Family

F - Forgiving
A - Always there for you
M - Memories
I - Inspirational
L - Loving
Y - Yours to claim

I was sitting here thinking as my daughter has grown up an is now at college, dating and at the stage that marriage is possibly in her future. Then as my oldest boy will be graduating from High School in just over a yr. Our middle child is 2 yrs from graduating, that family is really special, or it should be!

I know of people who say bad things about their family and who never talk to this parent or sibling because of this or that. Now since I don't know all details and because I'm not God, I can't say a whole lot. However God created the thing we call Marriage, and it is meant to be between a Man and Woman and NO other combination. God made it where man is attracted to woman and vise versa. The bed is to be undefiled and is to be enjoyed by a husband and wife.

Children are special also, they are gift from God, loaned to us to raise and train in the way of the Lord. I have never understood how a child can blame God, mom or dad for they way they are. God made us each unique individuals and we are to accept that. I also have never understood why a wife would be critical of her husband to everyone but God. After all God knows all go to him, he's the ONLY one that change your husband. This is the same for the husband if there's a problem with your wife don't go complaining to the people at work, take it to God.

Now before I go further none of this happened to me where I felt I needed to say something. I just was going through things and found a few special treasures from my daughter that really got me to thinking about family.

Now, I know there are couples without children, and I will be honest. I hurt for you not knowing the thrill of raising a child from birth. I can't say I understand how you feel, because I don't. I'm excited for those who God allowed to adopt and make that child their own. Let me just say, God is in control and he knows your heart ache and he knows that woman desires to mother. I have a very special friend, and if she reads this she'll know it's her, but this friend doesn't have children of her own, but she has I dare to say 50 or more "children" who LOVE her. Why? She took that love of a mother and through her baby sitting, and working in nursery's and things gave her love to others children. In a way, I would say she has a family that is very large and that LOVES her dearly! I know of at least 3 families that think the world of her! Yes we (all 3 families) have moved away but we ALL LOVE her!!

So how do you look at your family? Do you see that sister as a pain? Do you think mom and dad are crazy in the way they raise/raised you? Do you LOVE them? Lets rather than pulling away from family put forth the effort to pull them closer to us.

When you look at the word F-A-M-I-L-Y what do you see?
F- fearful or Forgiving
A -Anger or Always there for you
M - Mean or Memories
I - Insensitive or Inspirational
L - Lethal in the speech or Loving
Y - Yearning to get away from them or Yours to claim

Just a thought for us today.
...as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.
What God hath put together let no man put asunder.
Marriage is of God!!
Children are of God!!
Family should have the Holy Spirit as the center of their home!!