10 Things to Do This Week

Need some ideas of things to do this week - things that are out of the ordinary and not just the day to day drudgery? How about the following:

1. Memorize a Scripture verse. Yes, you can do it. Pick one that is not too long and say it a couple times each day in the coming week. Joshua 24:15, Jeremiah 29:11, John 3:16 are all good ones to start with and you probably already know them anyway!

2. Leave your spouse a note. Lon and I leave each other notes each morning. Since he leaves for work an hour and a half before I even contemplate waking up, this fun idea works well. The note doesn't have to be a long one - short ones can be just as effective. You can write serious notes, sweet notes, passionate notes, complimentary ones or silly notes. This morning, I was all out of ideas, so I merely wrote, "Have a day. I love you." Other times, I have just drawn a silly picture (no, I'm not an artist, but I can draw REALLY good smiley faces!) and asked him to guess who it was. After 16 years of marriage, he's pretty good at guessing my caricatures! Amazingly enough, some of them actually do look realistic!

3. Snuggle your kids and read to them. Even if your kids are older, snuggle up with them and read them a story. Even my young daughter who reads at a teenage reading level loves to be read to. When you're done snuggling and reading, tell you kids the things you love about them most and don't leave anything out!

4. Encourage someone. Pray God will give you an idea to encourage someone who's having a difficult time or needs a pick-me-up. Check out my book "77 Ways Your Family Can Make a Difference" for some ideas of encouragement.


5. Commit to praying for someone all week. It's truly amazing to see how powerful prayer is. Pick a family member, friend, or even the homeless person you saw near the gas station yesterday and begin praying for them every day for a week. Caution: it may become a habit!

6. Do something really silly. Put on a fake accent when you go shopping today and watch other customers as you speak to your children ala an English, Australian, Southern accent (or Northern accent if you're already blessed with one of those really cool and neat Southern accents). When my sister, Becky, and I were young teens, our parents took us on vacation. Throughout Nevada on our way to Disneyland, everywhere we stopped, Becky and I had different accents. The looks on others' faces was priceless and we knew they pondered where we were from. Rope your kids into this and double the fun. Lon will sometimes put on a Southern accent and when people ask him where he's from, he'll answer the South. When they ask what part of the South, he proudly answers Southern Idaho!

7. Get a massage. The first time my mom bought me a gift certificate for a massage, I was hesitant. After all, I am a modest gal. However, after going just that once, I became hooked. Massages are good for circulation, stress, and they help you sleep better at night. If you can swing it, get one for your best friend too.

8. Paint your nails. Still a little girl at heart, I love to try out new nail polishes. If you have daughters, make a salon session out of it and paint their nails too. Oh, and don't forget the toenails.

9. Call someone you haven't talked to in a long time. Time goes by sooooo fast. My oldest daughter was just telling me this morning that she couldn't believe how fast January 2008 (10 months ago) went. I don't even remember January 2008! Make it a point to call someone near and dear to you who you haven't been able to find time to call in the last several months. It will mean a lot to both of you, I promise.

10. Go for a walk. Nothing puts a new perspective on things than going for a walk, especially an outdoor walk in the midst of God's amazing creation. Take your kids along and marvel at caterpillars, the changing leaves on the trees, or the rock formations on a mountain hike. If it's cold outside, head to an indoor track and race your spouse, kids, or friends around the track by skipping, jumping, and running backwards.

There you have it - 10 ideas for different things to do this week and some of the above things are even nicer when they're done more than once!