Every night we share the most special time as a family – devotions.  We sit around the kitchen table and we read from the selection for the evening.  We are reading through the New Testament right now and are in Acts.  The children that are too young to read, repeat after Dad as he reads a scripture.  Then each family member who can read takes a turn.  We discuss the reading and then close with prayer.  Some nights we focus our prayer on our family, other times we rotate to pray for our church, friends, extended family, missionaries and other topics.  Occasionally we will also enjoy a time of signing before or after our devotion. 

The time we do devotions is 8:00 PM and it is a wonderful way to wind down the little ones before bed.  The children also get to practice sitting quietly, closing their eyes during prayer, and saying prayers.  As parents, this is a time as a family that we can offer spiritual direction but also correct our children’s behavior.  This is one of the ways we are establishing a family identity.

If you have followed my blog for long, you now that our six children are adopted.  We also have a niece that we are raising.  Our goal for our children is to be more influenced by our family than by others that may enter their lives.  Therefore, we want to create a strong family identity.  This is who we are. 

When my niece came to live with us, my 8 year old daughter told her, “we are a hard working family, we raise our own food, make our own clothes, we don’t watch television, we wear dresses, we go to church, this is just who we are.”  At 8 she already knows some of the core ideas of who we are as a family.  We have family sayings like, “Makaleas never quit!”  We have funny names that we refer to our family as, like the Makaneeta Monkeys. 

On this blog you read lots about what we accomplish on our homestead as a family.  This is all done as a family unit.  It is building our identity.  It is part of who we are and it connects us.  We don’t live this lifestyle just to have done it.  We live this lifestyle because it is a core belief that it enriches our family in so many ways. 

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Posted by Alaina

you continue to inspire me! I saw you tried to call. we were at soccer all day then a barn raising for our pastor and his wife then milking baths and bed for church tomorrow. I will catch up with you sometime. Take care,
ALaina

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Posted by a1health

This is awesome! i really like what your daughter said to your neice. Very honest and loving too. Thanks for sharing!
Blessings,
~Farrah

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