Family Faith and Fun Fridays: The Power of Play
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. -Hebrews 4:12 
We don’t always need a “teachable lesson” or a carefully chosen Bible verse to water our children’s faith. Sometimes, we simply need to carve out unhurried moments in our busy lives to play. In the words of Susie Larson, “We have a capable and loving heavenly Father who carries the world on His shoulders so we don’t have to. When, amidst the stresses of life, we play and laugh and sing with our children, we sent them the strong message that ultimately we believe that God is in control and that He is faithful.” (Growing Grateful Kids). 
When the bus returned after school, I served up “normal snacks,” but later, I set a small plate of Twinkies on the counter. After playing downstairs for a while, Hannah raced through the kitchen and spied the un-announced treat. “Oh, yummy! Can I have one of these?”I nodded with a smile and waited with my camera tucked behind my back. Little did my middle child know that while she was busy finger painting in the craft room, I had filled the Twinkies with mayonnaise! April Fool’s!
Last night, when I tucked my tired crew into bed, I giggled with each one about the silly antics of our day. But more poignant than our laughter was Joshua’s prayer of gratitude as he snuggled under his covers: “Dear Gawd, Thanks for making Mommy so funny today. It was almost like having a birthday but without a cake!”
As Susie Larson reminds us, “Engaging in fun times lets our children know that they are super valuable to us. As human beings, we put our time into the things we care about. And so, when we make time for frivolous fun with our kids, it lets them know that we are honored and blessed to spend our gift of time with them. For parents who love Jesus, making room for fun is like planting seeds of faith in the landscape of our lives.: (Growing Grateful Kids).
This would be a great weekend to set aside some time for play. Need a few ideas?
*Hold silly relay races in the yard– Try running with your legs tied together, racing with sleeping bag gunny-sacks, running backwards or crossing the yard doing somersaults.
*Play balloon tennis- hit a balloon back and forth using kitchen spatulas or wooden spoons. Don’t let the balloon touch the ground.
*Go to a park and use wax paper on the slides (get ready for a speedy trip!)
*Invite the kids to put on a play, a talent show, or a puppet show.
*Play hide and seek in the dark with flashlights.
The Overflow: Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” -Psalm 126:2
You rock!
I love your family!