Thanksgiving is a strange holiday.
It shouldn't be. The concept is so powerful: a holiday to say thanks to God. It's existence is based on the fact that people are most thankful when times are the worst. It was during the Revolutionary War that the Continental Congress announced a day of Thanksgiving for the colonists. Likewise, during the Civil War President Lincoln declared a day of Thanksgiving for Americans. And it was during the second World War that President Roosevelt set the date of the holiday as the third Thursday of November -- at the time of great national crisis.
After the War, the holiday was morphed into another kind of day entirely.
There are three things that now mark Thanksgiving: food, family, and football. While these are not bad in themselves, they have created harm in that they have taken the place of giving thanks to God. Sure, there may be a prayer before the meal, but none of us can claim that this is the focus of the thoughts of the majority of Americans.
However, if we can recognize it, the trio of food, family, and football can actually be avenues that lead us to the acknowledging of God.
The sumptuous food we eat at Thanksgiving is created by God. The Lord provides the sun, the soil, the rain, and the seed that produce our vegetables. God even created turkeys! Each bite we take at our Thanksgivng meal we should think of the truth that "this is the gift of God."
When our family gathers together, we should consider that families are made by God. He brings husbands and wives together. He is the Creator of each child who comes into this world. He places the lonely into families, where they find acceptance. We honor God if at Thanksgiving, as we look across the room at our gathered family, we think on the truth that this is God's doing.
And then football. Three things characterize football: physical ability, competiveness, and fun. Though we often miss it, these things are from God. He is pleased when we develop dexterity, when we work to excel, and when we enjoy life. If we could just see that God is not against fun, as long as we do not transgress what's holy. As we cheer, groan, and declare what our strategy would have been, we have to remind ourselves that God laughs in pleasure at our enjoyment.
Every event in our lives can be a moment of Thanksgiving. When we recognize that and live that, we are truly thankful people. It's not just Thanksgiving, it's Thanks Living.
Dale Travis

We now move the focus in our messages from the family to other subjects. The next area of attention is WORSHIP. This is a great subject to explore at Christmas time. Surely we all know our response to the birth of Jesus should be our worship of Him. I am currently in the process of reading every passage in the Bible that speaks on Worship. It's a computer printout of a hundred pages. But I want to know your thoughts on Worship. Why do we worship? What is your favorite worship experience? Do we worship in preaching, communion, or even listening to K-LOVE on the radio? What worship songs do you love? And how does worship change us?
We know that the angels were worshiping God long before the world was created. And we will still be worshiping God long after this world is gone. While we're still on earth, we want to get it right regarding Worship.
So think about it, pray about it, see what scripture says. We will love to read your comments.
Dale Travis

Now we come to the last message in the sermon series "Family Blog." We have talked about TRUST, TIME, TALK, TRAIN, TASKS, and now, we deal with the toughest one of all, TOUCH.
One of the most challenging parts of family relationships is affection. It's not that family members don't feel it, they just aren't always sure how to show it. For many men, for example, simply saying the words "I love you" runs into an emotional barrier. For others, the problem may be giving hugs, or a kiss, or any kind of touch at all.
The most amazing thing is to look into the stories of Jesus and see that He was a man of touch. And He often touched those whom others thought of as "untouchable." Jesus touched the leper whom all others avoided with fear. He touched the eyes of the blind man and gave him sight. He touched the ears of the deaf and they could hear. He touched the woman with the hemorrhage and she was made well.
Families need to practice TOUCH, both literally and emotionally. Does yours?
Why is showing affection a difficult thing, or is it?
Why is saying "I love you" so seldom done in families, or is it?
And why is intimacy between a husband and wife often an expression of selfishness and not love?
We're not always comfortable talking about these things, but these problems are widespread. I would love to read your thoughts. Remember, many others will read your words too - we are having about 400 hits a week on this website. Some of your comments I will share in the services this weekend. And by writing your comments, you will be thinking through some of the key issues. Thank-you!!
Dale Travis

TASKS are a key part of growing up -- and continuing in the adult years.
Here are 7 practical suggestions that can help you in teaching your children to do chores.

1. Make clear what kids are to do.
2. Don't bribe your kids to do chores.
3. Don't use chores as a punishment.
4. Assign specific chores to specific kids.
5. Reward when they go "beyond duty."
6. Celebrate life with your kids.
7. Be a role model -- do your part also!

Now maybe you have some additional thoughts on this. Feel free to post those. Thank-you!
Dale Travis

The word for the week is TASKS. Like chores. Work. Doing your part.
I believe that the family is the arena for learning to do tasks. It's a toddler picking up his toys. It's a first grader hanging up her clothes at the end of the day. It's the 11th grader cleaning out the car. It's mowing, dusting, doing dishes, painting a room. Family and Tasks just go together.
But what if your spouse or your child won't do their job? How do we motivate them? Is it fair to pay? Is it wise to nag? And really, what is the benefit of doing tasks anyway? Does picking up the dirty socks today have any bearing on the kind of mother your little girl will be 30 years from now?
And should we enforce the Bible passage in our home: "Those who do not work will not eat"?
Think about it all and give us your thoughts. Many will be coming to this blog in the next few days, and your words will speak to them. Some of the comments will be included next weekend in the message.
You guys are awesome, and I look forward to reading what you have to write. I read Family Blog every day.
Dale Travis

