August 15, 2025 • 12 mins
In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to get caught up in our busy lives and forget what truly matters. But at the end of the day, FAMILY is the foundation of our existence. They are our support system, our guiding light, and our safe haven. So, do we prioritize family enough in our lives? Join us as we explore the importance of family and why they should always come first. Whether you're a parent, sibling, or family member, this video is for you. Tune in and let's discuss why FAMILY matters most in life!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey friends, I'm Jonathan Smith and this is Jumped In
with Jonathan, the podcast that makes you think, smile and
take action. Are you ready to jump in this show
with me? Let's go. Welcome to Jump In with Jonathan.
I'm your host, Jonathan Smith. Today we're talking about something
that touches every single one of us, and that is
(00:24):
one word. Family. Now, when you hear the word family,
you might picture people you grew up with, your spouse
and your kids, or maybe the close friends who feel
like family. Whatever your experience, family plays a huge role
in shaping who you are and how you navigate life.
(00:46):
In this episode, we'll explore wise family so important, what
it gives us that nothing else can, and how to
strengthen those bonds who notice this in our busy and
modern world. Why does family matter? Why would you say
(01:06):
family matters? Do you? If I ask one hundred people
why family matters, I would get one hundred different a'swers.
So I wrote down several things why family matters to me?
Family matters because number one, they're a foundation for life.
Family ninety nine percent of the time is our first classroom.
We learn values, habits, communication, and resilience from family. When
(01:33):
you think about your family, Think about your mom, your dad,
your brother, your sister. Think about things that you have
learned for them. Whether they be good things or whether
they be bad things, but they are things that you
can learn from. Either you want to do them or
you don't want to do them, whether you go down
a path or whether you don't go down a path.
(01:53):
You have used your family as a classroom. When I
also think about family, and not I do. I think
about the foundation for life, but there's a sens of belonging.
Every human today is looking for connection and needs connection.
A healthy family and a true family offers acceptance, an
unconditional love, support and help when you need it. I'm
(02:22):
grateful for my family. There's been things that I had
faced in my family and I knew my family disagreed
with it, but they always loved me. They always cared
for me, they always supported me, and when I needed help,
they were there to help me. In a world full
of uncertainty, our family can be our safety net. There
(02:44):
are times that we get ready to make a decision
and we talk it over with our friends and we
get their opinions, but a lot of times we go
back to our family because we want to know how
they feel about it. Our family also connects us to
our history, our culture, and our traditions. There are good traditions,
(03:10):
there is good history, and there's bad traditions, and there's
bad history in every single family. But that is who
our identity is, that is what our heritage is. And
then there's emotional health inside of our family. A strong
family ties or link to lower stress, better mental health,
(03:33):
and a longer life expectancy. When I think about my family,
my family always laughs and has a good time when
we're together. We always are lifting each other up. We
try not to tear each other down. We try not
to argue, we try not to bicker, we try not
to complain. We try to keep the emotional health of
the family in uplifted spirits because that's better for all
(03:58):
of us. There's family in different forms of life. There's
not just biological family, but there's chosen families, close friends, mentors,
or communities that's just as significant. I personally have what
I call a second mom and a second dad in
my life, and I love them. Even though they're not
(04:19):
my biological parents, I still respect them like they're my
biological parents. I care for them like they're my biological parents.
And then I look at something that's becoming more and
more and more common today as blended families. I personally
have a blended family. We have step parents, step siblings,
adopted family members that enrich are understanding the love beyond DNA.
(04:41):
Just because someone else's kids aren't blood related to me,
I still love them. I still care for them as
if they were my own. That is part of being
a stepfather. That is part of giving them a heritage,
in giving them an identity that they can look back
and say, even though there wasn't my real mom or
my real dad, they still loved me as their own.
(05:08):
There's intergenerational families, the wisdom of grandparents and elders that
that has no price tag. And when I say has
no value or no price tag, man, I would love
to be able to go back and sit down and
talk to my grandma's and my grandpas and learn, and
I would like to hear what their take on is
(05:29):
everything going on today in today's society, in today's world
compared to how it was back in the days when
they grew up. I would love to be able to
go back and ask them what should I do? Different
in my life? What can I do different in my life? Man,
I would love to get some of their advice in
some of their opinions, but now they're gone and I
can't go back to them and ask them those questions.
