19/21 | A Peaceful De-Clutter

The big question that I have been mulling over the last couple of days is: "how do I increase the peace for my boys?"  Yesterday was a great example of how things can line up even without a lot of effort--especially considering that I had an evening meal and was not around for much of it.  Homework was done before I got home and everyone else went to the YMCA while I dropped in on a meeting at church.  I did make it home for bed time 8:25 for an 8:30 lights out, but it was as smooth as smooth can be.

My family lives in a modest sized house for the five of us.  Having multi-functional space is critical to our survival.  There is no better example of this than our kitchen table.  Our kitchen table is for eating, doing homework, charging iPods, playing games, doing crafts, my wife's sewing station, sorting mail, and currently . . . blogging.  So to keep the space open and organized takes a daily commitment--but provides the greatest amount of environmentally induced peace.  With this one effort, breakfast takes place in a peaceful environment, homework takes place in peace, legos get put together in peace, dinner happens in peace, games are played in peace, and like last night--Dairy Queen bedtime treats are consumed in peace.

I can't change the size of my home, but I can change the way that I anticipate its usage.  The journey to "better dad" is paved with a million small changes over a lifetime.  Here is one small change that has yielded significant peace results.

Lord, thank you for the ways that you are working through and changing me as I seek to be a peacemaker in my family.  I am humbled by the desire you've placed in me to see the DeShaw boys grow into amazing followers of You.