The Stories of History and My Family Tree

THE STORIES OF HISTORY

Life is full of stories. Some are true and some are make-believe.

Every life has several stories which could be told of every day, never mind over the course of a week, month, year, or decade. What makes things fascinating is how most of our stories intersect with other people's stories and how each person will remember only their version or angle of the story. After all, stories are individual and collective.

I don't know about you, but I love a good story, true or make-believe, and I enjoy reading them, hearing them, telling them, and even making them up or embellishing them in an effort for entertainment or escapism. However, one of my favorite ways to tell an tale is to make up stories based off of historical facts and fill in the gaps of what could have happened when we do not know the full story. Its purpose is to explain what could have been and helps us learn about what that life was like and teaches us about history.

Have you ever thought how history, while it is factual, is actually comprised of stories?

If I would have realized this when I went to school, history would have been one of my favorite subjects, not my least favorite.

This blog is about my family tree. From my family tree, I have learned a great deal already about roots, history, and faith. It amazes me how many stories I can learn about my family doing an Internet search. What a blessing it is to be able to do so. Technology is truly amazing.

What can be frustrating is how many lives there are from my family tree; however, there are several family members I do cannot find their stories. They lived. It seems so wrong not to know their stories and I find it rather gut-wrenching.

Wouldn't it have been nice if we had their journals or letters so that we could know their stories?

That thought got me thinking and is the foundation of this new blog. I will share my family's stories. I will use history to fill in the gaps and form a story of what was or what could have been for each individual and with some of them, I will share a few more.

I never imagined I would learn so much about history than I have through researching and learning about my family tree. Then again, I am quite blessed because my family tree is quite large and there are several familiar historical names. However, there are those of us who are simple and wouldn't be known. These are the stories I want to focus on most, but it takes the well-known stories to help fill in the gaps of the unknown and what could have beens.

Now, this is the way to get to know history.

What is exciting is this blog has the potential of over 17,499 stories. And, let me add how I do not have my family tree near completion. That number will most likely grow, by the way, in the upcoming months. Therefore, I guarantee I can share many stories based on history and what could have happened, and stories based off of historical facts, and tell these stories over a period of years and even decades.

This blog is a memoir of sorts, is a family tree and genealogical blog, is a history blog, and is a blog on faith. It's a blog of stories. Welcome to this new blog about roots, my family tree, history, and faith... and lessons learned from each. It also will help you get to know how to do online genealogy.

This blog will help you to know the true foundations of the USA... the foundations of truth, not a political agenda,mas what is taught in schools and textbooks today. This is the real and unvarnished depiction of history, told through the eyes of those who lived it, and through the eyes of those with prestige and those with none (according to the world, that is). Let's get to know the history of the USA through the eyes of those who actually lived.

I will start our stories with what happened in 1585 and Roanoke and then move to those who came here to the USA through Jamestown, Virginia between 1607 and 1699. But, first, let me tell you the story of how I started to research my family tree. It was not something I ever imagined doing or wanted to do. Little did I know how captivating it would be and how much it would change me.

BIOLOGY, ROOTS, HISTORY, AND FAITH

A family tree offers more than information about biology. It offers roots and a chance to learn about faith, history, and life in a very real way. While your family tree tells you where you came from, and by whom, it also teaches a great deal more. (So much more!) I have discovered studying my family tree is by far the best way to learn history and about faith. It makes history come alive in a fresh way and this alone can change you and enrich your life tremendously. My life certainly has been.

Learning about my family tree has been a very rewarding endeavor and I never would have dreamed this was the case. The truth is, sad to admit, I just wasn’t all that interested in doing anything with genealogy.

No. Scratch that. That is putting it a little too kindly. The truth is, four years ago, I could care less about my family tree, never mind spending the time, effort, and money in actually researching something which didn’t interest me. If someone else did it, great. But, I didn’t want to waste my time. Let me be even more straightforward and confess how I found genealogy interesting, but I just couldn't imagine doing it, let alone with my small family. After all, we knew so little about all four of my family trees. I didn’t imagine there would be much to research.

