Acknowledgement

While growing up God blessed me with two great parents.  I remember being quite the difficult child, and sometimes I wonder how I didn't end up at the local landfill, or at a pawn shop with a price tag.  I was such a little heathen in elementary school.  At first my teachers would draw a circle in the sand that I had to stay inside of for the entire recess period.  However, it wasn't too long before my Mom had to come to school and take me home for lunch.  I was a big question mark and a handful.  I can appreciate the war I put my parents through back then!  I especially consider myself lucky because a lot of my friends back then had split homes, neglectful parents, and /or parents who abused them.  The time I spent inside the teacher's sand circle must have seemed like small stuff to them.

It took me a long time to truly appreciate the time and effort my parents put into my life.  I am not saying that neither one of them ever made a mistake or did not follow the so called "Proper Parenting Manual."  Everyone makes mistakes, however, my parents brought me up in an environment and placed me in situations where I could learn from them.  I left for the military for many reasons, but I also just wanted to get away from home and start life with no questions.  The popular parable, "The prodigal son," explains how we feel sometimes in life.  The thing to remember is that good parents, bad parents, or something in between, we all have a Father up above willing to welcome us with open arms regardless of what we've been through or what we have done.  Read below and enjoy............

Luke 15:11-32

The Parable of the Lost Son

 ¹¹ Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.    ¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
   ¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.
   “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
   ²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
   ²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
   ²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
   ²⁸ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
   ³¹ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”