There are so many things we can do together to build our families and make them strong! In my family, we like to attend ballgames (my brother plays baseball), cook, eat meals together, and have game nights. I wanted to include a few of my favorite recipes here. They are pretty simple to make, and they taste great! I hope you enjoy them!
Mark
Aunt Yvonne's Famous Sausage Dip
You will need:
one pound of pork sausage
8 oz. block of cream cheese
one can of Rotel chopped tomatoes and green chilis
your favorite brand of tortilla chips
What to do:
With the help of an adult, brown the sausage and drain
Add cream cheese and tomatoes
warm on medium heat until it is mixed well
SERVE WITH CHIPS AND ENJOY
Mark's Amazing Omelets (dads love these!)
You will need:
2 eggs
A dash of water
lowfat ham
lowfat shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper (to taste)
cooking spray
What to do:
With an adult, turn one burner of the stove to medium heat
spray 10 inch skillet with cooking spray and let the pan heat up
in a seperate bowl, whisk both eggs with a dash of water
pour egg mixture into skillet and cook until eggs are done (not runny)
turn off heat and place hame and cheese on top of the eggs
slide eggs onto a plate and fold in half
add salt and pepper, if you like
ONE ACCORD:
Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Phillipians 2:2
When you first knew that the desire of your heart was to start a family (or if you were blessed with the opportunity to blend two families together), you began pouring the foundation for a structure that will continue to grow long after you have passed on. BUILDING a family is a big step, and it takes a lot of prayer and energy to keep that foundation strong enough to support the entire structure. In Phillipians, Paul was addressing the need for the church to be unified. His statement applies to the family unit as well. How much more smoothly a family functions when everyone has like understanding of their importance and value as a member of that group. How easy it can be to respect each member of the family when your attitude is one of love (which we learn by example through Christ).
On this page, you will find some ideas and activities that will help your family
1) place the parent(s) at the FOUNDATION of the family structure
2) identify the significant and important role of each member of the family
3) find the personal strength of each child in your care
FIRST, one of the hardest things any parent could ever do is to adopt a child into their family. It is also one of the most rewarding. I believe that people who adopt have opened themselves up to receiving great blessings in their lives. Actually, I know they have, because I have done it!
Let's go back to the hard part, though. Kids who have been in foster care can be pretty "tough cookies." They are savvy, and they think they know how to manipulate people. Believe me, they DO know how to manipulate, but often times, they don't realize that they are manipulating themselves in the wrong direction. What they are really doing is giving into the fear that they will be abandoned by their adoptive parents, so they build a wall around themselves and decide to tear the family apart before they can be hurt by the other members of the group. Stepsiblings do this too. And they don't realize that it doesn't work, and that it leaves everyone unhappy and alone, feeling bitter and resentful.The only way through this situation is for parents to be real parents.
Sometimes that means "being the bad guy." You have to set the boundaries and the copnsequences for crossing the boundaries and then stick to them. No budging allowed! Too many times we let children parent themselves because we are too tired or too frustrated or too (you fill in the blank) to fight the battles. But if parents don't live up to their responsibilities and be PARENTS, the foudation of the entire family unit becomes unstable. The kids don't know what is real and what they can count on. They can't see where the boundaries are, and then there is nothing more to test. Let's face it: we never outgrow having boundaries...or someone to answer to. We have bosses or customers, husbands or wives, and then there is that BIG ONE...we all answer to GOD. God has given all parents the daunting task of instilling in our children (be they biological, step or adoptive) a respect for authority. We would be shirking our duties to gloss over this area, because none of us will ever escape the consequences of authority.
God commands us to "Honor your father and your mother" (Exodus 20:12; Matthew 15:4) and "Honor your father and your mother ...so that your days may be long..." (Dueteronomy 5"16). But if we do not give our children anything to honor, and if they see that husbands and wives, mothers and fathers do not honor each other, how are they supposed to understand that command? As parents, we must "step up to the plate" and teach them. We have to fight the battles, set the examples, "bring home the bacon" and answer to our own spiritual authority so that we have set a firm foundation on which our children can feel safe and protected, happy and hopeful for their futures, and rooted enough to grow physically, emotionally and spiritually.
SECOND, we must recognize that each member of the family plays an important role within the structure of that family. Evryone has a part. I can remember my mother working feverishly to write parts for every student who tried out for the plays she was directing. Everyone needed to have a part and to be included. It was very important to her. I am convinced that the reason she always had the respect of her students is that she first gave them love and respect. Rarely did she have a discipline problem in her public school classroom, even when the kids became noticeably more disrepectful in general. Not even five feet tall, she could "talk down" any problem with any kids...they knew she thought they were valuable. How awful it must be for a child to get more respect from a teacher than they do at home from their parents. Part of what we can do as parents is to make sure that we include our kids. They can help us mow the lawn (and we can bite our tongues when the lines are not straight) they can help us load the dishwasher or do laundry (even though that makes the task longer and more tedious), they can help us paint the wall(even if it means we stay up late after they have gone to bed to re-paint). If we can teach without complaining and being resentful, our children will learn to "do their share" and to be good, cheerful participants within the circle of the family. Children need to know that they are good enough to be part of "the flock."
THIRD, as parents we have the happy (and sometimes frustrating) task of helping our kids find success. In his book, "Cure For The Common Life," Max Lucado talks about helping your children "find their sweet spot." I have to confess here and now that this book changed our lives. My kids and I went on an all-out search for their true, God-given talents, and WOW! I now can claim a contemporary Christian band (complete with guitar, bass and drums), an artist/illustrator , and an author among my immediate family! And success came very quickly, too. Of course, home is a noisier place, but it's a "JOYFUL NOISE!"
* Don't leave yourself out. You have a "sweet spot," too. God wants us to live happy lives! If you don't believe me, just lokk up "happy" and "joy" in your Bibles concordance!
A strong foundation
strong relationships within the family
strong relationships with people outside the immediate family
AND
an unfailing relationship, both personal and familial with God
makes a joyful, successful, strong family that will make your neighbors envious!