Life, however, brings unexpected surprises which can change the course of our lives.

Sometimes, when we look back, we can say we should have seen it coming. Other times, there is no way we could have foreseen what transpires. This family tree business is the latter for me. I never would have dreamt this would happen, or how much it would transform me and my life, never mind how it continues to do so nearly four years later. This is what researching my family tree has done for me and for my family. And, this is my story.

I think it has taken me four years to realize what my family tree means to me.

Frankly, I also am still trying to sort it out, I should probably mention. However, it is one of those family trees too interesting not to invest time and energy for, and a little bit of money. In fact, it is more than worthwhile.

I started a very interesting journey back in June 2012 and my life has not been the same since.

This means it is now a time for another confession. I haven't spent too much time at all tracing my family tree. It is expensive to do so, in my estimation, unless you have a great deal of time to invest in doing the necessary research. Therefore, I usually get a one month subscription and I then work on it day and night for a month in order to cram as much into that month of money spent. The first two weeks of most online family tree creators are free and that is what started my journey. Since then, I have only spent the money for five months, I think, of additional research. That is it. But, I have made my time count, that is for sure.

Although, I wish I would have invested more in it, I think there is a reason why I didn't yet. I will get into that in a moment.
Would you believe I have 17,499 individuals on my family tree so far? (No joke.) Never mind how I still have quite a bit to research with it, including making some changes where I have duplicates of certain individuals and a few other errors. But, that is what I have at this point.

And, the story gets better. This is with just one of my family trees. Not all four (the four sets of grandparents).  The tree I am describing is with my paternal grandmother.

However, the fruit of my research has been beyond bewildering. My mind just started to try to process more of it, but I am not sure if I can, without intentionally spending some time trying to do so. The information has been so astounding I think it has taken me nearly four years to attempt to grasp what I have revealed and have learned so far. Furthermore, I do not think it has come even close to fully sinking in yet, let alone fully grasping the implications of what I have uncovered and learned. I imagine this is why I have decided to write my story is to figure out what this really means for my life. (I also hope to inspire you to do your family tree as well.)

I will share all of my interesting finds shortly, but first want to share where I am currently with this Jamestown Ancestry family tree project.

Just yesterday, I sent my ancestral DNA kit back to the company I ordered it from and that has opened the proverbial can of worms. Now, the waiting begins. I have waited a few years for them to build up their database and perfect their DNA testing and how they keep the information secure. They were having a sale and I decided to ask my husband if he would mind and he told me to jump at the opportunity, so I did. It could take between six and eight weeks for them to process my saliva sample and to downloqd the results online for me. Or, that is what I was initially told. I looked online earlier today, however, and they said it could take longer before I get my results because they have received many sales, which I imagine is thanks to the discount they have been offering.

Curses. Doesn't that just figure? I am finally read for it, and am beyond excited, and this is what happens. I am told to wait. Unfortunately, I have had much experience with waiting, so I can wait. I just prefer not to do so. (Sigh.)

I am curious to see what the DNA results will being to my family tree since I do not know much about my maternal grandmother's, my maternal grandfather's, or my paternal grandfather's family trees. I barely have any information on those three trees. Furthermore, I am curious to see what more I learn about my maternal grandmother's family tree. It's that tee that has so many precious gems. Will the others, too? What will I learn? Curiosity builds as I wait.

The results of the testing of my DNA will be added, by the family tree company I use, to the current family tree I have online. More family tree branches and leaves will be added from there. Then, I will also be able to look at other family trees on the site, of other individuals I do not even know, to see if I can glean more information from their trees regarding my family trees. It should fill in some gaps and make some corrections, but I imagine it will bring more questions as well. I look forward to the challenge.

I do not want to waste my time with doing the DNA testing and then do nothing with it. Therefore, I have decided to invest my time and resources and get serious about doing a full study of my four family trees and get every branch to the point I cannot go any further because of a lack of data. Or, in genealogical terms, I want to get to the end of the line. And, I have decided to write the story about my research, my results, what I have learned, and what it means to me, to my family, and even to you, reader.

