Blessings

“For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required; and to whom men have committed much, of him they will the more.” Luke 12:48

I think about this scripture constantly. In fact, a day doesn’t pass that I don’t recite and ponder it. Maybe I think, if I repeat the words over and over, some how I will be able to fully grasp the meaning. So far, no luck.

Abundances and blessings actually frighten me. I worry about the responsibility that accompanies their possession. I recognize blessings as gifts, free, no charge, just provided through grace. The scary part is knowing along with the gift is an expectation.

In my younger years I reasoned I had been blessed monetarily, therefore, all I needed to do was contribute monetarily back to society. Easy! Just hand me my checkbook! It’s a done deal. Evidently, I must be growing in wisdom as I recognize what is “required” is not that simple.

I work along side my closest family members. (Another blessing) Together we face daily situations that require ethical decisions. Decisions that impact the lives of our 77 employees, their families, thousands of insured’s and their families. We certainly are not operating in a vacuum. But how do we know we are making the right decisions? What if we aren’t? What happens to those people? This responsibility goes way past providing food, shelter, clothing and an education to your own offspring.

“to whom much is given, shall much be required…” What exactly is required? How have I used my blessings? What have I done to improve life on earth? What difference have I made to mankind, the planet, or more importantly, to the glorification of God?

This entry has no conclusion. I really wish it did.

Unsolicited Email

I am always amused at some of the “forwarded” email I receive. Most of it is deleted without being opened. I usually don’t get offended by the content, considering I doubt most people put much thought into what it is they are actually forwarding. However, lately I have become somewhat annoyed by much of the “pass around” propaganda.

For the record, in the event anyone was wondering, I am against the death penalty, I want hand guns outlawed, I was never in favor of attacking Iraq, I fear stem cell research, I revere the Pope as the head of the Catholic Church, I am not in awe of George Bush, I am neither a true Republican or Democrat, I don’t believe anyone “decided” to be gay and I believe life begins at the moment of conception.

Therefore, if you have an email you are considering forwarding to half the free world and it makes fun of Catholics or praises brave citizens for shooting trespassers, just delete my name. Even if it is a neat email with the flag in the back ground.

Common sense should tell you it is necessary to really know the intended recipient prior to sending some email. Evidently, I am either not known very well or I don’t live a life representative of my beliefs. In either instance, I apologize.


Whew! Glad I got that off my chest!

Sinatra

Last Friday night I took my niece, nephew, mom, daughter, brother and sister-in-law out to eat dinner in Tyler, Texas. An outing of this nature, involving 7 family members always has the potential of turning into a full blown fiasco. Just determining who will ride in which car can cause an argument and it did. Then deciding which of the four country roads to take requires the services of a mediator. At some point, there’s always someone who threatens to “just not go”. Once the caravan finally begins, the passengers of one car criticize the abilities of the driver in the other car. It’s harmless griping as we come from a long line of complainers. There is little wonder why almost immediately upon arrival; someone usually requests a wine list even before we are seated.

Once we were all settled in and decided who was sitting next to the window, etc., ordered an appetizer and made a toast, attitudes improved significantly. We all had a couple glasses of wine along with an incredible meal. We laughed, we gossiped, we talked about the past, the future, we made fun of each other, we made fun of complete strangers and generally enjoyed ourselves fully.

When we returned to the lake, Mom came over to the new house. My sister had just made it in from Dallas. I poured everyone a glass of wine and put on some Frank Sinatra. I watched as my mom tapped her feet to the beat of the music and seemingly drifted away from our conversation. When Frank sang, “All of Me” she listened intently and was in deep concentration. She said, “Music then, was sensual, not dirty. It’s supposed to be sensual.” With that, she took hold of her cane, stood up, walked over to a framed picture of her and my dad taken in 1939, stared, smiled and left.

So once again, what began as a potential family fiasco ended in a touching moment to be savored forever.

My Brother

My Brother

My brother is 13 years my senior. He left for college when I was 4 and married his high school sweetheart when I was 8. Needless to say, we never “hung out”. Quite the contrary, he held almost a rock star status among our family. One of those individuals who drift in and out of your life, always making and leaving an impression. Collectively we anxiously anticipated his arrivals and dreaded his departures from home. Being the eldest child and only son, secured his lifetime position as being everyone’s favorite. Gender was not the only thing that made him different. My brother has always been somewhat private, mild-natured and quiet. These are not qualities shared by the majority of our family. No indeed, we are a great many things, but quiet and mild-natured aren’t even among the top 600 family characteristics.

My brother married, began a family and moved out of state all in what seemed a blink of the eye. I was in my 20’s before I began developing a real relationship with him. Over the past 30 years I’ve come to know him as a brother and friend, not so much a celebrity.

He is a remarkable man. One who has endured a great deal of personal pain and misfortune over the span of his life. He has faced many obstacles which would have ruined the spirit of a lesser man. Regardless of the circumstances or cards dealt, he has never faltered, never indulged in self pity, never stopped moving forward and never compromised his integrity. In fact, his compassion for others seems to have flourished with every adverse situation encountered. He sets the standard for unconditional love within our family. He is my personal hero.

My brother will be 64 in just a couple of months. I know angels walk among us and some hang around longer than others. It seems once again, I will dread his departure.

Family

I always believed most families were structured and operated similar to mine. As a child, I had no reason to assume otherwise as I was totally immersed in the business of being a member of the “family”. Not until I reached adulthood did I realize there was a very real possibility our family was not normal. Even so, I love being a part of a very large, extended group of dysfunctional individuals bound by blood or in the case of the less fortunate, by marriage.

There is a hierarchy within the family as well as specific job descriptions. There are those in charge of certain matters and as they pass, someone else takes over their position. Members are forced out of some positions and into more difficult ones often based solely on their age.
Although we do not have a licensed physician, attorney, psychologist, minister and/or certified accountant among the entire group, we have individuals willing to fill those positions. In fact, some of the more gifted fill more than one.

We are a demonstrative bunch, a passionate group. A group of well over 100 people whom stay in constant contact. Membership is often exhausting. Those my age were raised knowing that Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, July 4th, Memorial Day, Labor Day, along with almost each and every weekend were reserved exclusively for family. Whether it be a simple meal shared on Sunday during the Cowboy game or an entire weekend at the lake, no one’s plans superseded the gathering of the extended family.

Throughout the history of our family, in-laws have had to learn to cope with these simple rules, some willingly and others, not so much. Many people (perhaps even some in-laws) might find our family a tad bit overbearing.

But it is the collection of these characteristics that makes our family unique. I don’t think I would want it any other way. It is the kindred spirit of the family that allows us to give and receive from each other without limitations.

Blog Test

Dear Reader,



I am simply running a test to see if I have indeed set up a blog or simply just wasted another half hour of my life.