August 1997 Newsletter
Dear Internet Family:
I wish you could see the graphics on this newsletter! This is a
little shorter than the last one because the birthdays for October took up
two full pages. It is my intention to have the birthdays for the month on
the internet. Hopefully that will be in the very near future. If you know
of anyone that you would like included on the Newsletter mailing list,
please let me know.
God bless,
Fred
August 1997
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Dear Family:
Here we are a month after the picnic and Linford is still keeping
the postal department busy with his correspondence with everyone. Lin has
a great attribute to go along with his attention to detail, and that is a
willingness to share his treasures. I told him that I have a huge stack of
mail to go through on my desk, and he is no small contributor to the pile -
just kidding Lin.
I have received several much appreciated letters since the picnic,
and I would like to share a couple of them with you; especially since I
have already mentioned Linford. It seems that Paul Yarnall's comment that
he does not care who you are in this country, if you open up the closet, a
Yarnall will be staring back at you (I still don't quite get that Paul!) -
well anyway, it seems to have prompted the following from Herb Yarnall.
Lin:
Just a couple observations
1. All of the Yarnall's are great people.
2. Most of the group need a little help
finding their people.
3. We need to work on Job.
4. Frank Sinatra is really a Yarnall.
Great day spent and a lot of names became friends. Next
time I'll bring the flag.
Herb Yarnall
First Settlers of America
Now Herb was not finished, but apparently just warming up, for a
short time later, another message from Herb arrived.
Fred.........
If you haven't heard. Linford found and copied old tax
rolls from Edgmont and Middletown. It appears he has finally found his
elusive Abraham and Mary Valentine Yarnall,. We feel that Abraham was the
son of Job and Catherine Yarnall who died a day apart in 1787. According to
the rolls, relatives took in the infant children and raised them. Abraham
being one of those children. The relatives were my GGG Grandfather Ezekiel.
After all this time it appears my GGG Grandfather raised Lin's GG
Grandfather.
This recent discovery makes sense. You know, when a father and
son has that conversation about the birds and bees? In my family there was
always a discussion about not renting rooms to relatives. I think this
could have been the result of Lin's relatives skipping out on the rent in
1808. Just speculation, however you can't ignore Yarnall folklore!
Now I have concluded that Elvis was not a Yarnal. However, I am
checking out several other candidates. You Francis Folks have your John
Joliffe and his ships. We Philip people need something of equal stature. At
the moment, Frank Sinatra is my best shot. But I am serving notice we have
someone awaiting to be discovered. You'll see the name on our hats!
Herb Yarnall
First Settlers of America
Wow Herb, I hope you got it all out of your system. Lin wants me to
let you know that to the contrary, there was still time left on the lease,
so there is a refund due. I don't know about any of this Lin, but I do know
that if we can get the rest of the family looking into their old ledger
books, we will surely find some of our long lost cousins.
However, now that you mentioned all those ships, I am happy to
report that Dea Yarnall MacKinnon presented her father - Malcolm Carver
Yarnall, with the Navy hat that Robert E. Yarnall Jr. was so kind to
supply. The cap was emblazoned with the DD-541 identification on the brim.
For the uninitiated, the DD-541, and the DD-143 are US Naval Destroyers
that were named after our cousin John Joliffe Yarnall. As previously
mentioned by Herb Yarnall, us Francis folk are kind of partial to John
Joliffe Yarnall's ships and our hats - just rubbing it in Herb.
?
Speaking of finding long lost cousins, we are still looking for an
address or phone number for Ben Jefferson Yarnall. Also on our search list
is Sarah Louise Yarnall Armstrong. Sarah Louise is from the Eli Yarnall
line, along with her brothers Thomas Charles Yarnall, Glenn Allen Yarnall
and Mark Wayne Yarnall. If anyone has information on Sarah's whereabouts, I
would appreciate hearing from you in the return mail.