(05:52):
Then there's the benefits of a strong family. All of
us need a strong family. There's emotional support, a safe
place that you can express your feelings without judgment. Every
family should be that way. Unfortunately, not every family is
that way. I have as a and a lot of
(06:13):
you know, I pastor, but as a pastor, as a coach,
as a mentor, as all of these different titles that
I have as a podcast host. When I meet new
people and I talk to new people, when I interview
new people, when I go on to be interviewed by
other people, one thing that I want to be able
to give is a I want to be a safe
(06:34):
place that people can open up and talk to me
and I not judge them. And today you and I
should be You should be the same way. Christ And
I'm not trying to be biblicallyar but Jesus said he
didn't come into the world to condemn the world. And
if Jesus didn't come into this world to condemn the world,
Then what gives you and I the right to condemn
people in this world as well? Then there shares shared
(06:59):
experiences in our family, memories that become a part of
your life story. Man, there are memories that I've made
with my best friend, who I consider a brother. There's
memories that me and have made, and we in him
can hear certain words, we can hear certain certain things,
we can be talking about certain subjects. Everybody's looking at
us like we're crazy, But we have that shared connection
(07:21):
and memories that has become a part of our life story.
And we laugh about it and we and we go
on and we move on about it. Then there's life
skills that comes from our family. There's problem solving, conflict resolution,
and responsibility. Then there's legacy building in our family, values
(07:41):
and lessons that pass down through generations. I am the
third generation pat of preachers on my dad's side of
the family. That is not something that I chose to do.
That is something that God chose me to do. You
and I've accepted that calling, but I'm praying that it
(08:05):
passes down to the next generation in my family. Challenges
that our families face today Oftentimes we face busy schedules,
so it's hard for us to make quality time. Let
me give you all a piece of advice today. Take
one day a week, one evening a week. When I
say one day, one evening a week, thirty minutes, forty
(08:28):
five minutes, shut off all of the devices, shut off
the TV, and just sit and talk to your family
and appreciate them. Distraction free conflicts and misunderstandings. Learning to
navigate differences. That is hard because not everybody responds in
(08:48):
the same way. Geographic distance, staying connected across the miles.
My sister lives six hours away from me, my son
lives five hours away from me, and FaceTime phone calls.
Never take those for granted. I look forward every day
with my little boy face times me. I look forward
(09:10):
to when my sister calls me. You know why, because
we have to stay connected. Generational differences, balance and old
traditions with new perspectives. Me and my dad talking about
pastor and we pastor two different ways. Me and my
dad preach two different styles, but at the end of
the day, we believe that man is saved by grace
(09:33):
through faith plus deuth and minus nothing. And when we
think about that. We may have differences in traditions, and
we may have differences in new perspectives, but at the
end of the day, we find common ground to agree.
So how am I going to strengthen my family time?
(09:53):
How am I going to strengthen my relationships and my family?
Prioritize your time together, practice empathy, understand each other's point
of vieuse celebrate milestone's birthdays, anniversaries, small victories, support individual growth,
encourage each other's dreams. Keep communication open. Listen more than
(10:20):
you talk. You have two ears and one mouth. That
means you're supposed to listen more, to twice as more,
or to twice as much as you talk. Make memories,
plan trips, game nights, and traditions that bring joy. I
(10:42):
want you to know today that family isn't perfect. It
can be messy, it can be challenging, and it can
be complicated, but also the most consistent. But also it
can be the most consistent, grounding and life giving relationship
will ever have. Whether it's the family you were born
into or the one that you built along the way,
(11:05):
take time to appreciate it, nurture it, and invest in it,
because those connections are worth more than anything else in life.
Family first, thanks for joining me today. If this conversation
(11:27):
reminded you of someone in your family, send them a
quick text, give them a call, or make a plan
to see them soon. Don't forget to follow Jump in
with Jonathan for more conversations that inspire and connect us.
