A FAMILY IS FAITH — Believing in God as the Supreme Being, believing in each other in thought and expression, and believing in one's self as being worthwhile and capable.

A FAMILY IS SHARING — Each member sharing with all the others their lives, their thoughts, their efforts, their wealth, and their love.

A FAMILY IS DISCIPLINE — Not just spanking the young'uns for acting up, but Mamma, and Daddy, Brother, and Sister, all learning what is right and doing it no matter what it is.

A FAMILY IS WISDOM — It is learning from past experience how to make future blessings. And it carefully weighing each moment to gain the most benefit for everyone in every situation.

A FAMILY IS GROWING — Growing bodies in little ones, and growing minds in everyone. Growing love, growing wisdom, and growing close.

A FAMILY IS JOY — Not that in the family everything is always happy, but happy that everything is always in the family.

A FAMILY IS WORK — Every person has a job to do and is expected to do that job knowing that all will benefit from the work of each one.

A FAMILY IS PLAY — Making time to have fun and be silly, time to run and laugh, and time to wish and dream.

A FAMILY IS STRENGTH — One person alone is seldom strong. Together there is energy — synergy — to pull whatever the load, and to face all of the enemies. Together the joy is multiplied and the sorrow is divided.

A FAMILY IS SATISFACTION — It is getting those things we really need in life and being content with the things that we get. It is realizing there is so much more than just the things in life.

A FAMILY IS FORGIVING — Knowing that everyone makes some mistakes and some more than others, but when they are corrected, they are over and forgotten. And then most of all …

A FAMILY IS LOVE — It is that special feeling when in each other's presence, the warmth, the joy, the pleasure. But even more, it is the knowing there is care, concern, and having each other's back. Yes, that has to be that from which all the others come. A FAMILY IS LOVE!!!

Children's Influence Upon Parents by Bill Hall
Children can influence their parents just as parents can influence their children. The following story about an imaginary couple may have been duplicated in the lives of many of our readers.

George and Mary were a wonderful couple as they began their life together. Throughout their youth they had received strong teaching concerning worldliness, and their conduct showed the effects of that teaching. They had been taught faithfulness in attendance, and they never missed a service for "anything." In character and conviction, they were blameless.

This young couple failed, however, to instill into the hearts of their children these same convictions. Consequently, as the children reached their teens, they began to put pressure on their parents to let them do what all the other young people were doing. Gradually the will of the parents was broken down, and they began to permit their children to do things they never dreamed their children would ever do.

Rationalization came easy for George and Mary. "After all, the Bible is not specific in these matters," they thought. "The Bible says 'modest apparel', but it doesn't define modesty." "And, they're only planning to go to the dance; they aren't planning to dance." "We can't say 'no' to everything," they said. When Junior began to show unusual athletic ability, the question of attending services became a problem. At first they took Junior out of games and brought him to midweek services, but then the team began to depend more and more on him. The play-offs came, and the team's only hope in the plays-offs was for Junior to play. George and Mary gave in. And once they had given in, they had no more argument for the future. Junior never missed another game to "go to church."

George and Mary often found themselves on the defensive in Bible classes. They began to argue for their children's behavior. And, the more accustomed they became to their children's actions, the more innocent their actions seemed to be. Eventually, their own conduct became affected. They reached the point where they thought nothing of missing Friday night during a meeting to see "Junior" play ball. Mary even adopted some of the daughter's dress habits, although remaining sufficiently "discreet" to stay in good graces of the brethren. Yes, George and Mary are still in good standing in the church, and their change has been so gradual that many fail to realize that they are not the strong Christians they formerly were. What happened to George and Mary? Instead of bringing their children "up" in the nurture and admonition of the "Lord", their children brought them "down" in the nurture and admonition of the "devil".

Our children may do wrong, but they must not do wrong with our permission. We do not seek anger, but repentance. Parents, would your names fit in the place of "George" and "Mary" in the above story?

The man was a newcomer in town. On his first morning he went into the local restaurant for breakfast. Around a large round table was a group of locals eating breakfast, drinking coffee, and sharing stories and laughs. He could tell he didn't belong in that circle, so he quietly found a booth where he would eat alone. If one in that circle had gone over to him, introduced himself, and invited him to join the group, he might have accepted or politely declined, but he would have been impressed with the friendliness of the town into which he had moved and might have been inclined to return to the restaurant to speak again to the man who had befriended him.

On the Lord's Day, he went to worship with the church. As he walked in
he noticed several groups standing together, enjoying conversation. He could tell they were close friends who had known each other a long time. He was hesitant to join any of the groups, so he quietly went to seek out a place where he could worship. When he came to the first pew, however, it was filled with notebooks and Bibles, so he knew that seat was not for him. He went on to the next, but there was a line of footstools, and so it went until he found a place in the middle of a pew that seemed not to be "reserved." There were a few polite "hellos," but his reception was hardly better than it had been at the local restaurant. He "just didn't seem to belong."

Does the Bible not speak of some who "just didn't belong"? "My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, 'You sit here in a good place,' and say to the poor man, 'You stand there,' or, 'Sit here at my footstool,' have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?" (James 2:1-4). The poor man would know "he didn't belong in that group." But one does not have to be poor to feel that a group is not warmly receiving him.

Efforts to Correct the Problem

Some churches appoint "greeters" who stand at the door to welcome visitors. This no doubt is helpful. The visitor can recognize, however, that the "greeter," no matter how warm and friendly he may be, is fulfilling a role given to him. Consequently
his good work cannot substitute for spontaneous warmth, friendliness, and concern on the part of the congregation as a whole.

Others deliberately "dress down" so that a visitor who comes in casual clothes will not feel uncomfortable. We appreciate the thought and are very respectful of brethren who are doing this, but we wonder about the effectiveness of this practice. After all, there are people who have been taught from childhood that when they go to worship, they should wear their "Sunday best," and when they find the whole group dressed in jeans, they might wonder about their disregard for the occasion. We would also ask:

If a man in a suit showed genuine warmth to a visitor in jeans, would his warmth not communicate that he doesn't judge others by the clothes they wear?

The Answer: Genuine Concern for Others

An incident that occurred several years ago provides the best answer. A young lady, a member of a denomination, had married a Christian. Having promised to attend services with him, she found a seat and immediately said, "I wonder whose seat we have." "You don't have anyone's seat," the lady seated in front of her said, "You are welcome here and you can sit anywhere you like." "My heart just melted," the young lady told me later. Is it surprising that a few months later she was baptized? Her husband now serves as a deacon.

Concern for others! Counting others better than ourselves (Phil. 2:3-4)! Leaving our little group of friends to welcome a visitor! Even going up to a visitor whom we see in the parking area, introducing ourselves, welcoming him, and introducing him to others! Giving up our "end of the pew" seat so the visitor doesn't have to crawl over us. This is the answer.

By the way, our newcomer learned of another faithful church in town and went to worship with them the next Sunday. He was welcomed warmly and he soon asked to be received in the group. And the first church wonders why the church across town is growing while they seem to be stagnant???