I didn't think I'd get the chance to post much this week, but lo and behold there was a computer available at our first hotel. We left Michigan at 1:24 this afternoon and arrived in White House, Tennessee, just north of Nashville about 7:30 pm. We thought that was pretty amazing time! The weather is lovely here. As soon as we crossed the Tennessee line, the sun peeked through. The pretty spring trees are in bloom and the grass is GREEN! Wow, does that look welcome to these northern eyes after the kind of winter we had.
I am so looking forward to a week in the south. I have never been in the south this early in the spring before and am anxious to see all the beautiful blooms of the season at this early date.
Worked on one of the sweaters that I have been knitting forever. Actually it's a "shell." It is a lace pattern, square neck, and sleeveless. I am making it out of the prettiest cotton/nylon yarn with a slight shimmery thread running through. The color is off white. I can't wait to have it done, but the front of it was giving me some trouble, so I finally did what I hate to do most--ripped it out and started over. Through the southern part of Indiana, I got it started all over again and am glad I did. It was well worth the effort of ripping and starting over. Sometimes that's good to have a fresh start with things. Jesus does that for us. He takes all our sins and baggage and allows us a fresh start with His love, Spirit, and forgiveness. He is longing to give you a fresh start. What a trade--all the garbage of our lives for His goodness! Will you respond? Spring is a good time for fresh starts. Don't put off praying to the Lord and renewing your relationship with Him. You will not be sorry. He is faithful.
I am looking forward to a week of resting, visiting, and renewing relationships with friends and cousins here in the south. I hope to get a bit of time to really wait on the Lord in prayer. I will be speaking at my first women's event--a Mother/Daughter banquet later this spring, and I want to be sensitive to what the Lord has to say through me to these particular women.
Garden update: Went out and checked around the flower gardens. Crocuses are up and blooming in many colors around my English garden. In the vegetable garden the rhubard is poking up and unfurling it's curly, burgundy leaves. This is a sure sign of spring. Even a few onions that got "missed" in the harvest are growing in neat little rows, pushing their long green stems ever upward. Spring can't be far away. I hope today's spitting snow didn't discourage them!
Have a lovely week! LORI
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Had such a busy day today. We are getting ready to head out for a little vacation tomorrow. We intend to leave right after church and head for Nashville, Tennessee! We will go on to see friends in Alabama for a few days, then back to the Nashville area. We will also spend some time with cousins from Kentucky. I am so anxious to go, except for missing time with Emma!
I worked at one of my cleaning jobs this afternoon instead of the usual Monday cleaning since I will not be around. I walked to work and that added to the day's busy schedule.
Late this evening the mission team from our church returned which meant I got to see JT for a little bit before leaving for the south. We hadn't expected the team back until tomorrow evening and I'm glad they made it here before we left! Kori, JT, and Emma were here and had some supper but Emma was very tired and couldn't wait to get home! The mission trip, working in hurricane ravaged areas of Texas, went well but we are so glad to have them all returned safely.
A little update on the family history: A few days ago after running into what appears to be a "dead end" as far as information goes on the one side of the family we were tracing, Rhiannon decided to trace the ancestor's wife instead. After all, she would be a grandmother to us way, way back. We would still be her direct descendants.Come to find out her family arrived here in 1635, even earlier than the other family. It was possible to find the name of the ship and a list of the passengers!
Well, lo and behold, I sat at the computer as Rhiannon showed me the amazing results. We thought we had uncovered a major history with her husband's family but hers is traceable even further back. Assuming the information is correct that we found on the internet, genealogies already done by others, we were able to see names of her parents, their parents, and on and on clear back to a man from England in.......now get ready for this........1325!!!!! Yes, that's 1325!!!! If we can verify a few details, we are able to name every person in a direct line from us, 23 generations with names and birthdates, clear back to that year! It is still almost unbelievable to me. I went to the library and tried to find books that would show fashion depictions from then, just to get a grip on what we are talking about. Is this why I have always had a fascination with Old English as a language?--ha ha!! I found a course last year (teach yourself) and when the kids found out I was interested in learning Old English, Kori and JT got it for me for Christmas! I know that sounds strange, but the Middle and Old English language has fascinated me ever since 7th grade when our English teacher played a tape for us where a speaker was speaking samples of the languages over the ages! I have worked on learning a bit this winter. Haven't gotten too far yet, but it was very intersting.
