Family Heart

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The family heart is a collective of many hearts...

This graphic is called "Heart with Thorns" by Panic Alex...

I feel this image perfectly depicts what it's like to be connected to a family heart. There is a lot of beauty and sentimentality there, interlaced with the thorns of pain and guilt, and anger as well.

We often go through our lives analyzing how useful these emotions are. Sentimentality, for example, can be a perverted emotion; especially if it's only real function in our lives is to keep us enslaved. It's from the family heart that we learn how to give our hearts to others. These are the themes that make family "family".

I especially like the Asian undertones in this image. It reminds me of how some families and individuals are so woven and locked into themselves through obligation and tradition.

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God, help our hearts...
Guide us into directions of finding our
living spirituality,
not through dogma or religious rites,
but through the lessons of our hearts.
Help us to go "through" the corruption we encounter
and not get stuck in it,
or become martyrs or victims for it.
Help us to recognize our free will
as being in-tune with You, Lord,
and set us on the right track
to being whole,
with or without our family, if necessary.


For You have promised us these options and choices,
through Your redemption.
You promise us new life
if we forsake these things
in order to be closer to Your Light.
Help us not to dwell too long
in the darkness of the past.
Help us to come into the Light,
dear Jesus.

Jesus Lives!

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