I don’t know if it is an excuse, but it was easier to do devotions with the kids when they were younger. As our children have grown older (now 8, 10, and 13), and responsibilities for everyone to grow more exponentially, it takes being more intentional to carve out family time.
Tonight, we held a family meeting. As my husband knocked on the wooden table and we all laughed at his makeshift gavel, we turned to a more serious tone.
We discussed how we hadn’t been speaking with kindness or grace to one another. We asked our kids, “would you speak to your friends the way you speak to your brother or sister? You probably wouldn’t have many friends if you did, right?”
We went through the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and discussed each one. We talked about examples of each fruit, and how it looks practically in our life.
Love
Joy
Peace
Longsuffering
Gentleness
Goodness
Faith
Meekness
Temperance
The plan we came up with is to have a fruit of the Spirit jar and when we see others exhibiting a fruit of the Spirit, we acknowledge that out loud. We have some paper fruits printed out and we are going to put one in the jar when we see fruit in another family member. When we get to 25 in the jar, we will do something special together as a family.
Speaking of fruit, have you gone apple picking yet? That is one of our favorite fall activities to do with our children and our extended family. After we pick apples and ride on the wagon, we sip hot apple cider and eat cinnamon and sugar covered donuts.
When we get home, we enjoy a hot bowl of our favorite chili.
One of our favorite recipes is Paleo Sweet Potato Chili that bubbles to the brim in the crockpot with sweet and spicy goodness! Grain-free, sugar-free and dairy-free, this bowl is sure to please most any crowd! If you are in the mood for a comforting fall meal, this is the recipe for you to make!
Paleo Sweet Potato Chili
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds hamburger
- 1 red onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 can tomato sauce (29.5 ounces)
- 2 cups petite diced tomatoes with juice
- 3 cups beef stock
- 2 cup carrots sliced
- 5 cups sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ cup chili powder
- Dash oregano
- Dash of red pepper flakes
Instructions:
- In a large saucepan, brown hamburger, onions and garlic. Drain off the fat.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the saucepan. Mix well, bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 30-40 minutes.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves. Then serve!
- Slow Cooker Option: Instead of simmering the chili on the stove, you can brown the ground beef, drain off the fat and place it into the slow cooker. Add the other ingredients and let simmer on low all day (6-8 hours on low, or 4-5 hours on high).
Family Devotionals
Here are a couple of links to family devotionals you might enjoy with your family! We have so many things we plan for in our life (school, sports, extracurricular activities), why not plan for a weekly family devotion time?
This devotional is by one of our Rooted contributors, Ruth, and her husband. In Faith Forward Family Devotional, Patrick and Ruth help you pass on your faith with devotions you can do at your own pace as a family. Each devotion features a Bible passage and a teaching that’s applicable for kids of any age! Grow closer to your kids as they grow closer to God! Whatever season of parenting you are in, sharing this devotional time together will help your children nourish a faith that lasts a lifetime.
Another one you might like is Max Lucado’s God Is With Your Every Day. This devotional begins each week with a prayer and scripture, followed by six days of devotions and scripture for reflection. Weaving messages of comfort, grace, and encouragement, this book is wonderful for anyone who wants a fresh infusion of faith to start each day.