I thought you history fans might enjoy that little update. Will write more later when I'm back from the south. I hope to get some real quality time of Bible reading and quite time with God while we're relaxing at cabins around the south. Blessings! LORI
I worked at one of my cleaning jobs this afternoon instead of the usual Monday cleaning since I will not be around. I walked to work and that added to the day's busy schedule.
Late this evening the mission team from our church returned which meant I got to see JT for a little bit before leaving for the south. We hadn't expected the team back until tomorrow evening and I'm glad they made it here before we left! Kori, JT, and Emma were here and had some supper but Emma was very tired and couldn't wait to get home! The mission trip, working in hurricane ravaged areas of Texas, went well but we are so glad to have them all returned safely.
A little update on the family history: A few days ago after running into what appears to be a "dead end" as far as information goes on the one side of the family we were tracing, Rhiannon decided to trace the ancestor's wife instead. After all, she would be a grandmother to us way, way back. We would still be her direct descendants.Come to find out her family arrived here in 1635, even earlier than the other family. It was possible to find the name of the ship and a list of the passengers!
Well, lo and behold, I sat at the computer as Rhiannon showed me the amazing results. We thought we had uncovered a major history with her husband's family but hers is traceable even further back. Assuming the information is correct that we found on the internet, genealogies already done by others, we were able to see names of her parents, their parents, and on and on clear back to a man from England in.......now get ready for this........1325!!!!! Yes, that's 1325!!!! If we can verify a few details, we are able to name every person in a direct line from us, 23 generations with names and birthdates, clear back to that year! It is still almost unbelievable to me. I went to the library and tried to find books that would show fashion depictions from then, just to get a grip on what we are talking about. Is this why I have always had a fascination with Old English as a language?--ha ha!! I found a course last year (teach yourself) and when the kids found out I was interested in learning Old English, Kori and JT got it for me for Christmas! I know that sounds strange, but the Middle and Old English language has fascinated me ever since 7th grade when our English teacher played a tape for us where a speaker was speaking samples of the languages over the ages! I have worked on learning a bit this winter. Haven't gotten too far yet, but it was very intersting.
I thought you history fans might enjoy that little update. Will write more later when I'm back from the south. I hope to get some real quality time of Bible reading and quite time with God while we're relaxing at cabins around the south. Blessings! LORI
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Cool Your Jets and Feed the Chickens!
I’ve been rambling on a lot about history and families lately; permit me one more such post—with a twist!
Our generation is living at such lightning speed. Do you ever feel caught in an endless whirlwind of activity? We truly are the busiest generation imaginable. The advent of motorized travel has speeded us up past any era previous. The faster we go, the faster we go, if you know what I mean. We demand everything at a moment’s notice. Our internet must be quick, our car must go from 0 to 60 in just a few seconds, our meals fast enough for a drive-thru (how many of you ate fast food at least once today?!). We are used to everything at our command at the touch of a button.
Communication is faster than ever. I have heard people comment, (wisely, I believe) on what that one tiny portion of our lives will have on the future generations. Consider electronic communication. I love it! We all love it! It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s convenient. But what will happen to all the words we exchanged? They are for the most part lost unless we make a special effort to save them. Hang up the phone and the conversation is gone forever. Push “Delete” and a letter is gone forever. A handwritten letter expressing our thoughts to someone is nearly a thing of the past. I mentioned a few days ago the stacks of letters I have from WW1 that were exchanged between my grandparents. They are priceless to me. I have learned so much about them and their day and age through these letters. I fear we are not leaving such a legacy to our grandchildren. Even our words and phrases get shortened when we communicate electronically.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with all this fast communication when used for the right purposes, but it's good to slow down once in a while and write a letter or make a diary entry with a pen so someone in the future can see our actual handwriting. The nicely written letter or diary will stay cherished in a family for a long, long time. So, while we take advantage of the high tech, we also need balance in our lives.
Sometimes, we just need to slow down and put it all in perspective. I have an area on our farm where I like to go to just sit and think. I call it the “thinking rocks.” Several very huge rocks sit at the edge of our woods and their shapes lend perfectly to sitting. It is quiet there and you can actually hear the birds sing.
