Family Time.

My older brother is here with his family!!! It has been an entire year since we've seen them and having them here is oh so sweet.
We've been busy since they got here too!
So far we've had two extended family gatherings, much-loved. We attended the Fourth of July parade in the town where our church is located. My nephew had never been to one and LOVED having candy thrown at him:)
This sweetness is my niece. She is so precious and meeting her has been fabulous. It has also called for much photo taking.
I love family time and seeing how we interact. What a blessing it is when the interactions are good;) The little ones got along smashingly.
My cousin's husband (Big D) brought a new game for us to play. Our family likes to joke around and as Big D and I were on opposite teams it called for lots of heckling.
If you look closely you'll see some interference about to take place. Tsk, tsk, tsk :P
It was a fun game and mom actually purchased one for us.
Some people's lives seem to be more family oriented and others more friend oriented. I find myself leaning towards family. Not that I don't have great friends and love them tremendously. It is just that so many live states away and a lot are in different stages of life. Perhaps I'm lazy and it is easier to be family oriented since we're closely connected all the time.
Whatever the case my be, I'm seeing that this family time is like sandpaper at times. One doesn't always use politeness or hold words back as easily with family. I am a sinful, human. I am not perfect and am only made clean by God's grace. Today I felt like the other son. The other son being, the prodigal son's brother. I was ashamed of my reaction. Lord, have I become prideful of my relationship with you. How easily I have let the act of God's grace become something I've deserved, somewhere in my subconscious. So, I'm feeling the sandpaper. God is constantly refining me. He is using the sandpaper to smooth away my rough edges...edges I didn't even know I had.
I'm thankful in more ways than one for....family time.
Alissa

Comments

  1. kayder199610:20 PM

    Ah see you are related to me! I'm the one who, when reading the stories like the Prodigal Son and Jonah, could never figure out why the older son's reaction and Jonah's bitterness over the Ninavites repenting were such bad things. I like it when people get what's coming to them. I like to be right. I like to be the righteous one. But God's worked a lot on my heart over the years on that and I think I've finally been able to see how the Prodigal and the Ninavites needed grace and love not judgement and wrath especially since judgement and wrath are really God's job and not mine.

    And now for the real moral question: do I tell Big D that your mom bought the game and let him get a big head?

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  2. tori7:04 AM

    Hey girl! Thanks for sharing--esp about feeling like the other brother in the "prodigal son" story. I am JUST now reading the book "Prodigal God" by Timothy Keller, and it talks all about this---not highlighting just on the son who has returned home, but the other son as well--as Keller discusses problems with both--likened to the Christian life. You should read the book if you haven't already!

    http://www.amazon.com/Prodigal-God-Timothy-Keller/dp/1594484023/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278594227&sr=8-1

    LOVE you!

    tori

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