Author Topic: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage  (Read 112732 times)

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Offline Gefn

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #175 on: January 17, 2018, 02:54:03 pm »
I know my birth mother was European and Jewish. What country? Have no idea. I think the agency said French.

I know nothing about bio dad.

I have blonde hair, blue eyes and pale skin that won't tan. So yes, I am probably double European.
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Offline truth_seeker

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #176 on: February 25, 2018, 11:50:10 pm »
I ran across an interesting story, today concerning a family where my father worked for several years. When we moved back from the Rocky Mtn. states, to SoCal in 1955 he went to work for a successful builder in the area.

The mother in this story is the daughter of my father's boss/partner.

It now turns out she had an out of wedlock son, when she was just 16, and he was adopted. People these days are using DNA for relative matching. Ancestry connected mother and son, as they were both willing.

So there was a successful family reunification so-to-speak thanks to DNA and genealogy.

My sister recently had the opportunity to help a woman, relative, learn of her history, too. She lives in White Horse, Yukon Terr. and her daughter lives in Grand Prairie Alberta. The mother had been born in Winnipeg, and knew virtually nothing about her origins.

We were able to tie her into her family roots, in Minnesota, SoDak etc. And with out family.

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Offline Slip18

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #177 on: February 28, 2018, 03:17:40 pm »
@truth_seeker

Wow!

I thought I was on this thread, but I can't find any posts from me.  It may have been when I first came here, and just about lost everything I posted.

I did have my DNA spit test done by Ancestry.com.  I sort of knew what my results would be because I have an original family tree that was handwritten by my grandmother on my mom's side.  Interesting.

My dad's side is far more difficult, although it should be easier.  I have gone back to my great grandfather through Ancestry.com. 

I paid for all European, American and Newspapers for about two years, but I got lazy.  I am still some sort of a member there, but they can so easily block things from you when you are in the mood to play with your ancestry. 

Ancestry.com wants you to put everything you have on Facebook.  I have never been a Facebook member, and probably will never be a member on that site because I just don't like that place. 

I think at some point in time, I will have Ancestry.com just do the whole thing for me.  It is such tedious work, but well worth it if you find something new.

I have read this whole thread, and, thank you, @Bigun for starting this thread.  I might just go to one of the other places.

Oh, @Freya right now Ancestry is doing the spit DNA test for $69.  It is pretty good.  They tell you where your heritage is with only about 2% missing.

I am 100% Northern European.  No famous anyone pops up.  LOL!
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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #178 on: February 28, 2018, 03:25:25 pm »
@truth_seeker

Wow!

I thought I was on this thread, but I can't find any posts from me.  It may have been when I first came here, and just about lost everything I posted.

I did have my DNA spit test done by Ancestry.com.  I sort of knew what my results would be because I have an original family tree that was handwritten by my grandmother on my mom's side.  Interesting.

My dad's side is far more difficult, although it should be easier.  I have gone back to my great grandfather through Ancestry.com. 

I paid for all European, American and Newspapers for about two years, but I got lazy.  I am still some sort of a member there, but they can so easily block things from you when you are in the mood to play with your ancestry. 

Ancestry.com wants you to put everything you have on Facebook.  I have never been a Facebook member, and probably will never be a member on that site because I just don't like that place. 

I think at some point in time, I will have Ancestry.com just do the whole thing for me.  It is such tedious work, but well worth it if you find something new.

I have read this whole thread, and, thank you, @Bigun for starting this thread.  I might just go to one of the other places.

Oh, @Freya right now Ancestry is doing the spit DNA test for $69.  It is pretty good.  They tell you where your heritage is with only about 2% missing.

I am 100% Northern European.  No famous anyone pops up.  LOL!