I will be forthcoming here and add that it could take me years to fully research my tree, never mind write what I learn from it. Therefore, this blog will be a different kind of history blog and will be told through my family tree.

Additionally, I have decided how once I receive my DNA results, I'm going to order either a three month or a six month subscription to my family tree site. Now, I just need to tell my husband about the investment we will need to make. Wish me luck.

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog.

It is a blog about how I have traced my family back to Jamestown, Virginia, as well as to several U.S. Presidents, signers of the Declaration of Independence, Nero, Adam, Joseph of Arimathea, Constantine, Charlemagne, the Plantagenets, the Tudors, etc.
I will share how I have traced my family tree, what it has meant to me, and how I have learned about roots, faith, and history through my family tree.

My new blog: Family Trees of the USA

Check out my new blog, Family Trees of the USA, at:

http://familytreesoftheusa.blogspot.com

The National Day of Prayer and Praying 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Today is the National Day of Prayer. Lord, please help every American to take it seriously and pray for our nation today. Put the want and desire to do so on all of our hearts, minds, and lips today, and make it a very strong desire.

Furthermore, Father God, make this desire to pray for our nation last longer than one day, but may it be a deep, daily, relentless desire. Teach us and help us to pray for our nation and our leaders at several moments every day. There is too much at stake for us not to do so. Our earthly lives depend on our consistent praying.

Take this passage, Lord. It proves what You have been putting on my heart, mind, and lips for hours, days, weeks, months, and years now:

/*/*/*/

1 Timothy 2:1-4 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

2 First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.

/*/*/*/

Pray for everyone, Lord, Your Word tells me. Pray any and every way I can think of for them. Then, this passage in the Holy Bible grows more specific. It says to pray for every leader, authority figure, and king. Then, it explains why. If we pray for those in leadership, then we can live a quiet and tranquil life in all dignity and godliness.

I pause as I take this in, Father God. Isn't that the truth? I cannot number all of the sleeplessness nights and stomach churning days in my life because of the turmoil and carelessness leaders tend to leave in their wake. Lord, if we do not want poor leadership, at any level, then it is our obligation to pray for them several times per day. Help me to remember to do so, Abba. Put the want and desire in me to do so and tell me what to pray, please. Guide me and instruct me.

Lord, I pray for all of the leaders in my life. From my home, to my Bible study leader, to my city, to my county, to my state, to my nation, to the Church, and of the world.

However, today, God, I pray in particular for our present president and the president elect. Help me to pray a great deal more for them each day and help this be a burning desire for me to do so. Lord, help them lead and make decisions according to biblical values, no matter what they might call them. I also ask that You bring them to Jesus Christ. Or, if they are followers of Christ, help them to pray the Bible without ceasing. Make all of their ways be biblical ways. And, I pray the same for their family and friends.

Help our leaders make this nation under God and in God we trust in a deeper, more Holy way than this nation has ever seen.

I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, and by the power of his blood and resurrection.

Praying the Bible and Psalm 119:1 (and 2 Chronicles 7:14, an everyday prayer)

Note 1 to readers and friends: Every day, I will try to include some blessings counted (with the hopes it inspires you to count your own), additional prayer, thoughts on prayer and the Bible, a devotional of sorts, and the verse to pray the Bible. I will share my areas of sunshine and storm and the lessons I have learned as well. I think you will see there is (or will be) depth to this blog as I hope to inspire you to pray the Bible as well. God bless you.

Note 2 to readers and friends: Each of these prayers are meant to be prayed over and over. They are not meant to be one and done prayers. Hence, this blog can be read in any order and at any time. Each blog post is meant to be timeless for the most part. There are a couple of timely prayers here and there, but I am sure if you read them in the future, they will inspire you to pray for your own prayer and that time regarding the current events of your day.

Lord, thank You for: yesterday, tomorrow, this moment, this day, this week, this month, this year, this decade, this home, this family, and this life. Thank You for every single blessing that surrounds each and for the blessings I will receive today. Help me, Father God, to not miss counting one blessing. The more I count, the more I see You, and the more I am able to see You working my life, around my life, and through my life. It is through Your blessing and favor I see You glory and get to know You all the more.

