My random thoughts on family...

Family

Family is defined by Webster as a group of people living in one dwelling, usually under one leader or manager. Although this textbook definition may satisfy a typical spelling or vocabulary exercise, it falls far short of the implied meaning that I have come to believe. A family can be characterized as loud, as mine usually is, quiet, quirky, dysfunctional, fun, sober, disjointed, or unified. While thousands of other adjectives spring to mind in considering some families I know, I believe ALL families desire to be characterized by one particular word-LOVE. It is love that makes a house a home.  It is love that brings a group of people together to follow one goal or one purpose, not the warm, fuzzy love that junior high students experience when their crush notices them,  not the self-serving desire to completely control and posses someone, and not the words we so carelessly scribble on a note, email, or card. True love is a selfless sacrifice for the needs of another. It is the deliberate choice to lay aside one's own desires and dreams for the benefit of another. And most of all, love is the determination to do whatever is best for the recipient of that love, regardless of how hard it is,  how painful it feels, or how it makes one appear. It is the love family members share, the true love, that makes a family. Blood, beliefs, distance between us- nothing changes that love. Nothing hinders it, or stands in its way. I deliberately choose to love my family, and that means that wherever they are, whatever they've done, whenever they need me, I will give up anything I have, anything I want, or anything I believe I may need for their benefit. Do we truly love? Lord, give us the strength and determination to love those we call family, whether their blood holds our DNA or they just hold a portion of our hearts!

Blog? What's a blog?

"You should start a blog!" After hearing that a few times, my technologically-illiterate self decided to find out what my friends were referring to. I have had a Facebook page for a couple of years now, and always enjoy venting through the process of writing. I'm assuming that one too many friends got tired of reading my book-length updates, and encouraged me to try my hand at blogging. Upon researching the topic, I found that I was actually following a couple of blogs on my Facebook page! Aha! A blog might be fun. So, here goes my attempt. If I can decipher the magic code of which tabs to click when, I can share my random thought of life. Whether they are worthy of reading is yet to be determined, but I will promise not to blog my tooth-brushing activities, or my car problems, or my plumbing issues, or other seemingly trivial matters;) Thanks ahead of time for your time! I pray that I may be a word of encouragement to a soldier, weary from battle; a barrel of laughter to a patient in need of the very best medicine, and a beam of light to a fellow pilgrim trudging through this wilderness we call life! (I bet you were wondering how many metaphors I could stick into one sentence;)