Wow!!!  What a picture.  These are my cousins on my mom’s side.  You know through the years, we have all taken different paths in our lives.  But when we see  each other, we are ALWAYS cousins.  No, we won’t always agree and we are each strong in our opinions and beliefs but, we will ALWAYS be cousins.  Family is so important and I have been blessed.  I am closer to some than others and know some better than others.  In the end, with all differences set aside, we will ALWAYS be family.  Like it or not……..Just Kidding.  Love you all.

Now for complete separate direction……there was a shooting in a college last week where Christians were targeted.  I would hope that I would be brave enough to Take a Stand.   I pray daily for God’s strength and I know that He has a plan for me.  So with that said, I am sure that as time goes by it is highly likely that Christians will be targeted and at some time and place we will all need to Take a Stand and state whether we are followers of Jesus Christ or not.  Draw off of the strength of other Christians around you also and join together to be a support to each other.  Let’s pray for the families in Oregon and in all other countries where Christians are persecuted.

Last thought, Dr. Ben Carson has taken a lot of criticism for a statement he made when asked how HE would react if in the situation of a mass shooting.  He stated that he wouldn’t comply with the shooter and he would encourage the others to join him in rushing the shooter.  If you know you are going to get shot, the whole group of you might as well join together and try to minimize  the loss of life.  He can’t shoot everyone at once.  This is exactly what my husband has said since the Virginia Tech shooting.  I think a lot of people feel this way.  Just watch the media tear people apart for stating an opinion.  Dr. Carson is a threat in some areas to Democrats and even establishment Republicans.  I wish people would listen to all statements from someone instead of just taking small portions.  I am not decided on a candidate yet.  We should listen to all use common sense in what our reactions to statements are.

A warning to all who listen to the NBC, ABC, CBS, MSNBC and sometimes CNN and FOX, you have to watch the full speeches to see the true meaning of statements.  You need to do your duty as a citizen and not expect the media to do your job of researching for yourself.  And pray that God will show you the best choice.

Find a way to Take A Stand this week on a subject that means a lot to you.