~* 10 Ways to Make Your Home A Haven *~

1. Let kindness reign. Determine to treat your children and spouse with
the same sweetness you'd give a stranger you're trying to impress.
Remember it's God's kindness that leads us to repentance. What makes us
think anything different would evoke our children's repentance?

2. Welcome hard questions. It's okay to question. You did it, didn't you?
Give your children the same leeway. Let them vent. Let them worry.
Welcome their wrestling. Don't give pat answers; instead, let them work
through their questions. Love them through a period of questioning.

3. Be there. Give your children the rare gift of your focused attention.
Look into their eyes. Ask great questions. Relax alongside them. Dr.
Ross Campbell says, "In short, focused attention makes a child feel he
is the most important person in the world in his parents' eyes."

4. Limit media. Steer your children away from mindless interaction with
the TV or video games. Set limits and stick to them. Dare to believe
your children are creative, innovative kids who can create instead of
idly recreate.

5. Play outside. We've lost the importance of outdoor play. Even if it means walking to the park with your kids, or
swimming alongside them, or taking a nature hike, dare to move beyond
the four walls of your home to venture out to see God's creation.

6. Weep and rejoice at the right times. We are to weep with those who
weep and rejoice with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15). When a child
has a difficult day, scoop her into your arms and cry alongside. When
she makes a great grade, jump up and down and celebrate with ice cream.

7. Cherish childhood. Our kids grow up so fast in this crazy culture.
Keep them kids as long as you can. Let them play, run, stretch, linger.
Limit activities when they're younger so they don't become little
stressed-out adults at age ten.

8. Read together. The most haven-producing thing I do as a mommy is simply to read to my kids. I
still read to my fourteen year old! Discover books on CD as a family,
lessening the tedium of car rides without popping in a DVD. My kids have
stayed in the car to listen to a story finish.

9. Laugh hard, but not at another's expense. Joking and laughter are blessings you can
add to create a fun-loving haven, but be cautious not to laugh at your
kids' expense or allow them to laugh at yours or others' expense. Watch
funny, clean movies together. Tell jokes. Tell funny family stories
over and over until they become ridiculous. A lighthearted family that
doesn't take itself too seriously is a haven-home.

10. Practice God's presence in the mundane. Require chores of your kids. It teaches
them important life skills. Even so, introduce joy as you work. Turn on
the radio, dance, laugh. By learning to practice the presence of God
during the chores of life, you create a productive, gratitude-based
home.