Tuesday, December 28, 2010

My Brother's Keeper





I sought my soul, but my soul I could not see.
I sought my God, but my God eluded me.
I sought my brother and I found all three.
Anonymous



Today we went to our family reunion. Again, we got lost and were quite late, even though Phil went to college in this city. Finally,once at the restaraunt, we got lost again in the parking lot and couldn't even find the right door. It seems we are getting lost every week now. At least this time we didn't stop at any dangerous places for directions. First picture is Phil and I with his sister, brothers and their wives. Phil and I are on the left. Next picture is Phil with his sister and two of his brothers. Then the two men in my life, husband and son. Phil's brother Jacob was not there, he is ill with a form of blood cancer. And the brother in the red shirt, David, has just donated his stem cells to Jacob. Brother to brother. This would be the best Christmas gift ever if the transplant were to be successful.


"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."
Romans 12:10

32 comments:

Karin said...

So sorry to hear of the illness of your brother-in-law. We pray that the transplant will be successful! What a wonderful gift from brother to brother. Very special photos of family and the love they share. May the Lord bless you all and keep you in His care.

Kilauea Poetry said...

I just laughed out loud (husband to my right is glued to something on hulu and completely ignored me) earphones helped a little..I find the lost episode hilarious!! I know I mentioned I grew up watching my dad do that all the time, but it was more like watching both parents from the back seat!
This was touching and so were the warm photos of all of you!! Well I certainly agree- wow, love the way you put this together! (I will remember to say a prayer) -

Reanaclaire said...

Blood is always thicker than water.. yes.. family bonding is strong as I can see from the picture.. how I wish all families have this love among one another..
God bless!

Ann, Chen Jie Xue ι™ˆζ΄ι›ͺ said...

For one bro to donate part of his body part is a great thing.

Just now, I was watching a real life story, a little boy was drowned, his grand ma prayed, God take me instead.

SquirrelQueen said...

What a wonderful gift for one brother to give another, hopefully the transplant will be very successful. You have a fine looking family Ginny.

Lost again? You and Phil need a GPS!

Jane said...

I hope that your brother-in-law returns to good health soon, and will keep him in my prayers.

Jane

From the Kitchen said...

Are you sure you and Phil are getting lost or just taking the scenic tour? What fun family reunions can be. I hope the missing brother will be well enough to join you next year--whatever time you finally get there!!

Best,
Bonnie

MadSnapper said...

so glad you found your way to that wonderful reunion. a wonderful and handsome family you have. great shot of Phil and your son. LOVE that header shot... my dad got lost every time he went anywhere other than his regular route. i and my husband are blessed with a sense of direction, so we have never gotten lost. now we have missed a turn a couple of times because we were talking. once we went to breakfast at the place where we went once a week, and we had the top of the corvette and were laughing and talkig, and all of a sudden we went under an overpass, and the shadow of it made us come to and we said together is there and overpass on the way to Buddy's. not lost but no where we should have been and had to turn around and go back a few block. sorry to hear about Phils brother and i pray the cells will heal him

Remington said...

Your brother-in-law will be in our thoughts and prayers.

Stephanie V said...

Late is just being fashionable. Lost? Not at all...you're busy finding blog ideas. Lovely reunion photos - everyone has such sweet smiles.

Anonymous said...

Hi Ginny, Wonderful pictures! Getting together with one's family is a special thing. Have an especially lovely day today!

Anonymous said...

How lovely to see these family photos. I hope the transplant is a success. I remember your post about asking for directions in dangerous places!;)

Mary Bergfeld said...

How nice almost all of you are able to get together for the holiday. I will keep your ill brother-in-law in my prayers. I hope you can enjoy the rest of this holiday season. Blessings...Mary

Kerrie said...

We are praying for Jacob♥

Doris Sturm said...

Ginny, you keep me in stitches!

But you see, getting lost all the time is what keeps things from getting too boring and monotonous - LOL - you two just crack me up!

Lovely family photos! I'm glad you enjoyed your brothers! I don't have any. My uncle, my dad's youngest brother, was the closest person to a brother I had because he didn't get married till he was 40, so he lived at home while I was growing up in Germany.

George said...

I'm glad you made it to the reunion -- you really have some adventures when you travel! I'm sorry to hear about Phil's brother. I hope the stem cells help him.

Together We Save said...

Praying for your brother!! Looks like your family enjoyes the time you spend together!!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Neat pictures, Ginny... Thought anymore about that GPS???? ha ha

Sorry to hear that Phil's brother has cancer.. But -it is good that another brother is donating his stem cells. Praise God for that... What a fabulous family!!!!!

Hugs,
Betsy

Nikki (Sarah) said...

praying that transplant takes and want to wish you and your family a Happy New year....by the way...great photos.

Ann said...

Don't think of it as getting lost, think of it as scenic detours...lol
So sorry to hear about your brother-in-law. I'll keep him in my thoughts and pray that the transplant is a success.

Neal said...

Very nice! Do you have a GPS? If not, you need one and then you can blame it on the GPS. :)

Glenda said...

Family gatherings make Christmas even more special, don't they? I enjoyed being with my sister and brother as well as John David's huge family. We tend to get lost fairly often, too, Ginny, but we just laugh at ourselves. I have been known to tell John David, "Let's don't tell the kids about this one!"

Rachel Cotterill said...

I hope the transplant works, of course - but it is an awesome gift whether or not it happens to be successful. That's a very loving and selfless thing to do.

Arti said...

Ah..Wonderful moments shared between a family!So warm and loving...

And That has to be the best gift Ever..and I sincerely pray that it is successful too...
Have a warm day:-)

Chatty Crone said...

THE GIFT OF LIFE - THE BEST GIFT EVER!

aspiritofsimplicity said...

How nice that you were all able to get together. I will include your brother in law in my prayers.

Anonymous said...

My prayers for your BIL Ginny. Wonderful photos of the reunion. Happy New Year.

Fred Alton said...

Family get togethers are a high-light of our Holiday season. May the Lord give healing to Phil's brother. You must learn though - you were not lost. You were only bewildered for a short time...then found your way.

Annie Jeffries said...

That getting lost routine and dangerous places (like the parking lot) would make a good routine for a comedy act. Can you imagine the number of women who would relate? LOLOLOLOL

Bobbie said...

What a beautiful family!! Brings tears to my eyes.

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Praying for Jacob, Ginny. He is solucky his brother David was a match!

What Karen Sees said...

Brother to brother, heart to heart, if we follow Jesus, then 'YES' we are our brother's keeper. Wonderful post, and so glad you had a lovely reunion. Prayers and best wishes for your brother-in-law.

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