{"id":1721,"date":"2011-06-10T11:15:44","date_gmt":"2011-06-10T15:15:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.fbclafayette.org\/?p=1721"},"modified":"2011-12-12T09:27:11","modified_gmt":"2011-12-12T14:27:11","slug":"4-tips-for-a-great-family-vacation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/4-tips-for-a-great-family-vacation\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Tips for a Great Family Vacation"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Summer is here.\u00a0 The kids are out of school.\u00a0 You are getting ready for that family vacation.<\/p>\n

Here are a few tips to help you have a godly and wonderful family vacation.<\/p>\n

1. Provide a spiritual foundation before, during, and after your trip<\/h2>\n

Vacations are a break away from your normal routine, but vacations are not for breaking away from your relationship with the Lord.\u00a0 So before you head on vacation, remind yourself and your children that joy and satisfaction in this life come from a close walk with Jesus \u2013 not from the perfect family vacation.<\/p>\n

Before you leave, explain that on vacation \u201ceveryone wins but no one wins all the time.\u201d\u00a0 What I mean is that everyone in the family adopts a Philippians 2:3-4 attitude.\u00a0 There will be times when the oldest child gets his or her way, but there will be other times when the family does what mom or dad wants to do.\u00a0 Everyone is expected to consider others as more important than himself or herself.<\/p>\n

While on vacation, have Philippians 2:3-4 and 2:14 memorized.\u00a0 During those moments when you are tempted to think of only yourself or are tempted to complain, remind yourself of the Scriptures.\u00a0 Of course, it may be necessary to remind another person in your family as well!<\/p>\n

After vacation spend some time recounting all of the Lord\u2019s blessings and goodness to you.\u00a0 Even if all your plans did not work picture perfect, you can still rejoice in how the Lord helped you handle any and all challenges.<\/p>\n

2. Set the expectations along biblical guidelines rather than according to some euphoric standard<\/h2>\n

What I mean is that some people have such high expectations for vacation that they become incredibly discouraged and have zero fun while on vacation!\u00a0 They are so busy trying to get the next thing ready that they actually miss out on the fun.<\/p>\n

The expectations instead should involve things like:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. No matter what, we will find our joy in the Lord<\/li>\n
  2. We will thank the Lord and glorify him for all he allowed us to see, do, and experience<\/li>\n
  3. We will behave in a servant fashion to all the members of our family.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Personal aside:\u00a0 Our family was on vacation last week and one of our experiences fit into category #1.\u00a0 We accidently left the stroller at the restaurant we ate at for dinner.\u00a0 By the time we realized it, we had another 25 minute trip away from our destination to retrieve the stroller and return.\u00a0 In those early moments I was irritated.\u00a0 The temptation was to remain irritated and to ruin all the fun for me and others.\u00a0 Instead, I needed to see this 25 minute extra round trip as simply another way in which I could find my joy in the Lord.<\/p>\n

    3. Enjoy to the fullest all that God allows you to experience<\/h2>\n

    There was a very interesting \u201ctithe\u201d in the OT.\u00a0 It can be found in Deut 14:22-27.\u00a0 It was a tithe dedicated to enjoying God\u2019s wonderful blessings.\u00a0 Verse 26 is the most interesting of all, \u201cyou may spend the money for whatever your heart desires.\u201d\u00a0 There was a sense in which part of worship of the almighty God was celebrating and enjoying his bounty in our lives. (See my video post<\/a> about this.)<\/p>\n

    So while you are on vacation, enjoy it to the fullest.\u00a0 It is a gracious gift from your father.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    4. Prepare for vacation financially<\/h2>\n

    Costs for vacations can get out of hand.\u00a0 It is very easy to spend far more than you should on vacation.\u00a0 Let me encourage you to have your budget planned out.\u00a0 Have the money that is available ready to go.\u00a0 Do what we are all commanded to do in Luke 12:13-21 \u2013 be on guard against greed.\u00a0 Vacation is a time when it is easy to see income distinctions.\u00a0 Don\u2019t be greedy.<\/p>\n

    Greed will rob you of the joy found in experiencing God\u2019s blessings, and it will cause great pain when you begin seeing the bills.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Family vacations can be a wonderful experience.\u00a0 They can give you great joy and can be opportunities for you to glorify God in some very exciting ways.<\/p>\n

    We hope you have an awesome family vacation this summer!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Summer is here.\u00a0 The kids are out of school.\u00a0 You are getting ready for that family vacation. Here are a few tips to help you have a godly and wonderful family vacation. 1. 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