to lead our children well. If we are doing a good job at this, our children will begin to mirror our behavior and lead others around them. Teach them to lead up, down, and sideways. We can lead up to our bosses, teachers, and coaches. We can lead down to those we manage, and we can lead sideways to all our friends, family members, teammates, and coworkers. Whether you choose to lead one, two, or many, there will be lasting effects.

What dreams do you have? Who is currently leading you? Whom are you currently leading?

“‘And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding." - Jeremiah 3:15 (ESV) 

FAMILY Part 2: Awareness

My 4 year old son started playing basketball for his first team sport experience. In the driveway playing by himself, he has pretty impressive shooting, defending, and dribbling skills for his age. However, get him on the court, and it's another story. He struggles to use his skills and pay attention to where the ball is at the same time. Most of the time, he is unaware of what's going on during the game.

Here's the point: Awareness of your role is just as important as having the skills to carry it out. I wonder how many parents are unaware that they are called to be the lead faith trainers in their children’s lives.  

If we are going to raise up a generation of children who transform the world by living out their faith in schools, neighborhoods, work and communities, we must be aware of our call as parents to be the lead faith trainers. It's our job to take the lead in communicating and living out our faith in Jesus Christ.

To start, our effectiveness in this role depends on our personal relationship with Jesus. This is not a job you can hand to your youth pastor or senior pastor. Being the lead faith trainer takes focus and time. Even though this is a huge calling, God will supply all your needs. You have what it takes to be the lead faith trainer of your family.   

Even the busiest parents can be effective by taking advantage of some key moments in each day. These key moments are found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9. In this passage, Moses is speaking to Hebrew families that are about to enter the Promised Land. He knows the land is full of provision, and it will be easy for families to be tempted to depend on their own effort and forget to depend upon The Lord. Below is what God has to say to families of the past, present and future. 

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Based on this passage, these are 5 practical ideas you as a parent can implement to make the most out of the time you have with your children.  

1. Be the Model

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."

As parents, we are to model a life of faith in Jesus Christ. We have all heard "more is taught than caught." It is impossible to give what you don’t have. We are to live in such a way that our children see us relying on the Lord, going to God in prayer, and opening up His Word every single day. This is the most powerful tool in your parenting tool kit. 

2. Take Advantage of Meal Times

"when you sit in your house"

Make mealtimes count. There are few times in a day when technology is off, and everyone is together around the table. Use this time wisely to invest in your children. There are a few things we do at each meal we share together. Try these or come up with your own:

1) We pray and give thanks to God.

2) We catch up on sports and/or school.

3) Everyone shares five things that they are grateful for.

Don’t beat yourself up if you miss meals together occasionally, but do try to gather the family together for a meal at least a couple times a week.

3. Make the Most of Travel Time

"when you walk by the way"

Not many of us walk to work, but most of us drive with our families to school, sports, or other events. I think drive time gives us a unique opportunity to build relationships. Challenge yourself to turn off the radio and listen to your children. Sometimes kids are more open in a car than they are at home. When given the opportunity, make sure to speak God’s Word into the situation or circumstance they may be going through.

4. Waking Up in the Morning

"when you rise"

I believe there is no greater time to instill purpose in your family than in the morning as they rise. Remind them that they are children of God, and He has an awesome plan and purpose for their lives. Remind them that God is bigger than anything they will face that day whether at school or other environments.

5. Before Going to Bed at Night

"when you lie down"

Ending the day well will help set up the next day for success. Each night, my wife, Christin, and I open God’s Word and pray with our children. We always try to relate what we read to their lives. 

Don’t get me wrong, Christin and I mess up at this parenting thing at least once a day, and we are still relatively new parents. My heart here is to encourage even the busiest parents. It is important to spend time with our kids. More than that though, we must understand the role we have as the lead faith trainers and use our time wisely to invest in our children.

Check out FAMILY Part 1 HERE

FAMILY Part 1: Family First or First God?

I have always had a heart to see families succeed. I am a believer that if we are to maximize our potential for Christ, we need to have a strong family that builds each other up and encourages each other in the Lord. I think, across the board, a breakdown in families results in other kinds of evils. To reach this next generation, we must have strong disciple-making families.

I have been blessed to see my grandparents married for over 65 years and other Godly mentors that make marriage and family a priority. I am writing this to share some of the things that my wife, Christin, and I do to that makes a difference in our family. My wife and I me up with an acrostic for FAMILY that will develop this concept.

F - First God

Today I will start with F- First God. This is nothing new. It comes from one of my favorite verses in the Bible: Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” One of our common mistakes is to put family first. I believe God is telling us to seek Him first and do everything else, including family, out of the overflow of our relationship with Christ. 

Please don’t get me wrong. I am a firm believer in the importance of family. I stick by the scripture 1 Timothy 5:8, “If anyone doesn’t provide for his relatives and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Those are strong words given to us by our Lord. Families and children have always been close to the heart of the Lord. If you have a chance, look at the words God gave Moses to tell Hebrew families before going into the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).  

Christin and I are busy a lot like the rest of you with jobs, four children, sports…and I could go on. So I don’t want to say this without leaving some practical steps that we do to make First God happen in our family.

