Our second oldest niece just had her junior prom. She was gorgeous…absolutely amazing. So, you see…I HAVE to share a few pictures! Did you know that girls now wear garters to their prom?! There are some cute pictures of this too but it weirds Uncle Adam out so I better not include them…
I mean really...how dangerous can a gator be with its mouth taped shut?!
Here Brett and I out-do Kim and Jesse by holding Sally the boa constrictor. We were the obvious winners!
Today I am reminiscing about my recent weekend spent literally “giggling” with my siblings and mother. All four of us flew to Florida to see my mother and of course my Nana and Pepe.
I am so very thankful to have spent time with both my Nana and Pepe-what a great blessing. My Nana is very sick. My only regret is that I have not had children that will remember their “Nana and Pepe”. I will be sure to tell my children someday about their great grandparents. About how proud Pepe is of his entire family-all 9 of his children and their children. How he loves to get the family together to celebrate….anything. About their generosity. About Nana’s quiet strength that radiates from her-even now while she is sick.
I cried when I said goodbye to Nana on Sunday. I have struggled with it this entire week as well. It hurts to think of not seeing her again. Our family is one that has been blessed more than any of us can begin to imagine. We are a family that is healthy and full of longevity and have been fortunate to not have experienced any tragedy. Adam comforted me in reminding me that the time we have on this earth is just a “blink of an eye” of our time together and that the real time we will be together is on the streets of gold which will be for eternity.
I have many framed pictures of my family on the walls in my clinic, including the engagement and wedding photos of my Nana and Pepe. I hear at least once per week how much I look like my Nana and this makes me proud.
This is a thought-provoking email Adam received from his cousin…
Gentlemen,
I am sending this email because this is a topic that I have studied and prayed about recently. This doesn’t have to go any further than this email, but I thought I should share.
Guys, as husbands/fathers, we are meant to be the head of our households. In Ephesians (5:22 – 6:4), Paul lays out the hierarchy of the believers household, placing us as the spiritual head or leader. In other words, as we go, so goes our home and families (spiritually speaking). This is evidenced by the saved philippian jailer who held Paul and Silas (acts 16:25 – 34). He was saved, and because of this, his family was too. Its almost like if we decided just to quit work, it would affect our whole family, not just us. Guys, if we decide to live our lives like hell, then we can expect our family life to mirror that. If however we take the path less traveled, our family will be better for it. Its our choice.
The word also tells us that when a man and a woman are married, the two become one flesh (mark 10:6 – 9). This means that your salvation guys also covers your wife. In the story of Job, satan attacked Job physically, took all he owned, and killed his children and servants. His wife survived because she was covered by Jobs faith, and his children lived on their own, so they were to work out their own salvation (philippians 2:9 – 13).
What I am getting at here guys is that the responsibility of our families spiritual life (which translates into all parts of life) lies squarely on our shoulders. I have been praying that I will have the strength to bare that cross with joy. I pray the same thing for you. So, what makes a real man? I think that its when our day comes to answer to the Lord, that we can say “as for me and my house, we have served you”. Gentlemen, I believe that is the greatest achievment that we can accomplish as men.
Afterthought: if you aren’t familiar with the above mentioned scripture, or if you are, I wish you would look at it for yourself and see what the word tells you. Don’t just take my word for it.
Rob Taylor
Loan Officer
Land Bank of North MS