Weekly Reflections – Intentional Families VIII

April 23, 2020

Weekly Reflections – Intentional Families VIII

INTENTIONAL FAMILIES: Encourage Family Fun and Play Time

This is the eighth weekly reflection in a series on “Forming Intentional Families.” We continue addressing each of ten tenets over the remaining two weeks. The producers of this program wisely wrote, “Intentional means that we do more than just react to life. Instead, we must create a vision, make purposeful choices, and then decisively take action to make our families all that God desires them to be.” Can you choose to be intentional when it comes to your family?

We need to encourage family fun time and play time. We need to celebrate the blessings God has given us.

Blessings and peace with my prayer for a “fun filled week” during this time, for many, of virus oriented isolation. Now would be a good time for most to practice intentional playfulness.

Chaplain Allen
chaplain@nationsu.edu
chaplainscorner.org

TENET 8: Encourage Family Fun and Play Time

Families are encouraged to spend fun time together away from technology and media while being joyfully and fully present to each other.
Schedule a regular time for family fun.
Be that FIRSST Family: Families Intentionally Reclaiming the Sanctity of Sundays Together
Have “Sunday Funday.”
Play with your children. One spiritual leader regularly asked fathers if they played with their children, if they had the courage to have the love to waste time with their children. The majority would say, ‘But, I can’t because I have so much work to do….’ And the father was absent from that child that was growing up and didn’t play with him; he didn’t waste time with him.

“Let the children come to me and do not prevent them;
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)

The Ten Tenets of the “Forming Intentional Families” program.

1. Set family priorities.
2. Share family meals.
3. Lead family prayer and teach the faith.
4. Manage/limit media intake.
5. Control pace of life.
6. Forgive easily and often/ask for forgiveness.
7. Encourage active listening/open and honest communication.
8. Schedule family fun and play time.
9. Teach/model responsibility and accountability.
10. Acknowledge and share our gifts and talents.

Source: This program was developed over several years by the St. Laurence Pastoral Council (distributed April 2019) in Sugar Land, Texas.

Note: The opinions expressed in this Reflection are intended to be those of the author alone based on his understanding of the Bible and how God works with his people.

April 23, 2020