A family's love is the best kind of love. It is the first love we learn through our parents and siblings.

God express his love for us when he gave his only son to save us. Life is a challenge; sometimes the

choices and chances we take are wrong, and then there are the ones we learn from that makes us

strong. Don't be so quick to give up on one another. You never know when the road will curve in

your life. Family or not, be kind and respectful to one another, 'cause in the blink of an eye, things

can change. Stop holding on to hate and letting hate take over.

Jeanette made the choice to leave and get help for her addiction. She took the chance on

putting it off until later. We aren't the judge of one another, so we cannot say or assume she was too

late to turn around. What took place between her and God is unknown. Losing Jeanette was a very

hard chapter in our lives. Raising her four daughters with so much sadness, hurt, and anger wasn't

easy for us. We managed to keep all four girls within the family; holding on to God's grace, we gave

plenty of love and patience to raise these four beautiful girls. No one can predict what will happen in

our lifetime. We will lose loved ones and friends along the way. Whether it's by a violent crime,

accident, sickness, or old age, it will cause deep pain. These four girls lost their mother at a very

young age and with no father to lean on. Now they are grown and raising families of their own.

A couple's love is a special bond between two people, but to find a special person is to have a

bond with God. You can pray to God day and night, but if you aren't living right, he won't hear you.

No one is perfect, but to do your best by living by his word, and he will overlook the rest. He loves

us unconditionally that is why he laid down on the cross for us.

I myself had given up on love because of so many broken promises and failed relationships. I

felt this late in life, love wasn't in the stars for me, so I turned it over to God and left it there. And

just when I thought all was lost, there he was, an old friend whom I once had the sparkles of a

thousand stars for but never expressed it. To me, the time we lost touch had never happened, about

four years or so. He was still that tall, handsome, warm-spirited gentleman I met years ago. We

continue being friends like no time had passed until he said six words that will be forever imbedded

in my heart, "You know I like you, right?" From there, a beautiful relationship was started.

--Linda Clay Anderson

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