I do my best to make dinner time family time, which is really hard with 5 children (ages 11-23)and two working parents. I am the music director at our church, so even weekends are filled with all sorts of responsibilities and activities. But, regardless of who actually ends up sitting at the table for dinner, we have a ritual that keeps us all in tune with each other.

Our youngest son, Daniel, always gets to choose who goes first - I'm not sure why actually, it's just always been that way. We take turns going around the table and each of us tells our low point of the day, our high point, who we should pray for, and a blessing that we're thankful for.

With teenagers who sometimes just grunt when asked how their day was or what's new at school, this is a really great way to stay connected to each other.

One of the small ways we make time for our family is by eating dinner TOGETHER around the kitchen table. In the chaos of the world we live in there are always places to be, sports games to attend, our favorite shows to watch on TV, and we may just want to sit in a recliner and relax while we eat. Dinner time can often be a time when everyone goes there separate way.

In our home, we made it a ritual to eat together around the table as a family. We bless our meal together, and then while we enjoy our dinner, we talk. We get details from the kids school day & events going on in their lives. We share our thoughts with them, and we talk about future trips and plans. The most important thing is that we are sharing as family and openly talking about anything and everything during the time it takes us to enjoy dinner.

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