Thank You for Jesus Christ being born so He could die on the cross and be resurrected, for the forgiveness of my sins, and so I can live in and for eternity with Him.

Thank You for the Bible, Your Word, O Lord.

Thank You for prayer.

And, thank you for teaching me how to pray the Bible more and more each day, and how to get the most out of it as well. To You be the glory.

Father God, You my Rock and Redeemer, my Friend, the Way, The Truth, the Light, the Life, my Father and Daddy, the One Most High, the One and Only. I praise and worship You.

Thank You for a good cup of coffee or tea.

Thank You for breakfast.

Thank You for the feel of sheets as they cocoon me at night.

Thank You for waking to a snuggling grey kitten. Help me to snuggle up to You and Your Word.

Thank You for an orange cat who is hanging out close to me on the sofa and that he is resting so well. Help me rest in You and Your Word.

Lord, teach me how to pray.

Teach me, Father, how to pray the Bible.

Give me the desire and the want to pray and pray the Bible... and to do so all day and night.

Lord, tell me what to pray and when. Put the prayers on my lips, heart, and mind.
Please, Father God, help me to not get sidetracked and to stay on task of praying through Bible 24/7/365 without exception.

I want to begin with this verse first:

A VERSE TO PRAY SEVERAL TIMES A DAY EVERY DAY FOR OUR HOME, NATION, THE CHURCH, AND THE WORLD

2 Chronicles 7:14 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.

I will let you form your own prayers around 2 Chronicles 7:14 first. Then, later, I will write a blog post on the verse.

I was serious, by the way. We really need to pray this verse all day long and save our friends, families, homes, neighborhoods, nations, the Church, and the world.

PRAYING THROUGH PSALM 119

As You know, Lord, there is a chapter in the Holy Bible which has been on my heart and mind for years now. I have tried repeatedly to prayer journal about, to blog about it, and pray it through. However, I usually stop. I unfortunately get sidetracked. Needless to be say, I think it is time to pray through the Psalm and learn everything I can about Your Word and prayer. So, here it goes.

Lord, help me pray this Psalm 24/7/365 AND learn as much as I can from it.

PRAYING THE BIBLE AND PSALM 119:1

Father God, help me understand, live/apply, and remember the verses of Your Word. For, if I do, my way will be blameless and I will be happy.

Help me follow Your teachings and instructions, God, so I can be blessed from living a pure and blameless life.

How fortunate, blessed, and happy am I, if I am undefiled, pure, blameless, and mind upright I and minds when I live and walk according to the Bible.

Lord, this verse shows the importance of being in Your Word and praying through it.  If I do, then I will be happy, blessed, and and fortunate. Let me be honest here. I do not think I could ever get enough of any of those, particularly the blessed part. Your favor is everything. Your blessings are what I can count and they will last for eternity.

Father, help me pray the Bible and counting my blessings all day and night long. (I also pray this for all of the areas of prayer on my prayer list.)

Pray about the U.S. presidential elections

Forgive me, friends, for posting two blog posts in one day. However, I think you will learn this about me. If I do, it is for a very good reason and I try not to make a habit of doing so. Please give me grace for this today. However, with what happened last night, I thought it was important for me to address the 2016 U.S. Presidential Elections and what happened last night.

Senator Ted Cruz dropped out of the race.

Donald Trump is now the heir apparent, so to speak.

My husband and I received several emails and texts about this and people wondered how we could be so calm about this. Here is how:

We are voting for a platform, not a person. The Republican platform is the only one that lines up with biblical principles. They do not believe in abortion or socialism or fascism. They call terror terror.

We vote for our president and commander-in-chief, not our pastor-in-chief.

Voting is not about emotions, it is about principles.

We know who is really in charge. God is and no one else. We either trust God or we don't. And, here is a hint. If we say we trust God, and follow with a but, however, or if, or any kind of discourse, then we really don't trust  Him.

None of this is a surprise to God.

