Volume 2, Issue 12

December 2000

Page 2

began learning how to relax and enjoy my husband and children--and I think you can, too.
Be Spontaneous. If the moon is big and beautiful, grab your kids and your mate by the hands and run outside. Enjoy God's marvelous creation! Don't be afraid to kick off your shoes and splash through every mud puddle. Lay sleeping bags out in the back yard and count the stars together. Make a tent in the living room and read books by flash light. Get to know your family!
Learn to enjoy the quiet times. What a mistake to think that we must always be "doing something" in order to relax. When life gets hectic, take the family on a walk through the woods. Gather leaves and acorns. Smell the fresh air and allow the gentle breezes to brush against your faces. Turn off the cell phone. Leave your watch at home and just listen to the sounds of nature. In Mark 6:31, Jesus himself instructed his disciples to get away from the crushing calls of the day when he said, "Come away . . . and rest awhile."
Don't expect perfection. Home was meant to be a haven--a place where we can be ourselves and still be totally loved. Don't allow a glass of spilled milk on the carpet to ruin an evening of fun together. We  all  spill  things.    Learn     to
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In the relentless busyness of life, we somehow have lost that balance between action and rest. Relaxation is a word that is almost foreign to us. We dream of having well-behaved children who are in bed by 8 o'clock each evening so that we can sit in front of the fireplace with our spouse, holding hands and listening to soft music lulling us to sleep.
We work hard to have a super clean house so that we can welcome guests to enjoy a holiday meal with us. We work longer hours so we can buy more toys for our kids, truly believing this will help us better enjoy our times together. We fantasize about leisurely soaking in a bubble bath before calmly going to bed and putting the troubles of the day to rest.
Reality, however, knocks hard at our door. We understand what the tight knot in the stomach means each day as we drive home from a hectic day's work. We understand the pain of spilling irritable words out of our mouths for no real reason.
Instead of looking forward to the joy of the holiday season,