This was in my reader this morning

And how much more truth can you get?! I loved this article and had to share it...yeah, I know...it's coming from my own Blackberry SmartPhone...the phone that I don't know how tpo remove that idiot tagline from

We all know that families are falling apart at an alarming rate. And it's hard to pinpoint exactly why that is.

But the opposite of an "apart family" is a "together family". So the simple answer to "why families fall apart" has a lot to do with the fact that they are not nurturing unity–togetherness. And boy  is there a  pile of things that discourage unity among families!

I wonder if we would be wise to be more careful and guard our family's unity against seemingly harmless activities? Technological advances have got to be one of the biggest enemies of family unity. Isn't it ironic?

Advancement is supposed to be better. But how often does the advancement require a sacrifice? Yes, it's nice every member of the family has his or her own cell phone.

But now with the advanced gadgets beyond basic convenience when you're broken down on the side of the road (isn't that why we have them?), cell phones alone can rob us of so much time. Besides that, I've witnessed teenagers live an alter life at home through their cell phones alone.

(Funny story: I did break down on the side of the road a few weeks ago, and we only have one cell, of which my husband usually carries for work. So I had to stop at a church to call him. I kept thinking they looked at me oddly when I asked to use the phone…then it dawned on me and I said, "Oh…yes…I am one of the few Americans left who doesn't actually have a cell phone–*sheepish smile*)

And then there are the hand-held games–go ahead and chuckle, because I don't know the names.  The last one I remember is "Game Boy"…I know, so five years ago.  (For the record:  none of our children have any of these.  I'm imagining that if 7 children each had a private game/gadget, there would be NO relationship.  But, they don't know they're missing anything and they love  playing together)

And let's not forget our favorite gadgets–the television, the computer and the telephone.  All of us can be guilty of indulging too long in these conveniences that so easily shut out the rest of our family. What's the saying?  "It's the little foxes that spoil the vine."  Guard your family's unity with your life!   Satan hardly has to work to tear them apart anymore.

Bottom line:  families need tremendous amounts of time TOGETHER.  Talking, laughing, telling  jokes and stories, good old fashion walking, sharing ideas, dreams and plans, looking at each other's faces–those little things that are so easily taken for granted are the stuff of life that holds us together.

Go out and have a picnic!
Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel