The thing that turned our day around

 

Today was one of those days.  One of those rainy, not so good, maybe-a-little-bad days.  The good included a bedroom cleanup with a willing helper, crazy #1 (Russ).  But then in a freak vacuuming accident, my leg was slightly injured.  And during our morning walk, Russel somehow ended up muddy and less than happy after ALYESKA zoomed by.  And my runners were less than enthusiastic to do track-work in the rain today (did I mention I'm the assistant middle school cross country coach? pretty big-time, huh).  Then I went to get my kids from the baby-sitter and got kicked in the shin.

Me not so happy.  Probably the last thing I was ready to do was make dinner and deliver family home evening with a sparkling smile.  But I remembered this:

"We cannot afford to neglect this heaven-inspired program. It can bring spiritual growth to each member of the family, helping him or her to withstand the temptations which are everywhere. The lessons learned in the home are those that last the longest.”  Thomas S. Monson

For anyone who doesn't know, the LDS church asks families to set aside one night a week to have a short gospel lesson and a family activity.  It is called "family home evening", or FHE for short.

I've been hit hard with how important this would be for our family and have been trying to make it a consistent fixture in our home this year.  I've had trouble sticking with it.  But we are three weeks in and let me tell you...

I know FHE is a heaven inspired program and I see the good it does in our family.  It centers us for a moment.  It brings our hearts closer together.  It forces us as parents to get down on the kids' level. And our kids just shine.  They love it.  Why wouldn't I do it, right?

Family home evening turned our day around, just adding to my testimony of it and I have renewed enthusiasm to keep going!