Sometimes when I’m running around and shopping or bustling with activity, I think, ‘I wish I was just home doing the chores.’ Feeding and caring for animals, chickens in my case, sort of forces you to slow down, get a grip, and realize that life is not meant to be lived at 70 miles per hour 24/7. The chickens depend on me to feed and water them, no matter how busy I may be with other things. Maybe this was a positive thing in the lives of our ancestors. Most were living closer to the land and spent lots of quiet time working outdoors. I think everyone needs something like chickens to slow them down! Sometimes after dark when I go out to close up their coop, I walk back to the house and stare at the stars in the night sky. Would I do that if I didn’t have chores to keep me out there? Probably not; I’d miss all that starry beauty.
Think about doing something today that forces you to slow down, leave a legacy, or experience silence. “Be still, and know that I am God…” from Psalm 46:10
Reading back on my posts, I realize they sound like I'm lecturing. I have to inform you all that that is because I felt led for some time now to write articles. I love to write and desire so much to be used in this way and also to do public speaking. I guess my blogs tend to go that route.
Today it is sunny and beautiful in Michigan. I could wait no longer and decided to prune my raspberries this morning. Even now the sun is beckoning and I look out the large living room windows at the English garden and know I must go out there to check for "progress." Too much to do in one day. So many things want my attention. Before the day is over I intend to do some more writing. I am working on typing the sequel to "The Fields of May"; transferring it from the handwritten journals to the computer. I rarely get a chance to work on the third book in the series, but have much of that written as well. During all this ancestor hunting, I suddenly became excited about the possibilities that unanswered questions in family histories lend to fiction writing! More stories are forming in my mind! Maybe someday! LORI
I’ve been rambling on a lot about history and families lately; permit me one more such post—with a twist!
Our generation is living at such lightning speed. Do you ever feel caught in an endless whirlwind of activity? We truly are the busiest generation imaginable. The advent of motorized travel has speeded us up past any era previous. The faster we go, the faster we go, if you know what I mean. We demand everything at a moment’s notice. Our internet must be quick, our car must go from 0 to 60 in just a few seconds, our meals fast enough for a drive-thru (how many of you ate fast food at least once today?!). We are used to everything at our command at the touch of a button.
Communication is faster than ever. I have heard people comment, (wisely, I believe) on what that one tiny portion of our lives will have on the future generations. Consider electronic communication. I love it! We all love it! It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s convenient. But what will happen to all the words we exchanged? They are for the most part lost unless we make a special effort to save them. Hang up the phone and the conversation is gone forever. Push “Delete” and a letter is gone forever. A handwritten letter expressing our thoughts to someone is nearly a thing of the past. I mentioned a few days ago the stacks of letters I have from WW1 that were exchanged between my grandparents. They are priceless to me. I have learned so much about them and their day and age through these letters. I fear we are not leaving such a legacy to our grandchildren. Even our words and phrases get shortened when we communicate electronically.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with all this fast communication when used for the right purposes, but it's good to slow down once in a while and write a letter or make a diary entry with a pen so someone in the future can see our actual handwriting. The nicely written letter or diary will stay cherished in a family for a long, long time. So, while we take advantage of the high tech, we also need balance in our lives.
Sometimes, we just need to slow down and put it all in perspective. I have an area on our farm where I like to go to just sit and think. I call it the “thinking rocks.” Several very huge rocks sit at the edge of our woods and their shapes lend perfectly to sitting. It is quiet there and you can actually hear the birds sing.
Sometimes when I’m running around and shopping or bustling with activity, I think, ‘I wish I was just home doing the chores.’ Feeding and caring for animals, chickens in my case, sort of forces you to slow down, get a grip, and realize that life is not meant to be lived at 70 miles per hour 24/7. The chickens depend on me to feed and water them, no matter how busy I may be with other things. Maybe this was a positive thing in the lives of our ancestors. Most were living closer to the land and spent lots of quiet time working outdoors. I think everyone needs something like chickens to slow them down! Sometimes after dark when I go out to close up their coop, I walk back to the house and stare at the stars in the night sky. Would I do that if I didn’t have chores to keep me out there? Probably not; I’d miss all that starry beauty.
Think about doing something today that forces you to slow down, leave a legacy, or experience silence. “Be still, and know that I am God…” from Psalm 46:10
Reading back on my posts, I realize they sound like I'm lecturing. I have to inform you all that that is because I felt led for some time now to write articles. I love to write and desire so much to be used in this way and also to do public speaking. I guess my blogs tend to go that route.
