"When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously." Daniel 6:10
Every year for approximately twenty years my family has gone over to San Francisco and spent the afternoon and evening. We ride BART into the business downtown area, look in a few shops on Mission Street, stop for a slice of pizza at Blondies Pizza, go to the St. Frances Hotel and check out a giant gingerbread house, stop in Williams Sonoma kitchen specialty store, then pause to look at all the Christmas wreaths in the Macy’s window, then walk through Chinatown checking out various clever things to buy. While in Chinatown, we stop at two places for food - one is a sushi place where our daughters get a couple things, and also a bakery where I egg rolls, pot stickers, Chinese donuts with bean paste inside, pork buns, shrimp dumplings, and one or two other things. After snacking, we continue walking through North Beach and head down toward Pier 39. We check out several shops there, buy some mini sugar donuts at Trisch’s donuts and eventually end up buying a clam chowder bread bowl for dinner. That’s not the end. We usually make our way over to a store called Coat Plus and Ghirardelli Square for some hot chocolate and a hot fudge Sunday. We eventually get on a cable car and ride it someplace. We end up going to the Hyatt Regency on the Embarcadero to look at a large display village of winter houses and a light display that is pretty fabulous. We then ride BART back to where the car is parked and eventually drive home.
Well here is the truth, sometimes the gingerbread house wasn’t made or the Chinese bakery had run out of some items, then Blondies closed, one year Trisch’s donut machine was broken, the lights at the Hyatt stopped being displayed and the next year the snow village houses were moved to another city, and one year I was too full to go and get the hot fudge Sunday. But as a family we were still together and I never remember going without clam chowder.
Here's a take away thought. We need healthy routines with our families, and even more so, we need spiritual routines with them as well. My kids and grandkids would be in shock if we didn't pray before a meal, they would also be in shock if we didn't read the Christmas Story before opening Christmas presents, and they would be in shock if I started not going to church or stopped giving of our finances to the work of the Lord. So routines can be helpful and at the same time routines can be hindering. What is a good routine for you to choose today?
