Our need to belong to a group larger than ourselves is enormous. Think about it. You get married, you're in a group. You join a church, a club, a bowling league, anything, and a little part of you feels better, bigger, part of a brotherhood.

But what happens when things don't go according to plan? Sometimes in a church, things may move away from your belief. Maybe it's too much about the pastor, or too much about one topic. As soon as the church solves world hunger, there might be time to worry about politics.

When a basketball team doesn't function it is very clear. You could have five all star playersbut if they don't communicate they lose. Five great players, no teamwork. It was a team decision NOT to work together.

How about your personal choices? What if you decide to quit going out, and start working out? You lose one team, but have decided to join another, much healthier for you. That is a decision YOU made.

A marriage gone bad could be devastating. Those are decisions made that have downstream consequences. You have the whole family unit working as a team, and all of a sudden you may only have one brother to lean on, through no fault of your own. This is NOT a decision you made, and you have to find your own way.

Some of these things I have experienced, and it hurts. Finding your own way is hard, and sometimes scary. When you lose all support, and your entire team is ripped away from you, it must hurt.

Think about the children we are supporting. They were part of a team, and it was ripped away from them. For some time I'm sure they feel alone. The staff at Our House and Arabella must work very hard to help them belong again, be part of something bigger than themselves. No matter what the challenge, no matter how many curves in the road, they need to belong. I want them to know, they matter. I am on their team. I will be there. How about you?

Today's song of the day...Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden...