Matthew 1 ~ the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way

My Grandmother Anita told of swimming to school, she loved school. 

And in my late 20s, I discovered with her, she actually had a bridge right there. Right there.

Matthew 1

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

    and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Joseph wasn't calling from Genealogy to decide the fate of unborn Jesus. Yet, Joseph knew from what we know.

Deciding During Year 2021 on Our Attitudes to Adjust

This here is the story about Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue

aka Anita Lucille and Alvin Ray

Two young lovers with nothin' better to do

Then sit around the house, getn older, to watch us and tell stories about Genealogy and flappers

And here is what happened when they decided to cut loose

They headed down to, ooh, old El Paso

clap, clap

Because my brother John lives there

clap, clap

That's where they ran into a great big hassle:

Talking about Typhoid epidemics, 1918 Spanish Flu, 

42 years teaching Bible Studies and Prohibition being a Librarian Flapper dating Ray who was an Architect. Being married to Ray for 17 years and wearing their wedding rings for an additional 52 years. My grandmother Anita was an identical clone to her mother, Leota Richardson, who lived to be a 100 years old, while Anita only made it to 94 having been in an iron lung for 12 months due to Pneumonia a year before antibiotics were invented.

Anita was one of 13 children because the first child died of a common childhood ailment at age 2. Great Grandmother Leota wanted to have Lucy back and Anita was the last daughter of the 12 long, long, long living additional children and was named for the first child who died. Anita was born in 1898, in her supreme embarrassment, and frequently fibbed about being born in that century by two years. Other than this, Anita was Sterling in her honesty.

Anita enjoyed Prohibition. 

Flapper costumes were the Bee's Knees. Bank's Closed No Kissing. Except Republic Bank. The largest bank in Dallas had 42-foot ceilings, beautiful molding and marble. Open on the weekend nights as the finest dining and anti-Prohibition dancing dinner, 5-star event. They enjoyed dancing and sang driving to their dates. As young adults, they purchased new finery to sit and enjoy the potted palms brought in to block the window views. Anita said they knew all their names. Ukuleles were plentiful. Anita reported no one apparently over-indulged. Anita and Ray were good friends for 7 years before they dated. Grandmother Anita, Methodist Bible Study Leader, was a Librarian at the Dallas Public Library.

Anita's Richardson family were always strong believers of the Bible and Jesus Christ. 

The 12 living children were either Baptist or, like Anita, Methodist. There were 6 blonde boys and 6 blonde girls. They loved humor and enjoyed bothering each other some. So, the joke was told many times in the 62 years of daily lunches 5 days a week at Leota Richardson's house with two astonishingly huge Louisiana Live Oak trees.  Here is the Richardson barb: "We have 6 boys, we have 6 girls, 6 grew up to be Methodist Christians and 6 became Baptist." 62 years they conversed in this style. Leota lived in her home and the lunches were held in the long breezeway foyer with foldable wooden long tables or in the front yard under the Live Oaks.

Grandmother Anita was supremely fascinated by the Moon Landing. 

We took instant Polaroid camera photographs of us all by the console TV. Anita told of riding in 2 covered wagons to take the children to see their Grandmother Melissa Burch. I had to explain what "Little House on the Prairie" books were about because no one dreamed up the TV series.

Matthew 1, Christmas, Pandemic and the New Year

Anita was Methodist with her sister Eloise. 

Uncle Cary was Baptist and Ray was Church of Christ, who didn't play music in Church. Which drove Anita up the wall to discuss. And going to Parochial Episcopal Elementary, I debated David and his lute.  Anita gave me my first Bible when I was 7. I commented to Anita the Old Testament would have been more successful if the prophets took time to tell about God's Love. Anita didn't know what to say, she hugged me and sat on the bed and wept a little. Anita and Eloise were over 70 years old in my early childhood; they prayed routinely for the Tribulation to occur, so death wouldn't be a problem or frightening. 

And I prayed along with them until the 5th grade and went to Pine Cove Camp in Tyler, Texas and learned what the Tribulation actually involved. I explained loudly to my family this was quite selfish, and they shouldn't pray this, my brother John was 3 years old.  Then next, telling, or tattling to the Wilson side of the family, my step grandfather Episcopal  Reverend Wm Tate Young about the Tribulation prayer. He started several attempts to explain this to me and ended up clamping on my shoulder to say, "People are People." (Wise Tate, the backlash could happen.) We debated this until college, I never quite won the argument. 

These little old ladies did all kinds of good works to strangers at the Texas State Fair, feeding the needy during Prohibition about 20 or 40 people eating Chicken soup from their own kitchens, my Uncle was an abused, very abused 2-year-old from a failed adoption the Sheriff brought to Anita's back door. They belonged to the meal delivery service for Kessler Park Methodist for umpteen decades. And yet, they prayed for the Tribulation, to avoid the scary part of death. While never missing a Sunday Service together. I'd quit praying with them about the Tribulation. And always, always was annoyed by this. 

