Father to the fatherless, defender of widows-
This is God, whose dwelling is holy.
God places the lonely in families;
He sets the prisoners free and gives them joy…
(Ps. 68:5-6)

We’re having a new hot water heating system installed — which means that, for the last several days, we haven’t had any hot water in one half of the house. This also means that, this morning, every member of our family used the master bath to shower / bathe. I do mean EVERY member! At one point, with Jacob in the shower and Allie in the tub, Ian brushing his teeth at one sink while Bill shaved over his head, and me at the other sink getting ready, I thought, “This is family!” It’s not about flesh or blood, but about the bonds of love that have been woven together through the years and have made us strong. It’s about discipline… boundaries… and yes, even “Time Out” chairs. It’s about saying “I’m sorry” and forgiving, even when forgetting takes time.

Yep, this hodge-podge group of people who came together over the years may not look like what I’d perhaps once pictured, but we’re more beautiful than I could’ve EVER imagined!