Today it is sunny and beautiful in Michigan. I could wait no longer and decided to prune my raspberries this morning. Even now the sun is beckoning and I look out the large living room windows at the English garden and know I must go out there to check for "progress." Too much to do in one day. So many things want my attention. Before the day is over I intend to do some more writing. I am working on typing the sequel to "The Fields of May"; transferring it from the handwritten journals to the computer. I rarely get a chance to work on the third book in the series, but have much of that written as well. During all this ancestor hunting, I suddenly became excited about the possibilities that unanswered questions in family histories lend to fiction writing! More stories are forming in my mind! Maybe someday! LORI
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Valuable Lessons From Family History
In the last few days I've certainly learned alot through all this ancestor searching. One thing is this: do your future family a favor and name your children something very unusual so it pops off the page years from now! An unusual name makes it nearly impossible to confuse you with someone else. All these folks who had the noble idea of naming a child after grandpa didn't realize what that would do to those of us down the line who were trying to sort out names! While looking through the endless entries on microfilm of New England cities, the names that really jumped off the page were ones like Patience, Thankfull, Mercy, and so on!
Do you sometimes get weary of doing good or feel that you are not accomplishing much in your life? Searching through books and endless lists of names made me suddenly realize how many lives my life will affect. I am not one to do the math and figure statistics, but trust me, after what I saw yesterday, if the Lord tarries a few hundred more years, you will be the ancestor of an UNBELIEVABLE amount of people. You have the power and potential to impact thousands of people with the way you live. Do things that are righteous and valuable and live for something beyond yourself even if it gets tiring day after day.
One prayer I often pray goes something like this, "Lord I agree with your will that none should perish. I pray that everyone in my family line from here on responds to your saving grace so that none are lost." Wouldn't that be something to accomplish? Seeing every descendent of yours from now til the Lord's return in heaven? Think about it. You can be praying for people you will never meet.
Yesterday after visiting the genealogy library, Rhiannon and I visited three different cemeteries near Berne, Indiana, where relatives from Clint's side of the family are buried. Two of the cemeteries were very small; just a little portion of ground in a farm field. In one cemetery the graves were marked mostly with wooden stakes on which the initials of the deceased were carved. In this particluar cemetery Clint's very distant grandfather (I dont' know how many great, greats!), one of the first of the family to come to America from France, is buried. I wouldn't even want to try to count the number of the descendents of this man and his wife. Many of the people in our area of Amish or Mennonite descent can trace their lineage back to this couple. When Clint traced his family tree for a high school project it returned to this man from three of his four grandparents and I trust that some of you reading this can say the same!Just another example of how one life can affect countless others in future generations. The books that list this family's decendents are unbelievably huge and printed in very small print. Trust me, we own one!
You are leaving a legacy--either good or bad. With the better records that are kept nowadays, it is highly likely that your family way down the line will have an eaiser time finding out about you than we have finding facts on our relatives. Leave them something solid and lasting. Write diaries filled with details and wisdom that the Lord gives you. Pass on the faith. Leave your children more than just the money that's left in your bank account when you die. If you are childless, try to impact other people for righteousness. There's someone who needs you and the way you live truly does matter.
I once received a baby announcement from a friend detailing their family history. At the end of the list I suddenly realized why they included this lineage. The oldest relative they were listing was an important, noted missionary in the early days of this country, doing vital work among the Indians. They had named the baby after him. These many years later, this family was living as Christians and teaching their children to live that way as well. The way you live DOES matter to alot of people, both now and in the future. Live for Jesus; press on! I leave you with Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
Do you sometimes get weary of doing good or feel that you are not accomplishing much in your life? Searching through books and endless lists of names made me suddenly realize how many lives my life will affect. I am not one to do the math and figure statistics, but trust me, after what I saw yesterday, if the Lord tarries a few hundred more years, you will be the ancestor of an UNBELIEVABLE amount of people. You have the power and potential to impact thousands of people with the way you live. Do things that are righteous and valuable and live for something beyond yourself even if it gets tiring day after day.
One prayer I often pray goes something like this, "Lord I agree with your will that none should perish. I pray that everyone in my family line from here on responds to your saving grace so that none are lost." Wouldn't that be something to accomplish? Seeing every descendent of yours from now til the Lord's return in heaven? Think about it. You can be praying for people you will never meet.