Boy, did I have a surprise in June. It seems that one of Paul
Yarnall's contacts was the sister-in-law of our Grand Cayman Island
resident, Alexander Yarnall. Sister-in-law Lori reports that Alex and her
sister Debbie are busy remodeling his house. Come-on Alex, you're on the
Grand Cayman. A few palm branches, warm winds, a glass of (Aaaah) iced tea,
and the lady of choice. What more do you need. I know the answer to that
one - you need a paper and pen so you can write to us - just kidding.
However, in the small world department, Bob and I are having lunch with
Alexander's brother Charlton (Chuck) on this coming Friday.
Another letter received was from Rose (Fetterolf) Yost, of Gordon
Pennsylvania. Rose came to the picnic with her cousin Stan Love. Stan was
the one that won furthest traveled honors coming in from Albuquerque New
Mexico. Rose is also a descendant of Francis Yarnall in a rather
interesting way. Rose married Elmer Yost on June 5, 1954, but her
connection to Francis Yarnall comes through both her mother and father.
They both trace their lines of descent to Jonathan Yarnall and then on to
Francis as follows:
Francis Yarnall
Peter Yarnall
Francis Yarnall
Isaac Yarnall
Jonathan Yarnall
I-------------I---------------------------I
David Yarnall Martin Luther Yarnall
Delilia Mae Yarnall Ella Nora Yarnall
Fred Elmer Fetterolf Clara Elvertia Snyder
I--------------I---------------------I
Rose Fetterolf
For the rest of the family, let me extend a warm hello cousin, along with a
great big hug. Rose was kind enough to send me a copy of a paper on the
relationship of people, including Yarnall's to Abraham Lincoln. I will copy
this paper in sections over the next several months. I hope that you can
use the information. For the school children with a paper to write, I wish
I had this information when I was attending school.
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PART 1............
"THERE WERE KINSMEN OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY"
A Paper Prepared and Written for The Historical Society of Schuylkill
County, Pennsylvania By Edgar Downey.
FORWARD
There Were Kinsmen of Abraham Lincoln in Schuylkill County is a
paper prepared for the people of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, more
particularly for the members of the Historical Society of Schuylkill
County. It only has local interest and for this reason may not rate a
listing by Mr. Jay Monaghan or Mr. John W. Starr, Jr.., the latter of our
neighboring County of dauphin, in their Lincoln Bibliographies. Many who
read and study the life of Abraham Lincoln may not be interested in
Schuylkill County. Nor may they know of it, nor be able to pronounce
"Schuylkill" correctly. (Arthur Godfrey recently on TV pronounced it
"Sky-kill" rather than "Skool-kill.") But many people in Schuylkill County
year after year are becoming more and more interested in Abraham Lincoln
and anything associated with him. This paper should give Schuylkill
Countians a feeling of kinship.
Philadelphia and Valley Forge, places so well known to readers of
United States History, are situated on the Schuylkill River, the river from
which Schuylkill County took its name. The County's chief industry is the
mining and production of anthracite coal. Those unacquainted with the
County and its region might wish to know what association it had with Mr.
Lincoln, his administration and the Civil War.
In the Presidential Election of 1860 it cast the majority of its
votes for Lincoln. Prior to that time it had been Democratic; but in 1860
it was strongly Protectionist because of its coal industry, and therefore
Lincoln was its choice for President. however, in 1864, due to an
anti-administration feeling among the mine-labor elements, where there had
been some notorious draft resistance and probably some Copperhead
influence, Lincoln lost the County in the election of that year to
McClellan by a vote of 7,028 to 9,267. But the County's soldiers, voting in
the field, stood firm for their President.l They voted 685 to 296 for Mr.
Lincoln.