Until next time, take care of yourself and take care
(11:50):
of each other until we jump in again. Thank you
for listening to today's episode on Jumping with John and
keep in mind that life is better when you jump
in and have a blessed gut
Hey friends, I'm Jonathan Smith and this is Jumped In
with Jonathan, the podcast that makes you think, smile and
take action. Are you ready to jump in this show
with me? Let's go. Welcome to Jump In with Jonathan.
I'm your host, Jonathan Smith. Today we're talking about something
that touches every single one of us, and that is
(00:24):
one word. Family. Now, when you hear the word family,
you might picture people you grew up with, your spouse
and your kids, or maybe the close friends who feel
like family. Whatever your experience, family plays a huge role
in shaping who you are and how you navigate life.
(00:46):
In this episode, we'll explore wise family so important, what
it gives us that nothing else can, and how to
strengthen those bonds who notice this in our busy and
modern world. Why does family matter? Why would you say
(01:06):
family matters? Do you? If I ask one hundred people
why family matters, I would get one hundred different a'swers.
So I wrote down several things why family matters to me?
Family matters because number one, they're a foundation for life.
Family ninety nine percent of the time is our first classroom.
We learn values, habits, communication, and resilience from family. When
(01:33):
you think about your family, Think about your mom, your dad,
your brother, your sister. Think about things that you have
learned for them. Whether they be good things or whether
they be bad things, but they are things that you
can learn from. Either you want to do them or
you don't want to do them, whether you go down
a path or whether you don't go down a path.
(01:53):
You have used your family as a classroom. When I
also think about family, and not I do. I think
about the foundation for life, but there's a sens of belonging.
Every human today is looking for connection and needs connection.
A healthy family and a true family offers acceptance, an
unconditional love, support and help when you need it. I'm
(02:22):
grateful for my family. There's been things that I had
faced in my family and I knew my family disagreed
with it, but they always loved me. They always cared
for me, they always supported me, and when I needed help,
they were there to help me. In a world full
of uncertainty, our family can be our safety net. There
(02:44):
are times that we get ready to make a decision
and we talk it over with our friends and we
get their opinions, but a lot of times we go
back to our family because we want to know how
they feel about it. Our family also connects us to
our history, our culture, and our traditions. There are good traditions,
(03:10):
there is good history, and there's bad traditions, and there's
bad history in every single family. But that is who
our identity is, that is what our heritage is. And
then there's emotional health inside of our family. A strong
family ties or link to lower stress, better mental health,
(03:33):
and a longer life expectancy. When I think about my family,
my family always laughs and has a good time when
we're together. We always are lifting each other up. We
try not to tear each other down. We try not
to argue, we try not to bicker, we try not
to complain. We try to keep the emotional health of
the family in uplifted spirits because that's better for all
(03:58):
of us. There's family in different forms of life. There's
not just biological family, but there's chosen families, close friends, mentors,
or communities that's just as significant. I personally have what
I call a second mom and a second dad in
my life, and I love them. Even though they're not
(04:19):
my biological parents, I still respect them like they're my
biological parents. I care for them like they're my biological parents.
And then I look at something that's becoming more and
more and more common today as blended families. I personally
have a blended family. We have step parents, step siblings,
adopted family members that enrich are understanding the love beyond DNA.
(04:41):
Just because someone else's kids aren't blood related to me,
I still love them. I still care for them as
if they were my own. That is part of being
a stepfather. That is part of giving them a heritage,
in giving them an identity that they can look back
and say, even though there wasn't my real mom or
my real dad, they still loved me as their own.
(05:08):
There's intergenerational families, the wisdom of grandparents and elders that
that has no price tag. And when I say has
no value or no price tag, man, I would love
to be able to go back and sit down and
talk to my grandma's and my grandpas and learn, and
I would like to hear what their take on is
(05:29):
everything going on today in today's society, in today's world
compared to how it was back in the days when
they grew up. I would love to be able to
go back and ask them what should I do? Different
in my life? What can I do different in my life? Man,
I would love to get some of their advice in
some of their opinions, but now they're gone and I
can't go back to them and ask them those questions.
