My husband and I went and saw the movie "Courageous".  An absolutely awesome movie about the family and really shows how absent fathers has produced the culture we live in today.

We were so impressed by this movie that my husband and I sat down and created together "Our House Rules", "Consequences", and "Time Out Prayer Cards".  We based everything around Scripture.  And I got this idea from Erica on her blog www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com, just tweaked much of it to fit to our family and lifestyle.

The Time Out Prayer Cards are for after the discipline is given, then we pray with our son together.  These cards we created are to break down Scriptures to a level that he can understand and to keep the prayer simple, as it starts the same and ends the same.  If you want to see an example of these, click on the link below:

Time Out Prayer Cards

I hope everyone can get out to see the movie "Courageous", whether you are a father or a mother, it will speak to your heart.  And you will want to change your household after seeing this movie... truly inspirational! :)

Family Prayer Tree

Looking for a way to get the family praying together without it feeling like a chore to get EVERYONE involved?!?!  Start a Family Prayer Tree.

Order one those tree bulletin board sets, here is a favorite of mine:
http://www.teacherstorehouse.com/product2.asp?product_key=89444&n=Big+Realistic+Tree+bulletin+Board+Set&order_key=&goto=default.asp%3Forder%3D%26pagenum%3D1%26type_key%3D1%26classification_key%3D2%26subject_key%3D%26language_key%3D%26season_key%3D%26grade_key%3D%26product_category_key%3D

Take a wall in the house that everyone passes by, put the tree up without leaves.  Use a ziplok baggie to hold the leaves or make a pocket to put on the wall nearby to hold the leaves.  Have each person take a leaf and a marker to write on the leaf a prayer request of theirs and date it (if a wee one, have them draw a picture and help them date it) and then hang on the tree.  Then pray over each request together.  When you come back together as a family, review the leaves already up on the tree and take them off the tree and stick them around the bottom like a fall tree scene that shows God answered it and write the date God answered it.

This will be a living visual of how God WORKS in your lives and cares about everyone's request no matter how simple, how complex, how weird, how strange, how impossible...