Images of kids crying in the backseat of your car, rushing through airports carrying entirely too much stuff or maybe some comedy movie on the topic quickly emerge when people think of “family vacation.” Obviously there are some negative aspects that cannot be ignored, but it is also a time to build memories.
Last night I spoke at our Word of Life Family Campground where families come for vacation with a purpose. I am sure they still had to endure some of the “rites of passage” such as crying kids in the backseat, but that was all trumped by what I saw last night.
I spend most of my time speaking to students or student leaders, but I love speaking at the Family Campground. I am always refreshed by seeing families taking in the Word of God together. The Family Campground has just the right blend of family meetings and age-specific meetings, producing a balanced program.
At the campfire service I was moved to tears when I gave the invitation. Families responded together and within a matter of moments they had encircled the campfire, heads bowed, broken before God. I was so blessed to be a part of the evening.
My goal with this blog is to share content that will “add value” to your life. Today I was scheduled to discuss an article about teen behavior and punishment, but my heart is overflowing from the service last night and I just had to share it with you.
Learning, growing and building memories together as a family should not be optional; it should be intentional. What are some of the things you are doing to strengthen your family?
Years ago when my wife and I were first married we wanted to take a short vacation during the summer. It never happened. We got busy doing things together with others but never found the time to get away by ourselves. Ever since we make sure during the summer to begin planning next summer's vacation and lock in a date on the calendar. Now that we are parents we make sure we plan time to spend together with just our family. We will always love doing things with others but we also have to remember to be intentional about the time we spend with each other.