(05:52):
Then there's the benefits of a strong family. All of
us need a strong family. There's emotional support, a safe
place that you can express your feelings without judgment. Every
family should be that way. Unfortunately, not every family is
that way. I have as a and a lot of
(06:13):
you know, I pastor, but as a pastor, as a coach,
as a mentor, as all of these different titles that
I have as a podcast host. When I meet new
people and I talk to new people, when I interview
new people, when I go on to be interviewed by
other people, one thing that I want to be able
to give is a I want to be a safe
(06:34):
place that people can open up and talk to me
and I not judge them. And today you and I
should be You should be the same way. Christ And
I'm not trying to be biblicallyar but Jesus said he
didn't come into the world to condemn the world. And
if Jesus didn't come into this world to condemn the world,
Then what gives you and I the right to condemn
people in this world as well? Then there shares shared
(06:59):
experiences in our family, memories that become a part of
your life story. Man, there are memories that I've made
with my best friend, who I consider a brother. There's
memories that me and have made, and we in him
can hear certain words, we can hear certain certain things,
we can be talking about certain subjects. Everybody's looking at
us like we're crazy, But we have that shared connection
(07:21):
and memories that has become a part of our life story.
And we laugh about it and we and we go
on and we move on about it. Then there's life
skills that comes from our family. There's problem solving, conflict resolution,
and responsibility. Then there's legacy building in our family, values
(07:41):
and lessons that pass down through generations. I am the
third generation pat of preachers on my dad's side of
the family. That is not something that I chose to do.
That is something that God chose me to do. You
and I've accepted that calling, but I'm praying that it
(08:05):
passes down to the next generation in my family. Challenges
that our families face today Oftentimes we face busy schedules,
so it's hard for us to make quality time. Let
me give you all a piece of advice today. Take
one day a week, one evening a week. When I
say one day, one evening a week, thirty minutes, forty
(08:28):
five minutes, shut off all of the devices, shut off
the TV, and just sit and talk to your family
and appreciate them. Distraction free conflicts and misunderstandings. Learning to
navigate differences. That is hard because not everybody responds in
(08:48):
the same way. Geographic distance, staying connected across the miles.
My sister lives six hours away from me, my son
lives five hours away from me, and FaceTime phone calls.
Never take those for granted. I look forward every day
with my little boy face times me. I look forward
(09:10):
to when my sister calls me. You know why, because
we have to stay connected. Generational differences, balance and old
traditions with new perspectives. Me and my dad talking about
pastor and we pastor two different ways. Me and my
dad preach two different styles, but at the end of
the day, we believe that man is saved by grace
(09:33):
through faith plus deuth and minus nothing. And when we
think about that. We may have differences in traditions, and
we may have differences in new perspectives, but at the
end of the day, we find common ground to agree.
So how am I going to strengthen my family time?
(09:53):
How am I going to strengthen my relationships and my family?
Prioritize your time together, practice empathy, understand each other's point
of vieuse celebrate milestone's birthdays, anniversaries, small victories, support individual growth,
encourage each other's dreams. Keep communication open. Listen more than
(10:20):
you talk. You have two ears and one mouth. That
means you're supposed to listen more, to twice as more,
or to twice as much as you talk. Make memories,
plan trips, game nights, and traditions that bring joy. I
(10:42):
want you to know today that family isn't perfect. It
can be messy, it can be challenging, and it can
be complicated, but also the most consistent. But also it
can be the most consistent, grounding and life giving relationship
will ever have. Whether it's the family you were born
into or the one that you built along the way,
(11:05):
take time to appreciate it, nurture it, and invest in it,
because those connections are worth more than anything else in life.
Family first, thanks for joining me today. If this conversation
(11:27):
reminded you of someone in your family, send them a
quick text, give them a call, or make a plan
to see them soon. Don't forget to follow Jump in
with Jonathan for more conversations that inspire and connect us.
Until next time, take care of yourself and take care
(11:50):
of each other until we jump in again. Thank you
for listening to today's episode on Jumping with John and
keep in mind that life is better when you jump
in and have a blessed gut
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