Our Rich Family Heritage

My friend posted this beautiful photo on her timeline a few days ago. She was in Pocahontas, Illinois. I commented: “I have family roots that go back to John Rolfe and Pocahontas. They were our 10th generation grandparents. Yay! I'm multi-racial! There's a tiny percentage of Native American in me! And I thought I had no famous folks in my family lineage."

That lineage is on my Mom's side of the family. When she was up in years, I realized I knew little of her family history -- stories about her 10 siblings, what it was like living in a large family, how their parents made ends meet, how she met my Dad, their first kiss, their wedding, and what it was like to have us kids. What a shame I waited so long to find out. I realized that I was so "me" focused that I didn't treasure and appreciate where I came from. So, I did something about it. I took my camcorder, set it on a tripod and spent many hours and days (but a few minutes at a time) interviewing her. Her stories were so precious. Fortunately, I stopped to spend quality time with her that resulted in VHS tapes that I gave out to my siblings and their kids when Mom passed away at age 94 in 2004. I was able to pass on our rich (not in money, but in faith and fortitude) family history.

As I type this today, my Holy Lands “bucket list” pilgrimage three years ago comes to my mind. The more we delved into the rich history of Christianity in the tours that explained so many of our “Family of God’s” history, the more I realized how much I need to be living everyday with great appreciation and gratitude for what our fore-fathers and mothers gave us. How can I do that unless I make the effort to know that heritage? Thankfully, I have a dear cousin, just a few years older than me, that kept up so much better than I did with our family. She accentuates all the positives – the blessings – of our rich family history of faith.

Imagine the wisdom that’s stored up in our elderly family members that could give us so much insight to how rich we are today because of the price they paid to get us here. My children are getting the best of me as I archive so many of my personal life experiences as well as all that rich family heritage that I recall to them. Now, take that even further in realizing the rich family history that goes back to our first “mother and father” (Adam and Eve), studying the scriptures to see where they went right…and where they went wrong – lessons they learned that we sure don’t want to repeat. So much wisdom to learn all throughout the Bible that can keep us pointed in the direction of peace, comfort and joy in our lifelong faith journeys.

I assure you that my Christian walk has been so faith-filled because of what I’ve learned in scripture from our “family heritage”. There have been times in my life where I’ve experienced the pain of my poor choices or actions. In those moments, it can be easy to entertain a notion that I have blown it, that God can’t use me and there’s no hope for restoration. I think we all face those feelings when we fail. During these times, I draw strength from God’s Word, where He tells the stories of heroes of the faith who blew it, like King David, Moses, Peter, Saul (Paul), Abraham and even more. In some cases, their failures were so extreme, it would be natural to say that God would have a right to turn His back on them. But that isn’t God’s nature. He is all about redemption. So when we fail, we can be thankful that God loves a good comeback story.

Paul reminds us that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28) This should give us hope that no matter what we may have done, our adventure isn’t over. God’s at work reclaiming our story. Failure doesn’t disqualify us, even if we’ve been following Jesus for some time. Our story is still being written. The only way that failure can get the last word in our life is if we choose to let it. We serve a God who is able to take our defeats and missteps and still use us to bring glory to his name. Whether we’re walking with Him faithfully or we’ve had a few stumbles along the way, God continues to encourage us to get up, brush ourselves off and build His kingdom.

I started this post with talking about my own family history and how it has affected my life for so much good. But our rich family history of faith is the yesterday, today and forevermore news and if we continue to review it, rehearse it, and make it known to our children and our children's children, we will carry on our rich family history until we all join together in one big, rich family reunion in heaven. What a day of rejoicing that will be!

Our Rich Family History

Last Sunday as we sat around the table, we talked about our “first memories” as a child. Larry said: "I was very young and my mom and I lived in a small one-bedroom apartment. The little fold-up bed I slept on had a plastic cover on the mattress and the sound of the plastic when I moved around woke up my mom and me." He’s come a long way. And, thank God, his beginnings with a single mom caused him to be compassionate toward women who are raising their families alone. That’s one of the reasons he champions the EMwomen organization and the women that my daughter is so passionate about rescuing.

Recently, my cousin and I had a long telephone conversation about many precious family moments when we were young. Our grandparents and their fervent prayer life. Our mothers, who were sisters, and their faith that modeled to us the way we should go. One of my earliest memories was visiting her and my sister in their college dorm in Springfield, MO and eating pizza for the first time in my life. I was six years old. Funny – those earliest memories!

Last week, at the memorial service of a loved one, the pianist/vocalist invited us to sing along with him at the beginning of the service. The first song we sang was “The Old Rugged Cross” and at the first note, my tears began to flow. It was an old song I had not heard for many years and it reminded me of my “rich family history” of being in church, worshipping God and hearing all those stories and songs of God’s amazing grace.

