Family Reunion

But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.
Exodus 20:6 (NLT)

This coming week is the big Merrill Family Reunion. There aren’t many of us, but we sure do have a blast. I can’t wait. We haven’t seen everyone for some time now. I love getting together with our extended family. It’s exciting to see how the kids have grown, spend some quality time having fun, and hear how life has been treating everyone.

This is actually the 4th Merrill family reunion and even though we haven’t gotten together that often there are certain traditions we have begun. When we think about traditions we often think about the past. But traditions are really not about the past. Traditions are actually those special things you want to pass on from the present to the future. While all traditions are special we need to think about the spiritual traditions we pass on with our lives.

There is a strong foundation of faith in our family. My Grandpa and Grandma Merrill were godly people that passed their love for God on to their children and their children’s children. And now there is a whole new generation (their great grandchildren) growing up in the Christian faith.

What is the tradition of faith that you are passing on to your children and your children’s children? It’s never too late to start building new traditions. Begin this summer! As you share your faith with your family may God bless your family “for a thousand generations.”

Advent

As we begin the Christmas Advent season the following are some helpful hints from Jerry Lankford at Biblical Wellness Ministries to help you survive the busiest time of the year…

• Remember what all the fuss is about. This is the time to give thanks for all that God has done and to celebrate the birth of our Savior. Let's keep that in focus. It's not about cooking the perfect dinner, throwing the perfect party or buying the perfect gift.
  
• Don't overdo it. Plan your activities and then stick to the plan. Don't allow yourself to get caught up in all the hustle and bustle unless you enjoy it and it charges your batteries.
  
• Plan time to rest and reflect. Take some time with a journal to write about your feelings and thoughts. Read a good book. Be alone with God.
  
• Remember and honor those that you miss. One of the toughest things about these special times is being reminded of who isn't with us. Loss is always painful, but it can be worse when we try to ignore it and don't acknowledge it. Instead, take some time to remember those who will be missing. Spend some time looking through the picture album and reminiscing about them. Then remember that they are with you in spirit and that they would want you to be happy and blessed.
  
• Build your own traditions. The things we learn from our families are wonderful, but remember to build your own traditions. Make them your own and enjoy them. Don't feel like you have to do it a particular way because grandma did it that way. Remember the story about the lady that always cut the end off her pot roast because her mother did it that way? It turns out that her mother's pan was too small and she had to cut off the end.
  
• The greatest gift is time spent with our loved ones. Make sure you get plenty of time with family and worry less about all the extra stuff. After all, it's just stuff. Love is the real thing.