@Slip18

Glad you like it!  Here's some of what pops up in mine

John Cooke   10th Great Grandfather â–¼   Mayflower
Martha Wayles   1st Cousin 8 times removed â–¼   U.S. Presidents' Wives
Thomas Lynch   2nd Cousin 6 times removed â–¼   Declaration Signers
Francis Cooke   11th Great Grandfather â–¼   Mayflower
Richard Warren   11th Great Grandfather â–¼   Mayflower
Stephen Hopkins   11th Great Grandfather â–¼   Mayflower
Thomas Rogers   11th Great Grandfather â–¼   Mayflower
Thomas Jefferson   2nd Cousin 7 times removed â–¼   Declaration Signers
Thomas Jefferson   2nd Cousin 7 times removed â–¼   U.S. Presidents
Thomas Jefferson 3rd President of the United States   2nd Cousin 7 times removed â–¼   Declaration Signers
Giles Hopkins   11th Great Uncle â–¼   Mayflower
Clarissa Cordelia Moses   4th Cousin 4 times removed â–¼   LDS - Women Auxiliary Leaders
John Calvin Coolidge Jr.   5th Cousin 2 times removed â–¼   U.S. Presidents
John R Cash   6th Cousin â–¼   Entertainers
William Shakespeare   1st Cousin 11 times removed â–¼   Authors & Poets
Carter Braxton   3rd Cousin 7 times removed â–¼   Declaration Signers
Noah Webster   3rd Cousin 7 times removed â–¼   Authors & Poets
John Moses Browning   4th Cousin 5 times removed â–¼   Science and Technology
Ralph Waldo Emerson   4th Cousin 5 times removed â–¼   Authors & Poets
Eliza Babcock Young   5th Cousin 3 times removed â–¼   LDS - Prophets' Wives
Barbara Jean Bradshaw   6th Cousin 1 time removed â–¼   LDS - Women Auxiliary Leaders
Henry Samson   2nd Cousin 10 times removed â–¼   Mayflower
Robert Treat Paine   3rd Cousin 8 times removed â–¼   Declaration Signers
William Ellery   3rd Cousin 8 times removed â–¼   Declaration Signers
Abraham Baldwin   4th Cousin 6 times removed â–¼   Constitution Signers
Ellen Rockwood   5th Cousin 4 times removed â–¼   LDS - Prophets' Wives
Florence Nightingale   5th Cousin 4 times removed â–¼   Science and Technology
Harriet Amelia Prichard Squire   5th Cousin 4 times removed â–¼   LDS - Prophets' Wives
Lydia Farnsworth Young   5th Cousin 4 times removed â–¼   LDS - Prophets' Wives
Margaret Maria Alley   5th Cousin 4 times removed â–¼   LDS - Prophets' Wives
Zina Diantha Huntington   5th Cousin 4 times removed â–¼   LDS - Women Auxiliary Leaders
Samuel Osborne Barber   6th Cousin 2 times removed â–¼   Composers
Benjamin Franklin   3rd Cousin 9 times removed â–¼   Constitution Signers
Benjamin Franklin   3rd Cousin 9 times removed â–¼   Declaration Signers
Benjamin Franklin   3rd Cousin 9 times removed â–¼   Famous Americans
Oliver Wolcott   3rd Cousin 9 times removed â–¼   Declaration Signers
Francis Lightfoot Lee   4th Cousin 7 times removed â–¼   Declaration Signers
Richard Henry Lee   4th Cousin 7 times removed â–¼   Declaration Signers
William Henry Harrison   4th Cousin 7 times removed â–¼   U.S. Presidents
William Williams   4th Cousin 7 times removed â–¼   Declaration Signers
Hiram Ulysses Grant   5th Cousin 5 times removed â–¼   U.S. Presidents
Jesse Knight   6th Cousin 3 times removed â–¼   LDS - BYU
Louie Emyla Shurtliff   6th Cousin 3 times removed â–¼   LDS - Prophets' Wives
Lucy Bigelow Young   6th Cousin 3 times removed â–¼   LDS - Prophets' Wives
Samuel Langhorne Clemens   6th Cousin 3 times removed â–¼   Authors & Poets
Stephen Grover Cleveland   6th Cousin 3 times removed â–¼   U.S. Presidents
Wilford Woodruff   6th Cousin 3 times removed â–¼   LDS - Prophets
Robert Ludlum   7th Cousin 1 time removed â–¼   Authors & Poets
Anne Boleyn   1st Cousin 14 times removed â–¼   European Royalty
Samuel Huntington   4th Cousin 8 times removed â–¼   Declaration Signers
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Offline Slip18

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #179 on: February 28, 2018, 03:38:08 pm »
@Freya

"I have blonde hair, blue eyes and pale skin that won't tan. So yes, I am probably double European."