Yesterday after visiting the genealogy library, Rhiannon and I visited three different cemeteries near Berne, Indiana, where relatives from Clint's side of the family are buried. Two of the cemeteries were very small; just a little portion of ground in a farm field. In one cemetery the graves were marked mostly with wooden stakes on which the initials of the deceased were carved. In this particluar cemetery Clint's very distant grandfather (I dont' know how many great, greats!), one of the first of the family to come to America from France, is buried. I wouldn't even want to try to count the number of the descendents of this man and his wife. Many of the people in our area of Amish or Mennonite descent can trace their lineage back to this couple. When Clint traced his family tree for a high school project it returned to this man from three of his four grandparents and I trust that some of you reading this can say the same!Just another example of how one life can affect countless others in future generations. The books that list this family's decendents are unbelievably huge and printed in very small print. Trust me, we own one!
You are leaving a legacy--either good or bad. With the better records that are kept nowadays, it is highly likely that your family way down the line will have an eaiser time finding out about you than we have finding facts on our relatives. Leave them something solid and lasting. Write diaries filled with details and wisdom that the Lord gives you. Pass on the faith. Leave your children more than just the money that's left in your bank account when you die. If you are childless, try to impact other people for righteousness. There's someone who needs you and the way you live truly does matter.
I once received a baby announcement from a friend detailing their family history. At the end of the list I suddenly realized why they included this lineage. The oldest relative they were listing was an important, noted missionary in the early days of this country, doing vital work among the Indians. They had named the baby after him. These many years later, this family was living as Christians and teaching their children to live that way as well. The way you live DOES matter to alot of people, both now and in the future. Live for Jesus; press on! I leave you with Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
It is later tonight as I write this. I spent all day with Rhiannon at a large library working on family history on my paternal grandmother’s side. I don’t want to bore you with this, but trust there is actually some spiritual merit to all of this. This posting may take two days to complete, but at the end, I promise there will be some thoughts to challenge the Christian!
Even before the birth of our first grandchild, Emma, I prayed for the descendants that will come after me, should the Lord tarry. Emma is such a joy to our lives right now. We delight in being with her. She recently turned one and is very active and curious. She reminds me that my life will not go on forever, but that she will follow living her life and so will other generations until the Lord’s return.
After searching all day through eye-straining sheets of endless microfilm of handwritten public records of New England, we never found the actual name we were looking for. But at the end of this amazing day, I asked my daughter what we had learned. You have to understand, I am not as computer literate as she is and it sure seemed like she was sifting through all this info at lightning speed. It nearly made me dizzy at times. She assured me we confirmed all the information we had and pieced together some of what we had only as suspicions before. It resulted in being able to form a family lineage through my grandmother that stretches back 13 generations in the United States to the original ancestor who arrived here around 1644 only about 24 years after the landing of the Mayflower. He was born in England and we were so far unable to access information about his parents. We learned that public records were not kept much before 1650 in any country. The next best source for records are probate courts listing wills and churches listing christening records. Some sources we checked today believe that this original relative arrived here at about age 12. We can’t be sure about that yet. That’s a search for another day!
It was so exciting to us to finally know for sure who our great, great, greats, were and where they came from. What is it in the human personality that has such a need to connect to something more lasting and far beyond ourselves? I think I learned today that in all the searching and at the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter where you came from but where you are going. As a Christian, I know someday I will go to heaven and be face to face with my Lord. That’s the most important thing.
Tomorrow I’ll write a few more observations that I learned in all this searching. Also a few more details of where we went after we left the library. Some of you who are reading this blog will be very interested in where our travels landed us since it includes your family line as well! Stay tuned until tomorrow and meanwhile, be thankful that if you are a Christian that you are a child of God, grafted in to His family by the blood of Jesus.
Even before the birth of our first grandchild, Emma, I prayed for the descendants that will come after me, should the Lord tarry. Emma is such a joy to our lives right now. We delight in being with her. She recently turned one and is very active and curious. She reminds me that my life will not go on forever, but that she will follow living her life and so will other generations until the Lord’s return.
After searching all day through eye-straining sheets of endless microfilm of handwritten public records of New England, we never found the actual name we were looking for. But at the end of this amazing day, I asked my daughter what we had learned. You have to understand, I am not as computer literate as she is and it sure seemed like she was sifting through all this info at lightning speed. It nearly made me dizzy at times. She assured me we confirmed all the information we had and pieced together some of what we had only as suspicions before. It resulted in being able to form a family lineage through my grandmother that stretches back 13 generations in the United States to the original ancestor who arrived here around 1644 only about 24 years after the landing of the Mayflower. He was born in England and we were so far unable to access information about his parents. We learned that public records were not kept much before 1650 in any country. The next best source for records are probate courts listing wills and churches listing christening records. Some sources we checked today believe that this original relative arrived here at about age 12. We can’t be sure about that yet. That’s a search for another day!