Voting for the woman who lied about Benghazi, who refuses to fight terror, and who did not properly handle classified information with her email, and who believes in abortion is not the one we should vote for biblically. If she cannot properly handle our national security, she cannot (and should not) be trusted.

Pray that Trump wins and that he lives and presides over the country with biblical values. Pray this every second of every day. Prayers can and will and do make a difference. We can pray for him so much that he can be the best president ever, regardless of how he appears, if we all take praying seriously, and we should. Then, he could be the best man of God and biblical values in the office. Our prayers can make him that way.

So, stop worrying and fretting and complaining. Pray instead that he becomes a God-fearing, Bible-centered man, who leads with those values and that he makes the U.S. Truly one nation under God again.

This is our obligation. Pray. And, vote for him, not for Hillary, and not a blank ballot. The latter actually give Hillary the vote. Not going to the polls is something we will have to answer to one day. Part of rendering to Caesar is voting. Part of our biblical obligation is voting. So, pray and vote. These are the only two things that can save our nation.

Praying the Bible and Psalm 119:28

Lord, You and your Word have perfect timing. I had no idea I was battling the familiar grief until...

Lord, as You know, I started out praying another verse today. However, I was stopped in my tracks after I read a Christian blog post about Mother's Day. The next thing I knew, I was a sobbing mess, which is rare for me these days, and I had something dawn on me. And, it seems in my times of tears You teach me so wonderfully. I think it is because of the verse I want to pray today.

This thought makes me smile. One that is easily found because I have Your Word tucked in way deep inside so silly emotional moments are short-lived while Your Word, and its impact, are eternal.

Gotta love it when I sit at our dining room table, windows and blinds wide open with multiple houses could look in as I cry. Sheesh. I was too transfixed to move. The blog post got my attention. It was for those who have lost a child or who are childless.

Ugh. I have pulled myself together, Abba. The tears start again. I still sit at the same dining room table. Maybe if I don't sob and just let the tears fall, no one will tell what I'm really doing. Or, why should I care?

Lord, You know how hard Mother's Day around Father's Day is for us, for B (my hubby) and me. It's the days we wish we could lack ourselves away a reminded pretend like it isn't happening. We do not go to church. We try not to make any plans. We just get lost in our own little world.

We do not regret not having kids. We couldn't. And, in many ways, we are at peace we didn't have them. But, there are times we miss what could have been. What should have been. If it wasn't for Eve and that fruit, this would never had been a problem.

I still think it is kind of funny, Lord, how both of us are infertile. Not one. Both. It kind of helps since neither one of us have to feel the guilt since we cannot. We both cannot, so no guilt ever known here. Thank you for that.

There was a verse that got me through the second time IVF didn't work. It comes to mind from time to time still.

It is what held me up after the realization we would never have children of our own. Other than four-leggeds. And, oh how we have invested in them!

What makes Mother's Day particularly difficult this year is how we lost two of our four-leggeds. One at the end of September 2015 and the other at the end of January 2016. Two losses in four months, Lord.

So, Father God, we are childless and have lost two.

Ouch.

I haven't cried about Kara cat, Zack Beagle, or not having children in quite some time. Not a cry like I cried today.

But, that verse, Lord.  That verse came to mind and I realized it is the perfect verse to pray. Particularly  today. Particularly since I am also grieving the pain terrorism has caused. A U.S. Navy SEAL was lost in battle today in Iraq. It is terrible to have to fight war, but terrorists cannot be allowed to torture, rape, and slaughter people like they are. It is necessary to fight this war, but the wounded and deaths that result are terrible losses. I thank You, Lord, for them and their sacrifices so I can sit here blubbering at my dining room table. This loss puts mine into proper perspective.

Lord, I cry for his family, friends, and team. I cry to You to bring comfort and resolve that this war is a just one and that his sacrifice was truly worthwhile and will not be forgotten. I will uphold everyone associated with him in my prayers. His loss. Before Mother's Day... Lord, be with those left behind and bring them this verse...

PRAYING THE BIBLE AND PSALM 119:28

Your Word says how David was weary and heavy and he wept from sorrow and grief. He asked You, Lord, to strengthen and encourage him from and through Your Word and its promises.

