Good Morning Friends and Family,
Today I am going to talk about what our Families stand for. Think about it for a minute. What is the center of your family? Before you answer that question, put your Faith, Cooking, Ethnic, or Bank account aside.
What I'm asking is Who you Family really Are, and that is harder than just stamping the Christian label on the top of your page, because sadly many people think of themselves as Christian but don't live it.
Think about what your family members do in their lives. What teaching moments have you recorded in a special book, or bring out at family gatherings, that state in big bold letters, WE LIVE AS....
Most of my life I have believed I am Christian, but after learning how the Coptic Christians have been torchered because of their faith, then beheaded, I'm wondering how strong is my faith and knowledge of God the Father and Jesus Christ. Would I deny my faith if it meant I'd no longer be beaten several times a day or lose my life? Where I am now, well cared for and well over 50, I can absolutely say, "NO."
Because I understand that our life here is just a quick 'heartbeat' in Eternity, that no matter what happens on earth, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ cleanse us of pain when we come home, and I have an Eternal companion who reminds me daily that I'm what makes his life worth living... I truly believe we will be OK. Our Life Sermons come from deep within and shine throughout our lives. They take us through the 'hard things' in life, or leave us open to disaster.
Whatever the tragedy, ISIS warriors from the training ground 8 miles south of our border deciding to burn their way through America, economic failure, or terrible illness... Whatever it is that comes from left field, would our Family's Life Sermon pull us together or apart?
[BTW, according to Wikipedia,the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, is the largest Christian Church in Egypt and the Middle East, it was established by St. Mark abt. 42AD. Why do Christian Leaders worry about who is Christian? I'll let my Heavenly Father do the sorting.]
Let's get back to our Question. What do you and your family stand for? What has motivated them to do what they do? What is the definition of Success in your family?
In a recent email from my big brother he shared with me recently, were quotes and moments that spoke of not the what but the Who Someone Is. The list begins with a grandmother's definition of Success, she said, "Success is when you look back at your life and the memories make you smile."
I'd have to agree with her, that would be true success because I would know that my life is in harmony with The Savior.
Another told of a moment where a father stood with his six children around their dying mother's bed in the hospital. Their mother's last coherent words before she died were, "I feel so loved right now. We should have gotten together like this more often." If this is the Life Sermon of your family, would you/could you do anything to change it?
The last in this email-list was of someone who had been traveling in Kenya and met a refugee from Zimbabwe. He said he hadn't eaten anything in over 3 days. When he was offered a partially eaten sandwich, the man said, "We can share it"
That brings to mind the 'Berlin Candy Man' of WWII, who dropped tons of candy by handkerchief parachutes to children in war torn Europe. Why? Because he saw how how 30 kids reacted when he gave a few of the children a few sticks of gum. Those children who received the gum kept it, but then they passed the foil-paper back amongst the group so all could have a sniff of the peppermint! Could you put their Life Sermon into words?
Of these few examples from life, which ones would be examples of your Family Life Sermon? What would be Your Life Sermon? Our Father's Life Sermon seemed to be Creating a Legacy through Schnee's Grocery, of caring for the town of Mitchell & Providing for their families through Hard Work and Thrift. Mom's Life Sermon seemed to be Seeking Forgiveness (for youthful choices) & showing she'd changed by, Raising My Girls. However, I doubt either of our parents would think of themselves that way, and I wish I had understood how to ask them when they were here.
While you have parents and grandparents to ask and learn from, maybe you should find out what their Life's Sermons are (or write them down for generations to come if you know) and if there is a Family Life Sermon you haven't recognized yet, talk to their neighbors, friends... Don't wait...
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Monday, April 6, 2015
Easter Traditions of the Ages
Nearly every American has unique memories about Easter, often as I remember mine, they are filled with thoughts of frilly Easter Dresses and Hats. I remember my little sister dresses in white fluffs of lace, with an occasional yellow bow to go with her bright blonde hair.
We felt so beautiful that Spring not really understanding what Easter celebrations were. Many Christians observed Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, when Jesus returned to Jerusalem surrounded by his followers, riding on a young Ass, over a carpet of Palm leaves.
The Thursday before Easter marked when Jesus and his Disciples partook of The Last Supper, then Good Friday (although I fail to understand how the day of Jesus Christ's Crucifixion could ever be called good)
Finally, Easter Sunday, we would dress in white to testify that He was Risen! This special tradition was reflected in our songs and movies, a looked for expression that marked new life and rebirth.
Slowly but surely the desire to express our feelings of gratitude to The Lord for His Grace and such Love that He would pay for our sins, to become a holiday of plastic eggs hidden under leaves and bushes.
At 16, I remember one Easter Sunday putting together an Easter Egg Hunt for the little kids in our trailer park, because I thought it was sad that we were deprived of even that joy, simply because we were the poorest people on the planet.
