Bible Time

Recently someone asked for specifics about our family Bible time. Here are some ideas we have:
The plan is for us to meet in the living room at 8:00 every night, any later and I fall asleep during the prayer. When we wait too late we have whining when they have to get up and brush teeth, etc. None of us are allowed to lay down during Bible time. The big girls like to get under blankets and snuggle with the little ones late at night so we have to watch out for them getting too warm and comfy. During basketball season the actual time is a lot more relaxed, so we may not have our evening time at all or it may be at 10:00 at night. We almost always have a time when we read the Bible and pray at breakfast, so I know they are getting that time in.
We have stayed at the dinner table when it's late and just read among the mess or cleaned off the table and gone back to the dishes later. But...if the dishes get left for just a moment it's really hard to tackle them before bed. Sometimes gathering around the table is really fun because we can get out markers and crayons and let the girls draw what we are reading. We have wonderful folders from Bible Times past. (Don't forget to name and date those, they'll be worth keeping.)Right now we are reading through the book of Genesis with each of the girls reading portions of Scripture. Lydia wants someone to whisper in her ear what the right words are, but she used to just make up whatever she wanted to say. In the past we have gathered around the piano, gone through our church bulletins and Bible study workbooks, acted out the passages (we'll never forget the book of Esther.) We have read The Pilgrim's Progress and other great books and biographies.
One thing I would encourage is to make it fun. At least 15 years ago Ray made up the lost sheep game. He would call out, "There once was a man who had 100 sheep and while he was counting - 94, 95, 96, 97, ? 98? Oh no, only 98?" That was the cue for the girls to run hide. After the first time or so of playing this game, they would be hidden by the time he started counting. Then he would start over and search the house for the "lost sheep". Sometimes they would have to "bah" a little to help him find them. Then he'd throw them over his shoulder and carry them back to the fold. They loved hearing the story of the Father who searches out for His lost children.
There are times for us that Bible time seems to be too legalistic and a drudgery. Ray will step back and change things up and relax it a little. Sometimes it does need to be very strict if the girls aren't taking that time very seriously and start getting silly. We all fall out sometimes, Ray has even fallen asleep a couple of times when the girls would have a long time of reading.
A book I'm almost finished reading is How to Bring Your Children to Christ... and Keep Them There by Ray Comfort. It is a wonderful plan for using the Ten Commandments to teach your children. I have been working with Lydia with the Ten Commandments and the other day she walked up to one of the big girls and confronted them. She said, "You broke God's commandment and you didn't honor Mommy or God. You need to repent." I almost cried at how good God's Word is and His promises to use it as a light to our way - even a four year old's little path.
The point is that we need time with God as a family, but He isn't beating us over the head with a Bible Time whip. What's important is teaching them God's Word now to draw on later.