My dad had deep blue eyes, and my mom had brown eyes.  In my family of 11 children, three have those deep blue eyes; three have brown; and five have green.  I think that is genetically correct.

Three of us have light olive skin that tans so great.  I am one of those.  We can"t figure where the olive skin emanated.

Then dad had blonde hair and mom had medium dark hair.  Kind of runs the gamut there, too.   I have light brown hair in the winter, then it turns dark blonde in the summer.  There are no red-headed children in my immediate family.  You would think there would be, but, no.

Hope you find out more about your dad.

 :pondering:
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Offline Slip18

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #180 on: February 28, 2018, 03:45:35 pm »
@Bigun

Just Zowie!!!  Dang!  You are historically very famous!!!  Well, you are famous in here, too!

I checked the last names, not a one is on my list.  I think the most famous was my great grandfather who was a hog farmer in Iowa!  LOL!  But the man made millions trading corn in the commodities market.  Hogs weren't traded in those days.

So I am from a hog family!

 :silly:
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Offline musiclady

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #181 on: February 28, 2018, 04:08:57 pm »
My ancestry might include King Olaf or Ragnar Lothbrook, but most likely I'm only related to the famous comedy team, Sven and Ollie.  :dx1:
Character still matters.  It always matters.

I wear a mask as an exercise in liberty and love for others.  To see it as an infringement of liberty is to entirely miss the point.  Be kind.

"Sometimes I think the Church would be better off if we would call a moratorium on activity for about six weeks and just wait on God to see what He is waiting to do for us. That's what they did before Pentecost."   - A. W. Tozer

Use the time God is giving us to seek His will and feel His presence.

Offline Slip18

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #182 on: February 28, 2018, 04:22:54 pm »
My ancestry might include King Olaf or Ragnar Lothbrook, but most likely I'm only related to the famous comedy team, Sven and Ollie.  :dx1:

I always wanted to trace mine back to the Sinclair(e) family from Scotland. 

I honestly thought I was about 40% Danish, 40% Scottish and 20% Irish.  Nope,  I don't have it in front of me, but I am 57% Irish, 23% Danish and 18% English, which is Scottish, I guess.

The surnames in my family are all Scottish and Danish.  Go figure.

Sven and Ollie?  LOL!

"It's fun; baseball's fun."  Yogi Berra

Online catfish1957

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #183 on: February 28, 2018, 04:24:18 pm »
I always wanted to trace mine back to the Sinclair(e) family from Scotland. 

I honestly thought I was about 40% Danish, 40% Scottish and 20% Irish.  Nope,  I don't have it in front of me, but I am 57% Irish, 23% Danish and 18% English, which is Scottish, I guess.

The surnames in my family are all Scottish and Danish.  Go figure.

Sven and Ollie?  LOL!

Danish?  Is Ancestry breaking that out of the Scandinavian sub group?  They haven't for me yet.
I display the Confederate Battle Flag in honor of my great great great grandfathers who spilled blood at Wilson's Creek and Shiloh.  5 others served in the WBTS with honor too.

Offline Slip18

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #184 on: February 28, 2018, 04:29:48 pm »
Danish?  Is Ancestry breaking that out of the Scandinavian sub group?  They haven't for me yet.

Yes, it said "Danish."  No sub group for English/Scottish, though.
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Offline musiclady

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #185 on: February 28, 2018, 04:32:26 pm »
I always wanted to trace mine back to the Sinclair(e) family from Scotland. 

I honestly thought I was about 40% Danish, 40% Scottish and 20% Irish.  Nope,  I don't have it in front of me, but I am 57% Irish, 23% Danish and 18% English, which is Scottish, I guess.

The surnames in my family are all Scottish and Danish.  Go figure.

Sven and Ollie?  LOL!

What I got was pretty basic, but didn't differentiate between Swedish (which I am, as far back as I know), and the rest of Scandinavia.   It also included lower possibilities in northern Europe, western Russia, Finland and British Isles.

