If the only conversations you have with your spouse happen when they walk in the door, over a rushed dinner, or just before you fall asleep, your relationship can easily become centered on logistics rather than connection.<\/p>\n
Do you watch television together while you both scroll through your phones? Are phones present at the dinner table?<\/p>\n
Be intentional about protecting time together. Take a walk. Watch a movie after the kids are asleep\u2014with the phones put away. Hire a babysitter and enjoy a date where your attention belongs to each other, not your screens. Even bedtime can become a sacred space if you turn in early enough to have a meaningful conversation before you are exhausted.<\/p>\n
Consider making the bedroom a phone-free zone\u2014no books, magazines, or devices once you’re ready for bed. End the day by praying together. Those few intentional moments can strengthen your marriage more than you realize.<\/p>\n
Your Kids<\/strong><\/p>\n Giving our children our undivided attention may be one of the hardest things to do, but it can also be one of the most valuable. Do you have family prayer time? Do you eat dinner together without phones?<\/p>\n Research continues to highlight the relative decline of family mealtime:<\/p>\n Family dinners are still a daily rhythm for many American households, yet the pace is far from uniform. In the U.S., 84% of adults eat dinner with other people at least a few times per week, but 24% report never or hardly ever eating dinner together. And even as families juggle work and child care, time is still the main barrier at 37%, while the convenience industry grows around that gap, with U.S. food delivery and takeout spending reaching $62.4 billion in 2023. Megan Gallagher, Gitnux (last verified May 14, 2026)<\/p>\n Busy schedules and the convenience of takeout have made shared meals less common, yet for generations, dinner was the one dependable time when families gathered. Now, some gather only a few times a week. Perhaps family dinner time isn’t realistic every night at your house because of work, sports, or other commitments. Look for other opportunities. Worship together on Sundays as a non-negotiable priority. Set aside one evening each week for a family meeting. Establish a regular family prayer time, even if it’s only a few minutes. Those moments communicate to your children that being together\u2014and seeking the Lord together\u2014matters.<\/p>\n Don’t overlook one-on-one time, either. Some of our most treasured memories came from simple daddy-daughter or mother-son dates. Often, they involved nothing more than a drive and a stop at Sonic for a drink. Somehow, conversations flowed more easily in the car.<\/p>\n Those drives were just as valuable during difficult seasons. When tensions were high, one parent\u2014often the one not involved in the conflict\u2014would take the child for a drive. The quiet setting made it easier to listen, talk things through, and restore the relationship. It became dedicated “listening time,” and it often set the tone for the entire day.<\/p>\n You<\/strong><\/p>\n Parents are experts at putting everyone else’s needs first. Yet we can’t continually pour into others if we never allow ourselves to be refreshed.<\/p>\n Your sacred space might be a relaxing bath, a walk alone, or reading on the porch. It might simply be stepping into a quiet room\u2014even the bathroom will do!\u2014closing your eyes, and taking a few slow, intentional breaths. Breathe in God’s peace, and breathe out your stress. Even a few quiet moments can calm your heart and renew your perspective.<\/p>\n Creating sacred spaces doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your life. It simply means intentionally setting aside moments to reconnect\u2014with God, your spouse, your children, and yourself.<\/p>\n Start small. Choose one practice and make it a habit. As those moments become part of your family’s rhythm, you’ll likely notice deeper relationships, greater peace, and a renewed sense of purpose.<\/p>\n Your children are watching. They are learning what matters most by observing what you consistently make time for. When they see you protecting sacred spaces today, they’ll be more likely to create them in their own families tomorrow.<\/p>\n And he said to them, \u201cCome away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.\u201d For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.\u00a0 <\/em>Mark 6:31 ESV [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_sidebar area=”et_pb_widget_area_2″ admin_label=”GREENHOUSE Sidebar” _builder_version=”4.27.3″ global_module=”19006″ saved_tabs=”all” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_sidebar][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fall 2026\/Helfrich Lesson planning, laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, weekly co-op, cooking, tending the yard and garden, checking in with parents, wrapping and mailing a birthday gift, returning phone calls, driving kids to activities, catching up on social media\u2026where does it all stop? A song from 1969 (yes, I’m dating myself!) comes to mind: “I’m so dizzy, my head is spinning. Like a whirlpool, it never ends.”