F.D.T.'s

In our family, we affectionately call our family devotion times - F.D.T.'s. Around 7:30 p.m. several evenings each week you'll hear Joe yell out, "F.D.T.'s in 5 minutes!!" Everyone scampers to get ready and get settled and comfortable in our cozy living room . These times are precious to all of us and usually involve reading aloud -- either from the Bible or another devotional book which teaches Biblical concepts (see sidebar). We've even veered off and read one of Ballantyne's books "Coral Island" aloud (although, when the natives in the story began eating eachother, we decided that perhaps we should save Ballantyne for a different time of day!). Currently we're reading "Wisdom with the Millers" -- a devotional book about a family and the stories/lessons they learn re: a particular proverb from the Biblical book of Proverbs. After our reading time, Dad asks if there have been any offenses that need to be confessed. This is a time of confessing perhaps a bad attitude or a word or action done in selfishness. It is a time of apologies and righting wrongs. Finally, we end by asking for prayer requests and praises. We pray together at the close. Although we aren't "as regular as rain" when it comes to doing this each night, it is still memorable each time we do it.