Lord, my heart is heavy. Encourage and strengthen me according to the promises of Your Word.

This verse is a prayer and is about the Word. It is a perfect verse to show and display how to pray the Bible and it tells why it is so important to pray the Bible to begin with, God.

Strengthen me by the promises of the Bible, Lord.

My strength is insufficient at best.

I seek real strength. Strength of an all-powerful, all-loving,  ever-present, all-knowing God is truly real strength. And, I get that strength through praying Your Word.

Praying Your Word is like weight training. It's good strength building.

Lord, help me keep turning to the Bible, to You alone, for strength. Your strength, given through praying the Word, is infinitely better than my strength.

Praying the Bible is the answer to everything and everyone.

Thank You, Daddy, for all of this. To You be the glory forever and ever.

Please give Your strength to all associated with the fallen U.S. service member.

Also, give Your strength to all families and friends who have lost loved ones because of terror.

God, encourage and strengthen all of those who have lost a mom, lost a child, or cannot have children.

Anyone hurting today is this crazy, mixed-up world, please let Your beautiful Word encourage them and give them strength.

Strengthen us and encourage us through You Word, Lord. All the time.

Help us to continually seek the Bible to pray all day long so we can continually, moment by moment, be enriched by Your Word.

Praying the Bible and 1 Samuel 12:23

I sit here at our dining room table watching the doves eat underneath the bird feeders as our six month old kitten, Seda, recovers from being spayed and watches them as well. It's a partly cloudy day, but the sun still breaks through. The snowcapped mountains stand in the distance and I note how our grass is a little greener. We are still waiting for it to come alive after being dormant all winter. The snow from the weekend has melted for the most part and I smell the wheat bread I just baked on the counter. It is the bread I promised to bake my husband and almost forgot. (Whoops.) The turtle tank beside me sounds like after calming water fountain and I count my blessings on this day.

I pause and pray,  "Thank God."

The truth is I am starting to feel some stress. I shouldn't. But, I do. I am attending Write His Answer and the Colorado Christian Writers Conference in Estes Park, Colorado and it starts next week. The To-Do List keeps growing as I try to push off the disappointment I feel. For months, I have been planning on attending. For months, I tried, Lord, to figure out what to write. I hoped to have a book to present this year. However, I will not. This brings up mixed emotions and thoughts. Hence, I feel a little raw about it, Abba.

The idea of a book finally came to me on April 19, 2016, which sure didn't leave time to write a book. Needless to say, I started to wonder if I am wasting my time and our money. Have I failed again to be a good steward of our time and money, Lord? How many books have I tried to write, and how many genres, and nothing has stuck? Ugh. Yes. More disappointment wells up from within.

Late last week, though, You gave me the vision of what You see for me for my blogging, my writing, and the writing conference. Needless to say, I am quite thrilled. I am going to the conference to learn and to network. No stress here. Seriously. I can just sit back and listen to You and where You lead me, Father God, and what a joy it is to think.

So, why am I feeling a little stressed today, Lord? Is it my To-Do List? Or, am I putting too much pressure on myself to begin a new writing platform?

I just had to stop prayer journaling and just watch for a few minutes as the female dove walked about twenty-five feet from our birdfeeders in the middle of our yard to our birdbath which is on our patio. I saw her fly to the birdbath and watched her drink. She kept her eyes gazing inside our house and I couldn't see through the table to see if Seda had stopped bathing or if she saw the dove as well. I sat there frozen so I could just watch and pray for the pair that visits our yard each day, multiple times per day.

Lord, keep the doves safe, strong, healthy, and help them know their Creator. Give them good lives, Father.

Talk about a beautiful sight, Lord. Thank You.

My stomach growled and I just decided to go get a testing of the bread. My husband loves the heel, while I do not, so I cut that off first and as I do, I realize the loaf will be terrible. I grin. It fell apart as I cut. So, no. It isn't terrible at all. It's just as I thought. The piece I cut for myself fell apart even worse and I have what was a slice of bread, but is now about eight chunks of bread the total size of a slice. I shrug my shoulders and debate on butter or not and decide it doesn't need it after a sampling.

