Do you see the resemblance?

          Saturday was a good day at the Anderson house. We hung out at the house and just chilled out. Very atypical from how normal days off are spent. One thing we did do was look up our family's history. I started with mine on my father's side because it was the easiest to trace. It took a while, but I wound up at the guy in the picture, Pushmataha. He was once the chief of the Choctaw nation and a liaison for the Choctaws to the United States government. Technically, his son-in-law is my g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g- grandfather. His wife being Running Deer, Pushamtaha's daughter. All that to say, I'm about 1/264th Choctaw. Does that count?
          Sara and I went back and forth, finding little tidbits of information about one another's families. I could spend days on this stuff, right? It is very interesting to know where you come from.
          Today I witnessed many awesome things. 1) Six Derby cars built by men and women rolled down a hill successfully 2) Saw my first greased pig catching, 3) Ate (almost) 2 pies without my hands, 4) Watching CrossPointe staff get dunked, and last but I think most important 5) Spending time with my family.
          I am not only talking about my literal family here, my parents and in-laws were present at the event today. No, I am speaking of the family at CrossPointe Community Church. This church has been a part of my life for 5 years and in that 5 years  I have formed more deep and meaningful relationships than I have in my whole life. I think that may be why Paul spoke to the Jews about disregarding geneaologies. They also used them to validate their status, but when you spend all of your time chasing down those links, then what time are you spending with those people around you, you know, the ones with a pulse.
         Family is blood, you call those relatives. Family is also those who will pray for you, laugh with and at you, walk alongside you, support you, call you out, straighten you out. Although the guy in the picture is "family", I have never felt more at home than I feel when I am with my family from CrossPointe.

Enduring Understanding: Don't think you are without family when there is a whole family surrounding you (I hope), a family that Christ has given you.