In April, 1861, upon Lincoln's call for volunteers, Pottsville,
Schuylkill's County seat, was the very first to offer its militia to
Secretary of War Cameron. Its two Companies of militia, the National Light
Infantry and the Washington Artillerists, were of the first five companies
of volunteers to arrive at the Capitol Building, Washington, on April 18,
1861, a day ahead of the 6th Massachusetts, to which many history books
erroneously give credit for being the first volunteers. The two Pottsville
companies and three other Pennsylvania companies were the first to arrive
in Washington. We know them as the First Defenders. They numbered 530
officers and men, of which number 230 were from Pottsville. They were
greeted by President Lincoln, and he shook every one of them by the hand
and personally thanked them in the Capitol Building.
The famous Petersburg mine was conceived, constructed and exploded
by the 48th Pennsylvania Regiment, commanded by Col. Henry Pleasant's, a
Pottsville mining engineer, and composed entirely of Schuylkill County men,
many of them skilled coal-miners. Col. Pleasant's conceived and planned the
project. he and his men were bitterly disappointed and full of resentment
after succeeding in their brilliant exploit, when other Union commanders,
whose units had been assigned to follow up the explosion with an attack on
the Confederate lines, failed to give the necessary orders to press the
advantage gained by the exploding of the mine and their gross neglect
caused the Battle of the Crater, which followed, to become a tragedy. Some
of the men of Schuylkill's 48th Regiment received Congressional Medals of
Honor.
President Lincoln also honored Schuylkill County by choosing from
its midst two members of his diplomatic corps. He sent Hon. Robert M.
Palmer, of Pottsville, the Speaker of the Senate of Pennsylvania as
Resident Minister to the Argentine Confederation. He chose Hon. James H.
Campbell, a Pottsville lawyer and Congressman, as Minister to Norway and
Sweden. Congressman Campbell had been a member of the Committee of
Thirty-three, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to
bring about a peaceable arrangement and adjustment of the extreme
differences between the North and the South. This committee was composed of
one member of Congress from each of the thirty-three States, then
comprising the Union. Campbell represented Pennsylvania. it failed to
prevent secession.
Abraham Lincoln knew Schuylkill County and its men and gave them
recognition. Every year, on February 12th, the people of the County bow to
his memory. They gather at their service clubs, at church gatherings, or at
banquet meetings to hear speakers pay tribute to him. They like the story
of his great and eventful life. They wish to hear more about him. They
admire and revere him. They are delighted to know that here in their County
his kinsmen had lived.
--E. D.
Pottsville, Penna.,
February, 1952
THERE WERE KINSMEN OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY
Those who would follow the footsteps of the Lincoln's, from their
first Lincoln ancestor in America to Abraham Lincoln, will find many
by-paths leading off from the main path trod by them. Little known, and to
the extent of being almost unknown, is a by-path that leads into Schuylkill
County. It is a fact that kinsmen of Abraham Lincoln came here and lived
here, and we might advertise, as we do many places today of George
Washington, that they "slept here." Some of these kinsmen have their final
resting places beneath Schuylkill's soil.
Abraham Lincoln was of the sixth generation from his original
American ancestor. In his own and the generations which preceded him, his
kinsmen were prolific in progeny. His uncles, his cousins and his aunts
could be reckoned up by the dozens. With this resulting vast number of
kinsmen, it is not surprising that they spread out over the country, going
off into by-paths from their main path of migration, and even finding their
way into Schuylkill County through its parent-county, Berks.
We propose to present to you the kinsmen of Abraham Lincoln, who
lived in or were associated with Schuylkill County, first, however, telling
you how and from whence they came here.
..................TO BE CONTINUED
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It is amazing how far we have to go to meet a cousin. In the case
of Jonathan Yarnall, it was all the way to Australia. Now I do not know
what you think, but I believe that since we have traveled all that
distance, the least we can do is embarrass Jonathan by making him the
"Family Circle Person of the Month". So lets just sit back, relax and let
Jonathan tell us a little about himself and his family.
?
First let me give you a little background on how we are in contact with
Jonathan. He responded to cousin Paul Yarnall's Web page and Paul was kind
enough to pass on his Email address. After a couple of messages back and
forth, I put the bite on him to send me a biographical sketch of himself.