Model the Life of Christ

We must be the ones that model God first in all that we do for it to stick with our kids. The first thing my wife and I do when we wake up every morning is set aside 30 minutes to an hour spending one-on-one time with God. We make Church and Small Group (environments of spiritual growth) a priority. Children see these things. A lot more is caught than taught, and children can spot a fake.  

Mission-Minded Family

If we are not involved in making disciples, we are missing our true calling in Christ. I view my wife and kids as my number one disciples. Christin and I both are the lead faith trainers of our children.     

Ask Tough Questions

We continuously ask ourselves tough questions. How is your time with God? How are we serving each other, our children, and others? Are we leading with zeal and enthusiasm? Am I putting anything before the Lord? Am I being spirit-controlled or self-controlled? These are just some of the questions. Often it is not the question itself, but the conversation that sharpens us.  

Pray

I ask the Lord if I put anything before Him. Some common things that compete with God are phones, money, kids, education, relationships and hobbies. Pray through these things. God is faithful. He will reveal if you are putting anything before Him if you humbly ask. 

Could you imagine what would happen if we became disciple-making families that put God first? I know neighborhoods and entire communities would be changed. Do not underestimate what God can do through your family if you put Him first. He used 12 to change the world.

To put Family First you have to put God First.

Check out Justin’s next post to read FAMILY (Part 2).

"It Takes a Village"...No, REALLY

Have you ever heard the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child?” Wow, how true is that statement? Let me ask you this: Where is your village? Who is in your village? Do you lean on your village for support? I believe that Jesus wants our villages to be the church!

Jesus wants our villages to be the church! 

Think about this, the church should be the place where you can go when you have parenting questions. The place with the door open with welcoming faces and willingness to pray for your children and, of course, you as a parent. How do we do this? Through a partnership. We don’t want you to walk the parenting journey alone. We want to join you as you guide your child to know Jesus and then continue to grow in his/her spiritual walk. 

You may be thinking, “Well ok, how do I accomplish this?” No worries, I have a few helpful steps. Oh and, of course, some ways I implement this with my daughter.

1. Attend Church

The first step is attending church. Seriously, go to church! Do you ever get into your car on Sunday morning, look at the clock and say, “Whew! We will actually be on time today!” Or for some that may be a rare occurrence, and they can count it a miracle if they get there before worship ends. In all seriousness, church has to be a priority. Allow your kids to attend Reel Kids or another growing children’s ministry and experience church on their level! At the same time, attend corporate worship for yourself.  Your spiritual growth and theirs depends on this.

2. Don't Stop After Sunday Afternoon

Secondly, don't stop after Sunday afternoon. A lot of us go to church on Sunday, then Sunday evening rolls around. We eat Sunday dinner as a family, pray as a family and may even do a devotional as a family. After Sunday, the rush comes in full force. We get busy with work, school, practices and performances, and we lose sight. Now, some of us may have a small group or mid-week church activities at some point during the week, so we get a little church during that time.

We tell ourselves, “Take a deep breath you made it to mid-week!” The struggle is real. There have been nights where my daughter will finally fall asleep...I mean the bedtime routine is something fierce!  And I will look at my husband, shocked and say, “We didn’t read a Bible story!” Defeated in that moment, I think, “Should I wake her?” and then laugh,“No! Are you crazy?” 

Yes, we should strive daily to do better guiding our child’s spiritual journey. But, we can’t forget that we are human, and we will fall short daily. God gives us grace and mercy every second, and sometimes we need to extend it to ourselves. This is not a free pass. If bedtime is rough like it is at my house, choose a better time for your family to do a Bible reading or devotional. Why not try a time that will work?

3. Be a Model

Thirdly, be a model! Your children need to see you grow! Invest in your personal time with the Lord! Prioritize your daily God time, worship and prayer. Personally, I think it is valuable for your children to see this growth being modeled. Allow them to hear you reading the Word, praying and worshiping our Lord. You may even occasionally invite them in to participate with you during your time with the Lord. At other times find a location with little to no distractions where you can dig into the Word, cry out in prayer and rejoice in song. Magnify the Lord every day, even if the only non-distracting location is your closet. In order to grow in your relationship with the Lord, you must seek Him daily. Make this time a daily priority. Mark it on your calendar if necessary.  

4. Pray!

Lastly, pray! Pray for your children, pray for your parenting, and pray for your family.  Scripture tells us to pray without ceasing. Jesus modeled prayer, privately and corporately. If Jesus took the time to model prayer to the disciples, He wants us to take the time to model this as well. 

Through prayer you are able to talk to the Lord. When I pray individually or with my family I use the PRAY acronym.

P - Praise the Lord, magnify Him. 

R - Repent if needed confess and gain wisdom to change.

A - Ask for needs to be met.

Y - Yield to God’s will.  

There will be days when you fail, and there will be days when you win. TAKE THE WIN!! Don’t focus on the struggle, focus on the WIN. Lean on the church as your village and allow us to help you grow.

Looking for more inspiration on

how to lead your family?

Check out Justin Goode's article, 

"Family First or First God?"