Thursday, April 15, 2021

Praying and Playing

 


(Virginia with wet hair after her shower and shampoo!)

Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath, he taught the people. ~Luke 4:31

Jesus gives us the perfect example of what it means to be a good teacher.  His expertise may have come directly from His Father in heaven, to enlighten us as to how to love God and our neighbor, but we are all granted special talents, abilities and gifts through the Holy Spirit that we can pass on to others in this world.  My husband, Danny, gets that perfect opportunity while Sarah, John and the grands are visiting.

Granddaughter, Virginia, expresses an avid interest in learning how to play backgammon.  Her ever-patient Papa is the best qualified to teach her the game, just as he taught me.  Virginia listens attentively and is soon grasping the basics of backgammon with ease.  It's not difficult to initially learn to play, but the nuances come only with practice.




In order for Virginia to hone her skills, Danny takes the time to teach the game to Sarah and John, too.  They are hooked immediately!  Needless to say, many an afternoon is spent with rounds of backgammon, and I so enjoy watching the progress being made.

We have a travel board that we give them as a parting gift wo they can continue to play at home. 



While Savannah and Alexandra are too young yet to learn backgammon, they get in on the action by being official dice rollers.  How cute is that?



All of us are familiar with the tried and true adage:  The family that prays together stays together.  But I'd like to suggest a twist:  The family that plays together stays together.

More praying and more playing help us to live life to the fullest!

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. ~John 10:10

Amen!

35 comments:

  1. Dearest Martha Jane,
    Yes, praying and playing games is uniting and bonding that is for sure. Such happy faces and how clever to gift them a travel board!
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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    1. We are so glad that all of them "took" to the game and can enjoy some family time with it, Mariette. We're glad we had that extra board to give them. :)
      Love and blessings!

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  2. I used to play backgammon every now and then. I was never any good though. I wonder why they call it backgammon.

    Praying together unites a family. God bless.

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    1. I'm not sure how the name originated either, Victor, but now you have me curious enough to look it up. Danny and I play several rounds of the game each evening that we can.
      And yes, prayer is a great way to keep a family together.
      Love and blessings!

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  3. I love to see families playing games together. We used to when our kids were young. It was so much fun. And we still like to play some card games when we have the time. Haven't done so in a while, and now I want to! Thank you for the idea! Looks like you all had a great time.

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    1. I, too, have so many great memories of playing games with my kids when they were young, Pamela. Wish I had a dollar for every round of Monopoly I played with them! Having a playful spirit does keep us feeling young, doesn't it?
      Love and blessings!

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  4. I love seeing these photos and glad you had the board to give them. Families playing together really is important!

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    1. Yes, family play is so very important, Martha. I'm just glad we had the board on hand to give them!
      Love and blessings!

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  5. I'm unfamiliar with backgammon, but I love the idea of spending quality time together like you've illustrated. More so, that Danny's a good, patient teacher. I'm neither! (LOL)

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    1. I'm not very patient, either, Myra, and even though Danny and I play backgammon rounds every evening that we can, he truly knows the game inside and out. It's a great game that you might want to look into!
      Love and blessings!

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  6. Boa tarde, nunca joguei gamão, fico feliz que a família de vocês é muito unida.

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    1. Oh, it's such a fun and challenging game, Luiz. I do hope you will look into trying it out one day. Yes, I'm happy that our family is so close, too; just wish they lived closer to us.
      Love and blessings!

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  7. How fun!! I love your 'new' saying about praying AND playing. So true! I look back through photos and have many of Joe playing a board game with the grands. Does my heart good! Thank you for this wonderful reminder!! xo

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    1. I'm glad you liked the praying and playing phrase, Terri, and that you have photos/memories of Joe playing board games with the grands. The only thing more fun than playing with your own children is engaging with the grands. So important to make sweet memories while you can.
      Love and blessings!

