To Those Whose Noble Names I Bear, Whose Light Within Me Burns.

           I've recently discovered the importance of genealogy, sounds boring right? yeah that's what I thought at first too! Before this summer I never would have even considered the thought of finding joy in reading about people I've never even met, now I'm embarrassed to admit that I ever even thought that way!
            The joy in finding the name of someone to fill a gap on your family tree is nothing short of utterly amazing. That joy was a feeling that completely changed my point of view on technology. How often do we find ourselves mindlessly checking our Facebook, instagram or twitter? Just staring blankly at a screen reading post that within a week will be forgotten, post that typically have no great meaning to our life. So let me ask you this, would you rather spend your typical hour or more on your social media websites, or sacrifice half that time to read about and study the people who came before you? The ones who form your roots?
            I know I have had experiences lately that have cemented the importance of family history into my mind forever. At first I did it for the prizes promised for completing a certain amount of hours or names, once the prizes were earned I was comfortable saying I was done. I was comfortable until I saw my family fan chart. right there in the middle was a gap, a gap of blank spaces where names belonged. it hit me so hard that it hurt. I began to think about when we meet again with our families in Heaven, I thought about those missing names and imagined them as empty seats at the table, seats of people who had amazing stories to tell that nobody else knew. I began to search for the answers I needed to fill those gaps and soon enough just filling in gaps wasn't good enough for me, I needed more. Who wants to go to the ultimate family reunion and not know anything about the people who are there? Not me, that's for sure! The stories of these people have amazed me.
            So in honor of pioneer day I wanted to stress this point to you. By studying the pioneers before us we become pioneers to those behind us. We all have the ability to guide our posterity into the future, to set a path and pace of good and wholesome things for years to come. As technology expands we must expand to, expand our ability to focus on the best things that our electronics have to offer.
           Even though I know my ancestors aren't reading this blog I still feel compelled to write my thanks for them down. So "To those who came before me in seasons long ago, To those who are the loved ones that I have yet to know, To those whose noble names I bear, whose light within me burns, To those in gratitude shall my hear be turned." Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Discovering my sunsets one day at a time. No empty chairs.