Now if Jonathan is reading this, with our unexplained colloquialisms, he is
probably wondering where the teeth marks are - just kidding. During the
course of my request for a biography, I was my usual flippant self and you
will excuse me while I wipe the egg off of my face, while you read
Johathan's biography and his response to my ignorance of Australian wild
life and the spelling of same. Unfortunately I can not give you a
descendants chart on Jonathan at this time, but hopefully at some future
date we will be able to make the connection.
Fred, Thanks for the family newsletter, it was quite amusing (I like him
already - just kidding). I thought I would tell you a bit about my family
and I. My Father was born in ´England and raised in Wales. His Father and
brother still live there., I have two brothers who were born in England as
well. My parents and brothers came to Australia in 1977, and I was born in
January 1979, in Melbourne. To our knowledge there is only one other
Yarnall family in the state of Victoria. however, both families have lately
been expanding due to children marrying. I am studying at Deakin University
doing a Bachelor of Commerce / Bachelor of Education degree. I don't have
any tales of the fish that got away or the KOALA bear that took my lunch.
(I thought that was an interesting way you spelled koala. {qualla}). I
personally wouldn't get to close to wild ones as they are quite vicious.
Anyway I have to go, so I will Email you later.
Jonathan Yarnall
Thank you Jonathan for sharing information about yourself and your
family with the rest of our family. I would not be surprised, before we are
done to find out that you are a descendant of one of Philip and Francis's
brothers that remained in England.
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For those of you who periodically visit Paul Yarnall's Webb page,
he has a new address. You can find him at Http://www.NavSource.Org, and
Email at Pry@NavSource.Org. Paul has a tremendous new site with over a Gig
of space for his Naval information and some of our Family Tree Information.
By the way, when I add a ship, such as the one above, it is usually at the
left margin, so I must move it to the center of the column and it seems as
if the ship is actually moving. Now that was an interesting tidbit wasn't
it!
?
Since we are talking about ships, my son in law was on an
educational mission to Japan, only he was one of several that were
demonstrating the design of some new ship mounted electronic devices. It
seems that his trip was cut short when the ship to be used for the
demonstration dropped anchor, only someone had not properly connected the
end of the anchor chain. I can see the cartoon now. Picture a ship at sea
with a huge mound of anchors and chains on the fantail. On the bridge is
the Captain saying... OK, OK, OK...Lets try it again....Drop Anchor!......
*#@##%*($@ <= Rats!
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From the computer corner we have a few more humorous one liners.
Portable computer--A device invented to force business
people to work at home, on vacation, and on business trips.
Disc Crash--A typical computer response to any critical
deadline..
Power User--Anyone who can format a disk from DOS.
System Update--A quick method of trashing all of you
current software.
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And now from the silly corner, we have the following headlines from
around the world.
1. Kids Make Nutritious Snacks.
2. Chef Throws His Heart into Helping Feed Needy.
3. Arson Suspect is Held in Massachusetts Fire.
4. British Union Finds Dwarfs in Short Supply.
5. High School Dropouts Cut in Half.
6. Man Minus Ear Waives Hearing.
WARNING FROM MARGARET YARNALL MARTINEZ
WARNING: GENEALOGY POX
Symptoms: Continual complaint as to need for names, dates and places.
Patient has blank expression, is sometimes deaf to spouse and children. Has
no taste for work of any kind, except feverishly looking through records at
libraries and court houses. Has compulsions to write letters. Swears at
mailman when he does not leave mail. Frequents strange places such as
cemeteries, ruins and remote, desolate areas.
Makes secret phone calls at night. Hides phone bills from spouse and
mumbles to self. Has strange faraway look in eyes.
No known cure!
Treatment: Medication is useless. Disease is not fatal but gets
progressively worse. Patient should attend genealogy workshops, subscribe
to genealogical magazines and be given a quiet corner in the house where he
or she can be alone.
