According to a 2016 LifeWay Research survey of Americans who attend a Protestant church regularly, 32% read the Bible daily and 27% read it a few times per week. 12% read it once a week and 11% a few times a month, while 5% read it just once a month. 12% admit they rarely or never read their Bible. I am part of the majority now, but reading my Bible hasn’t always been a priority in my life. Honestly, I am an underachiever and if it’s not fun, I likely won’t do it. But I am telling you the truth when I say the 5-30  minutes I invest in reading most mornings are truly precious to me. Read on; I’ll provide my top 5 reasons why and the backstory on each one.

Reason #1. Pizza

We’re vegetarian. Why is there meat on this?

My favorite pizza is Papa John’s. The sauce, the chewy crust, the hot pepper in every box… yum! But suppose they hire a new guy and set him loose in the kitchen with no training manual. The product he turns out, even packaged in a pizza box with the right logo, will not be a Papa John’s Pizza. I know this is a cheesy analogy (no pun intended), but let me explain why it works.

Someone last week said to me, “I notice how connected you are as a family. Can you share– how did you get to be so intentional and how you go about building your family life?” This question, directed at me, is a testament to our family’s total one-eighty.

Seven years ago, we owned the perfect house full of all the perfect stuff. We were over the top busy, and our family life was on the back burner. Steve and I were restless and unfulfilled. Our true passion is actually for nurturing our family; why did we then let everything else pull us in the opposite direction? When would it be time to say yes to family first? We realized the window for building a connected family is short. If we neglect it, time slips through our hands and the best moments are forfeited. Out of this crucial conversation came an extreme life restructuring. Plus, 3 intentions we want to share with you:

Our BMW glove box holds a very special red journal, inscribed with all our previous family travel dates. Just this past year alone, we counted up 14 road trips. Our list is inspired by Charles Lindbergh, who inked his own list right onto a drawer bottom inside his Airstream trailer. We spotted it in the Henry Ford Museum during our Michigan trip.

Traveling is one of our favorite pastimes together. My husband grew up traveling often with his family. I, on the other hand, was born with an adventurous urge that only grew stronger while couped up in Small Town America.

Why We’re Fired up About Travel

According to Steve, travel, more than any other aspect of his childhood, solidified the relationships in his family. In fact, research shows that shared adventures deepen the connection we feel with others. We definitely want to replicate that enduring bond with our kids. This will not just happen on it’s own. It’s born out of our intentionality! Time, like money, can slip through your fingers without a solid plan of how to invest it. This is why we prioritize our family first and get fired up for adventure.

Four years ago, our family life was much different than it is today. We lived as though we had an obligation to stay Addicted to Busy, with Adrienne and Addison in tow. It gradually took its toll, until our family was in a lurch. So, we took stock and resolved to back out of over-commitment and anything that felt hectic. We made purposeful steps to define our vision and direction once again. Here is the 5 most brilliantly impacted areas of our lifestyle.