My Great Grandfather James Lawrence Wilson of Bolivar County, Mississippi, was Presbyterian, had no good use for ministers (which wasn't the thing to say as his son-in-law turned out to be a 54-year Episcopalian Priest). But until 1953, Pop used to say Grace over the meals (in a chair that turned out to be the same Tudor Jacobean Dining Room chair exact copy Anita was found to have as the grandchildren met and married in 1956) and after Grace,  Pop used to say, "Mighty fine. Eat heartily, this might be your last meal."

Matthew 1, Christmas, Pandemic and the New Year

With Tribulation praying grandmother and great aunt. 

A great-grandfather always thinking of death at meals ~ We have a few Pandemic Family Stories.

Until 1953, Pop was more or less joking about, "Eat heartily, this might be your last meal." 

Yet, the reason Pop wanted gratitude for the daily bread: his father James Lawrence Wilson.

James L Wilson had married again, at age 60, a much younger widow from the Battle of Shiloh. (Where her father had shot at his son and her husband on opposite sides of the Civil War.)  James Wilson GGfather, in his 70s, during the 1870s was a very devout Presbyterian and left numerous poems about Church and Faith. 

He very much adored his new county of Bolivar, MS and had arrived after the Civil War. He adored his two young sons and was very un-adoring and long-suffering of his young wife, who had Attitudes. Almost in defense of his own peace, this GGfather began delivering food to the door steps of the massive 1870s epidemic of Typhoid Fever. People were dying and unable to call for groceries. GGfather James L Wilson began delivering food and groceries to the dying. In about two weeks, he was dead. The family suddenly consisted of a young widow and two small sons. Life radically changed. Probably leading to Pop's ideas about ministers? Maybe. Something he remembered as he prospered and at every meal. 

Gratitude, Fortitude, Suffering, Overcoming, Humor, and Bitterness. Rolled into one chippy phrase.

When we think of the Genealogy of Jesus, we want to bring our lives to others and be remembered.

Not all the people in the Family of Jesus Christ left a message about their lives.

Grandmother Anita and Aunt Eloise and their 10 siblings used to talk about their father Stephen Pinckney Richardson's Dry Good Store. This is everything that isn't refrigerated and concentrated on clothing in their father's store. Even in to the early 1900s, the crates would arrive from New Orleans during the summer and wouldn't be opened until October. October would be a huge party and all the county would arrive and have lemonade and baked goods raised Church profits. Clothing Materials were purchased for Christmas and for Easter. Neighbors across the county saw one another.

This illness was called Typhoid at the time and was a mystery. In reality, this was mosquito born Malaria. (Bolivar was Typhoid, Washington Parrish Louisiana wasn't Typhoid.)

This is taking care to be safe and, then, having a Party. 

Thank You, Thank You for this Great Grandfather Stephen P Richardson. He built the Fisher Methodist Church right across the street from his house. His Children always spoke of "Pappa" with great love. Attitudes without platitudes.

Ten O'Clock.

It's 2020. About to be 2021.

Where are your ...

Attitudes and Attributes

 you bring to the table?

My Step Grandfather, Tate, lost his mother to Tuberculosis. On March 24, 1882, Dr. Robert Koch announced the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria causes tuberculosis (TB). TB killed one out of every seven people living in the United States and Europe. Yet, this didn't resolve quickly. Tate was born in about 1900 and his mother contracted bone TB during the pregnancy of his only brother sibling. Mother and child perished about 1907.

Tate would speak of his mother and small brother, even in 1978, and remember them with some degree of sadness. He had been raised as an only child by an elderly grandmother from the Civil War era. It was important to Tate as a Priest and a Child of God to speak of them. He always reminded himself and others they were alive in Heaven. 

Tate had seen years of hard, harsh physical suffering. And that elderly, elderly grandmother had done some good work in Tate's heart and soul.

And Tate believes in all decades God redeems and renews Life. 

Tate went forth every day bringing goodness to the lives of people. And even as a clergyman, found the need for forgiveness as people took their cares out on those who represent God.

Tate was also known to bang on the dining room table with his fist when upset, to see the cutlery and china make noise. Tate wasn't perfect and could be opinionated as he blessed all who knew him.

Grandmother and Aunt Eloise were in their early, early 20s in the 1918 Spanish Flu. 

They reported the Flu didn't see much activity of their area; they read about it in the paper. World War I was bad. Although, people in Philadelphia seemed to have a bad time of it.

Grandmother said she and Aunt Eloise had popped a lot of popcorn and stayed home. 

They explained during this conversation with me, it was before Radio.

Radio popularity grew rapidly in the late 1920s and early 1930s, and by 1934, 60 percent of the nation's households had radios. One and a half million cars were also equipped with them. The 1930s were the Golden Age of radio.

