{"id":906,"date":"2013-07-08T00:01:15","date_gmt":"2013-07-08T07:01:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/?p=906"},"modified":"2013-07-16T15:37:09","modified_gmt":"2013-07-16T22:37:09","slug":"family-a-priceless-treasure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/family-a-priceless-treasure\/","title":{"rendered":"Family: A Priceless Treasure"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>All too often we as adults do not stop, pause and think about the important things in our lives.\u00a0 It just seems there is not enough available time in our life to allow us the luxury of some quiet moments of reflection.\u00a0 I exhort you right now! Stop, pause, sit down and consider all that has been done for you.\u00a0 Consider all of the blessings and benefits you have experienced, received, or have been provided to you up to this point in your life.\u00a0 Every day presents a new set of emergencies, challenges, or \u201chave-to-get-done-immediately\u201d work assignments.\u00a0 We are always being torn between adding a new time demand to our already too busy schedule or taking some time out for our all too neglected family and\/or friends. \u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Most stressed out people, no matter the cause of the stress, just seem to keep adding on new work projects to their already-too-full work schedules.\u00a0 They just keep expanding, by their foolish choices, their \u201ctime-demands\u201d list.\u00a0 Their priorities have slowly grown so out of balance that there just seems to be \u201cNo Time Available\u201d for the most important things in life,….for their own families and friends.<\/span><\/p>\n

We just hustle from here to there, thither and yon, going at mach speed to most usually nowhere important.\u00a0 We come home after an all \u2013too-long work day, totally exhausted, crash into the \u201cAmbitious Boy\u201d recliner, and lay around in the chair lethargically for the rest of the evening.\u00a0 Supper usually interrupts our much deserved rest…our do-nothing time…but as soon as the last swallow of food is made….it\u2019s a burp….and back to the lay-out chair….until about midnight when the late night talk shows are over.\u00a0 BORING!<\/span><\/p>\n

Is it any wonder that the families of America are falling apart?\u00a0 May I remind you that all good and proper things in all of God\u2019s creation <\/span>require time spent together in order to improve<\/i>.\u00a0 All human relations require time spent together growing and loving and serving the other side of the relationship.\u00a0 If you desire good results to come from people and things with which you deal, then there must be much good quality time invested in those very same things and people.\u00a0 <\/span>Y<\/i>O<\/span>U REAP WHAT YOU SOW.<\/i><\/p>\n

A wise sage skipper with whom I fish in Alaska says it best:\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYou can\u2019t make chicken salad out of chicken feet.\u201d\u00a0 <\/i>Translated he says…If you want the right results with and for other people, you must only use the right ingredients called for by the recipe you are putting together.<\/span><\/p>\n

Men, listen well!\u00a0 Wives and children all spell <\/span>Love<\/i> using the letters\u00a0<\/span>T-i-m-e.<\/i>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All your good intentions or truthful excuses used to justify why you were unable to be with them,…why you were unable to keep your appointments with them,…why you could not meet with them as you had agreed to and planned,…hold no basis for them to understand or respect. <\/span>They do not care why you were not able to be with them as you said you would. \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Failure to give them sufficient time together in their eyes is another way of saying <\/span>\u201cI really don\u2019t care about you.\u00a0 You are not that important to me.\u201d<\/i> \u00a0 Remember…<\/span>Perception <\/i>is <\/span>Reality…<\/i>whenever you are dealing with other people.\u00a0 It is not what you say or do or intend that other people see and know is important,….it is what <\/span>they think or they heard<\/i> you say or do or intend that counts in their minds. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There is indeed no better way to express your love, care and genuine concern for your own wife and children than for you to <\/span>sacrifice <\/i>things, …important things,… no matter what they are,….just so that you can <\/span>be with them, support them, watch them perform, listen to their words,…and sometimes just quietly and tenderly hold them in your own arms.<\/i><\/p>\n

Just in case you didn\u2019t know it…THAT\u2019S WHAT LOVING, CARING\u00a0 DADS ARE SUPPOSED TO DO……..\u00a0 Never get too busy to do it.<\/span><\/p>\n

