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January 10, 2019
By Dr. P. Ogborne

I saw an outdoor sign this past week that flashed;  “Dear New Years resolutions; it was fun while it lasted!”  This was posted January 5th. It seems there is a never ending litany of jokes around these type of resolutions. Good intentions but no will power.

But if we could set aside the humour aspect for a moment, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to set a reasonable goal for your household that would become imbedded into the very fabric or DNA of your home.  Does everyone know what it means to be a part of your home and what priorities are important?

I would like to quote from an instagram account that I follow (www.instagram.com/mycanadianhome) regarding your home;

“Have you ever taken the time to think about how you want your family to feel in your home? What do you want your home to be filled with? I’m talking about setting a home philosophy.”

The intentionality of these two questions should make us stop and ponder the essence of our homes. Is our home filled with a safety, love, acceptance, encouragement, discipline and spiritual direction? Does it inspire and build up young lives to excell and devote themselves to being children of  godly character? Do parents role model these actions to each other and to their children? What choices need to be made to secure these vital aspects of our home life?

This is no small feat. The world is steadily eroding the family role of raising young adults. I read a quote that basically said when you are at home, be with those who are at home. In other words, interact, talk, play and otherwise engage your family members. Too many times it can be family members all separated into their own rooms doing their own thing. Everyone is home but not being a family.

A challenging but easy reading book is “Raising Men Not Boys” by Mike Fabarez. The back cover has the statement “How to raise a godly man not a full grown boy.” The principles in this book can easily be extrapolated for young women as well.

Along those lines of a family philosophy, have you considered the potential for goal setting as a family?  Is everyone aware of each others goals? Can we create some shared goals as a family that show respect and care for each other’s ideas or desires?  A good friend of ours, Brett Ullman, wrote a blog post on one idea that could help make sure that everyone is pulling in the same direction. Have you ever considered holding an Annual Family Meeting?  Businesses run them to help set the course of the company and inform everyone of what they hope to accomplish. Brett’s blog introduces the concept and explains the basics of how to hold one. https://www.brettullman.com/how-to-have-a-yearly-family-meeting/

Day by day, as the year progresses, I pray that your home will be a respite from the pressures of the world and a true godly environment where children can be nurtured “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Eph 6:4)