Sunday Fellowship & Family
Having a place to go - is a home. Having someone to love - is a family. Having both - is a blessing. ~Donna Hedges
So The Mr. and I have been longing to go back to our roots, you know.. who we were before..... not in a negative way, but in a positive way. Ways that seem to have gotten lost over the past few years, due to life's circumstances.
Growing up, until My grandmother passed 17 years ago, it was known fact that you went to Grandma's for dinner on a Sunday afternoon. You just went.. You didn't need an invite, you weren't reminded, you did need to bring anything, you just went. Reflecting on that for me brings me back to such a special time, that while living it, you unknowingly take for granted. Not in a selfish way, but you think that this is the way it will always be. And then you lose the person who did it all. The one you went for.
And then you struggle to find the new you, in all of it. As does each of the other family members in the process, and yet time passes on.
My darling husband also has fond memories of going to an Aunts house every weekend, where the family would gather to eat, play games and do what adults do. In his case sickness took both his parents within 6 months of each other. And as what happened in my family happened in his. Each person went their own way, to find their own path.
It not a malicious thing.. it's just how life went.
When hubby and I had a couple of small children, we made an event out of Sunday dinner. It was usually eaten early in the afternoon. It was a big sit down meal, something that would cause you to linger at the table and enjoy each others company. We had a grown accustomed to having it. And we would invite our friends and family to join us.
It was fun and memorable.
Then we got heavily involved in church and slowly we stopped doing it. Our Sundays became filled with church, and church things, and church people. And we became rushed, and hurried and frazzled and not wanting to entertain by the time we were done with church. We were with church people... and doing church things..... that's a good thing right?
It was a blessing for a time.
The time has now come though that hubby and I are longing for the intimacy and fellowship, with our family. You know the ones we grew up with... the ones that over time have become more like acquaintances instead of the best friends that use to be. The ones we've shared bruises, broken bones, smashed matchbox cars (hubby) stealing cars(that was me and i was 5) bathtubs and toilet seats.. etc. etc.
I personally am working on bonding with a half sister and her family that I did not grow up with. As a matter of fact I just recently met her, about 3 years ago. She lives over 15 hours from me, but we have one common goal, we want to form that bond of family! We are even planning a family vacation together. :)
We (hubby and I) are attempting to bring back some unity.. instead of everyman for himself mentality.
Saved or unsaved our family should be important to us. :)
So we're back or it's back... Sunday Open House at our home, after church. :)No there is no formal invite, there is no planning, God is in all the details. Count on food, fellowship, laughter, games, picture taking, reminiscing, and maybe some tears.
God is so good to us. And He is leading us down this path of revival of the family. There will come a point in time that we as family will all need to rely on eachother, weather that be for food to survive, a skill that someone has, land or housing. Strengthen your bonds with family now...strenghten your bonds with your brothers and sisters in the Lord as well. Incorporate them into your "family".. We are all adopted into Jesus' family, therefore we are all family. But down the blinders and welcome people in. This is pleaseing to our Lord.
Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 1 Peter 5:9
Thank You Lord from Whom ALL Blessings Flow.
'Ohana means family - no one gets left behind, and no one is ever forgotten. ~Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, Lilo & Stitch
Pics from yesterdays Sunday Dinner....
From My Heart to Yours..
So The Mr. and I have been longing to go back to our roots, you know.. who we were before..... not in a negative way, but in a positive way. Ways that seem to have gotten lost over the past few years, due to life's circumstances.
Growing up, until My grandmother passed 17 years ago, it was known fact that you went to Grandma's for dinner on a Sunday afternoon. You just went.. You didn't need an invite, you weren't reminded, you did need to bring anything, you just went. Reflecting on that for me brings me back to such a special time, that while living it, you unknowingly take for granted. Not in a selfish way, but you think that this is the way it will always be. And then you lose the person who did it all. The one you went for.
And then you struggle to find the new you, in all of it. As does each of the other family members in the process, and yet time passes on.
My darling husband also has fond memories of going to an Aunts house every weekend, where the family would gather to eat, play games and do what adults do. In his case sickness took both his parents within 6 months of each other. And as what happened in my family happened in his. Each person went their own way, to find their own path.
It not a malicious thing.. it's just how life went.
When hubby and I had a couple of small children, we made an event out of Sunday dinner. It was usually eaten early in the afternoon. It was a big sit down meal, something that would cause you to linger at the table and enjoy each others company. We had a grown accustomed to having it. And we would invite our friends and family to join us.
It was fun and memorable.
Then we got heavily involved in church and slowly we stopped doing it. Our Sundays became filled with church, and church things, and church people. And we became rushed, and hurried and frazzled and not wanting to entertain by the time we were done with church. We were with church people... and doing church things..... that's a good thing right?
It was a blessing for a time.
The time has now come though that hubby and I are longing for the intimacy and fellowship, with our family. You know the ones we grew up with... the ones that over time have become more like acquaintances instead of the best friends that use to be. The ones we've shared bruises, broken bones, smashed matchbox cars (hubby) stealing cars(that was me and i was 5) bathtubs and toilet seats.. etc. etc.
I personally am working on bonding with a half sister and her family that I did not grow up with. As a matter of fact I just recently met her, about 3 years ago. She lives over 15 hours from me, but we have one common goal, we want to form that bond of family! We are even planning a family vacation together. :)
We (hubby and I) are attempting to bring back some unity.. instead of everyman for himself mentality.
Saved or unsaved our family should be important to us. :)
So we're back or it's back... Sunday Open House at our home, after church. :)No there is no formal invite, there is no planning, God is in all the details. Count on food, fellowship, laughter, games, picture taking, reminiscing, and maybe some tears.
God is so good to us. And He is leading us down this path of revival of the family. There will come a point in time that we as family will all need to rely on eachother, weather that be for food to survive, a skill that someone has, land or housing. Strengthen your bonds with family now...strenghten your bonds with your brothers and sisters in the Lord as well. Incorporate them into your "family".. We are all adopted into Jesus' family, therefore we are all family. But down the blinders and welcome people in. This is pleaseing to our Lord.
Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 1 Peter 5:9
Thank You Lord from Whom ALL Blessings Flow.
'Ohana means family - no one gets left behind, and no one is ever forgotten. ~Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, Lilo & Stitch
Pics from yesterdays Sunday Dinner....
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| homemade clam chowder |
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| garlic bread |
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| chicken cordon bleu and veggies. |
From My Heart to Yours..
I so agree with you. Family is so important. We also need to get back into the habit of Sunday dinners. We have lunch after Church with friends,but it's not the same.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Carrie! I remember Sunday's like that. They were my best memories :)
ReplyDeleteHello Thief, LOL!! Ahh how I miss jumping out of the car because you couldn't see over the steering wheel and I thought you were gonna kill us. You were brazen for stealing, but I was crazy for jumping out of a moving vehicle. Who does that?! Then I Rolled onto the front lawn of the neighbors, they called grandma reporting what they saw and claimed and I was dead. How funny! I miss those Sunday's with all the family minus 1 person of course. tee hee. My Sunday time was cut shorter than the rest of the family with grandma. I cant even talk about her without crying. I miss her dearly. I would give anything to hear her voice again. Even though all these new Sunday dinners will happen without me, You have my permission. p.s. Bathe time, toilet sharing, mud pie making, digging to China and all our plays we put on were fun. That was the best part of growing up with someone your age. xoxo
ReplyDelete