What Led to This Blog
WHAT LED TO THIS BLOG: IT'S COMPLICATED AND SIMPLE BOTH
What led to this blog is--complicated. But, it's also, oh, so simple at the same time.
The truth of the matter is the reason that brought me to starting, writing, and keeping this blog, and writing my journeying memoir, is something which I am still trying to fully grasp. It's so big and shocking, but shouldn't be, that I'm finding it a challenge to comprehend what I've learned.
I know this much:
My life has thoroughly changed.
I also know this:
It shouldn't change a thing.
But, it does.
WHAT DID I LEARN: WHY IS IT SO SURPRISING?
Let me give you some backstory in order to answer that question
MY FAMILY TREE JUNE 14, 2012 TO MARCH 01, 2014
On June 14, 2012, I started to work on my family tree. I started to become an amateur genealogist. I discovered many amazing things. For instance, I had three family members who came to the U.S. through Jamestown in 1607, and several thereafter. Also, through Plymouth.
More discoveries made through the many months were how I was a distant or an indirect descendant of the following: Charlemagne, Nero, the Plantagenet Family, the Tudors, several of the Fulks, several Kings of the Franks, several Kings of England, Hungary, France, and Jerusalem.
MARCH 02, 2014, SUNDAY: MAYBE? AND A NEW POSSIBILITY FOR MY FAMILY TREE
Historic Jamestowne is my favorite history site to visit. I think it's my most favorite site ever, as a matter of fact.
Why?
It's the real birthplace of the United States of America.
All others are impostors and are not based on truth or fact. After all it's at Jamestown, Virginia that was the first permanent English settlement.
That being said, my husband, B, and I try to go visit there whenever we can. From our home, we take the Colonial Parkway from Olde Yorktown through Williamsburg, and then to Historic Jamestown. It's a beautiful drive of roughly thirty-five miles or so each direction. We try to go there at least once a month, sometimes more during the summer months. We are fortunate to live so close to it and the drive along the Colonial Parkway is so relaxing and refreshing. It gets rid of all of our stress and refocuses us.
We will make the drive, take the archaeological tour and grab a cup of coffee or something more at the cafe--as we sit along the James River and are quiet and just present with one another and with God.
Therefore, it's a very special place to B and me.
We were there on March 02, 2014, Sunday, and hear how on April 4th and 5th, 2014, they are having an reenactment of the wedding of John Rolfe and Pocahontas. Therefore, we looked at one another and determined we would go.
So, we went home and that night, I decided to look up more information about John Rolfe and Pocohantas. As I did, I saw how his mother's name is: Dorothea Mason.
Mason.
That's a family name. From England and Jamestown.
Huh!
Is he a relative?
I knew then and there I had to go to Ancestry.com and work more on my family tree and see what I could uncover.
MARCH 03, 2014 MONDAY
So, the moment I work up on Monday, March 03, 2014, and started to work on my family tree. By the end of the day, I found nothing to confirm if I am a relative of John Rolfe--or not. But, I found more interesting discoveries.
MARCH 04, 2014 TUESDAY
So, the moment I work up on Tuesday, March 04, 2014, and started to work on my family tree. By the end of the day, I found nothing to confirm if I am a relative of John Rolfe--or not. But, I found more interesting discoveries.
Then, at the very end of the day, through use of a program called, THE FAMILY TREE MAKER, I decided, for the fun of it to see who my oldest ancestor was. This was what started a very interesting journey.
I discovered an ancestor from 200 something BC.
Huh!
I had no idea.
So, I decided to check our relation--and discovered I was a DIRECT DESCENDANT of the individual. I'll be honest here. The name didn't ring a bell. Then again, my history knowledge isn't the best. (Although, it's changed since moving to Virginia.)
Needless to say, I decided to look at each relative from that one, down in the family to me, the lineage. And I was stopped in my tracks.
There was a name I never saw before in my family tree.
But, it was there.
JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA.
JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA IS THE RICH MAN WHO GAVE JESUS HIS TOMB
Joseph of Arimathea is the rich man who gave Jesus his tomb.
HOW SURE AM I OF HIM BEING MY ANCESTOR?
The next day, I started over with my family tree. Is tarted a new one and working like crazy for two days, I was able to trace the branches again.
So, I am 75% sure.
I want to do it one more time--just to make sure.
I've been able to look at history books and other family trees and confirm that Joseph of Arimathea, and my family tree, are accurate and he is my relative. I am his direct descendant.
Now, do you see why I am so surprised, dumbfounded, astounded, amazed, bewildered, astonished, and thunderstruck?
Do you see how this changes things for me? It doesn't change my faith, but deepens it. But, it sure changes the importance of my faith. I realize it shouldn't. My faith should have already been that strong to begin with.
That being said, can't we always grow deeper in our faith?
WHY THIS BLOG?
I want to get to know Jesus in a much more intimate way. I want to know Him more.
What better way than through the 4 gospels?
And, I sure what to live a life of Jesus.
