Where we belong.....

This weekend was a restful, productive, enjoyable time with family and friends. Our friends/family come in different forms, morals, standards, convictions, values, etc but as they say "every family has that ONE crazy person" ... :) I have a feeling that I might be that crazy person in mine... (smile). But in all seriousness, I realized even more this weekend that family time is very important and is necessary to bring balance and rest in your life. Now, for some of you, some family time may not be as enjoyable as the last, but if you try to make the best of it, it might be worth it. All through the bible, we see that when a character is mentioned, the lineage/geneology is listed....to show the family/blood line. And you can see great warriors, evangelists, preachers, teachers, prophets came out of a not-so-good looking blood line. Even the blood line of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the natural eye did not look so promising but Jesus Himself, came and died for us all. God is all about family, and He continuously teaches us of this in His word . Sometimes, we feel unlucky (if I may use that word) to be in the families that we are in but I believe that God is totally strategic in where He places us. It is not coincidental that you are in the family you are in right now. If you start looking at the spiritual side of things; it is more of a blessing, for you, your friends and for your family members. Ok, so things may not look great but maybe you are to be the voice of reason. On the other hand, things may be wonderful in your family..and that in itself is a great blessing. But no matter what family you come from or what issues you see in them, this is where you belong. It's time we start seeing where we are, what we can do to change things, how we can make a difference, who we can bless, why we should be praying, who we should be praying for and what we should be praying about. Family and friends are a huge part of our lives, let's share stories with them, cherish them, challenge them in their callings, truly thank God for them, take pictures with them, encourage them in their giftings, respect them, house-sit/baby-sit for them, listen to them, seek God on their behalf, laugh with them, really spend time with them, rejoice with them, dine with them and amongst other things, make them KNOW we love them!