But I figured my Viking ancestors got around, so none of that was surprising.   ^-^
Character still matters.  It always matters.

I wear a mask as an exercise in liberty and love for others.  To see it as an infringement of liberty is to entirely miss the point.  Be kind.

"Sometimes I think the Church would be better off if we would call a moratorium on activity for about six weeks and just wait on God to see what He is waiting to do for us. That's what they did before Pentecost."   - A. W. Tozer

Use the time God is giving us to seek His will and feel His presence.

Offline musiclady

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #186 on: February 28, 2018, 04:33:16 pm »
Yes, it said "Danish."  No sub group for English/Scottish, though.

You must have gotten a more specific report than I got.  Was it from Ancestry.com?
Character still matters.  It always matters.

I wear a mask as an exercise in liberty and love for others.  To see it as an infringement of liberty is to entirely miss the point.  Be kind.

"Sometimes I think the Church would be better off if we would call a moratorium on activity for about six weeks and just wait on God to see what He is waiting to do for us. That's what they did before Pentecost."   - A. W. Tozer

Use the time God is giving us to seek His will and feel His presence.

Offline Slip18

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #187 on: February 28, 2018, 04:36:32 pm »
@catfish1957

Wait, I could be wrong, but I don't think so.  It could be because my surname is Danish.  I should look it up.  If it just said, 'Scandinavian," my brain might have interpreted that into Danish.

I will check soon.  I have two images of it.
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Offline Slip18

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #188 on: February 28, 2018, 05:18:14 pm »
@catfish1957

You were right!

It shows:  58% Ireland, 26% Great Britain, 13% Scandinavian.

Sorry for being confusing. 

 :whistle:
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Offline truth_seeker

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #189 on: February 28, 2018, 05:19:54 pm »
When a DNA company "predicts" the location of origin, it can vary widely.

Take a Norse ancestor ("Anders")  from 1100 years ago, that migrated from Norway to England. His body is dug up in England, 2010, his DNA tested, etc. Anders' brother is dug up in Norway, and also tested.

Your DNA is tested, and certain characteristic match with Anders' DNA.

Firm #1 "predicts" your origin to be England (because Anders DNA is in their database)

Firm #2 "predicts" your origin to be Scandinavia (because Anders' brother's DNA is in their database; or alternatively because they classify Anders as Scandinavian))

So keep this and similar situation in mind, regarding the accuracy or "origins," predictions.

I am NOT saying the firms' methods and results are bogus. I AM stating this aspect of DNA is very, very new. Those closest to it know that fact, the best.
"God must love the common man, he made so many of them.�  Abe Lincoln

Online Elderberry

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #190 on: February 28, 2018, 06:14:03 pm »
Here's a couple of mine:

Frances Cooke  9th Great Grandfather
Edward Doty   9th Great Grandfather

Offline musiclady

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #191 on: February 28, 2018, 06:34:59 pm »
When a DNA company "predicts" the location of origin, it can vary widely.

Take a Norse ancestor ("Anders")  from 1100 years ago, that migrated from Norway to England. His body is dug up in England, 2010, his DNA tested, etc. Anders' brother is dug up in Norway, and also tested.

Your DNA is tested, and certain characteristic match with Anders' DNA.

Firm #1 "predicts" your origin to be England (because Anders DNA is in their database)

Firm #2 "predicts" your origin to be Scandinavia (because Anders' brother's DNA is in their database; or alternatively because they classify Anders as Scandinavian))

So keep this and similar situation in mind, regarding the accuracy or "origins," predictions.

I am NOT saying the firms' methods and results are bogus. I AM stating this aspect of DNA is very, very new. Those closest to it know that fact, the best.

Thanks, @truth_seeker .  That's very helpful information, and sort of what I suspected.
Character still matters.  It always matters.

I wear a mask as an exercise in liberty and love for others.  To see it as an infringement of liberty is to entirely miss the point.  Be kind.

"Sometimes I think the Church would be better off if we would call a moratorium on activity for about six weeks and just wait on God to see what He is waiting to do for us. That's what they did before Pentecost."   - A. W. Tozer

Use the time God is giving us to seek His will and feel His presence.