In our Family Blog series we have focused on 3 key words: Trust, Time, and Talk.
This week we consider the word TRAIN. This means teaching, discipline, shaping another person's life in a way that is best. The word of God says, "Train up a child in the way he should go..." But how do we know "the way he should go?" And how do we train the child? Do we rebuke? Should we ground a child? Or what about "time-out?" And even tougher, what about paddling? Society says that is child abuse, yet it seems that children who are paddled are more obedient and live more productive lives. And there is one issue that is so hard to explain: the child who was taught and trained by godly parents but who rebelled anyway and has only brought sorrow to the parents' lives. So we ask.....is there a fool-proof method of raising a child? Can we prevent rebellion before it happens?
What comes to your heart on this issue? Have you experienced success.... or failure? Do you feel the need for greater wisdom here? What have you tried that worked? Should Christians accept the philosophy of modern society in how we train our children?
Post your comments, and we will share some of these in the message next weekend at Family Life. Your comments in past weeks have been excellent, and we look forward to reading them this week.
Dale Travis

Let's talk about TALK. Call it COMMUNICATION. When the members of a family feel free to talk among themselves, there is greater peace, acceptance, and even love. Trust grows. Security develops. Many families, though, are not comfortable talking together. Members of these families are afraid of the risk of stating their opinion, sharing what hurts them, opening up about their plans and dreams, or even telling about a funny thing that happened to them. Sometimes in a family one person wants to talk, but others don't talk and won't listen. Our words reveal our heart, and there are throbbings of the heart that must be made known. How about your family? Do you talk? Is it easy to say what you think? What have been the benefits of opening up with each other? Have you ever wished you hadn't spoken? Give us your comments. They will be read by many others who come to this blog. And some of these will be shared in the message at Family Life next weekend. Thank-you. You guys are awesome!

Dale Travis

Time as a Family Struggle

Time, or the lack of it, is one of the major realities for families. You know that. You know the pain of unfinished projects -- and unfinished relationships. You have wondered how life ever became so complicated, when all you really wanted was a spouse and several kids and winter evenings playing together and summer days running across the park. And now it's the rush and the dash and the fast food and the clock. Let's share with each other our experiences regarding time. Where does your family struggle in this? What seems to make it worse? How have you learned to make it better? What answers are you still looking for? We will be sharing some of your thoughts in services this weekend at Family Life. I look forward to your comments.

Dale Travis

Let’s talk about TRUST in a family, especially HOW TO REBUILD TRUST..

Broken trust is like a broken porcelain vase: very, very difficult to restore. The norm is for the family to continue to have doubts and suspicions for a long time. A cloud remains in the relationship, perhaps for years. There are some wise steps to take, however, that can make the best of the circumstance. Let’s look at this from the perspective of the one who has broken trust.

1. Confess the wrong to God and family. Confession brings a cleansing. We feel the lifting of the burden from our hearts. By confessing to our family (not necessarily to everyone in our family), we are owning up to the wrong we did and taking responsibility for it. This is necessary for our own spiritual and emotional welfare, but it is also the planting of a seed of trust that can grow.

2. Focus on growth. After you have confessed, you need to exert every effort to grow in spirit. You need to commit fully to being in the Word each day, to a consistent prayer life, and to a church family. Practice a walk with the Lord each day. Remember, your goal is spiritual maturity. Growth does two things: You become stronger and better able to overcome temptation; and, secondly, your family sees the direction of your life and is reassured that you have changed.

3. Communicate regularly with your family. Specifically, talk with the person you have hurt most. This includes talking about your desire to do what’s right, what you are doing to maintain your character, and how you are dealing with temptation. These conversations should be open and honest. They should not be a rehashing of the previous wrong that you did in the past, but of your commitment to being responsible now.

4. Be patient and understanding. Hurt heals slowly, and you have to allow the person time to gradually recover. Do not become angry if they do not heal as rapidly as you think they should. Remember, they did not create this situation. Encourage them and assure them you do not blame them for still having doubts.

5. Bathe your family with prayer. You want God’s healing for your family. You want God to guard you from anything that will destroy you. You want your family to be close. Prayer brings God and His power to work on your behalf. Pray fervently, and God will do great things in your home!

Dale Travis

Welcome to our first post on Family Blog.

You know that the family may be the #1 battlefield in the world. What is intended by God to be a refuge - a place of rest - has become instead the harbor of anger, strife, competition, mistrust, and revenge. The home today is a deadly place. People tell me often that their home is the last place they want to be. How can that be?

I believe that there are three primary reasons for this:
1. There is no leadership in most homes. Husbands fail to provide spiritual leadership, and wives either will not or can not take up the slack. When men become men of God and provide the godly leadership that God expects, families will be wandering aimlessly with no sense of purpose.
2. Most families have lost the traditional values that grow out of the Word of God. When fathers and mothers do not place a high value on the Word of God, children will grow up thinking life is all about themselves. There has to be a return to learning God's values and living them for the Lord's honor.
3. We are a selfish generation. We view life as a pursuit of pleasure and personal satisfaction, with everyone else our competitors. We don't care what others want; we simple pursue what we want. Inevitably, family members will come into conflict, because their cravings will run counter to those of others.

"Family Blog" is an effort to bring healing to the family. We want to explore what God says about the family, and how we should apply those truths to today. We welcome your response. Share with us what God is showing you, what is working in your family, and past mistakes that you have learned from.

Until next time, for the family, I am Dale Travis.