To say my time not working (at a job) has been WORKING OUT for me, is an understatement. It’s been a PRODUCTIVE time, I’m blessed to have had this opportunity and temporary reassignment to “OTHER” jobs – not just travel, which you know I’ve been doing a LOT of. (It’s 2 weeks until my biggest summer adventure. Yes I’m almost packed.) 

And as for work: “The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever” – I believe this Psalm 138 verse SO MUCH – He Will in HIS TIME. 

But so SERIOUSLY and with CERTAINTY, instead of a nine to five job, how ELSE have I FILLED my time (or seen it filled for me)? Well, I’ve had a few adventures with my kids yes, and a BIG one with the farmhouse finds. AND HOW AND WOW!

We have items, yes, newspapers and photos, baby dolls and even 48-star American flags. We have a FULL house of finds… But it was the “draw” of the pull mentally of getting to “the back corner”, an artificial goal with natural faith to finish that sorting before summer made that attic region unbearable in heat, THAT was an achievement in my mind that has paid off BIG TIME. Essentially we found letters and postcards, we found that we have HUNDREDS of cousins we did not know about. Letters and letters and letters. WOW.

AND I’VE BEEN SCANNING AND COPYING FOR A MONTH. Plus online research. 

Most surprising, now that I’ve connected census research and ship manifests, I discovered that my great great grandparents came to America after their old-enough daughter (my great grandmother) and old-enough son had established themselves here, bringing more children. And I found photographs and maps to their gravestones. WOW. 

Auntie, we knew of her from one photo, but now her many children plus more uncles and cousins are discovered. In these letters, yes, the writings ache your heart in the depression hitting their lives as workers, bakers, farm stand folks, seamstresses. Even though times were tough for my direct family back then, they had a farm and they still ate. My grandpa told me once that all they ate was potatoes every day. Makes me count my blessings. 

And in this, I see the RESILIENCE of a generation, the love especially in the writing, and also the normalcy of their situations. IF WE STUDY THE PAST, WE ARE THANKFUL GOD HAS PULLED US SAFE THUS FAR.

I will write more later about what I’ve found, but for now I will say THANK YOU LORD for this time I’ve had to dig into the project, to devote to scanning and copying, online digging, to now know their names, even a couple photos, but most importantly their love. And I THANK YOU LORD for once again making me count my blessings of provisions and a plan.

I stopped my “ancestry .com” research after my one month $25, I think I milked it pretty good, loose ends and and rabbit holes accepted. I’ve colored coded my scanned letters and sorted by time and person. 

Will I find relatives who live in this era? I don’t know, but I’m going to leave that for another time. This was a big enough project for now.

And I will appreciate what I do have, God’s grace and mercy for these moments of openness… (and appreciate a whole bunch of people whom I hope to meet in Heaven!)

Now I plan on SWITCHING GEARS to typing up the new family tree, for me, my kids, my family. The “artificial goal” I’ve set is to complete this to a stopping point before my next travels. It’s a good goal to gain and then move forward to the next BIG thing.

Yes, LIFE gifted by God. Got to live it and love it!

Amen

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Psalm 138 NKJV 

The Lord’s Goodness to the Faithful, a Psalm of David.

I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You. I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name. In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.

All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O Lord, When they hear the words of Your mouth. Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, For great is the glory of the Lord. Though the Lord is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.