It was so exciting to us to finally know for sure who our great, great, greats, were and where they came from. What is it in the human personality that has such a need to connect to something more lasting and far beyond ourselves? I think I learned today that in all the searching and at the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter where you came from but where you are going. As a Christian, I know someday I will go to heaven and be face to face with my Lord. That’s the most important thing.
Tomorrow I’ll write a few more observations that I learned in all this searching. Also a few more details of where we went after we left the library. Some of you who are reading this blog will be very interested in where our travels landed us since it includes your family line as well! Stay tuned until tomorrow and meanwhile, be thankful that if you are a Christian that you are a child of God, grafted in to His family by the blood of Jesus.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Well, friends, today was my birthday which got me to thinking about time, stages of life, ages, even eras…..
What is your favorite era? I guess maybe only history fans and romantics like me have a “favorite era.” Mine is the early 1900’s and World War 1. I guess I am fascinated by that time for several reasons. As an avid seamstress, I love the Edwardian and WW1 styles. They depict the transition between the more stiff styles of the earlier Victorian Era (which, by the way, I love as well!) and the loose and daring (for then) styles of the Roaring 20’s. Still they are so feminine and modest, while being looser fitting and easily adapted for modern clothing.
World War 1 was a pivotal time in the history of the United States. I recently attended a conference where one of the speakers gave a detailed history lesson. He pointed out that WW1 began the loss of innocence for our country. I see the era as the last of a gentler time when good morals, faith and virtue were still applauded.
Imagine what it was like for the countless thousands of American farm boys, many who had never traveled more than a few miles from home, to suddenly find themselves beholding the sights of Europe. Standing in the shadows of the massive castles, the Arc de Triomphe, the Palace of Versailles, surely made the tiny wood frame buildings of the farm on the windswept prairie seem so small and far away. They had been transported to places they had only heard about in the history and geography lessons of America’s one-room schools. Truly World War 1 changed us forever. Surely, seeing the grandeur of Europe fueled some of the energy that depicted the Roaring 20’s only a few short years after the boys returned home. One famous song of the era asks, ‘How ya’ gonna keep ‘em down on the farm, after they’ve seen Paris?’
My grandfather was a WW1 soldier. Our family has literally stacks of letters that were written between he and my grandmother, who was then only his girlfriend, sent from Colon, Michigan to Oregon and Washington states and back. One such stack of these letters fell into my keeping. I never had the pleasure of knowing my grandfather. He died in 1937; so reading the letters that he and grandma sent back and forth is precious to me. He wanted to go to France and do his part—he said so in the letters. But he was never sent there. He remained on duty in Oregon, cutting timber from the massive forests to be used in the war effort. He wrote to my grandma of his desire to go to France and that he was not afraid, but actually anxious. Reading the letters alongside the many pictures of my Grandma in the styles of the day makes a pretty good historical record. Pictures of Grandpa in his uniform adorned my home growing up and now one in an old oval frame hangs on the wall of my parlor.
The letters are like history lessons. The everyday things spoken of are valuable insights into life in during the war. In one letter, Grandma mentions, “today I saw an automobile!” She also speaks of buying her first camera and Grandpa asks her if she’d like to have a commemorative set of buttons that were like the ones on his uniform because all the fellas are buying them for their girls!
In all this talk of eras it reminds me that life is but a vapor, just like the Bible declares. In 1 Chronicles 12, verse 32 the Bible speaks of the “sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do,” Are we like the sons of Issachar having an understanding of our times with the knowledge of what to do? It is becoming increasingly obvious that the age in which we now live, the church age, is rapidly drawing to a close. Signs of the times are everywhere. The most important knowledge to have is the knowledge that you are saved and ready to meet Jesus when He returns. Check your spiritual temperature. Are you ready to meet the Lord? Take time today to pray and set things right in your heart. The Lord is longing to fellowship with you. Invest time in others—this is an effort that will last. I am trying diligently to be a good granny, looking forward to passing on the values and truths of Christianity to Emma, our granddaughter. Tomorrow, more about Emma!