This is My body, comes to mind (Luke 22:19).

It is wrong to say His body was broken for us. His body was not broken at all during the crucifixion. Not one bone was broken. His body was pierced, though.

But, the bread represents His body.

Of course, I cannot chew another bite in the same way as I ponder and pray this.
Lord, thank You for this bread and for Your body, which shows how You are real and really walked on this earth.

There is a slight breeze outside and I make a mental note to bake another loaf of bread next week for my husband so he can eat it while I am gone.

I realize part of the stress I feel about the conference is the wanting to have quite a bit written between now and then. Silly, really, since I and not going to present anything at the conference since I just started writing the blog posts, which I will turn into a book in the future.

I take a sip of the iced decaf green tea which sits in front of me. It makes me pause, think, and pray.

I just hung upside down in my chair to see Seda sitting there in the sun bathing herself again. I call out to her. She trills her call out to me, makes eye contact with me, and waits to see what I'm going to do. I and am again reminded of how, Lord, I should look at You... with anticipation.

Then, I hear a strange sound in the turtle tank and see how Harry is rearranging his tank again. He thinks he is an interior designer. I sigh and go fix the tank as I ask him what he is doing. I sit back down and glance at my To-Do List for tomorrow and I realize how I need to remember praying the Bible 24/7/365 is meant to happen in the midst of life, as we do this thing called life, God.

But, what is different in my case is how You have called me to pray the Bible 24/7/365 for the rest of my life as a full-time profession.

And, I cannot help but think of how I do what I call, pray the news, where I pray over every article that captures my eye from several news sources. This is what has me stressed more than anything, I think.

Usama Bin Laden was killed five years ago to today, and on May 02, 2011.

As I typed that last sentence one of the National Guard's C-130 planes just flew overhead and I can see them heading to their home, at the airport in town.

Yes. I realize how I am not stressed about the conference at all, or the list of things I need to do to get ready or pack between now and then. Rather, what has me stressed is terrorism. ISIS to be exact. No. Not stressed. Edgy. On edge. I am emotional about it. ISIS is still going strong and keeps torturing and killing more people. In fact, there were more attacks in the first quarter in Iraq and Syria than there have been since 2014. Hence, I am on edge because I am prayerful about this.

Lord Jesus Christ, please stop terrorism. Eliminate it altogether. Help people to stop falling for the lies about this side of Islam. Help every single Christian out there to pray for the stopping and total destruction of all terrorism and of ISIS.

Now that I have slowed down to analyze things, it is time to Pray the Bible.

There are four doves outside. I have never seen four out there before. I have seen one two, and three, but never four. Lady Seda is so wound up with twitching and flinging her tail that she is slamming it against the glass. I am surprised she hasn't scared them off. Lord, protect all of them, keep them healthy and content. Give them good and long lives, Lord.

Now, I want to pray through a verse.

PRAYING THE BIBLE AND 1 SAMUEL 12:23

Lord, I learned here how it is a sin against You to pray for others.

Not praying for others is a sin.

Help me, Father God, to remember and to live this verse.

How many times do I get so caught up with my latest challenge that I spend far more time praying to You about me than I pray about others?

Lore, help me learn how to pray for others. Give me the want and desire to do so. Moreover, tell me what to pray for others. Put it in my mind and on my heart.

This is a verse to commit to memory and do my best to not forget it and to help me to apply it in my life.

This verse shows how important it is to pray for others.

To You be the glory forever and ever.

Introduction #2: Praying the Bible for the world

Have you noticed how it seems our world is coming undone spiritually personally and collectively, nationally and globally?

We do not even need to turn on the news. All we need to do is walk around with our ears, hearts, and minds open, and we will hear a multitude of reasons why this is true.

We have gone around trying to ignore or it deny it, sticking our heads in the sand, not wanting to ruffle any feathers. How has this worked out for us? Has it helped? Is the world a better place through our inaction.

