When Sunday comes I have to admit there are times when I am just drained. Drained from having a week that dealt with carpooling, and running four kids around in different directions, laundry, constantly cleaning up after my three year old, taking Noah to the park at least three times a week so that he can let out his energy and have some reverence built in him for Sunday, and just dealing with the mundane.
Seven years ago while living in North Carolina, Sierra came home from sunday school with a thought on how to make a sunday box. I thought it was such a neat idea so I grabbed an old kleenex box, decorated it, and we made a 'Sunday box'. We then cut slips of paper, and the girls wrote things they would like to do on Sunday, and added them in the box.
**Keeping the sabbath day holy not only sounds so refreshing, but important at the same time.**
Some of the things they wrote were:
*attend church services (of course!)
*visit a neighbor, or the sick.
*write letters to a missionary, or a family member.
*call our family.
*write in our journals about countless blessings Heavenly Father has blessed us with.
*read a story from "The Friend" or the New Era.
*read the scriptures.
*invite a friend, or the missionaries over for dinner, (and make sure you have salad!).
*go for a walk.
*read a good book.
*have family home evening (we did that then, because Jon sometimes worked on Sundays.)
*visit teach, and home teach your families.
Seven years have passed since we made this box, and I remember how faithful we were in grabbing a slip form the box every time we came home from church on Sunday, and how we would just do it. The girls, then 12, and 7 were so eager to come home, and find out which slip they were going to choose.
Well, a lot has happened within those seven years, and times have definitely changed. The girls got older, and we added an addition to our family.
Since then we've added devices such as ipods, ipads, iphones, and a really nice computer to our house which could be such a distraction (thank goodness we only have one!) Luckily the girls have control, and because we have taught them to use technology in moderation (especially on Sunday) life isn't as stressful.
Granted we have slacked off on using the sunday box since moving to New Jersey, and having our son who is now three, but have made it a goal to get back into it. Although we pretty much do the things without looking in the Sunday box, we can always do more.
Like I said...times have changed.
So with that being written we have added "unplugged" to our Sunday box, call a loved one instead of texting, facebooking, or emailing. I was going to add no media, but then again I love the tube. We have so many uplifting church movies, and missionary videos that we can watch as a family (without turning on the computer.)
Times are going to continue to change, and who knows what other social networks will be invented between now, and the year 2025! It's inevitable, but by remembering the important things in life that are written inside that box can help us grow spiritually. It'll make our life so much easier, and happier.
I have had it for seven years now, and I remember how rejuvenated I felt every time we'd do an act of service that came from that box, and to do it from the heart. It certainly helped our kids grow spiritually, and has given them an understanding as to why keeping the sabbath day holy is so important.
No matter how old our children get, no matter how much the world will change in 10-15 years we will strive to keep the sabbath day holy, and do the things that matter most.
"But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work. ~Exodus 20:8-11
What a wonderful idea. Maybe we can try this and make something out of some old box files here in the house. Thanks for sharing ^_^
ReplyDeleteNo problem Chelsea! It's been so useful in our home. Good luck in making your own 'Sunday box'! Take Care!
DeleteP.S. I have an eight year old named Chelsea :-)