Blessings, LORI
What is your favorite era? I guess maybe only history fans and romantics like me have a “favorite era.” Mine is the early 1900’s and World War 1. I guess I am fascinated by that time for several reasons. As an avid seamstress, I love the Edwardian and WW1 styles. They depict the transition between the more stiff styles of the earlier Victorian Era (which, by the way, I love as well!) and the loose and daring (for then) styles of the Roaring 20’s. Still they are so feminine and modest, while being looser fitting and easily adapted for modern clothing.
World War 1 was a pivotal time in the history of the United States. I recently attended a conference where one of the speakers gave a detailed history lesson. He pointed out that WW1 began the loss of innocence for our country. I see the era as the last of a gentler time when good morals, faith and virtue were still applauded.
Imagine what it was like for the countless thousands of American farm boys, many who had never traveled more than a few miles from home, to suddenly find themselves beholding the sights of Europe. Standing in the shadows of the massive castles, the Arc de Triomphe, the Palace of Versailles, surely made the tiny wood frame buildings of the farm on the windswept prairie seem so small and far away. They had been transported to places they had only heard about in the history and geography lessons of America’s one-room schools. Truly World War 1 changed us forever. Surely, seeing the grandeur of Europe fueled some of the energy that depicted the Roaring 20’s only a few short years after the boys returned home. One famous song of the era asks, ‘How ya’ gonna keep ‘em down on the farm, after they’ve seen Paris?’
My grandfather was a WW1 soldier. Our family has literally stacks of letters that were written between he and my grandmother, who was then only his girlfriend, sent from Colon, Michigan to Oregon and Washington states and back. One such stack of these letters fell into my keeping. I never had the pleasure of knowing my grandfather. He died in 1937; so reading the letters that he and grandma sent back and forth is precious to me. He wanted to go to France and do his part—he said so in the letters. But he was never sent there. He remained on duty in Oregon, cutting timber from the massive forests to be used in the war effort. He wrote to my grandma of his desire to go to France and that he was not afraid, but actually anxious. Reading the letters alongside the many pictures of my Grandma in the styles of the day makes a pretty good historical record. Pictures of Grandpa in his uniform adorned my home growing up and now one in an old oval frame hangs on the wall of my parlor.
The letters are like history lessons. The everyday things spoken of are valuable insights into life in during the war. In one letter, Grandma mentions, “today I saw an automobile!” She also speaks of buying her first camera and Grandpa asks her if she’d like to have a commemorative set of buttons that were like the ones on his uniform because all the fellas are buying them for their girls!
In all this talk of eras it reminds me that life is but a vapor, just like the Bible declares. In 1 Chronicles 12, verse 32 the Bible speaks of the “sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do,” Are we like the sons of Issachar having an understanding of our times with the knowledge of what to do? It is becoming increasingly obvious that the age in which we now live, the church age, is rapidly drawing to a close. Signs of the times are everywhere. The most important knowledge to have is the knowledge that you are saved and ready to meet Jesus when He returns. Check your spiritual temperature. Are you ready to meet the Lord? Take time today to pray and set things right in your heart. The Lord is longing to fellowship with you. Invest time in others—this is an effort that will last. I am trying diligently to be a good granny, looking forward to passing on the values and truths of Christianity to Emma, our granddaughter. Tomorrow, more about Emma!
Blessings, LORI
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Family, church, writing, and gardening!
I am so excited to finally have my own blog! I have been a pastor's wife for 17 years now and love being involved in the work of the Lord. Writing is one of my hobbies, so my kind daughter set up this blog for me! Our church is a small congregation in the country. We have a contemporary worship style. Our children and I are both involved on the worship team. I play keyboards, my son, Jeremiah plays drums, bass, guitar, or pretty much wherever he's needed, and our daughter, Rhiannon also capable on a variety of stringed instruments, is our co-worship leader. I have taught Sunday School many times in the past and am currently taking a break. My husband, Clint, is one of the best preachers I know of! He is an evangelist at heart and preaches great, inspiring sermons.
I've been a Christian for over 35 years. I desire to see people come to a saving knowledge of Christ. Hopefully in the near future I can begin to branch out and be involved in ministry outside our church by doing speaking engagements for various events. Having written my first book, The Fields of May, I am excited about what the Lord has in store for the book and the sequels that are underway. The Fields of May is a Christian fiction story set in rural America. If you have read it, I would love to hear your comments and discuss the details of writing with you.
