Together with kindness and in understanding, let’s take this time to self reflect. I am here to inspire, encourage, and remind you that God has given us the most important weapon we have to fight the enemy, His Word.

Now let’s dress our soul like we dress our bodies, EVERYDAY!

We Are Family

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.” Ephesians 3:14-15 ESV

My cousins Alesha, Ronnie, my sister Patricia, and I were all born on the 22nd of our birth months. We are the first four grandchildren of the late, Leroy and Jannie Green Sr. Along with my other cousins, Mark, Marcus, Chris, and Roderick, we were ready to get this summer started.

When I close my eyes, I can see myself as a kid, standing there on the bricked flowerpot in front of my grandparent’s house enjoying the day with my cousins. I can hear the ice cream truck music as its soon to be heading our way. I can see my cousins riding their bikes down the hill of Harp Street, missing ditches, and cars, thank goodness. From helping our grandparents with honeydews around the house, to shelling big brown bags of field peas, learning how to properly clean fresh greens with Morton’s salt, helping grandma hang clothes on the  line in the backyard with some of those wooden clothing pins that hung from her apron. The line is long gone, but the polls still remain. That backyard seemed so much bigger when I was a kid, as we played red rover, red rover. It never seemed to be too hot for us. It was a simpler time then. No worries. All we had to do was just be kids.

At the end of the day, there were those perfect nights, with a gentle cool breeze that blew through the entire house. You could smell frying coming out the kitchen as us kids washed our hand to get ready for the family feast. My aunts and uncles are all back from their busy days. Finally, we are all here together, ready to break bread as we thank God for the food. I proudly look around at everyone in this camp, thinking to myself: These are my people, we are family.

The Word of God has plenty to share with us about family. God’s Word is full of wisdom and guidance for every stage of family life. The Word also teaches us that our families are a blessing from God. Within the confines of the family, we find love, encouragement, support, and strength.

Keeping it real, there is no perfect family, because we are not perfect people. However, even in our imperfections love remains the key to the family. When we come together it gives us all the opportunity to build up each other in what we can do together. It is an attitude of positivity and optimism that we must bring to the family table.

No matter the challenges, we are each other’s keeper. I believe in you, and I am going to keep right on lifting you up on your journey. Why? Because that is what families are supposed to do. Our families are there to cheer us on as they use their words to speak good things to us, and their loving hands to pull us up when we fall. Nothing is impossible for a family that lives by, “a family that prays together, stays together.”

Here are a few thoughts to take with you family:

• The same blood that flows through your vein’s, flows through mine.
• We encourage, not discourage each other.
• We celebrate our uniqueness and gifts.
• We are proud of each other’s accomplishments.
• My family is an adventure I am always willing to take.
• We love each other with our actions.

Remember friends, we are each other’s keeper and the only time we should be looking down on someone is when we are helping them up.