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I wish to thank Judith Yarnall Koval for the Copy of testimony from
the Chester Monthly Meeting in Pennsylvania, centering on Nathan Yarnall,
as follows - All spelling and the use of 'f' in place of 's' has been
duplicated as accuracy permitted.
He was born in the Township of Edgemont, in Chefter county
Pennfylvania, the 27th of the twelfth month 1707-8, and continued a member
of this monthly-meeting to his end. In the days of his youth he had a
ftrong bias to the diverfions of the times, which when given way to, he
felt the fecret reproofs of divine grace accompanied with great fervency of
fpirit, to witnefs forgivenefs through Chrift Jefus, by the operation f
whofe fpirit, he obtained fo great a victory, that he was (after a feafon
of probation) entrufted with a difpenfation of the gofpel miniftry, in the
exercife of which, his doctrine was fharp againft a ftate of lukewarmnefs
about religion as well as open profanenefs, feafonably inftructive to the
fincere feekers, exhorting them not to be fatesfied fhort of witneffing a
ftate of regeneration. He was often led to fympathize with the afflicted in
fpirit, unto whom his doctrine dropt as the dew, and was by many efteemed a
nurfing father in the meeting to which he belonged he feveral times, with
the concurrence of his friends, vifited the churches in this and the
adjacent governments; was zealoufly concerned that meetings for difcipline
might be maintained in the fame authority wherein they were firft
eftablifhed; and divers times was engaged in vifiting families, for which
weighty fervice he was well qualified. His concern for his children was
great, which at times he expreffed under the power of divine love, adopting
the language of David,l "My children, know ye the God of your fathers and
ferve him with a perfect heart and willing mind; if ye feek him, he will be
found of you, but if ye forfake him, he will caft you off forever."
For feveral years of the latter part of his life, he was afflicted
with weaknefs of body, but not fo as wholly to prevent his attending
meetings, in which he was at times, powerfully drawn forth in teftimony,
and publicly expreffed at Middletown a few weeks before his confinement, an
apprehenfion that his work waf nearly over. He was confined at home near
three months, in which time he was vifited by many friends, often had
refrefhing opportunities in his room; in one of which, (being about a week
after his confinement) he was led to fpeak of the precious effects of
unity; at another time, divers friends being prefent, after fome filence,
he expreffed himfelf on this wife, How many opportunities of this fort I
may yet have is unknown to me; this morning as I lay in bed, meditating on
the things of God, it appeared to me as tho' my time in this world would be
but fhort; earneftly exhorting thofe prefent, to labour that they and their
children might be prepared to meet with death. At feveral times he
fignified, 'He was like one that was waiting for his change,' expreffing
his refignation, and faid, 'Whenever he turned his mind inward he felt
great peace, and that the thoughts of the grave was not terror to him.' he
gradually weakened without much pain, till about two days before his
departure, and continued fenfible to the laft, which was on the 10th day of
the firft month 1780, and on the 13th his body was interr'd in friends
burial-ground at Middletown, attended by a large number of friends and
neighbours; aged near feventy-two, a minifter about 35 years.
Judith also supplied a copy of a testimony of Concord Monthly
Meeting as read and approved by Chester Quarterly Meeting held at Concord
the 14th of the fifth month 1787, concerning the death of Edith Yarnall
Sharples. If space permits, I will include that testimony in next months
newsletter.
?
Now I would like to pass on to you some wonderful research
performed by Margaret Yarnall Martinez, and in a recent letter to Linford
she writes:
...I've been busy with another phase of family history: using
Anglican christening records to compare variations of YARNALL surname
spellings with their distribution in English Counties (Shires). Church of
England christening records begin in 1539 (when Henry VIII had completed
his takeover of monastic properties, and Parliament's "Act of Supremacy"
had declared him to be the supreme head of the Church of England). At my
local LDS Family History Center I printed out a list of Yarnall's (in all
variant spellings of the surname) who were christened in Church of England
parishes in the period from 1539 through 1699: 225 records of YARNALL
christenings, with infant's name, date, and names of parent (s), parish,
and county. Some conclusions:
- Of the twenty two variant forms of the surname, four names
account for over 3/4 of all christenings: YARNOLD (107), YARNALL (37),
YEARNALL (17), AND YERNALL (14).