When my mother was up in years, I realized I didn't know much about her history -- stories about her 12 siblings, what it was like living in a large family, how their parents were able to support them financially, how she met my dad, etc. What a shame that I waited so long to find out. I had been so "me" focused that I didn't treasure and appreciate where I came from. I did something about it. I set up my camcorder on a tripod and a few minutes and days at a time interviewed her. Her stories were so precious and so enlightening as to how far she had come and how strong she was throughout her years.

Fortunately, I finally stopped long enough to spend quality time with her that resulted in having VHS tapes made that I could give out to my siblings and their kids when mom passed away at age 94 in 2004. (I’m amusing myself as I type this when camcorders and VHS tapes are now just “blasts from the past”! I was able to pass on to my kids and siblings their rich (not in money, but in faith and fortitude) family history.

I own up to being nostalgic. I guess that comes with being on the other side of raising children, working and caring for a home and family with more time on my hands now to be thankful for my rich family history. I am one of those “older” family members who has a wealth of knowledge and stories just waiting to be shared. Thank you, Facebook, and social media for the ability to do just that. We spend so much time scrolling incessantly on our cell phones instead of one-on-one conversations with those who are filled with treasures that we are missing out on. We don’t talk and ask questions about their life and their past and what makes them who they are today. Maybe this little blog today gives you some inspiration to inquire about your family history – what it looked like “back in their day”, who were their heroes, what helped them conquer – especially in the days without so many conveniences and so much technology that we have today. You just may come to appreciate your rich family history, too!

I am so thankful that the richest family history we have was documented in God’s Holy Word – the Bible. The more I delve into the rich family history of Christianity, the more I know I need to be living every day with great appreciation and gratitude for what our forefathers and foremothers gave us. How can I do that unless I make the effort to know that heritage? Daily, I read or listen to a "Read-the-Bible-Through" in a one-year Bible app with scriptures and commentary. The scriptures come alive, especially as I hear some of the hair-brained mistakes made and the victories that were won by so many heroes of our faith. The history of our faith isn't OLD NEWS. It is the yesterday, today and forevermore news and if we continue to review it, rehearse it, and make it known to our children and our children's children, we will all be living in the plans and purposes of God's great love for His rich family.

Living Our Christianity Out-Loud -- "One Another Living"

Yesterday on FB, I saw this first photo of two family members with opposing opinions about who our next Texas Senator should be. The caption read: "This Longhorn fan prefers Ted Cruz. This Aggie fan prefers Beto. We may not agree on political candidates, but we definitely agree that relationships matter more than politics. Our families play games together, break bread together, drink wine together, float rivers together, and love a great party with other friends and neighbors. We treat each other with respect, disagree agreeably (and often with humor), and try, although not always successfully, to show our kids how responsible adults who don’t agree on everything should act. Be civil. Have conversations with people who don’t think like you. If everyone thought the same it would be boring anyway. And love your neighbor.”

I loved those sentiments enough to pass the message on. Remember the battle cry of the Three Musketeers? "All for one and one for all"! That sounds like a lofty goal, especially in light of the many different, opposing groups of people. If ever Christians needed to become "All for One and One for All", it's today. What does that mean? It means that our lives should become so "Light" bearing, that it is completely obvious who the Christians are. People need to see Christians who manifest the character of Christ, speaking the truth in love with courage and compassion. The more bitter others are, the more persuasive OUR witness will be. Right now is a great opportunity for Christianity. If we actually lived our faith and actually lived Christianity it would be extremely attractive to people. It differentiates Christianity from all that’s going on in the world.

In Galatians 5:14, Paul wrote, "For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” I think what Paul is talking about is the kind of love of neighbor that the Musketeers had for each another. We can learn from their unity and loyalty. As followers of Jesus Christ, not only do we strive to serve, protect, and love God, but we are also called to serve, protect and love each other.

Today, I'm thinking of ways that we can join our hands and hearts together to be a part of something greater than "my four and no more" -- greater than "What's in it for me?" What if we began to pray and humble ourselves to become God's servants who live a life of ONE ANOTHER LIVING? "What can I do for you? What can I do for the cause? What can I do for the team? What can I do for others that helps them to win?" Let’s live our faith. Let’s let people know we are Christians – not by screaming it out off the rooftops. If we know anything about this culture, they’re screaming at Christians “Don’t tell me. Show me." Let’s live our Christianity and teach others how to do the same!”

