Making Biblical Family Life Practical Hal Young and Melanie Young

Jews and Christians are known in many cultures as "The People of the Book." Our faith is grounded on the truth of God's word! But there is a definite history of how that word was given, recorded, and distributed over the centuries. This episode, recorded at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., we're talking about teaching your family about that history and the reliability of the text we have today!





Resources We Recommend

Josh McDowell, More Than A Carpenter

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

It's summertime, and like many families, we're on vacation! Our annual trip to the lake is a tremendous encouragement after all the travel and work of conference season. You know what else is encouraging? To realize the Bible supports the idea!



God established a pattern of work and rest from the very beginning - creating the world in six days and ceasing His work on the seventh. It was a matter of civil law in the Old Testament, but Jesus explained that the day of rest was a blessing given to man.



In the Gospels, Jesus took His disciples aside for a time of rest after a strenuous period of ministry. (Not unlike our vacation!) And sometimes special occasions would call for a pause in the daily routine - like a wedding.



So there are examples in the Bible of doing just this - taking time off work and doing something different. It's meant to restore our strength and courage for the tasks we return to. It may be a time to relax, or a time to do something active - but a change from our regular work.

WHAT SHOULD IT LOOK LIKE?

"Vacation" doesn't have to be a multi-thousand-dollar cruise or resort stay. We've done all kinds of things on a tight budget (raising eight kids on one income, and part of that time in ministry!).



* "Daycations" - go visit nearby museums, state parks, or other places you might have overlooked

* Camping - We have literally camped across the U.S., in tents - no RVs! National Forest campgrounds are inexpensive and they've always been well-maintained. And you don't need a lot of fancy equipment - we found when we camped often while traveling, we got to be minimalists with our gear. (It's not cheating for Mom and Dad to have an air mattress, though)

* Business trips - Often our whole family went with Dad on training and meeting travel. While he was in class, the rest of the family visited historic sites, museums, and natural attractions.  Often, the company would cover the cost of gas instead of the airfare they expected!

* Add a few days to a college trip - We often did this when moving a student into or out of the dorms. You're already going there, why not enjoy the local places together?







 

SCRIPTURES WE REFERENCE

The pattern of work and rest was established before the Fall! 



Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day ... Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it ... (Genesis 2:1-3)



A weekly time of rest is a blessing to mankind



"The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." (Jesus, in Mark 2:27)



There are seasons when it is appropriate to set aside regular work



"When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, and bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken." (Deuteronomy 24:5)



Jesus saw the need for recuperation after extended work



Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. (Mark 6:30-32)

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Long Distances with Little Ones



Family Travel Hacks

"My son shows me disrespect." "How can I deal with the disrespect from our kids?" "What can I do to teach my children to be more respectful?" It's something we all have to deal with as parents, and yet it's hard - and some of us struggle more than we expected! This episode, we look at the very real question of respect - teaching our kids to show it, dealing with them when they don't, where this may be coming from, and what God expects from all of us!



Thank you to our episode sponsor, CTC Math.

 Are they ready for college?There's more than academics at stake!

This episode is Sponsored by CTC Math.



If your student is heading for college - next year or several years from now - of course you're going to pay attention to class work, transcripts, resumes and such. But as we're preparing our seventh student  this fall, we're thinking about a lot of things which never make it to a report card or CV - things like emotional maturity, spiritual development, and more.  This episode we're talking about those critically import matter which will be remembered long after the tassel is moved!

Other episodes to enjoy:



Top Skills for College

Best of Homschooling IRL: Affording College | Special Replay



 

A lot of Christian homes don't have experience with family devotions. Where do you even start? What's appropriate for our kids at their ages? This episode, we're following up our previous show about why to have devotions - now, we're looking at how!  Join us for some ideas that we've found really useful with our family of ten.

One of the most critical responsibilities of Christian parents is to teach our children to know and love the God we serve. One of the best ways is to have regular times of family worship and Bible study - but honestly, life is busy and kids are distracted and distracting, and it's just hard to stay on track. This episode we're being realistic and encouraging for real parents like you!