Fast Running Mommy

I am not happy about our Sundays in my own home at the moment. Jeremy says he thinks Gospel instruction only needs to happen during Family Home Evening and that bothers me so much that I feel paralyzed! 'Like there's such a thing as thinking about the Lord TOO much! I wouldn't want to go to too much trouble for Someone who made the world and everything in it for me and then died for me! I worry this reluctance to discuss the Gospel much will make our children even more that way, so that soon they'll get "overloaded" if they hear too much spiritual information at once. It's not what I thought my family with Jeremy would be like at all. He loves to learn and teach about the Gospel! He has five little sponges who instead run around like misbehaving toddlers after church on the Sabbath day, growing dull and more acclimatized to the flat colors and words of the world every day. Ok, now I'm getting upset. laf I already know what my answer is: I need to stop thinking about what I hoped Jeremy would do and do it myself. I need to take a book about a Bible story from the closet, or a Friend magazine, sit down w/ a child or two (maybe more will circle 'round) and show them my own excitement and teach. I need to share my own enthusiasm and love for the Lord and His teachings. They will catch it if I am consistent, and so will Jeremy. I think many of us go through periods when we think we don't have time or don't really NEED to read the Scriptures, but as a parent, I feel I can't afford to make excuses for myself about this. My family suffers from my shrunken soul. After the lesson yesterday in church from General Conference about procrastination (an awesome article, by the way, by Henry B. Eyring called "This Day"), my excuses are not good enough and I'm recommitted to reading every morning.

I don't know if that helps, but those are my thoughts about improving Sunday in my own home.

We just try to spend the time together as a family---we go on walks, play games at home (church related, of course), and so on. The hardest one would be the teenager, but the 4 little ones just love that for one day, after all of the callings are done, we are together (my husband is in school, so he is never home at night). We cook dinner together, read together, just be together.

On Sundays, I always liked it when my dad interviewed me. He'd ask me questions like what was my favorite food, what I wanted to be when I grew up, what I liked best about our family, etc. My brothers, sisters, and I were interviewed one at a time. I don't know if that would be possible. But, you could have a jar of questions and have your kids take turns answering.

You could write down their answers, too.

Memorizing scriptures is fun. And you can make it into a game or Make-up your own sign language to remember the words. (That's what my family did.)

You could also to put together a scripture story play. And invite a neighbor or one of the single sisters over for your audience.

Just a few thoughts. 'Hope they help.

Sarah- I appreciated your Sabbath question. I like "Crumpy's" idea of interviewing kids, they love to talk about themselves. At bedtime on Sunday's for our spiritual thought I have my kids tell about what they learned in Primary. It always reminds me of lessons I'd forgotten and the kids like to talk. We usually take a Sunday walk. I also try to get my kids to write letters to grandparents, great grandparents & relatives that are far away. Good luck!