BLESSINGS BY BECKY:  
 
(Below are thoughts shared over the years, some are my own thoughts, others are thoughts expressed by others and paraphrased as best I can remember. If per chance, you find I have misquoted you, please let me know). 
 
"WHAT IS A FAMILY?"

        A family is a group of people living together, sharing values. A family consists of one or two parents and their children. A family is defined as a group of kin united by blood, marriage or adoption and who share common residence and assume rights and obligation with one another.

         We can also say it is a social group in society which has long-term commitments. This first thing which comes to mind when we read about a family is a people who stay the closest in their relationships as well as physically. Family is about living together and sharing lives with each other. Being a family is about sticking with each other through thick and thin.

        Each and every member of a family has its own responsibilities. The Father as the head of the family makes sure that everything is working properly and his children are going to school and his wife is having a comfortable life. Similarly, a wife has a great deal of responsibility to see that her husband is honored as the head of the family. Usually, the wife looks after the children at home and husbands look after the outside world. When children grow up they do the same thing with their children and they also have a responsibility to look after their parents. {You can tell from the above statements how "very-outdated" these thoughts are, right?} A family is something which cannot be explained unless you live in it. 

        A family is the pillar of one's life. It's the basic need for all of us. A family helps to shape the personality of a person in every manner. It helps one to move to the right path of life, guies us, tells us what is right and what is wrong for us. A family is like a blessing. It is a blessing which not all of us have.

        A family is like a hand which has individual fingers, but these fingers are useless if they are taken away from the hand. It we do not have a family, then life is so much different and mostly one has to face the hardships of life, with no one to guide or give moral support.

        A family stands up for you, gives you a helping hand whenever you need it. They will never move away from you when you need them the most. People do not understand the real worth of a family. However, you can be certain that those who are all alone really understand what the word family means. A family is not just about living together in the same house; it is about sharing all the sad and happy moments together and sharing all that one has, little or great. We should try to be thankful to our families for helping us achieve our goals and cherish the moments we spend with our family.

         Family is a name given to a group living together. They have legal relationships with one another. All of them have blood relation with one another. They are members of a same group. A family came into being by two individuals. They get married and give birth to children. The children learn to live with their parents and one another. As this is repeated over and over, family stays an important part of our society.

         A social unit living together can be named a family, or people descended from a common ancestor can also be termed a family. These are very basic and generic definitions of family, but according to the facts, there is not a single definition of family. It actually depends on a group who is going to define it. A botanist will be having a different definition of family. The anthropologist (a social scientist who specializes in anthropology) will define family as the culture's biological, the genetic and kinship or conjugal relationship of mutual obligations. (The social force that binds one to the courses of action demanded by that force).

         The definition of family, according to "institutionalism", is a biological, an organiz, pro-creative and child-rearing constitution that emphasizes the biological association and relationship among the members of family. According to economists, the consumption, activities and production are considered when defining family. So, you see, "everyone" has their own definition and interpretation of family.

What Kind of Resources Does a Family Provide?  A family is one of the most precious assets of a person's life. The presence of a family in a person's life is eminently cruical to the psychological and physical nurturing of a person. Moreover, a family has a very significant role in determining the lifestyle of an individual--the way we live, talk, eat, ineract, etc. In other words, a family is cruical to the way we develop emotionally as well as psychologically.

         The resources that a family provides for a person are of two types. The first type is that of a tangible nature, which are more precisely termed as economic resources. These resources contain basic necessities like food, shelter, clothing and also things like monetary support, educational backing and other possessions. The second type is one of an intangible nature and is called emotional resources. These resources comprise of love, support, empathy, companionship and also guidance and cognizance in certain situations.

         A family is the most beautiful line of bonding, which connects together people of different ages and generations. A family is basically a small circle of people living together under the same roof. Having a family is one of life's greatest blessings. Life is just more beautiful when you have people you know loves you and cares for you, no matter what.

            A family has a huge impact on one's life. It affects one's life in various ways, when you're sad you can talk to your mother about it. If you need advice, your father can help you out with it. And then, you have your siblings with whom you can share your secrets. A family helps a person to groom oneself in a more natural and mature way.

            A family plays an important role in modling a person's life. Resources like teaching good human ethics, morals, education, food and shelter are all things which are taught within a family.

            Why then, from a Christian perspective, do you suppose that a family is so important? Think about it! Where else but within one's own family can you TRULY BE YOURSELF? One doesn't have to pretend to be anything other than what they are, because God in all of His wisdom and glory gave us a family to love us and care for us -- no matter what!!

            If you are fortunate enough to be a part of a family -- then count your blessings and remember to hold members of your family dear to your heart. If you are not blessed with being a part of a family -- then ADOPT ONE! Be that Mother or Father or Grandparent or Child or Sibling that someone so desperately needs. You will find that you will be blessed over and over again as you love and care for others as God loves and cares for you!

            Now, lastly, but certainly not least, apply all of which has been said in the above to OUR CHURCH. Can you see and understand that while our "humanistic society" finds a family to be of upmost importance in our lives, our "spiritual side" places EVEN MORE IMPORTANCE and calls us to be A FAMILY OF GOD -- BOUND TOGETHER IN LOVE, FORGIVENESS AND GRACE!!!

        It is my prayer and my desire that we all pause to remember all the things for which we should be thankful, regardless of how small or insignificant they may seem. Let us all lift up our hands in thanksgiving and our voices in praise, realizing just how precious life is, just how precious family is, just how precious each of us as God's children are. I am reminded of:

                Count your blessings instead of your crosses,    

                Count your gains instead of your losses,

                Count your joys instead of your woes,

                Count your friends instead of your foes,

                Count your courage instead of your fears,

                Count your health instead of your wealth,

                COUNT ON GOD INSTEAD OF YOURSELF.

 

Just think, when the challenge is 'God-size'...the solution will be too!

                            Let's trust Him for GREAT THINGS!

                   Know that you are in my heart and in my prayers     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      Please take time to PRAY about the notice written below!! Our Lay Leadership Committee  meets on a regular basis to search for those of you who will be willing to serve your God and your Church in various areas of ministry for the upcoming year.  Being a part of the decision-making process is more than just 'putting your name' in front of a position. It is more than attending 'meetings'! LAUREL HILL NEEDS YOU! It takes more than 'just a few' -- if we ALL are willing to DO A LITTLE -- MUCH will be accomplished without sacrificing the well-being of a few! There are always opportunities to serve in ministry!