Things I Brought Home From The Conference

Here are some things I brought home from the conference. Pictures are in the post below this one.

Friday night, I attended a workshop by Kay Chandler. It was called "The Family Table." She did an acrostic on the word table.

T - Time with family. She drove the point across that eventually, one by one, the children grow up and leave the table. She suggested allowing our children to help prepare the meals with us. This opens the door for communication. When eating at the table, steer away from topics that don't bring peace with it. Nobody needs the indigestion! Make supper time a postive and happy time. It is our job as mothers, to make sure the family is around the table and to teach our children good manners.

A - Appreciation and Adoration. Say grace! Teach children to pray and thank God for our food and family. Pray as a family. Be a thankful people.

B - Balancing Good Meals. Ask your family what their favorite foods or meals are. Plan out a menu for THEM! Plan your menu, keep a grocery list. Think it through. Be organized.

L - Loved Ones and Friends. We should find it a pleasure to cook for our family and friends. Don't make it a labor and chore. Have people over and enjoy serving them at your table.

E - Enjoyable and Relaxing. Make traditions Make it fun. Enjoy decorating the table for your family. Find easy and fun recipes. Don't rush the meal. Do all we can to make it enjoyable.

There were five recipes give to us at this workshop. I'll let you know when they are posted at Blogger's Recipes.
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The second workshop I attended was by Sharon Rabon. It was called "The Secrets of Staying In Love." I'll share her outline.

Open your closed SPIRIT
1. Deal with anger
-Anger develops from a closed spirit of one or both marriage partners.
-Anger is a negative emotion we feel when a person or situation has failed to meet our needs, blocked our goals, or fallen short of our expectations.
-Three results of anger:
anger creates distance
anger pushes us into darkness
anger ties us in knots

2. Choose to Forgive
-Ask God to forgive you for the anger that has built up inside you toward your husband.
-Become soft and tender with your husband
-Understand, as much as possible, what your husband has endured because of your closed spirit.
-Use "I feel" statements rather than "you make me feel" statements.
-Use short sentences that your husband can repeat back versus long drawn out thoughts/paragraphs.
-Admit our husband has been wounded.
-Admit your offensive behavior.
-Touch him gently
-Seek forgiveness and wait for a response.
-Remember that anger binds you and forgiveness sets you free.

HONOR YOUR HUSBAND

Put your husband high on your list of priorities.
-Your husband should come before the children.
-Your husband should come before other family members.
-Your husband should come before your friends.

Respect your husband as the head of your home.
-Teamwork makes the team work.
-Teamwork takes cooperation.
-Teamwork takes participation.
-Teamwork takes loyalty.
-Teamwork takes commitment.

Make the necessary changes for honor to be in place.
-Begin to change yourself.
-Make your likes, his likes
-Make your desires, his desires.
-If your husband is unsaved or not living for the Lord, make your prayer life stronger for him.
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The last workshop I attended was with Sherry Camperson. And the title of this workshop was "The Most Important Gifts You Can Give Your Children." Children need our presence more than they need our presents. She gave 26 presents to give to our children by our presence in their lives.

A - Attention
B - Blessing
C - Communication~Be approachable to them.
D - Discipline~Children have friends. They need us to be parents!
E - Encouragement
F - Fun!
G - God
H - Hands
I - Instruction~If we don't instruct them...someone else will!
J - Jesus~Give them the plan of salvation
K - Kindness
L - Love
M - Memories
N - Nurturing and nourishment
O - Order~Make an orderly home.
P - Patience
Q - Quietness~It is a gift! A time spent with the Lord or just thinking on His goodness
R - Respect
S - Sincerity
T - Time
U - Understanding
V - Voice~Let them hear you sing to them and for them
W - Worship
X - eXample
Y - You
Z - Zest and zeal for life.

I like that alphabet.