Bringing Joy into the Family
Practical ways to increase joy in our immediate families
Jeremiah Ellis
April 23, 2019
Embedded Files
Event Recap
Event Recap
Small Group Discussion Questions
Small Group Discussion Questions
- What one or two things do I need to do less to stop killing joy?
- What one or two things can I do to start building more joy?
Action Items
Action Items
- Think about one thing you will do different.
- Bring a Friend.
Resources
Resources
www.calnewport.com - Great author on focus, limiting tech, being a successful student, books for teens as well
https://fatherleofeeds.com/ - Priest that encourages family dinners
https://lets-talk-teens.org/ - Advice for parenting adolescents
https://ifstudies.org/ - Family focused website
https://opusdei.org/en-us/section/texts-on-christian-life/ - Great articles on parenting and family life
What kills joy?
What kills joy?
- Sin
- Distraction
- Comparison
- Blaming Circumstances
- Living in the Past
How do you build joy?
How do you build joy?
- Frequent the Sacraments
- Confession
- Mass
- Marital Bond
- Eliminate Distraction
- Cal Newport's Digital Minimalism, Deep Work
- Leave work at work
- Focus on the evening at hand
- Live your family life, and only yours!
- Enjoy time with your family - within your means
- Dinners, Game Nights, Park Outings, Walks, Bike Rides
- Choose to accept your circumstances
- You can’t control everything
- When we let go of control, contentment increases, leading to more joy
- Live in the Present
- Our past does not define us
- Your child’s past does not define them
- Your spouses past does not define them
- You cannot fret about the future
What one or two things do I need to do less to stop killing joy?
What one or two things do I need to do less to stop killing joy?
- Less comparison
- Limit phone usage
- Work does not equal home
- Fasting (only eat when hungry)
- Slothness
- Not being fully engaged (does this matter?)
- Focus & amplification of negative "things"
- Stop complaining
- Stop being impatient
- Watch less news & be less divisive
- Stop being judgmental
- Don't always be right. Can't fix everything.
- Less TV / Electronics
- Less other people's opinions/comparisons
- Less control
- Less anger
- Less criticism
- Judging / Criticism
- Stop imposing your will
- Controlling
- Living in the past (framing the past)
- Trying to win arguments
What one or two things can I do to start building more joy?
What one or two things can I do to start building more joy?
- More outdoor time
- Get out of the house
- Weekly family confession
- Hugging kids / tell them I love you
- Prayer / Being content
- Be the change you want to see
- Name grateful things and celebrate them
- Volunteer more
- Finding community (fellowship)
- Sacrifice
- Hard work
- Individual quality time with each child
- More being present
- More confession (family)
- More commitment
- More time (as a couple/family)
- More sleep
- Have fun (enjoy life)
- Motivate our kids
- Sharing stories
- Live in the present
- Listen to people
- Time management
- Learn to relax to build energy
About Jeremiah Ellis
About Jeremiah Ellis
Jeremiah is a native Texan with 20 years in Amarillo, where he met his wonderful wife in high school. After one year of discovery in Missouri during college where he was studying to be a church minister, he converted to the Roman Catholic faith and moved back to Texas and settled with his family in the great city of Farmers Branch. Married almost 17 years to Jenny Lynn, the two have discovered the joy of family life in raising their ever expanding brood of 9 kids aged 15 down to 8 months. As parishioners of St. Rita since 2005, they have been involved in a multitude of faith communities within the Church. Professionally, Jeremiah has been in Training & Development and Human Resources for the last 11 years, having spent time in the utility and construction industries. He is currently in Human Resources for the large DFW based sub-contractor Cummings Electrical.
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