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Tag Archive - Family

Sharing Holiday Traditions

November 29, 2011 in Peace Love & Unity with 12 Comments

“The Holidays” are the time of year when we are more likely to make lasting good memories…

these memories become Holiday Traditions when we share tender moments that build bonds…

and when they are repeatable year after year. They’re important reminders and learning experiences. The story of the Lord speaking to Moses and Aaron in Egypt created an early tradition that we know as passover, it’s found in Exodus Chapter 12.

I love to cook so one of my favorite holiday traditions is found in the kitchen…

for Christmas, it’s standing rib roast with Yorkshire pudding and horseradish sauce.

Do you have a favorite holiday tradition?

The Wave And Our Presence

November 28, 2011 in Soul Food with 8 Comments

The Wave is a Post Series on Identity, Character and Intimacy…

The Wave And Our Presence…

A lot of times when I catch up with family or friends our get-together will resemble a wave in the ocean…

One person will initiate contact with an e-mail or phone call, or maybe we run into each other somewhere…

Smiles, hugs and laughter are exchanged, and we feel all gushy-warm inside like chocolate-chip cookie dough…

We realize it’s been too long… too long since we’ve stopped to make time for each other… too long since we’ve shared a moment…

The affirmative nod is exchanged, and as further contact transpires, we make a plan and look forward to time together. The Wave is but a ripple at this point…

As the big day draws closer, the wave is building, and we may have additional contact and even invite other friends to join in…

This is an idealized scenario, because a big part of the gathering, or event, is what we’re bring to the table, in effect, Our Presence. If we’re bringing the right stuff, if we’re just being ourselves, and if we’re bringing a humbled spirit and softened heart, The Wave And Our Presence is huge!

The Big Event arrives: The Wave reaches a crescendo when we finally leave everything else behind and meet up. Often, our gathering picks up wherever we left off the last time. We talk, laugh and create a memory.

Typically, there is some sort of follow-up after The Big Event. Our heart is left feeling satisfied, and we yearn for more…

more of God’s love…

more good memories…

more of our company’s Presence…

Our family Thanksgiving gathering this year made me think of The Wave And Our Presence. It was the best Thanksgiving ever for me. A lasting good memory… and one that I will cherish for a very long time. Everyone showed up with the right, radiant spirit and together we created an appealing Wave.

It makes me look forward to the next Wave…

It makes me look forward to creating more good memories.

This Wave’s energy is the love created in our heart through the companionship we share with other people. It’s a gift we’ve received from God that we can enjoy and focus on every day of the year.

How was your Thanksgiving weekend?

What do you think we need to bring in Our Presence to make The Wave a positive lasting memory?

Further Insulating A Strong Bond

October 31, 2011 in Soul Food with 2 Comments

Allie and Ben

My daughter Allie was married on Saturday. It was a very emotional event for our family, drawing everyone closer together. I wanted to share with you today a portion of the speech that I gave at the ceremony, after the formal announcement of Allie and Ben’s marriage…

While we gather here today to celebrate I wanted to let you know that you each play a vital role in the success of Allie and Ben’s marriage…

as it says in Ecclesiastes “a cord of three strands is not easily broken” … a marriage centered on God finds true success, intimacy and companionship… this one… finding a bond weaved with Allie… Ben… and our Heavenly Father…

I believe each of you also share in helping the success of Allie and Ben’s marriage. I read recently that we are each a product of our 5 closest friends… those around us having the potential to influence us the most. Allie and Ben invited you here today because they love you and cherish their relationship with you. You are very influential in their lives…

So thank you for coming and please share in the celebration…

leave here with everlasting memories…

and go knowing that the success of this union is something that you all will share in…

please continue to be a positive inspiration in the day-to-day lives of Allie and Ben…

and please always be a part of the cord that keeps their marriage intact….

On behalf of all of your friends and family, congrats Allie and Ben, we love you now and forever!

The Family Unit

October 12, 2011 in Peace Love & Unity with 2 Comments

A Beautiful Tree In Full Bloom And Deeply Rooted

I never would have imagined that my Family Unit would see the day where 4 generations are living within 3 miles of each other, but sure enough that’s what we have at this time. The dynamics include my two daughters, one with a 2-year old little boy (middle name: Espn) and the other with a 2-month old girly girl (goes by Baby M), and my daughter’s two grandmothers. I am thick in the mix of this stew… and would add that my first wife occasionally bops by as well.

We have other family too, but I wanted to write today about daily life in an extended family as it seems to be fairly uncommon in our day and time.

We are a pretty tight unit in that we are all very much dependent on each other in one way or another. That has not always been the case so it feels really good. We interact on a daily basis. We all have dinner together, usually once a week. My daughters are very close and they are still young (or so I think), and while they are 3.5 years apart in age they share many friends. It is also very nice that I share a friendship with many of the parents.

