Family and Life Rhythms Create Balance

Thursday is my Friday. As I came home this afternoon, my workweek has ended, and I look forward to a day off tomorrow before the weekend begins another week of work.

For me, Friday’s have a rhythm. If it weren’t for the blizzard about to drop three feet of snow on Lake Tahoe, I would play golf. Now, I’ll sleep in and then continue the normal Friday routines of taking my son to lunch, reading/writing during the afternoon, picking my daughter up from school, and spending time with family on Friday night. Most weeks, it’s a great day.

Nearly every week, I get questions regarding work/life balance. People want to know how to succeed in their careers while ensuring a strong marriage and thriving kids. It’s a noble pursuit.

Yet, I'm not too fond of the word balance. It implies some perfect state in which everything is precisely where it is supposed to be. But life is rarely that perfect. Instead, I prefer the idea of rhythms. Creating patterns of connection with our families is the only way to ensure healthy relationships in the midst of all of life’s demands.

In part, that’s what we talk about in this week’s episode of Change the Odds the Podcast. Consider—when this weekend will each family member get your undivided attention? Take a listen here:

This weekend, I had an experience unlike any I’ve had while preaching. At the end of the message, it’s common to allow people to respond. Normally, that’s done in the words of Billy Graham with “every head bowed and every eye closed.” But this week, I asked for every head to be raised and every eye opened. I invited people who wanted to experience God’s grace to simply stand for all to see. Over 200 people did so across five services. Watch below (skip to the timestamp of 42:00):

Here are two updates:

• Focus on the Family will re-air an episode on Friends, Partners & Lovers on Monday.

• On March 22, Focus on the Family will air a new interview on Stay In Your Lane.

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve spoken in multiple venues on Attachment Theory from a Christian perspective. It’s fun to watch how impactful this topic is for our most vital relationships. If you have never heard about Attachment Theory or if you are interested in how it ties into the Christian viewpoint, take this 12-session class on Attachment.