Today was mostly sunny and warm here in Michigan. The weather lately has been so wonderful compared to the very long, cold, and challenging winter we faced this year. Living on a farm and having chores to do made the winter extra difficult. I wish I had kept track of how many days in a row the temps were below freezing. It seemed sometimes like all I did day after day was hurry out to the chicken coop to gather the eggs before they froze and change the chicken's water to keep it from freezing. So glad that's mostly over for the year! I can't remember a winter this cold and snow-covered since my teen years.
Now with the weather showing signs of spring, the work of gardening will start. I always look forward to the first green shoots making their way through the still-chilly soil--the promise of new life and summer's glories. It is my practice to take a daily walk to the gardens and check for progress this time of year. The last few days it has been tempting to begin raking off the dead plant material in the flower garden, but something tells me it's a bit too soon and that waiting will be wiser. I can't help it, I'm anxious to see the flowers come up!
I love the flower gardening, but sort of dread the vegetable gardening. It seems to me like the vegetables are always more work than you bargained for. They're not done when they're done--there's still the canning and freezing to do even after you've done all the tilling, planting, weeding, and watering. I have to admit I enjoy the flowers more.
My favorite garden has been dubbed, the "English Garden." I've long enjoyed the classic literature of England and the history and pictures of the scenery. Rhiannon and I got the opportunity to travel there last May--a dream come true! Some of my favorite books from the library are books that picture the beautiful gardens of England, both the little cottage gardens and the huge ornate gardens of the large country estates. Consequently when I planned my most formal flower garden, I realized I had been influenced by these books. My "English" garden contains both the elements of a cottage garden and some more formal elements of ornate wire objects. I found a queen sized white iron bed frame at a garage sale for a very small sum and had my husband sink the posts down a few inches into the soil in the center of the garden. It now serves as a garden "room" in which a few chairs and a table sit. Morning glories climb the posts and crawl across the strings I placed across the canopy frame.
Currently knitting too many sweaters and hoping to finish some soon! Until later, Lori
I've been a Christian for over 35 years. I desire to see people come to a saving knowledge of Christ. Hopefully in the near future I can begin to branch out and be involved in ministry outside our church by doing speaking engagements for various events. Having written my first book, The Fields of May, I am excited about what the Lord has in store for the book and the sequels that are underway. The Fields of May is a Christian fiction story set in rural America. If you have read it, I would love to hear your comments and discuss the details of writing with you.
Today was mostly sunny and warm here in Michigan. The weather lately has been so wonderful compared to the very long, cold, and challenging winter we faced this year. Living on a farm and having chores to do made the winter extra difficult. I wish I had kept track of how many days in a row the temps were below freezing. It seemed sometimes like all I did day after day was hurry out to the chicken coop to gather the eggs before they froze and change the chicken's water to keep it from freezing. So glad that's mostly over for the year! I can't remember a winter this cold and snow-covered since my teen years.
Now with the weather showing signs of spring, the work of gardening will start. I always look forward to the first green shoots making their way through the still-chilly soil--the promise of new life and summer's glories. It is my practice to take a daily walk to the gardens and check for progress this time of year. The last few days it has been tempting to begin raking off the dead plant material in the flower garden, but something tells me it's a bit too soon and that waiting will be wiser. I can't help it, I'm anxious to see the flowers come up!
I love the flower gardening, but sort of dread the vegetable gardening. It seems to me like the vegetables are always more work than you bargained for. They're not done when they're done--there's still the canning and freezing to do even after you've done all the tilling, planting, weeding, and watering. I have to admit I enjoy the flowers more.
My favorite garden has been dubbed, the "English Garden." I've long enjoyed the classic literature of England and the history and pictures of the scenery. Rhiannon and I got the opportunity to travel there last May--a dream come true! Some of my favorite books from the library are books that picture the beautiful gardens of England, both the little cottage gardens and the huge ornate gardens of the large country estates. Consequently when I planned my most formal flower garden, I realized I had been influenced by these books. My "English" garden contains both the elements of a cottage garden and some more formal elements of ornate wire objects. I found a queen sized white iron bed frame at a garage sale for a very small sum and had my husband sink the posts down a few inches into the soil in the center of the garden. It now serves as a garden "room" in which a few chairs and a table sit. Morning glories climb the posts and crawl across the strings I placed across the canopy frame.
Currently knitting too many sweaters and hoping to finish some soon! Until later, Lori
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