A STUDY IN GRACE

 A STUDY IN GRACE

  Nehemiah chapter 7 And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, and found written therein, These are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, … (KJV Neh.7)

  James [GW] chapter 4 "God opposes arrogant people, but he is kind to humble people." So place yourselves under God's authority. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you. Come close to God, and he will come close to you. Clean up your lives, you sinners, and clear your minds, you doubters. Be miserable, mourn, and cry. Turn your laughter into mourning and your joy into gloom. Humble yourselves in the Lord's presence. Then he will give you a high position. Brothers and sisters, stop slandering each other. Those who slander and judge other believers slander and judge God's teachings. If you judge God's teachings, you are no longer following them. Instead, you are judging them. There is only one teacher and judge. He is able to save or destroy you. So who are you to judge your neighbor? Pay attention to this! You're saying, "Today or tomorrow we will go into some city, stay there a year, conduct business, and make money." You don't know what will happen tomorrow. What is life? You are a mist that is seen for a moment and then disappears. Instead, you should say, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and carry out our plans." However, you brag because you're arrogant. All such bragging is evil. Whoever knows what is right but doesn't do it is sinning.

  Though I don’t get to spend much time on it and primarily rely on family for their records, research, photos and stories, I enjoy genealogy and find it seriously worthwhile.

  I do however look at our family tree mindful of God’s warning to never take pride in birth or blood! (Jn.8:31-34; 1Tim.1:4; Tit.3:9) Unless the family characteristic of tenacity would be twisted to MAJORDOMO MEISM, thankfully thus far I’ve not grafted into branch narrative or twig tale to the fruition of or in support of personal puffery. 

  Other than being fun, relaxing, and making for happy cousin communication . . .  how is genealogy seriously worthwhile for me?

  From childhood on I’ve always been interested in history because of the way it provokes edifying  thoughtfulness.

  Genealogy makes large history intimately personal. There is vast difference between distant reading of the horrific number of deaths and injuries in coal mining and discovering my great-uncle Thorton James Crowe on June 21, 1913 left Isabella a widow when he was crushed to death in Ocean Mine #1, Consolidated Mines, Allegany, Maryland.

  Genealogy humbles me.

  Genealogy brings grace to my thoughts and writing as does another interest, gardening . . . both never letting me forget the fragility of life. 

EBB4