Offline guitar4jesus

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #192 on: February 28, 2018, 06:51:21 pm »
You must have gotten a more specific report than I got.  Was it from Ancestry.com?

On my birth mother's side the Irish finding actually said Connacht.  That surprised me.  Since the family name was Conn I knew it was spot on.

Offline GrouchoTex

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #193 on: February 28, 2018, 06:56:36 pm »
I am going to BFL, as I am now sending my Ancestry DNA kit out the week.
I'll let y'all know what I find out.

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #194 on: February 28, 2018, 07:01:16 pm »
Here's a couple of mine:

Frances Cooke  9th Great Grandfather
Edward Doty   9th Great Grandfather

Looks like we could be related through that Francis Cooke line.
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Online Elderberry

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #195 on: February 28, 2018, 07:12:36 pm »
I did the Family Tree DNA test.

It shows me as:
British Isles46%
East Europe< 2%
Finland< 2%
Scandinavian13%
West and Central Europe38%

I've also found, via their matching, a 3rd Cousin 1X removed. I expanded my tree to include him.

Online catfish1957

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #196 on: February 28, 2018, 07:14:28 pm »

But I figured my Viking ancestors got around, so none of that was surprising.   ^-^

I have luckily been able to trace pretty much (90%) of all my ancestry 1600's- 1700's to Anglo immigrants.  So I was pretty surprised that mine showed 18% Scandinavian when almost all my surnames are English-Scottish - Welsh- Irish extraction.

Vikings were more prevalent than I thought.
I display the Confederate Battle Flag in honor of my great great great grandfathers who spilled blood at Wilson's Creek and Shiloh.  5 others served in the WBTS with honor too.

Offline dfwgator

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #197 on: February 28, 2018, 07:14:41 pm »
I did the Family Tree DNA test.

It shows me as:
British Isles46%
East Europe< 2%
Finland< 2%
Scandinavian13%
West and Central Europe38%

I've also found, via their matching, a 3rd Cousin 1X removed. I expanded my tree to include him.

"I just found out in my family tree, I'm the sap." - Rodney Dangerfield

Online Bigun

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #198 on: February 28, 2018, 07:15:54 pm »
Here's mine according to Ancestry.com

 Great Britain 50%
 Europe West 22%
 Scandinavia 13%
 Iberian Peninsula 6%

MyHeritage.com has it


North and West Europe
72.6%
Scandinavian
66.0%
Irish, Scottish, and Welsh
6.6%
South Europe
24.7%
Iberian
19.4%
Italian
5.3%
Middle East
1.8%
Middle East
1.8%
Middle Eastern
1.8%
Africa
0.9%
East Africa
0.9%
Kenyan
0.9%
------------------------------------
100.0%
« Last Edit: February 28, 2018, 07:21:56 pm by Bigun »
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Offline musiclady

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Re: Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage
« Reply #199 on: February 28, 2018, 08:35:26 pm »
I have luckily been able to trace pretty much (90%) of all my ancestry 1600's- 1700's to Anglo immigrants.  So I was pretty surprised that mine showed 18% Scandinavian when almost all my surnames are English-Scottish - Welsh- Irish extraction.

Vikings were more prevalent than I thought.

I tell ya....... my people went EVERYWHERE.  :laugh:

Seriously - the Swedish Vikings went east to present day Russia, and many settled there.  The Norwegian Vikings went west and clearly spread their seed all over Great Britain as they went.

It's not surprising that most people with European ancestry have some Scandinavian in the mix.

I seriously need to go back farther with my ancestry.  I know that everyone was living in Sweden, or one grandmother in the Swedish part of Finland, as far back as the 18th century, but I haven't gone back any farther than that, and need to do that.

(My brown eyes came from somewhere! LOL!)

@catfish1957
Character still matters.  It always matters.

I wear a mask as an exercise in liberty and love for others.  To see it as an infringement of liberty is to entirely miss the point.  Be kind.

"Sometimes I think the Church would be better off if we would call a moratorium on activity for about six weeks and just wait on God to see what He is waiting to do for us. That's what they did before Pentecost."   - A. W. Tozer

Use the time God is giving us to seek His will and feel His presence.