For SCC - Thank God for One Anothir 6-3-07

This month Sunrise is continuing with the theme of The Imperficts. During this series we are delving into family life and issues and discovering ways to live in joy in the midst of The Imperficts or the family unit in which we live. This past Sunday the topic was Thank God for One Anothir: Family Fun. In our families we can thank God for many things, but we focused on giving thanks for variety and for unity. Thank God for variety. Thank God for the different personalities, abilities, and ways of approaching life that each family member adds to the family unit. Variety adds spice and pizazz to the family. Variety broadens your horizons, leads to learning and makes family life and life in general more enjoyable. Instead of picking one another apart we can choose to be thankful for one another and place a high value on variety and each family members uniqueness. We have the opportunity to choose being thankful and enjoying variety which will lead to more family conversation, openness, forgiveness, encouragement, and joy in our lives. We also discussed being thankful for unity. Family unity leads to less "busyness" and more purpose, direction, meaning and joy. The poll questions about busyness revealed no one in the crowd desired more busyness in the lives, and yet almost everyone desired more purpose, direction, meaning and joy. Seeking to create unity and thanking God for one another will lead to more purpose, direction, meaning and joy in our family lives and in life in general.

Variety comes somewhat naturally in the family unit because none of us are alike. We may have some of the same tendencies but each person in the family is a unique individual. Unity does not seem to happen naturally. A few ways we can develop unity in our families are spending time together, listening to one another, sharing with one another and having family fun together.

This week speak these words to your family members on a regular basis. If you cant do it during the week do it just one evening. "I love you." "I thank God for you." "You are important to this family." These three statements are a good start to Thanking God for One Anothir.