Every time I marry a couple, we go through three pre-marital counseling sessions. One of them is devoted to children. 

Occasionally, my own experience seeps in. 

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I have two high-energy kids. This past week of Spring Break has been particularly exhausting, as we did not do any vacation. It was all family, all the time.

Is Family Time All It’s Cracked Up to Be? 

On one hand, that’s wonderful and priceless. On the other hand, I am grateful it ends tomorrow.  

I mentioned this feeling to a couple I was counseling, and they turned the tables and chided me. “You have to enjoy every moment,” they said. “We can’t wait to watch our kids play, eat ice cream, run around, etc, etc…”

Listening to them, I realized they were right. A book I read a few years ago said something I’ve never forgotten: “The days are long, but the years are short.” 

In fact, the Book of Psalms said something similar 3000 years ago: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12) 

The Most Important Asset

We don’t have much time, and we need to use it wisely. For me, that means investing it with my wife and children. For some of you, it may mean caring for aging parents. For others, it may be nurturing children or grandchildren. 

For others, it may mean trying to repair hurting relationships and seeking ways to reconcile. All of us face the limits of time. Or, as another biblical book—Ecclesiastes—puts it, “Time and chance befall us all.” (9:11) 

A Commitment

I know this sounds kind of odd and business-like, but every three months my wife and I sit down and do a “quarterly review.” We talk about areas of life we may have neglected over the last three months, and we set a course for where to focus and improve. 

Last week we decided more concentrated family time—with both our kids and our respective parents—would become a bigger focus. 

We are jump-starting this goal by watching and implementing every one of the Ziglar Family 7-Day Challenge videos. I’ve been introducing you to a few of them throughout the week. All 7 of them have now been released. 

They are available right here, and all you have do is click “7 Day Challenge” and put in your first name and email. Then you watch the videos with

• Dr. Gary Chapman (relationships)
• Michael & Gail Hyatt (communication)
• Dr. Josh Axe (physical health)
• Tony Dungy (work/life balance)
• Brian Buffini (community)
• Dave Ramsey (finances)
• and Zig Ziglar’s own children – Cindy, Julie, and Tom (spirituality/faith).

Ari and I know that even though the days can be feel long, the years are short, and our kids will be leaving the nest before we know it. We want to make every day count. Wherever you are in life, you can as well. Sign up to get the videos here. 

Here is a prayer someone sent me that expresses our hopes and prayers. 

Lord, thank You for the gift of family. Some of us have been blessed with wonderful families while others are carrying heavy baggage from our upbringing. Help us celebrate the good in our families and heal us from past family hurts. Help us let go of harmful habits and embrace new ways of relating to family members that bring life and blessing. Teach us to number our days, and give us hearts of wisdom that our homes may be havens of rest. Amen. 

Zig Ziglar’s kids tell family stories of leadership and spirituality here.