Top 10 New Year’s Eve
Resolutions:
Spend More Time with
Family and Friends
Relationships are interesting things. Although some of us could
survive nicely if a lone passenger on a spaceship headed for some distant
planet, most of us long for and thrive on meaningful relationships.
This resolution indicates that something has gone a little south
in the relationship department. I’ve seen it over and over again: couples work hard
to win each other’s affections, establish a family together, then one or the
other or both of them sort of drift away. They don’t want to work at it any
more. I think people just don’t realize that the best relationships are those
that have required work and dedication. They aren’t easy – but they are well
worth it.
So let’s say that you find yourself in a situation where you need
to revive your relationships. And spending good quality time with your loved
ones is just the ticket. How do you do that?
verilymag.com has “10 Ways
to Spend Time with Friends (Even When You Have Too Much to Do).”
www.buzzfeed.com had “10
Awesome Ways to Have a Really Great Time with your Friends.”
www.stylecaster.com has “Money
Saving Tips: Inexpensive Ways to Spend Time with Friends.”
www.kidzworld.com has “Top
10 Ways to Spend Time with Family.”
All of these websites pretty much say the same thing: time is
precious and we have way too much stuff cram-packed into a given day. So here
is what I recommend:
- Like your closet or your junk
room, perhaps its time to de-clutter your schedule. Take a long, hard look at your it and decide what you can
eliminate or tidy up. After all, aren’t your relationships more important
than just about everything?
- Prioritize. Do you really need to block
out the world to watch that television show? Don’t you think the players
can play ball without your shouting directions at the t.v.? You clearly
think your relationships are important or else you wouldn’t have made this
resolution. Perhaps you need to invite friends or family to join you for
the show/game. Talk about it. Get involved in it together. Or skip it and spend time doing what THEY want to do. Your choice.
- Incorporate. Let’s say you need to go to
the gym three days a week. Instead of going by yourself, find someone to
go with you. Work out together. Enjoy each other. “Kill two birds with one
stone.”
- Make a date. In advance, decide when you’re
going to get together and stick to it. My husband takes every Tuesday off.
He has a standing Tuesday lunch date with our daughter. He goes and picks
her up from campus, takes her to lunch, and drops her back off for her
next class. They have been doing some sort of a “daddy-daughter dinner” once a week for
years. What once took effort to plan is now tradition – and they both love
it.
- Eat together. Turn off the television and
put away the smart phones (yes, children, I know I’m guilty of Googling
something while at the table). In the “old days,” dinner time was
considered a normal time to get caught up with each other and to
fellowship. How many times have I sat for hours just chatting around the
table? It’s getting to be a lost art.
- Play together. Whether it’s a game of
miniature golf, Monopoly, or HORSE, play games together. Have fun. These
make for great memories.
You get the picture. Spending time with family and friends will
require planning and dedication. But, like the other resolutions we’ve covered
so far, it will be worth it.
Oh, by the way, does God fit in the family or friend category? Do
you spend enough time nurturing your relationship with Him? He holds your
future in His hands – don’t you think you should get to know Him? Take Him with
you wherever you go. Talk to Him all day long. Listen to Him. Read His book.
Lord, help us recognize the
things in our lives that we need to eliminate. Help us be intentional with our
relationships with others and with You. Where there are difficulties or hurts (with others or with You),
help us to do our best to mend things and to reconcile our differences. And we will give you all the glory.
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