There have been several blocks of time over the past decade where I have been separated from my family and that experience has reinforced the importance of putting my family in front of a lot of other commitments.

The Family Unit is where we first experience life, including our development of Peace, Love and Unity. The next step in growth is expanding the experience in a small group, and, finally, adapting in the great beyond.

I’m sure it’s no coincidence that our deepest ties lie within our families… this is the learning ground, if you will, to experiencing life. The litmus test of love comes here, where we have to love people who are different from us and at times they may even say or do things that upset us. We keep our promises and continue loving them at this level because of the unique bond and loyalty that we share within our families.

I’m very grateful for my family and the time I have to share with them!

What exciting events are taking place within your family at this time?

Getting to know the people in your life

July 6, 2011 in Breathing Deep with 2 Comments

Allie at the St. Augustine Lighthouse a few years ago

My younger daughter Allie is growing up… way to quickly in my opinion… but, just the same, she is quickly maturing into a beautiful woman right before my very eyes.

Her life and our relationship over the past several years have been turbulent to say the least. Sparing you the zany details… we have grown to become very close through some trying experiences. I admire Allie’s strength and resilience… and, of course her loving spirit.

Through many changes and barriers I’ve struggled at times trying to understand my teenage daughter… the first challenge, obviously, is that she is a female and I’m a male… she’s also a pretty smart cookie but has done some incredibly silly things (does this person sound familiar?)… and she’s very… ummmm…. independent (yep, that would be the nice way of putting it!).

So along the way I’ve found out a few more interesting factoids about Allie…

I’ve always thought we were sort of alike… but only recently realized how much so… we’re scary similar! I asked her to take the Myers Briggs Personality Test and we came up with EXACTLY the same type. Then I had her take the love languages test and… you guessed it… we came up the same again. Just knowing this information for the people in your life can help you relate to and understand them better, be it your spouse, family, friends or co-workers.

She’s always busy taking care of other people and rarely asks for anything for herself. This is frustrating for me, a giving and loving type as I want to express my love for her but she will not open up on what her needs are.

fyi… we are not both morning people… she thinks I’m fairly obnoxious in the early morning. She hasn’t said so (lately) but I can hear it in her voice whenever I try to wish her a cheery Good Morning, or when she hears the coffee bean grinder at 4:38 a.m. That bean grinder brings back haunting memories for Allie. I think she’s permanently scarred from it!

Do you know your personality type and those of the other people in your life?

What advice could you share to help with better understanding your children?

What I’m Learning From My Man Cub

July 1, 2011 in Breathing Deep with 1 Comment

one of Nolan's funny faces

He’s sort of my Man Cub… he’s my grandson!

I am in love with that little dude… and I’m learning a lot from him…

Life through a child’s eyes is absolutely precious… and Epic Adventure!

Here’s some of what he’s teaching me:

Unconditional Love: I maybe sort of get this one… but Nolan gets it more than me. A child’s heart is still very pure and innocent. (He Loves Me… ~~He Loves Me Not~~… He Loves Me)

Trust and Faith: He knows even when I drop him off at Waumba Land at Church that I’ll be back, he knows through Trust and Faith.

Joy: I can just think about my irresistibly squeezy Man Cub and be overwhelmed with JOY!!!

Dependence: I believe this is the most important quality that we can learn from children… that we need to be less independent and more dependent… on God. When Nolan is with me he knows he can count on me. He knows that I’m there for him, looking out for him, and that he can without a doubt depend on me. If he is uncertain about a situation or other person he knows he can cling to me and that I’ve got his back…

What else are you learning from the children in your life?

4 good reasons to 5K

March 30, 2011 in Breathing Deep with 0 Comments

Everyone's a winner at the 5K race!

Whether you are a serious runner or not even interested in the activity there are a few good reasons to consider participating in a 5K race, I came up with 4…

They’re fun!! : The 5K (that’s 5,000 meters, or 3.1 miles) race is extremely popular, in most cities there is one every weekend. They’re usually early on Saturday mornings (if you enjoy going out and throwing down to Love In This Club on Friday nights just stay up!) My favorite 5K race in Jacksonville is the Festival of Lights, it’s just before Christmas at night and the course through San Marco is lighted with luminaries!
They’re for a good cause: Most all of the 5K races are charity benefits so at least part of the money you hand them to participate goes to a good cause.
They’re a stepping-stone to greater things: If you aspire to be a serious runner this is the starting point, where you can surround yourself with like-minded people who are healthy and taking care of themselves, and you’ll learn how to run at a pace. If you’re not into running, they’re still fun, there are plenty of people that walk the race with friends or family (that’s Quality Time )
There is more fun to be had than just the race itself: If you’re not convinced yet, check this out… most of the 5K events have a one-mile fun run for kids and also bouncy houses and other activities. This is a great place to start off a Saturday that could involve the whole family.