Corn was popped, fried in a skillet, on a gas flame stove. And Grandmother went on to say there will always be what we learn about in life that seems intimidating. But in her long life, she had overcome quite a lot and found Joy. Grandmother prayed a lot. Her neighborhood looked like, "To Kill a Mockingbird."

As he considered these things, 

Behold, 

an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

    and they shall call his name Immanuel”

Teach a child to fish

Some photos are so "Father with us" you pin to the refrigerator.

My father-in-law survived Polio at age 11 in 1944. He was in a summer camp with 11 kids and a camp counselor, college aged. At one in the afternoon, ambulances arrived to take the entire cabin to Parkland Hospital in Dallas. Buddy said he wasn't frightened until he saw the complete anguish on the faces of his parents outside the glass window of the ICU. Buddy said he knew he would die then. And in his extreme illness, their faces showed him to be aware as each child was carried out the door - dead.

Maybe, we can take some small amount of comfort from the separation during Covid-19.

Buddy spent time in the iron lung and was the only child to recover.  Buddy said he said to himself, take one more breath. Take one more breath. Hold on. Buddy was pushing forward in optimism.

He had time to teach all of his children to fish, to hunt, to see the world in all its aspects and attitudes and to be Steadfast Love. He was always interesting, always teaching in the ultra-cool wit of Humphrey Bogart. Buddy had a way of toughening people up.  Being completely honest. He did not believe in the language of being good. Buddy believed you did as much good in the world under the radar. Because if it was known you were soft like that, the world would bite you. Buddy could bite back rather well. In EF Hutton Style. Buddy once understood God to tell him to get to the hospital quickly, when he was about 44 years old.  And Buddy went home, grabbed his wife, and they found their son needed parental intervention at the Hospital for a car accident. What Buddy understood, was exactly correct. Judy has been known to say, Buddy had the best peripheral vision of anyone she ever met. 

Today, Buddy fishes in the Shining Waters of Heaven. And there will be a Great Reunion.

Abba, Father God,

Proverbs 23:18

 Surely, there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

Branch of David, Jesus Christ, our Highest Name

Lord and Savior

Abba, Father God,

Your Son, Jesus Christ is Living Water.

He will open our eyes, we will turn to the Light and the Power of God,

in His Living Water, we receive the Grace of God our Father and in His Forgiveness 

we are tenderly placed and sanctified among those in Faith in Jesus Christ.

In the Living Water of Jesus,

Jesus yesterday, today and tomorrow

we are transformed and renewed in our minds, testing and discerning what is the Will of God,

seeking and finding what is Good, Acceptable and Perfect.

Abba,

More Jesus. More Holy Spirit. More Joy.

Dwell in us and those we Love.

Abba, we trust You with our dearly held Love ones.

We are the people who will rest tonight safely.
We are the people You nourish in the Holy Spirit.


Thank You, Abba, 
We thank You for the Vaccine. 

 End troubles in the United States, again, please.

We pray for Unity for ALL.

Finally, brothers, Rejoice! 

Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; 

and the God of love 

and peace 

will be with you.

 Amen!

Jesus help us in this Nation to be in Your Word and see more Joy.
Covered in God's Love,
President Donald Trump, the First Lady and Their Family

Peace in the Middle East

Troops coming Home from war, Thank You, God.

Congratulations President Trump on his Nominations

for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Peace Celebrations for us All.

Blessings for
Vice President Mike Pence, the Second Lady and Their Family.
The Presidential Team.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Robert Redfield, Dr. Deborah Birx
Governor Abbott and all 50 Governors and Legislatures.
Senator Tim Scott,
The end of trouble surrounding this Virus.

Praying for Elliott and Harby, their family to have Complete Healing

for Elliott.

God Saves the World and upholds us in His Word.

The Star of Christmas shines upon us.

The world knew trouble

and in God, we Overcome.

WORLD HISTORY 1200-1300 AD University Of Paris, Fourth Crusade, Danish Empire, Crusaders Capture Constantinople, Genghis Khan, Las Navas de Tolosa Battle, Magna Carta, French English Battles, 6th Crusade Controls Jerusalem, Great Khan, Golden Bull Of Sicily and Italian Plague, Use Of Rockets, Royal Charter For Coal Fields, Cordoba Taken From Moors, Nevsky Defeats Swedes, Jerusalem Recaptured By Muslims, Mameluke Dynasty, Provisions Of Oxford, Battle Of Ain Jalut, Iceland\Greenland Annexed, Louis IX Dies, Marco Polo, Hapsburg Dynasty, Kublia Khan, Chinese Attack On Japan, Denmark Limitation Of Power, Genoa Defeats Pisa, Swiss Confederation, Finland Conquered, Scottish Rebellion, Chinese Develop A Cannon

And in 1200, we overcame a plague in Naples, Italy, dysentery, "the flux", tuberculosis, arthritis, leprosy, sweating sickness was probably influenza.

Bless us ALL in Peace!

And in Health.

Amen in Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †

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