Creating Intentional Rhythms This Fall

School has started, and so have fall sports, extracurricular activities and everything else under the sun. This past week, my husband and I got our son to football practice, which started right at 5:30 p.m. As we arrived, we watched frantic parents in their work clothes sprinting to drop their children off, get their other kids fed dinner and then hustle home for bedtime before an early school start the next morning.

‍
While we chuckled because ny husband and I were in that exact same boat, we also recognized how easy it can be to allow our schedules to dictate our lives. If we aren't intentional, we can quickly find ourselves living on-the-go, chaotic and hurried lives. I personally don't desire to live that way. In the midst of busy seasons, I want to remain intentional about our day-to-day rhythms so that we can spend quality time with our kids, invest in them and find ourselves consistently gathered around the dinner table together.

‍
Creating intentional family rhythms in the fall takes… intentionality. It won't just happen for us; we have to build it. Creating intentional rhythms takes time and effort, but it also opens the door for us as parents to continue discipling our kids in the middle of sports seasons, school activities and so much more.
Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

‍
As parents, we have a biblical mandate to raise our children in the way they should go. This mandate doesn't fall on their teachers, coaches, or mentors; it has been given to us as their mothers and fathers. That is a joy, it is a privilege and it takes intentionality in the midst of so much busyness.
Here are some ways to be intentional this season as you continue discipling your child:
Commit to dinner at the table as a family three times a week, and bring intentional questions you want to ask or talk about. As a family with little kids, we have intentionally decided that, at a minimum, we will gather around the dinner table together three times a week. This isn't dinner on the go, but a home-cooked meal eaten together in community. Some weeks, dinner is prepared in the crockpot because I know I won't have time to make food when we get home. Other weeks, it is a later dinner after football practice or an early dinner beforehand. We make dinnertime flexible based on our schedule so that we can create space to sit down together.
At dinner, ask your kids questions about their day, their favorite athlete or what they want to do when they grow up. These don't have to be “deep” questions. It is simply about putting our phones down, pausing our schedules and sitting with our children to talk, listen and spend intentional time together.

‍
Be creative with your commutes. We live about two minutes away from our local public schools, football fields and baseball fields. While I recognize that not everyone has this luxury, we have tried to capitalize on the proximity and get creative with our commutes. Sometimes, we take a family bike ride to football or baseball practice. The little girls get pulled in the Burley by my husband, and my son and I jump on our bikes. We talk while we bike and simply enjoy those ten minutes together as a family. It is fun for our kids, creates a family memory and gives us quality time together.
For those who can't walk or bike, take advantage of your car time. Put the phones down and play a game together while you drive. Play I Spy, or tell your kids a riddle they have to work together to figure out. Take time to ask them questions, hear about their lives and simply enjoy them. With as much time as many of us spend in the car, let's be creative with our commutes and be intentional with that time!

‍
Say “No.” This one is hard for me, but it has brought so much freedom to our family. Many times, building intentional rhythms means being willing to say “no.” Every “yes” we give is a “no” to something else. You can say no to hanging out with the neighbor kids. You can say no to video games and TV. You can say no to doing multiple sports or activities at the same time. It is okay to say no to a weekend hangout with friends so that you can lock in a family night.
You can say no! As someone whose immediate response is typically “yes,” this has been life-changing for me. I want to say yes to the right things and no to the things that drain us or are simply unwise for us to say yes to in that season. Creating intentional rhythms means saying “yes” to the right things and having the confidence to say no when it is needed.

‍
Keep your priorities right. It is easy in our American culture to misplace our priorities. We prioritize sports, good grades, friendships and opportunities. While those things aren't bad at all—and can actually be valuable for our kids—they are not the thing.
I heard it said once that you cannot guarantee your child will become a professional athlete, but you can guarantee that they will one day stand before the Lord. I want to prioritize the right things, and the number one thing I need to prioritize for my kids is their walk with Jesus.
We can play football, and it doesn't have to be our number one priority. We can maintain healthy friendships, and they don't have to be our number one priority. Our number one priority is Christ. That means we intentionally build devotional time into our rhythms, we intentionally participate in and attend church, and we consistently speak God's Word and apply it in everyday moments.

‍
Be intentional this fall to get into SOAP, to be in church, to serve together and to bring Christ into every moment of your lives. As we are intentional this fall, I believe we will see our children and our families thrive in the things of the Lord, no matter what our calendars may look like. We don't have to let the busyness of the season dictate the way our families live. Instead, we can intentionally build rhythms that make room for what matters most—and create a home where our children are continually being discipled, loved and pointed toward Jesus.

‍

Written by: Pastor Gabi O'Rourke