Family Ties That Blind

**Fair warning, opinionated post**

Yes, blind.  It's not an uncommon occurrence and it happens more often than it should.  It seems that when there is a blood tie there is this special pass given out for making horrible mistakes or decisions and there is no worry of having to be held accountable.  Can I say the "H" word, please?  Pleeeease? 

Ok, I won't say it, I'll just spell it out.  I H.A.T.E that.  (there are certain things that are ok to hate, I promise, and this is one of them)

My family will tell you, my sisters, mom and brother, that I don't give out those "passes" in my family, not for them, not for my own children.  What an unfortunate example of enabling.  How is the individual ever to learn proper behavior, respect, responsibility if they're always given a way out of their messes.  Denial is not your friend.  It's your enemy and the sneakiest of rascals.  It will creep in and before you know it will have wound its slimy little tentacles around your eyes -- blinding you.  It's a horrible, horrible thing to be an accomplice to someone's stupidity and stand proudly by their side.  No one is capable of making the right decision all the time, but you could make BETTER ones.

Please, stop allowing your blood ties to blind.  It just makes you a sucker.  And please, if you're in a situation and people are trying to tell you you're giving out that "pass" -- LISTEN!!  It's ok to be wrong.  Just stop.  That person is probably killing you and you don't even know it.  They for sure don't respect you because you let what they do slide by, time and time again.  They know they have a shmuck in you.  *sung to the "You have a Friend in Me" tune*

Gracious.  I haven't written in like a month and this is what I decide to post.  It's been burning in my mind for quite some time.  Ahh, I love getting things like that off my chest.

!Just enjoying family!

Here are some recent photos of my sister with me and my babies on her visit here. Oh, and let's not forget David too!!




We've had a wonderful time and I really don't want my sister to leave. It's very comforting to have someone here with me that I love! We've done a lot together over the past week or two. She's been a great help with the babies and also helping around the house. My house is reeeally clean JUST the way I like it!!

The Ark

Growing up under the leadership of Bishop Wilson and later Brother Young I have found myself leaning heavily on the principles taught to me throughout the years, since our move to Pennsylvania. After the first couple of months living here, I realized how they had sacrificed so much to make sure I did not become infected with the negativity church politics bring. Talk about a reality check when I realized that there was so much going on out there that I cared to know nothing about and was extremely disappointed once I did find out. I have to thank both my Bishop and Pastor for their selfless giving to make sure we weren't blind but only protected. And so, now, here I am married almost 3000 miles away from anything that is familiar or comforting and I have to do it alone. I don't have the comfort of stepping inside the doors of my church and knowing that I can count on a smile from Sis. Sargent, a hug from Nona or an encouraging word from Sis. Bertram. I am standing in the middle of a battle field with the daunting task of protecting my family and making sure we stay in "for the long haul". Recently, my sister sent me a message preached by Brother Young entitled "Noah's Ark". Now, before you smile and say that you've heard a message similar I have to say that you may need to pause a moment and read what I am about to write.
In Brother Young's message, he opened up a new point of view on the ark and the significance of how long it took to build it and why it was built with certain elements and the particular process of gathering the animals God called "clean". After 120 years, God finally gave Noah and his family the nod to step aboard but not before giving him the enormous task of building this ark by hand. Noah himself built the ark...it wasn't some miracle that made the planks stack atop each other and fit neatly. It was the hand of a man who was guided by the instruction of God. From the structure of the ark to the pitch it was covered with, the ark created a miniature world that would sail the deep holding the future in its bowels. Imagine how many crops Noah had to farm throughout the 120 years to prepare the proper amount of food, imagine how he had to raise his children to love their God with all their hearts so that, in the end, when God called, each of his children would understand the importance of obeying His voice and imagine how laborious the process of gathering animals was to the specifications God gave Noah. But, in the end, each of his three sons married a woman who understood and wanted to be a part of the sacrifices that needed to be made in order to step aboard that ark.
Oh, that the ark we build for our family would be secure and built just how God has specified so my family can be saved. And on an even grander scale, don't let me scoff at the ark that the man of God has built by his hand, but let me step aboard with my family ready to sail.