\u2014Tommy Roe. Some days, that just sounds a lot like life. In the middle of all the busyness, where is the time with your spouse that isn’t spent discussing schedules? Where is the unhurried time with your children that isn’t focused on school? Where is the quiet space for you to rest, reflect, and simply breathe? We often live from one obligation to the next. But remember: we are human beings, not human doings. The habits we establish shape not only our lives but also the patterns our children will one day carry into their own families. So, what are sacred spaces? Sacred spaces are actually moments when we intentionally set the world aside and give our full attention to the person\u2014or the Lord\u2014in front of us. They may be actual places. They may also be moments in time wherever you are. Your Spouse If the only conversations you have with your spouse happen when they walk in the door, over a rushed dinner, or just before you fall asleep, your relationship can easily become centered on logistics rather than connection. Do you watch television together while you both scroll through your phones? Are phones present at the dinner table? Be intentional about protecting time together. Take a walk. Watch a movie after the kids are asleep\u2014with the phones put away. Hire a babysitter and enjoy a date where your attention belongs to each other, not your screens. Even bedtime can become a sacred space if you turn in early enough to have a meaningful conversation before you are exhausted. Consider making the bedroom a phone-free zone\u2014no books, magazines, or devices once you’re ready for bed. End the day by praying together. Those few intentional moments can strengthen your marriage more than you realize. Your Kids Giving our children our undivided attention may be one of the hardest things to do, but it can also be one of the most valuable. Do you have family prayer time? Do you eat dinner together without phones? Research continues to highlight the relative decline of family mealtime: Family dinners are still a daily rhythm for many American households, yet the pace is far from uniform. In the U.S., 84% of adults eat dinner with other people at least a few times per week, but 24% report never or hardly ever eating dinner together. And even as families juggle work and child care, time is still the main barrier at 37%, while the convenience industry grows around that gap, with U.S. food delivery and takeout spending reaching $62.4 billion in 2023. Megan Gallagher, Gitnux (last verified May 14, 2026) Busy schedules and the convenience of takeout have made shared meals less common, yet for generations, dinner was the one dependable time when families gathered. Now, some gather only a few times a week. Perhaps family dinner time isn’t realistic every night at your house because of work, sports, or other commitments. Look for other opportunities. Worship together on Sundays as a non-negotiable priority. Set aside one evening each week for a family meeting. Establish a regular family prayer time, even if it’s only a few minutes. Those moments communicate to your children that being together\u2014and seeking the Lord together\u2014matters. Don’t overlook one-on-one time, either. Some of our most treasured memories came from simple daddy-daughter or mother-son dates. Often, they involved nothing more than a drive and a stop at Sonic for a drink. Somehow, conversations flowed more easily in the car. Those drives were just as valuable during difficult seasons. When tensions were high, one parent\u2014often the one not involved in the conflict\u2014would take the child for a drive. The quiet setting made it easier to listen, talk things through, and restore the relationship. It became dedicated “listening time,” and it often set the tone for the entire day. You Parents are experts at putting everyone else’s needs first. Yet we can’t continually pour into others if we never allow ourselves to be refreshed. Your sacred space might be a relaxing bath, a walk alone, or reading on the porch. It might simply be stepping into a quiet room\u2014even the bathroom will do!\u2014closing your eyes, and taking a few slow, intentional breaths. Breathe in God’s peace, and breathe out your stress. Even a few quiet moments can calm your heart and renew your perspective. Creating sacred spaces doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your life. It simply means intentionally setting aside moments to reconnect\u2014with God, your spouse, your children, and yourself. Start small. Choose one practice and make it a habit. As those moments become part of your family’s rhythm, you’ll likely notice deeper relationships, greater peace, and a renewed sense of purpose. Your children are watching. They are learning what matters most by observing what you consistently make time for. When they see you protecting sacred spaces today, they’ll be more likely to create them in their own families tomorrow. And he said to them, \u201cCome away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.\u201d For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.\u00a0 Mark 6:31 ESV \n\t\t
\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Diane Helfrich bio 2026″ _builder_version=”4.27.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_module=”50704″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n\n\t\t![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/c-Helfrich-Diane-175-web.jpg?w=1080&ssl=1\")
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