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| Doug |
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| Cori & Kate |
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| Alexa |
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| Rob & Alana |
LONG FAMILY TREE
(Names in green are married into family)
W.C. - Ann (Both Deceased)
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Linda-Bob Joe-Delana
/ \ / \
Alana-Rob Kris-Jacob Rebecca-Brett Matt
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Kaitlin Doug Corrine Alexa James(due any day)
My 1st cousins once removed are all under the age of 4. So when they are awake there is always plenty of activity. Each visit it takes them a little while to get use to me again. Fortunately it is taking less and less time. So by the end of breakfast we were friends again. Kaitlin and Cori are who Rebecca and I spent most of our time with since they can communicate back and don't wear diapers. We played with blocks, colored, built trains, and watched Toy Story 2. The action was non-stop most of the day. In our many conversations throughout the day the thing that continued to stand out was their imaginations. Everything about them, their toys, appetites, attention span, and bodies are all so small. The only thing not small aside from their loudness, is their imaginations. The simple games with the toys that didn't amount to much in my view, were intricate designs with endless possibilities. Listening to what was going through their heads was the most fascinating thing of the weekend. I know I often think of children having simple minds, but in a way it's not that simple. Jesus often referred to having 'faith like a child,' 'becoming like little children,' or 'the Kingdom belongs to children.' Does he want me to have a more simple mind? Or is he wanting me to not limit my view of him? We were made in God's image, including our minds. We come into this world closest to complete innocence that we'll ever be and the sin nature begins to immediately take over, and without the grace of God, our sinfulness would take us further and further from him. I'm thinking our mind does the same thing. We come into this world with no problem of comprehending God. Why are children so receptive of the gospel? Some would say they don't know any better and are just gullible. But after spending time with children and attesting to what's in the bible, I would say it's just the opposite. As children our minds are the least removed from its creator. So their acceptance of God is not ignorant faith, but a natural fitting piece to the puzzle in our minds. Why are the Narnia and Lord of the Rings movies so intriguing, even to adults? Perhaps they speak back to our childhood norm. As we grow without Christ, we try to fill that piece with everything else and forget how we were originally designed. So as we grow and become more 'learned' and less 'imaginative,' I think we are devolving from how our minds were originally formed.
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." - Matt. 19:14
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. - Matt. 18:1-5
At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. - Matt. 11:25
"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, " 'From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise'?" - Matt. 21:16