My very own children, two sons and a daughter, are all grown now and out on their own.\u00a0 But,….they would readily attest…as smaller children living in my home,…that every evening when I returned home from my office or my work travels, I would call out their names loudly and clearly as I neared the entry door.\u00a0 The call of their name was the trigger for them to come running and squealing to me and jump into my arms to receive a \u201cBig Grizzly Bear Hug\u201d from Daddy.\u00a0 We would roll on the floor and wrestle and tickle and give \u201cRaspberry\u201d blows to their necks or to their fat tummies.\u00a0 We would laugh and play and speak the language of love to one another….No matter how tired or exhausted I was.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally after all our play was finished, I would get to look at the day\u2019s school work or recognition, and oh how I would compliment and even brag about their intelligence and good performance,…regardless of what was actually the case!\u00a0 It was all my way of personally blessing each child, and complimenting them for being such wonderful gifts from God\u00a0 to mom and me.\u00a0 They knew without any doubt that they were loved, appreciated and valuable parts of our entire family.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This whole scenario usually lasted for about twenty to thirty minutes with the kids.\u00a0 As soon as it was completed, my entire attention switched to Mom,…to Jan, my wife.\u00a0 I would take her in my arms…in front of the kids…..I wanted to show her and the children how much I loved her and how much I loved them.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Multiple times every day, I voiced how much I loved her every chance I got.\u00a0 \u00a0 I told her just how vitally important she was to me and too all of the family.\u00a0 I would properly hold her in my arms and kiss her and thank her for all that she had done for our family all that day.<\/span><\/p>\n

It may sound \u201ckorny\u201d<\/i> to some of you, but I tell you it is critical to the health, bonding, and well-being of your own family. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is vitally important for children to see how a loving husband properly touches and shows affection to their mother, as well as to them.\u00a0 Appropriate touching is a most meaningful way to convey true love and care for and to another human being.\u00a0 Hugging always has been and will continue to be a most important requirement for all members of my family.\u00a0 A big hug, squeeze, pat, touch, pinch, tickle, or nibble is how love language is spoken in my house….together with all the other words of our great English language.\u00a0 Communication is key to all good relationships.<\/span><\/p>\n

Loving, caring families are always delighted in each other\u2019s presence.<\/span><\/p>\n

We would just always talk and touch and hug each other whenever we were together regardless of whether we were working, playing, or just resting.\u00a0 The kids made no requests of me….and I made no demands of them.\u00a0 Our real quality time together was spent just totally enjoying each other\u2019s company.\u00a0 We were always speaking positive affirmations to each other.\u00a0 Such verbal communications were a critical part of the time we spent together.\u00a0 We all knew we were loved, by God and by one another.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whenever there is more than one member of the family, it is rare that they all like to do the same thing.\u00a0 It is rare that they all like the same type of foods, or sports activities or almost anything else.\u00a0 God made us all individuals with our own personal tastes.\u00a0 That really is not the issue. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The issue is teaching each member to sacrifice their personal likes and<\/i>dislikes whenever required for the good of the entire family.\u00a0 <\/i>An<\/span> <\/i>example might be that Johnny does not like crab salad and Mary, his sister, does not like pizza.\u00a0 But…on the nights that crab salad or pizza is served…..<\/span>Everyone eats it without complaint, and with a smile. \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Keep peace in the family and thanks-giving on your lips to the cook who prepared the meal.\u00a0 We call it <\/span>Consideration<\/i> for <\/span>someone else\u2019s efforts<\/i>or position.<\/i>\u00a0 It is the stuff from which harmony, unity, and happiness is really made.\u00a0 Every family has its differences, every family member has their own likes and dislikes,… but that doesn\u2019t provide a platform which permits rebellion, anger or disrespect amongst the individuals.<\/span><\/p>\n

God\u2019s Word tells the world that it will know who the Believers in Christ are because they will <\/span>love one another.<\/i>\u00a0 Love<\/span><\/span>,<\/span> courtesy<\/span>, good social manners<\/span>, respect<\/span>, kindness<\/span>, consideration<\/span>, service<\/span> and submission<\/span> are all good applicable words that can be used to describe what love of your neighbor really is. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I tell you that whenever people, any people, even enemies, treat each other with actions described by those eight words<\/span> above, then love, care and concern leap across any boundary or barrier that exists.\u00a0 God is so good.\u00a0 God tell us in His Word to love and care one for another.\u00a0 There are no further restrictions or limitations placed upon any person.\u00a0 Love means Love…if you are a Christian, then it is to be given to anyone and everyone with whom you come into contact!<\/span><\/p>\n

None of us really knows just how much more time we will all have to be together as a family unit.\u00a0 Catastrophe could be lurking just around the next corner. Who knows just how many more opportunities you will ever have to tell another family member just how much you really do love them.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

FAMILY…It is indeed a PRICELESS TREASURE<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Peace and Love to all of you……Poppa Bear<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

All too often we as adults do not stop, pause and think about the important things in our lives.\u00a0 It just seems there is not enough available time in our life to allow us the luxury of some quiet moments … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/906","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=906"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/906\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":932,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/906\/revisions\/932"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}