Family history

Sitting on my desk is a page with the names of 24 couples who I decended from, consisting of just one branch of a huge family tree. This particular page of names from my maternal grandmother's family goes back to Jonas Weed who came to America on the Arabella in 1630 and settled in Stamford Connecticut in 1642. I am 11 generations down from him! Another branch from my paternal grandmother's family goes back even farther - 14 generations to Henry Collins who was born in 1606 in England.

Thanks to the many historians in my family tree, I have extensive listings of geneologies from several branches so that a computer printed paper copy of my family tree takes up half of the family room floor!

Looking at the names of well over 100 couples who I descended from makes me feel so incredibly blessed to even be alive! All of those couples had to have met and had a child who had to have a child......or I wouldn't exist today! It makes me so thankful for God's sovereignty and creation of each human life. I don't believe that we exist by chance! God knew about each of us before the foundation of the world and each of us is a miracle! Each generation has TWICE the number of ancestors as the previous one and that is amazing too! Think about that!

So many of my ancestors were the 8th or 9th or 10th child in the family! Some of my ancestors were the products of a second marriage due to the first spouse having died. At least one couple that I know of several generations back was not even married! It is simply amazing that I am here today!

The stories are fascinating. Some of my ancestors lived in Boston and were neighbors of Paul Revere. Several ancestors faught in the Revolutionary War. One of my ancestors was instrumental in the capturing of a British man-of-war in the Potomac River during the War of 1812. Several fought in the Civil War. Some traveled west in covered wagons. One was a Methodist circuit rider preacher. I am very thankful for the Christian heritage that is evident for many generations back on many branches of the tree.

And there are mysteries as well, the Cherokee ancestry of my paternal Grandfather, the possible family relation to Alfred Lord Tennyson, and questions about the parents of one of my great-grandmothers - was she a secret daughter of the infamous Charles Taze Russell? I would love to know the answers!

Those of us who have children will be the ancestors of future generations. I want to live my life so that those who come behind me will find us faithful, like my favorite song says. As a mom, I know that I am very involved in shaping the next generation! What an awesome task that is.

Be encouraged today - you are a miracle! Your existence was planned by God! And if you are a mom, you are making an impact for your descendents to come!

"...what we have heard and known,

what our fathers have told us,

we will not hide them from their children;

We will tell the next generation

the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,

His power, and the wonders he has done.

He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law

in Israel which he commanded our forefathers

to teach their children,

so the next generation would know them,

even the children yet to be born,

and they in turn would tell their chidren.

Then they would put their trust in God

and would not forget his deeds

but would keep his commands."
Psalm 78:3b-7