- Other variant spellings (1 TO 10 each) Were: Yearnold (10),
Yarnoll (8), Yarnal (7), Yarnald (4), Yarnol and yearnoll (3 each): and
Yarnel, Yarnell, Yarnolde (2 each); Yarneld, Yarnill, Yarnolld, Yarnould,
Yardnold, Yernold, Yernolde, Yearneall, and Yearnolde (1 each).
The 225 christening records were unevenly distributed through 11
counties (Shires) plus the City of London:
Worcester: 173 (77%) Lincoln: 2 Devon: 1
Warwick: 14 Hertford: 1 London: 1
Gloucester: 14 Berks: 1
Hereford: 11 Stafford: 1
Leicester: 5 Bucks: 1
Since Worcestershire parishes account for over three-quarters of
ALL surname variats (173 out of 225), and 81% of the names with YARNALL
spelling (30 out of 37), we concentrated on parish records of this county
and found the following christening records:
Martin Hussingtree: 15
Norton and Lenchwick: 3
Hanbury: 2
All Saints, Evesham with Bengeworth: 2
Himbleton: 2
plus 1 each for: Claines, Fladbury, Crowle, Droitwich-St.,
Andrew, Hill Croome, and Worcester-All Saints.
..........I don't think we should overemphasize the spelling variations; on
the other hand, christening entries in the beautiful Martin Hussingtree
record book (which I saw in Worcester last summer) were uniform for John
Yarnall's family. It depended on who kept the record book, his acquaintance
with local families, etc.--this was long before the days of Noah Webster
and ideas of "correct spelling"!
The most interesting news......sent me recently, the reprint from a
1980 issue of "Genealogist" identifying a "possible English ancestry" for
Francis and Philip Yarnall, fits right in with what I felt was the correct
line but could not prove from the Parish Record Books for Martin
Hussingtree. I have sent for the Bishop's Transcript microfilm to check
through it all. The family of Franciscus and Alicia Yarnall (Yarnold) (with
most of the christening entries in Latin!) fit with the names of John's
younger family: Richard, Francis, Thomas, William. I had even considered
that "Joanna" (b. 1629) might really have been a "Johannus"! (to a
clergyman, wouldn't all babies look much alike?)
The clue to Franciscus' parentage is suggested by the name of one
of his children: "ELINOR, bap. 17 June 1632, bur. 12 July 1636." Who was
she named for? One of the Worcester documents I saw last summer was the
marriage bond for John Yarnall (of Hadzor Parish) and Elinor Gower (of
Droitwich), dated 24 January 1577/78. Their son Francis YARNOLD was
christened in Hadzor Parish 24 May 1593. Hadzor Parish records include
three other children born to John and Elinor: Gower, chr. 17 Oct 1580;
Jane, chr. 11 Aug 1585; another Jane, chr. 26 Feb 1589. This John and
Elinor YARNOLD of Hadzor Parish (near Droitwich) thus seem to be the GREAT
GRAND PARENTS of our immigrant Francis and Philip! We can even go back one
generation further with Elinor Gower: an early entry in the Hadzor Parish
Book records the christening in 1555 of Elinor, daughter of Richard Gower
and his wife Margaret, who would be the GREA-GREAT GRANDPARENTS of our
Francis and Philip!
Thank you Margaret! That was a great example of some of the work
you (and others) are doing in the search for our roots - your efforts are
much appreciated. Perhaps as you have suggested, our English cousin Mrs.
Lorna York could dig around for any revealing clues to these Yarnall's of
Hadzor.
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As you may all know, one or both Philip and Francis came to America
from England aboard the English Ship named 'Comfort' in 1683. We are still
trying to put to rest who traveled on the Comfort, and if they did not
travel together, then when each arrived in this country. Now, while we have
no document of the trip taken by either Philip or Francis at this time,
Linford Yarnall has uncovered the following passage that could very well
have been expressed by our ancestors.
