Love

Micah and Jasmine will be here on Wednesday and I'm really looking forward to that.  I wish Leah, Parris and Ashanti could be here too - it would be a regular family reunion.  But we usually have those during Christmas, so I can wait until then.  It's getting to the point now where I am really missing my grandkids.  I never knew how much I could love someone else until my grandchildren came along.  I, of course, love my children with all my heart; but when my granddaughter was born, I was totally swept away by the love I have for her.  And then my other grandchildren followed and it is incredible that more love just keeps pouring out.  It must be a neverending supply.

There are these little gnats that are flying around in here and driving me crazy!  I don't know if they're fruit flies or just plain gnats, but they love me and I am trying to kill them every time I see one land on my arm or the computer screen.  They're tiny and fast so I usually miss.  I wish I knew how to get rid of them without all the violence.  After all, I don't want to break my laptop.  Maybe my mom would have a home remedy - I should ask her.

I've gotta tell ya, that I have a real pet-peeve lately, especially on Facebook or Twitter or wherever social networks are:  people who insist on telling others how they should live their lives, in a not-so-subtle way.  They may "say" it in a semi-positive way, but I find that very arrogant and presumptuous and it "irks" me, as my mother would say.  I think it's fascinating to learn about others and their beliefs, as well as expounding my own - but forgive me if I ever try to landblast someone else with what I believe or don't believe, and especially when it's not solicited. 

I've always hated selectivity or better stated, cliques.  When I was in high school, I was in neither the greaser's clic, the hippie's clic or the jock's clic.  I couldn't stand that one group would refuse to accept someone else who wasn't of that group's genre.  That's incredibly ignorant and I still feel this way.  I have certain beliefs and standards and morals that many people may not share; but I won't diss them for not believing what I believe.  Not only is that counter-productive, it's prejudicial and immature. After all, I come from a Jewish home, have 3 bi-racial children, 3 bi-racial grandchildren, 2 African American grandchildren and profess to be a Christian -- which category would that put me in??

I have been blessed with so many friends who come from so many different backgrounds.  I have friends that are a constant encouragement to me like Janice, Juan and Linda; I have friends that are a lot of fun to hang out with like Barb, Sandy and Tammy; I have friends who I know would pray for me like Virginia, Rich and Jeannette; I have friends that I know I could trust my life with like Brenda, Laurie and Sharon.  I could go on and on and list all of my friends who God has placed in my life and who have been such a blessing to me.  And we're all different.  Every single one of us. And yet I have the capacity to love and respect each and every one of them.  God, please help me never to presume my friends and others need me to point out their faults and help me to show them unconditional love, just as You have showed to us.  Amen.