Family, a melting pot of different personalities with some common core.  It is not easy to define family.   It is my hope that unity, love, and forgiveness are part of the equation.  My family has been an important part of my life.  Second only to my faith.  When I was young, we had a large extended family with lots of uncles, aunts, and cousins.  I thought it was normal to have family in and out of the house weekly if not daily.  Long ago I remember a neighbor telling us our family always looks like we are having fun, they…

It is one of those days where I am off focus.  I drift and find myself unable to hear the words that I know are there for me to convey.  I get restless and a bit frustrated as the time gets later and later.  Thinking to myself, why can I not focus?  I take a moment to pray and trust in Jesus.  Whenever I feel a bit off I know that I have shifted and taken back control.  When Jesus is in control, my whole being is at peace.  When I allow frustration to surface, I know that I need…

I often need to remember how simple it is to give my worries to Jesus.  Daily I give away the small stuff, but then the bigger worries creep in and make life challenging.  The bigger worries make me feel tired and stressed, and even start to develop pain throughout my body.  Why do I put up with all that when I can rely on Jesus?  Sometimes it takes weighing us down in worry to remember he is on our side and there for us.  Recently I allowed my thoughts to wonder and imagine all the things that could go wrong…

The irony of doing the right thing is that there is no sure way of knowing that you are approaching the situation correctly.  There are, however, indicators that things are moving in the right direction and guidelines for us to follow.  Deep down, I think many of us know when we have crossed that line.  When I am on the wrong track, I always pray for guidance on how to make things right and how not to do the same thing again!  Normally, asking for forgiveness is part of the equation.  Throughout The Bible, Jesus gives us guidelines and examples…