History of Chester, Pennsylvania
with Genealogical Sketches of Some Old Families
by John Hill Martin, Esq. Philadelphia 1877
page #500
I sailed from without ye Capes of Cheseopeak bay in Maryland for England in
the Ship Called the 'Comfort' of Bristoll, Thomas Whitop master. On or
about ye 20th day of March 1682, I arrived in Kingroad. On ye 25th day of
July in ye year 1683, I set saile from Kingroad in ye 'Comfort', John Reed
master, and arrived at Vpland in Pennsilvania ye 28th of September 1683.
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Now for an article from an unexpected source- my daughter Cathy
Lynn Yarnall Flade.
Dear Friend:
How are you? I just had to send a note to tell you how much I love
you and care about you.
I saw you yesterday as you were talking with your friends. I waited
all day, hoping you would want to talk with Me also. As evening drew near,
I gave you a sunset to close your day and a cool breeze to rest you--and I
waited. You never came. Oh, yes, it hurts Me--but I still love you because
I am your Friend. I saw you fall asleep last night and longed to touch your
brow, so I spilled moonlight upon your pillow and face. Again I waited,
wanting to rush down so we could talk. I have so many gifts for you! You
awakened late and rushed off to work. My tears were in the rain.
Today you looked so sad--so all alone. It makes My heart ache
because I understand. My friends let Me down and hurt Me many times, too,
but I love you.
Oh, if you would only listen to Me. I love you! I try to tell you
in the blue sky and in the quiet green grass. I whisper it in the leaves on
the trees and breathe it in the colors of flowers. I shout it to you in
mountain streams and give the birds love songs to sing. I clothe you with
warm sunshine and perfume the air with nature scents. My love for you is
deeper than the ocean and bigger than the biggest want or need in your
head. Oh, if you only knew how much I want to walk and talk with you. We
could spend an eternity together in heaven.
I know how hard it is on this earth; I really know! And I want to
help you. I want you to meet My Father. He wants to help you, too. My
Father is that way, you know.
Just call Me--ask Me--talk with Me! Oh, please don't forget Me. I
have so much to share with you!
All right, I won't bother you any further. You are free to choose
Me. It's your decision. I have chosen you, and because of this I will
wait--because I love you!
Your Friend,
Jesus
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On the birthday front, I have finally managed to update the list -
that is, up to the pile of mail I have to sift through. Please let me know
if your birthday should be on the list and it has not been included. I have
been very concerned how I was going to be able to present the birthdays
because of the amount of information. It would take half the newsletter to
produce the present and past birthdays for one month. As it is, it will
take both sides of a single sheet to produce all the names of living
relatives for one month. As far as presenting the entire birthday list, I
would think the only place that will be possible is on the internet, and at
our family picnic on JULY 11, 1998. Again, please lit me know if you find
any errors in the list.
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Well, the graphic above seems to be the sign of our times, a police
officer with a warrant. These past couple of weeks have been horrible for
the shootings and robberies across the city of Philadelphia, as well as the
rest of the nation. Just up the street from me the owner of the small
grocery was held up at gunpoint by a masked white youth. My son has had a
gun held to his head as the store that he manages was robbed. Have we
noticed what is happening around us or are we becoming anesthetized - like
the frog in the pot. I watched in horror as an eleven or twelve year old
homeless and parentless youth on the streets told of his life. A life of
drugs and violence. One in which his 30+ year old street dad, or mentor, or
protector, provided some shelter for him under the porch of an abandoned
house, and felt that a little pot was acceptable for the youth to smoke.