There are a couple of individuals and groups who have tried to address and are, the current state of affairs in all of our lives: spiritually, personally and collectively, nationally and globally. Dutch Sheets and An Appeal to Heaven, Franklin Graham and Decision America Tour, and Intercessors for America and GetOutThePrayer.com are a few examples. (I have links for all of these on the main page of my blog if you are interested. Check out the right column and go about one-half to two-thirds down and you'll see my Link List.)

Each of those groups is doing a wonderful thing. All of us need to all sign up for each of them, along with several other prayer groups we can find online. They are important in our current state of affairs. They are bringing a national prayer revival here in the United States of America.

I would like to add another dimension to the prayer revival, nevertheless. We need to have a Praying the Bible 24/7/365 Revival, which adds more depth and more power to the other prayer revivals. After all, if we do not back our prayers with the Word of God, the Holy Bible, then they will not be nearly as effective. Let us be honest here. Each of us, plus our nation and world, sure needs as much effective prayer as we can receive.

Futhermore, I do not know about you, but I want each of my prayers to be as effective as possible. When we pray the Bible as we pray for all of the things God puts in our hearts and minds to pray, then our prayers will be quite powerful and effective.

Rather than keep going on with life as normal, and pretend like everything is alright in our world, I want to face the truth. I want to face the facts. I do not want to live in a world of make-believe. I want to live in reality. And the truth is, our nation and world needs prayer. Never mind how our state, city, neighborhood, church, block, and home needs prayer as well.

The truth is, I haven't prayed for everything like I should (see the last paragraph for different areas of prayer, but it most certainly is not an extensive list). I have failed to live up to my responsibilities biblically. I don't know about you.

Therefore, it is time for me to get serious about praying for our world today, and every dimension of prayer that comes with it. This blog is my attempt to do precisely that.

Welcome to a blog about praying the Bible 24/7/365 for our world.

In this blog, I will share my daily prayers for praying the Bible 24/7/365 for the world and for the areas of prayer listed here:

AREAS OF PRAYER
Pray these in the order God puts on your heart and in your mind
1 Me
2 My home and everyone and everything in it
3 My block
4 My neighborhood
5 My city: homes, government, churches, businesses, schools, etc.
6 My state: homes, government, military, churches, businesses, schools, etc.
7 My nation: homes, government, military, churches, businesses, schools, etc.
8 Our world: homes, government, military, churches, businesses, schools, etc. Each and every nation, particularly the ones God puts on my heart
9 The Church as a whole
10 The U.N.
11 NATO
12 My nation's allies
13 My nation's foes
14 Against terror
15 The news and current events of today

I hope this gives you a good list to use as you pray for each of those areas. I know it sure helps me. These are the areas of prayer I try to focus on a few times per week at least, if not daily. I try to pray for my home, block, city, state, nation, the Church as as whole, against terror, and the world each day, however.

In time, I hope to pray every verse of the Bible for our world today and list them here.

By the way, on my twitter.com account, I tweet about prayer requests from the news stories each day. They are not meant to be items of my opinions, but as prayer points for us to pray about and through. My account is: @RYPStories and can be found at this link:
https://twitter.com/RYPStories

Or, if you prefer, my Google+ account:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/103261940213090097010

Hence, my plan with this blog is to first pray the verse or verses. Then, pray for the areas of prayer each day. Moreover, in time, I will turn these prayers and blog posts into a book one day as well. I will edit them and add material to them and then offer them in a book format, in paperback and in an e-book, which will sure make it handier to use for your prayers rather than off of this blog.

I hope this blog will be advantageous for you to help you to learn to pray the Bible 24/7/365 for this world.

God bless.

Now, let's get started.

Prayer for a new day, week, and month

Lord, thank you for this moment. For this day. For this new week. For this new month. Let me only do with my time what You want, not what I want.

Help me to pray the Bible and to learn how to do it 24/7/365. I know it will change me and my life. Your will, not mine, be done. Help me to put You and Your Word first, now and always.

Lord, I want to learn how to pray the Bible because it is the answer for everything and is what You ask of me (and all of us). Help me to learn as much as possible and to listen far more to You than what I say as I pray the Bible.

Use me, Lord.