are families too busy?

the answer? yes.

so, how do we fix that? aaaaa, therein lies the rub.

andrea speers led us in a dialogue to help us sort out these situations in our own lives. here are some of the points that came from the talk:

in this day and age where roles are up for grabs, daytimers and pda's are the norm and the family dinner is a relic from days of yore the question still remains how we stay a family and not just a group of roommates who barely see each other.

obviously, there is no easy answer to this but one of the keys appears to be open and honest communication. gathering together, if not for dinner every night, at least once a week for a family meeting. the topics don't have to be heavy. one meeting can be spent planning a fun family event that everyone can be involved in...both the actual event and the planning of it.

the idea of a nuclear family with the dad, mom and their 2.1 kids is a fairy tale for most these days. single parents, same-sex parents, re-marriages all bring their own sense of identity and their own set of problems that need to be sorted through.

a large part of the problem in this part of the world is that we are very 'achievement focused' and the art of relaxation has been lost. being exhausted is a badge of honour instead of a warning sign! there needs to be respect for taking some time off, or taking some down time, or just taking time to be alone and to be together.

families can be busy places and many people just run from one place to another. whether it is soccer...ballet...music lessons...homework...school play....more homework...quick meal in the car...tutoring...whatever. it can feel like too much a lot of the time.

there is no one answer, but the dialogue and the awareness of this issue is a promising step in the right direction. andrea gave us some helpful hints and her website [under our family counsellor on the side or here] has even more, but the key is that we need to realize that doing everything and always being busy for the sake of our families will mean very little if we never see our families!

remember, god exists as a trinity and that three-in-one kind of thing is more than just some weird way christians try to understand god; it gives us some insight into the topic at hand.

after all, god IS a family. god is in relation. jesus said he did nothing except follow the father. the holy spirit does nothing but point people to god. they/he/she/god communicates and shows us that if we are created in the image of god then part of that means that we are created to be in community...to be in family.

i wonder what god talks about at god's family meetings?

NOTE: big stuff is coming to iMMERSION!

dr. gordon heath will be with us on mar 19 and 26 to talk about the gospel of judas. dr. heath has written a book [avail. at chapters] on this topic and will be sharing with us some wonderful insights and answering questions about this controversial topic. mark the dates in your calendars and join us for an informative and powerful evening.