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  8. Amen indeed Martha, the theif indeed dies come in steal and destroy and that's something I pray about for my family friend etc.
    Lovely healthy family fun is critical it binds us together in love, and I pray in tbe bond of pesve in Christ, for incidental also can be spiritual applications in young hearts, seed sown for eternity.
    Thanks for sharing, and may God bless and keep you and all whom you love safe and well.
    Prayer hugs, Shaz in Oz. X

    {Wonderful Words of Life - Shaz in Oz}
    {Calligraphy Cards - Shaz in Oz}

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    1. No worries about typos, Shaz! We do need to sew the seeds of eternity in the hearts and minds of our young ones, and we can do so through pray and play. God designed us to rejoice in both.
      Love and blessings!

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  9. There is so much joy and wisdom in this post, Martha. You are so blessed with your family and love of scriptures.

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    1. Thank you so much, Jean, for your kind words. Yes, I'm feeling so blessed by God in this reunion and I can't thank Him enough!
      Love and blessings!

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  10. At CHRISTmas we will play all sorts of games, and the laughter from those moments moments rings through the house when everyone has gone to their own homes. It makes my heart sing to experience your delightful family fun. Blessings and love.

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    1. Thanks so much, Nells, for sharing your happy Christmas experiences with your own family. It does make our hearts sing and rejoice to celebrate together when we can, and share laughter and love.
      Love and blessings!

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  11. What a wonderful post Ms. Martha. It's been many years since I played this game, but can remember spending many hours of enjoyment with others. Was Mr. Danny in the Navy? It seemed everyone who ever served aboard a ship learned to play this game. That's who taught the game to me many years ago. I loved your description of Mr. Danny teaching the children. May we all be that "patient teacher" when sharing about Christ. God's blessings folks.

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    1. No, J. D., Danny was not in the Navy, and I'm really not sure who taught him to play backgammon. That's something I need to check on! And yes, may we all be patient and loving teachers when speaking to others about Jesus' saving grace.
      Love and blessings!

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  12. What a wonderful gift! You have given your daughter's family many hours of family fun. Your Danny is a wonderful teacher!

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    1. Thanks for your kind words here, Laurie! Yes, I think they will enjoy many hours of family fun.
      Love and blessings!

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  13. Thanks for inviting us into your home and giving us an opportunity to share the the joy of playing a game you and your family. The reminder of the spiritual implications of times like that was refreshing, especially in the midst of endless streams of bad news and dire predictions. God bless you for brightening our day, Martha. Maybe I'll learn to play backgammon one of these days.

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    1. Thanks so much for your kind words here, Ron. We do need fun times, and posts, in our lives to counteract the endless stream of bad news that is sadly out there. Backgammon is such a fun game, too. I hope you will look into learning how to play!
      Love and blessings!

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  14. I haven't played backgammon in forever! Virginia is such a wonderful young girl. Love this anology about teaching. God bless, Martha!

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    1. It's a game I absolutely love, Karen, and Danny and I play several rounds every evening after dinner. And I have to agree that Virginia is turning out to be a lovely young lady, and we can't help but be so proud of her.
      Love and blessings!

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  15. Backgammon is my absolute favorite board game. I taught Jo to play and we played but she accuses me of cheating because I will put her in the middle. Hmmm. To play and let her go or to play the game the way it is supposed to be played. Needless to say, we don't play anymore. If we ever meet, you're challenged!

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    1. How you played the game with Jo, Bill, sounds just like how Danny plays with me - no mercy! Lol! Yes, that's the way the game should be played, but more often than not, Danny always succeeds in putting me on the defensive. One day, I'll get him!
      Love and blessings!

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  16. Between the two--praying and playing together--family bonds are sure to grow strong. We prayed and played with our granddaughters just yesterday. Nothing better than listening to little ones pray or hearing their shrieks of uninhibited laughter during a rousing game of tag!

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. . . Good Tidings of Great Joy . . .

  . . . Good tidings of great joy . . . ~Luke 2:10 Pictured above are my daughter, Sarah, son-in-law, John, and their three girls, Virginia,...