Hello Everyone!

We’re midway through January already.  Have you been researching, listening, and asking questions?  Are you moving forward with your Family Compassion Focus?

So far this month my family has dealt with sickness, snow days, traveling Dad, first swim meet, and general elementary school drama, but >we have not done anything< to intentionally learn more about the people we have chosen to love and serve this year.

It’s never too late.  Grace abounds.

We have a four day weekend coming up in honor of World Changer Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Here’s my plan to help my family get started in a fun way:

1.  Review the recommendations and tools for researching found in the Now What post from 1/15.  They are just tips.  Modify it to best fit your family.

2.  Write down a list of all the tips I received on facebook.  My request for ideas about Haiti yielded more than 30 comments.  It’s so encouraging to know so much good is already happening there.

3.  Write out 3 research tasks for the 5 of us.  I hope to coach Greta in using a dictionary, give Chris the list of book recommendations, and ask the older kids to research the organizations and people lovingly invested in Haiti.

4.  Plan with Chris when to do our Family Research Project for 1 hour this weekend.

5.  When that time comes, set the timer for 1 hour.  Or maybe a half-hour.  The goal is to have family connection.  Set yourself up for success.

6.  Research together for 1 hour with fun music in the background, maybe with a cake in the oven.  Or a promise of ice cream.  Or a game of Chase Me Daddy.

7.  Gather all that hard work in a binder/folder/box.

8.  Congratulate everyone for trying something new.  Do the fun thing you promised.

Spend time researching, talking, and praying before making plans to take action. This builds a solid foundation for a year of loving and serving.  We begin to know and understand new people instead of making assumptions and jumping in blind.

You are loved.

@Aimee Fritz & Family Compassion Focus, 2014-2015