Thank God For My Famil(ies).

I am an extremely family oriented guy. I always have been, always will be. I grew up very close to my parents, sister, and grandparents, and I'm still extremely close to them. In some ways, despite living 1000 miles away from them, I'm closer to them than ever before. I feel bad sometimes for moving away to Michigan and then California to pursue my so called "dreams". I feels selfish. And, at the very core of it, it is selfish. But, thank God, they understand better than anyone that I would be unhappy if I weren't out trying to make something more of my life. I have the most unbelievable family in the world! I really do :)

But because I'm away from them, there's a huge hole in my life. Family are the people that you can go to for help, for comfort, to laugh with, to cry with. Living in LA, I'm on my own.

Ok, that's not 100% true. In fact, that's what this blog is about. I have been blessed with a sort of surrogate family out here: The Trerise family. I can't tell you how much of a blessing they are in my life. Tonight, as I drove home from hanging out with them, I started tearing up. Not because I miss my family like crazy (which is totally true), not because I do feel very lonely out here sometimes (which tends to happen from time to time), but because I am so incredibly thankful for the Trerise's! Who knew that when I met Benton at Ecola Bible School almost 3 years ago that I would grow as close to him and his family as I am with my own family. Careth is like a second mom to me, Tim is like a second father to me, Judy is like a third grandmother to me, Tiffany is like a second sister, and Ryan is like the brother I never had. I would do anything for this family (including hours of wedding prep, which has happened a lot recently).

I am so incredibly thankful for where God has put me in this life. He's allowed me to move to Hollywood, given me a job, and has taken care of my needs, down to the detail of needing a type of family to lean on and to retreat to and hang out with when I need a safe place to go and rest. I look at my life, past and present, and I am amazed that I doubt God's provision for me at all. I mean really! How dare I not trust Him! Where He has brought me from and where He has brought me to is an incredible story of provision! God has got this! He's in complete control of life, the universe, and everything! How dare any of us question His ways. So many question God, asking 'how can He allow this of that?' He's God. Nothing can exist without him, even scientifically speaking. God is good. I'm so glad He's opened my heart to Him so I can experience His love on a personal level. You can have that too!

John 3:16- For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him will have everlasting life.

God loves you so much that He sacrificed Himself so that you could experience His love and look forward to spending eternity with Him. How awesome is that? I cannot even comprehend that. He's the best Father ever :)