What Distracts Us From Who is Most Important

While taking my 14-year-old grandson to school yesterday, he asked me whether I had read C.S. Lewis' book, "The Screwtape Letters", as it is his required reading for English this semester. I hadn't, though I have great respect for C.S. Lewis' notoriety as one of the premier writers of his times and, even now, his compelling ability to really make us think deeper and open our minds to the idea that Satan is warring daily to distract us from a deeply committed relationship with God. Brennan was endeavoring to convince me of also reading Lewis' "The Great Divorce" that was his summer required reading. Suddenly, this year, he is captivated by Lewis' writings. I love it!

"The Screwtape Letters' gives the correspondence of the worldly-wise devil and assistant to Satan, Screwtape, to his nephew, Wormwood, a novice demon who is in charge of securing the damnation of an ordinary young man (The Patient). Of course, I hadn't read it -- I, who am the "sugar and spice and everything nice" reader by choice. I told him I had judged a student at a Speech & Debate Competition who was performing in the character of Screwtape for his Open Interpretation speech. He was a brilliant actor and in "character" as Screwtape and portrayed him all too well, that I was uncomfortable with the "darkness" he conveyed. I didn't rank him too high because, as a Christian organization, it seemed so foreboding and I suggested, in my notes, that it may be prudent for him to consider the "God" character instead of the "Devil" character.

As I heard Brennan's take on the book and how it had affected him, it made me wish that I had read the book prior to hearing that young man's speech. Brennan explained: "Nana, have you ever been in church and were praising and worshipping God? Your attention was fully on Him, and then the thought comes to you "What should I have for lunch today?"' That is what this book is about -- how the enemy is always distracting us from keeping our attention on God."

"Screwtape tells Wormwood to keep "the patient" from thinking whenever possible since reason will only encourage the patient to accept Christianity with greater fervency. Wormwood should try to prevent the patient from thinking about the history of Christianity, and instead influence the patient to focus excessively on the ugliness and imperfection of his peers and of family, especially his mother.

Brennan's new open mind about a real devil and our REAL GOD made him want to think twice about decisions he makes and the attitudes he has and the way he interacts with others. It made him realize that there is a tug-of-war going on for our souls. John 10:10 says it clearly "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Yesterday, my mind opened a little more to the real possibilities that we are the target of the enemy and if he can devise ways to keep us from the abundant life Christ came to give us, he will. As my Brennan had an "aha" moment with this book and the deeper message within, maybe we should all consider the schemes, plots, strategies and tactical warfare that the enemy of our souls wishes to use against us. Consider it to the point, that he loses, because we are persuaded, convinced, unequivocally on God's side and we will not be persuaded otherwise. "Lord I'm keeping my eyes on you, following you, my Lord!

Is Love Debatable?

I get amused at my 18-year-old grandson because, from all his four years of speech and debate experience with the NCFCA (National Christian Forensics & Communications Association), he can sure hold his own when it comes to debating an issue with someone. I was completely entertained when I watched his dad and him debate the rules of Rummikub. I am not a debater -- never desired to be, EXCEPT for when my husband and I had some “discussions” (that’s what we called our disagreements that the kids witnessed). If I knew that I was right, I would be like “stuck on glue” to debate my position to prove my case. When he would cave in and concede that I was right (or just to make for peace), it brought me a sense of great pride and joy. But it certainly didn’t add “sugar and spice” to our relationship. Over the years I relented from having to be right all the time. It wasn't worth the struggle. I didn’t want to be a “know-it-all”. I wanted to be a lover who prided herself more on love, peace, and harmony than having to "win" the game of having to be right. To this day, I steer clear of disagreements as best I can. I desire to be a lover -- not a debater.

I went to lunch with three friends recently and the conversation started to get “debatable”. Oh how much I wanted to debate something being said, but then I remembered that debating and having to be right with my husband only led to a disconnect. But authenticity and warmth brought about understanding and harmony. More than debating the issue, I determined to just let my little light shine. Love isn't debatable.

Christianity isn't about proving others wrong, but it is about proving that others are loved. That LOVE is not debatable. Often, when I witness “discussions” of others, I am drawn to look a little closer at my own life and how much more I need to reflect the love of Jesus Christ to a world that needs His love. In the words of the great philosopher, Dionne Warwick (LOL!), "What the world needs now is love sweet love, it's the only thing that there's just too little of".

Hopefully, I looked a little like Jesus to my friends because as John 12:32 says, "And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself." Hopefully, I lifted Him up enough that it will draw them to Him. That's my goal -- to meet up with them in heaven someday!

John 15:12: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."

