“Our first great responsibility is to be a family, a community, revealing first to one another something of God’s own love and concern and tenderness. ‘See how they love one another.’ Being so close to each other it is possible to miss God’s love and goodness that is to be found in those who are so near to us. We need to help each other to forget the everyday deficiencies and to start a new life every day in the joy of Jesus.” - Mother Teresa
Check out THIS article for more on: Mother Teresa on the Importance of Family
We're taking off on a family adventure to spend some quality time together! Excited to make precious memories. Here is a snapshot into what life is like starting to pack for a weekend getaway with 2 small kiddos (and no, this is NOT an ad for any of these food products lol):
Shout out to #1 Dad for being the best grocery shopper and coupon clipper!! The cashiers are always impressed by his mad couponing skills.
Family is everything. I'm writing this late after the kiddos are asleep so I'm not even going to try to say it better than Saint Mother Teresa. Here are more quotes from her:
“To parents: It is very important that children learn from their fathers and mothers how to love one another – not in the school, not from the teacher, but from you. It is very important that you share with your children the joy of that smile. There will be misunderstandings; every family has its cross, its suffering. Always be the first to forgive with a smile. Be cheerful, be happy.”
“Bring prayer back into your family life, and you too will see that unity, the bond of joyful love that will bind you together. Maybe there is poverty and suffering in your families. But sharing together, loving together will help you.”
“Everybody today seems to be in a terrible rush, anxious for greater development and greater riches, so that children have little time for their parents. And parents have little time for their children and for each other. So the breakdown of peace in the world begins at home.”
(visit THIS website for more Mother Teresa quotes)
St. Teresa of Calcutta…Pray for Us
Our family members and loved ones in heaven are angels watching over us. I once said that we all have a guardian angel. I was wrong. We don't just have one guardian angel. We have a whole army looking down on us. Loved ones in heaven that love us deeply and guard our ways. Love holds us together.
The other night, when I was up late playing guitar after the kids were asleep... I had a visit from a guardian angel. My grandpa, Harold Wilson. See, I always felt that my other grandpa (my mom's dad) was looking down on me from time to time and guarding my ways. But this was an amazing reminder that all of our loved ones are still with us and show us signs. And yes, I do feel that he actually visited and was in the same room as me. While I did not physically see him with my eyes - I felt him. Spiritually, I'm what you would call a "feeler". I can feel the presence of spirits and I can discern whether they are good or evil. Also what has happened at our house several times now is that a toy will start going off by itself in a room that no one is in. When I felt that he was visiting me, my heart also gave it away. It was so full thinking of how much I love him and the amazing memories of my childhood with him and I wept thinking about how much I miss him. He always wanted me to play the guitar (he would call it the "gee-tar"). He would always encourage me to play guitar and would sit and watch me play. Well, that night when I was playing- I knew he was with me and I felt inspired to play some country music for him (watch HERE).
The next day, I was flipping through an old photo album that my mom had just given to me that week. There was one photo of my grandpa by himself in the album. I took the photo out to put it on my bulletin board so that I would see him more often to think of him/remember him more. Then, I noticed the date on the bottom of the photo. 2/5/2006. The date that he visited me was 2/5/2022. Do I think it was "just a coincidence" that it was the same date? No. I think that our loved ones in heaven are now angels that are definitely able to visit us, help guide us, and send us signs.
I know I've talked with some friends about similar experiences that they've had and I'd love to do some blogs with people in the future called "Visiting Angels" where we talk more about that!
To wrap up... also remember that we are joined together as family in our faith as well. I think of it this way, we've had friends that have been so close that they have become family. Literally growing up, I had an aunt and uncle that technically weren't blood relatives but that I will always call my Aunt and Uncle and consider family. At their memorial service when they passed, it was said that we ADOPTED them into our family. When you love someone, you say "You're apart of my family now". And you care about them. You show up for them when they need you.
Well think about it the same way with God's family. Through our faith in and love for Jesus (God's only begotten Son)- we are then ADOPTED into God's FAMILY.
For me, I've also been reading more lately to learn more about the Holy Family and praying for the intercession of the saints. But what I'd like you to always remember is that we are ADOPTED into the sacred family of God. Love holds us together and Faith & Family are everything!
*Edit/Update to add this amazing sermon about the importance of family:
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