Down at the Umatilla River we had a grand time, first hiding eggs then watching little ones running around looking under fallen trees and leaves, as we kept guard that they didn't venture near the river that was running fast with spring melt-off.
Did you know that in Ireland children played a game called egg striking, or Pillie-Winkie? That the egg was a symbol of the rebirth of spring, egg picking, or egg tapping, was a game in English folklore. This game was called many things, the egg fight, egg knocking, egg pacqueing, egg boxing, or egg jarping, was a common game where the contestants would each pick out a boiled egg and they would tap the eggs together at the pointed end to see who was the winner.
in the 1500s there was a springtime dance called the egg dance. the goal was to dance on a floor where eggs had been set out in a pattern, without damaging any of course, which came from the wedding of Margaret of Austria and Philibert of Savoy. This dance became a betrothal dance where a hundred eggs were scattered over a level space and covered with sand. If a couple could dance through the space without breaking an egg they were betrothed, and not even their parents could oppose the marriage. *The American Magazine vol. 39, 1895, p. 390
Arranged marriages were the norm where parents would choose mates for their children from families who shared their same ethnic or religious values, lifestyles, and where the excellent character of the chosen spouse was known. *http://www.vishnusvirtues.com/arranged-marriage/
As you research your family lines you might consider adding these bits of information in your comments to allow your children and others to have a broader understanding of what the lives in other lands were like.
Easter Sunday, Easter Monday and Good Friday were, & still are public holidays in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. 800,000 of our early Americans were from these countries because of the lack of land and employment in their homelands. Much of their immigration was in the form of a chain, where established American members of a family would send travel money and instructions to their siblings and cousins in Sweden, and arrange for jobs and land as needed.
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_emigration_to_the_United_States
Traditions of all kinds, were a part and parcel of life before immigration, and are still important for the foundational strength of families today. Do you know your ancestors traditions? What are the most important ones you practice today?
We felt so beautiful that Spring not really understanding what Easter celebrations were. Many Christians observed Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, when Jesus returned to Jerusalem surrounded by his followers, riding on a young Ass, over a carpet of Palm leaves.
The Thursday before Easter marked when Jesus and his Disciples partook of The Last Supper, then Good Friday (although I fail to understand how the day of Jesus Christ's Crucifixion could ever be called good)
Finally, Easter Sunday, we would dress in white to testify that He was Risen! This special tradition was reflected in our songs and movies, a looked for expression that marked new life and rebirth.
Slowly but surely the desire to express our feelings of gratitude to The Lord for His Grace and such Love that He would pay for our sins, to become a holiday of plastic eggs hidden under leaves and bushes.
At 16, I remember one Easter Sunday putting together an Easter Egg Hunt for the little kids in our trailer park, because I thought it was sad that we were deprived of even that joy, simply because we were the poorest people on the planet.
Down at the Umatilla River we had a grand time, first hiding eggs then watching little ones running around looking under fallen trees and leaves, as we kept guard that they didn't venture near the river that was running fast with spring melt-off.
Did you know that in Ireland children played a game called egg striking, or Pillie-Winkie? That the egg was a symbol of the rebirth of spring, egg picking, or egg tapping, was a game in English folklore. This game was called many things, the egg fight, egg knocking, egg pacqueing, egg boxing, or egg jarping, was a common game where the contestants would each pick out a boiled egg and they would tap the eggs together at the pointed end to see who was the winner.
in the 1500s there was a springtime dance called the egg dance. the goal was to dance on a floor where eggs had been set out in a pattern, without damaging any of course, which came from the wedding of Margaret of Austria and Philibert of Savoy. This dance became a betrothal dance where a hundred eggs were scattered over a level space and covered with sand. If a couple could dance through the space without breaking an egg they were betrothed, and not even their parents could oppose the marriage. *The American Magazine vol. 39, 1895, p. 390
Arranged marriages were the norm where parents would choose mates for their children from families who shared their same ethnic or religious values, lifestyles, and where the excellent character of the chosen spouse was known. *http://www.vishnusvirtues.com/arranged-marriage/
As you research your family lines you might consider adding these bits of information in your comments to allow your children and others to have a broader understanding of what the lives in other lands were like.
Easter Sunday, Easter Monday and Good Friday were, & still are public holidays in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. 800,000 of our early Americans were from these countries because of the lack of land and employment in their homelands. Much of their immigration was in the form of a chain, where established American members of a family would send travel money and instructions to their siblings and cousins in Sweden, and arrange for jobs and land as needed.
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_emigration_to_the_United_States
Traditions of all kinds, were a part and parcel of life before immigration, and are still important for the foundational strength of families today. Do you know your ancestors traditions? What are the most important ones you practice today?
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