Pilgrimage Day 5 -- Arriverderci Roma -- It's time for us to part

Aw! Italy! Bellissimo! The beauty of Italy on an early morning drive through the fields and mountains, the lush green groves of olive trees, sheep grazing, vineyards -- all seen as we made our way to Assisi (about 3 hours drive on a motorcoach), the birth and burial place of St. Francis of Assisi who founded the Franciscan religious order in the town in 1208. Francis was born into wealth and means, but abandoned all for a life devoted to Christianity after having a dream to rebuild the church of God. He thought God meant a physical structure but soon realized he was to build God's church through building God's people He was a simple, humble man, known for his peaceful and loving presona, helping and giving to the poor and downcast, and who had a love for God's creation in nature and animals. No wonder Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who was named the 266th pope of the Catholic Church, chose Pope "Francis" as his title.

We couldn't take photos inside the Basilica of St. Francis, but there was no doubt the presence of God was there as we saw the enormous fresco paintings that told the story of St. Francis' life and ministry. We were humbled to see the tomb where he was buried. Tradition tells that Francis, in humility, wanted to be buried in a common criminal burial place, and so he was. But later, as a saint, his body was moved and placed inside a column for protection because relics were a big business and they were afraid his body would be stolen.

I've continued to be on the look-out for daily messages from God on this pilgrimage. Humility was a powerful word from yesterday's journey to Assisi. St. Francis' prayer resonated within me: If only we all would daily pray this prayer, perhaps we too could become instruments of God's peace, like St. Francis.

"Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.

A photo below is Rev. Paul Felix by one of the beautiful olive trees. Father Paul has been the host of our pilgrimage to Rome and the Holy Lands. I never knew him before, but I'm so pleased to say I do now. He is such a humble, kind and endearing man, and his strong faith and servitude to God's people speaks volumes about him. Though he has physical issues and often requires a wheelchair for getting through crowds, you'll never hear him complain. I've seen him walk for miles with us using his cane for support, and climb what seemed to be hundreds of stairs in ancient holy places of worship, climb the many steps of the Colleseum and other rocky and unlevel paths and hilly locations. Along the way, we've encountered a few inconveniences and if someone had a personal issue of concern, he'd reply "Offer it up"! He has a special gift of imparting his spiritual wisdom in a way that only the best spiritual leaders can. What he means is, rather than complain, offer up a praise or thanksgiving, or prayers for someone in worse situations (There's always someone worse off than you!). His humility and words of wisdom are leading us to these holy places that draws us all in a closer walk with our Father.

Yesterday, I heard, loud and clear, from a saint and a priest through their on example of humility: James 4:10 "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up."

Stay tuned.....this morning we fly to Tel Aviv.....embarking on our Holy Lands pilgrimage. No doubt....God is with us, leading the way!!

Take Joy, My King, in What You Hear

Day 8 of the Love Month -- Take Joy, My King, in What You Hear
Last week I posted about the love songs we enjoyed with our significant other, the love songs we sang to our babies, and the love songs God sings to us, but doesn't He Who is THE originator of music desire to hear love songs from us? The ONE who deserves our praise, adoration and our love.... because He FIRST loved us? Christianity is a singing faith. Why? Because it’s not about religion! It’s about a love affair; it’s about a relationship with God— God loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us and He wants us to love Him back.

Here's one of the love songs I sing to Him:
"I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice, to worship You. Oh my soul, rejoice.
Take joy, my King, in what you hear. May it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear."

Oh, that the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be forever making beautiful sounds and songs of love to my King. How often do I let my tongue slip with a careless word, complaint, concern, or woe....those sounds that I'm sure God must put His fingers in His ears and go "la la la la la" to hide those less-than-lovely sounds. But how He must lean into me when He hears me praising Him -- making sounds of gladness, joy, thanksgiving and gratitude. Psalm 22:3 says "He inhabits the praises of His people." He dwells there with us. He embraces our praises. He abides in our praises.

Nothing makes us more aware of God’s love and presence in our life than singing and praising. I know you may be thinking, “But you don’t understand. I can’t sing.” God doesn't look for virtuoso singing. He's quite okay with being off-key. “Make a joyful noise” (Psalm 66:1). We can all do that. When we cheer our favorite teams and players on, we make a joyful noise. So let's just let it out! We don’t have to hit the right notes; we just have to make a joyful noise of love and praise to God.

When we really think about all that God has done for us, we won’t be able to help ourselves. Those are the sweet times of intimacy (in-to-me-see) when we bare our hearts and souls to Him who knows us so completely anyway. Those are the times when we are so tight in our love for each other, that we can barely put into words all that He means to us. Quite naturally, our love songs will come pouring out of us like a fountain of unending flow. "I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice, to worship You. Oh my soul, rejoice. Take joy, my King, in what you hear. May it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear."