Check out this amazing FREE app from Tru HomeFront magazine! Tru is a curriculum from David C. Cook based upon Michelle Anthony’s work in Spiritual Parenting. This is a great resource for you family, filled with devotionals, memory verses, stories, recipes, craft and activity ideas, and music!

If you haven’t had a chance to check out The High Calling, it is a treasure-trove of amazing articles. You can even search the family bloggers for some inspirational reading related to families. Joanne and Paul Kraft over at Grace and Truth Living are a great example. Check out their most recent post sharing ideas for 15 minute summer sabbaticals with your kids.

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“I’m bored!” Two words that can cause the most even-tempered parent to lose their cool.
My husband usually responds this way, “You’re bored because you’re boring!”

He’s such a cool drink on a hot summer’s day. The truth is, with children being plugged in, turned on and tuned out, coming up with things to do that strike their fancy can often times be a struggle.

Here are five-fifteen minute sabbaticals you can take with your kids this summer. . . [Read the rest HERE]

“Mama, the table looks so fancy! It’s like a dinner for kings and queens and princesses (and one royal dog).”

You’d think I had brought out the china and served a four course meal to deserve these accolades from my five-year-old. But all I had done was add a tablecloth, set the table, and served smoothies from a pretty pitcher, along with our french toast. Oh, and I used the paper flowers we’d created the other day as a centerpiece.

“It does not take much to set the scene so that it is a little different, a bit exciting, and very memorable. And that is what matters, isn’t it? . . . All you need is a little thoughtfulness, some love, and a few minutes spent focusing on what might make someone smile today.” ~The Family Dinner, p. 25

Inspired by my latest read, The Family Dinner: Great ways to connect with your kids, one meal at a time by Laurie David, I set the table for dinner tonight. And what Laurie predicted in her chapter on “Setting the Scene” unfolded in my kitchen. A simple meal. An extra two minutes to set the table. A memorable evening together.

I can’t tell you how much I love this book (and I wasn’t sent it to review and this isn’t a tour!). The pages are full of recipes, games, conversation starters, stories, articles, and tips. In an age where it is common for our families to go jump in the car when you say, “Time for dinner,” we need a reminder that the family dinner is an important part of raising our children and protecting our family. Consider these facts:

• Only half of modern families eat together more than three to five times per week.
• Most meals last twenty minutes . . . or less.
• Families often watch TV while they eat.

It’s not wonder the family unit is struggling! Laurie tackles so much content in this book, you’ll find yourself pulling it back out and re-reading sections over and over. She even discusses how to incorporate the family dinner with extended families and divorced families.

Check out your local bookstore or download the book onto your e-reader. It is well-worth the investment in your family. And check out the weekly tip posted on Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/family-dinner-download

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