And as the horror of this living condition in the richest country on the
earth began to sink in, only to hear that this youth is one of 250,000
youths that are wandering the streets of this nation - outcasts, alone,
hopeless and forlorn. WHY? This is America! What is happening. I'm not
suggesting another give-away program, we already have too many of those,
and it is obvious that it does not work. I look at the Stock Market that
has been experiencing a bull market for an extended period of time. Stocks
with P/E ratios in the hundreds to one. Earnings per share of seven cents
for a stock that sells for $40.00 per share and again I wonder what is
happening to this country. If some unexpected bad news happens, there will
be more than the kids that are homeless. What in the world is happening. I
watched a teenager make a stilted explanation of...of... - of what,
seemingly not regret, having delivered her newborn and stuffed it into a
gym bag where it died. In the meantime, two other teens are being tried for
murder of their newborn. Why have we allowed such brazen, open violent
conditions to take over our cities. Is it because the courts and legal
systems have made it impossible for us to defend ourselves? I remember when
I was a youth (yes, I have a very long memory), if you got out of line, a
neighbor would have you by the ear and march you to your parents - then the
real fun began. Today, if you would dare to take a neighborhood kid by the
ear, a cop would have you in cuffs and two lawyers would be figuring out
how they were going to split up the majority of your worth. Then the sweet
abused neighborhood youth and his friends would begin their torment - of
you. What is happening to us here in America? Are we loosing sight of the
goal? Do we even know what the goal is? Lets hear what Senator Jesse Helms
has to say in "A Nation Adrift" that was published by "The Arthur S. DeMoss
Foundation" in The Rebirth of America.
"In the brief history of our own country since we gained our
independence, we can look back upon a tremendous heritage of political
freedom founded upon a biblical faith and a biblical understanding of the
nature of man. Moreover, we can look back upon the material signs of God's
blessing in a fruitful and bounteous country, with success in almost every
enterprise in war and peace. But within my own lifetime, I have seen the
most ferocious assaults on Christian faith and morals; first on the part of
the intellectual community, and then on the part of the government.
Especially in the last 25 years, the federal government has not even tried
to conceal its hostility to religion; now, with many of our churches in
disarray, the attack is being prepared against the family as the last
bastion opposing the totalitarian state. Militant atheists and socialists
have gone very far in imposing their view of life and man on almost every
American institution. And what have we reaped as a nation from our many
personal and collective delinquencies? Atheistic schools, rampaging crimes,
God-forsaken homes, drugs, abortion, pornography, permissiveness, a sense
of cynicism, and spiritual desolation absolutely unprecedented in our
country's history. The Israelites in their time also opted for the 'New
Morality.' They were as enthusiastic as many of our contemporary thinkers
about situation ethics, for we read 'In those days, there was no king in
Israel; but every man did what was right in his own eyes' (Judges 17:6)
It is debatable at just what point the United States began to drift
away from its Christian heritage. But I think we reached that point when
many Americans turned away from the idea of salvation through Christ to
that of salvation through technology or science or material affluence or
the welfare state. When all these turned out to be dead ends, Americans
began to seek escape, and the purveyors of drugs and pornography and
vicarious violence were there to meet the need. Human nature left to its
own devices has always been a wretched failure at explaining the meaning
and destiny of life. I have often meditated upon why God chose the time and
place He did for His Son to be born into the world. In the long preparation
for the coming of Christ, the world had seen the tremendous achievements of
many civilizations. But neither the intellectual brilliance of the Greeks;
or the sober morals of the ancient Roman's; nor the technological and
organizational genius of the later Roman's were enough to still the
discontent of human hearts. God chose an obscure outpost of a decadent
empire as the birthplace of His Son, and upon all the debris of human pride
and presumption there came forth the anointed Saviour. From that day to
this there has been only one Light of the World, one Hope of Mankind. All
through His earthly life, this Person took pains to point out that He was
not in any way a political messiah. Quite the reverse holds true in
Washington today, where many politicians and many factions contend
relentlessly for the honor of being the very political messiah who will
solve all our problems if only we give them more money and more power.
By and large, our people link in the wrong direction for their
deliverance. As Christians we need to work with missionary zeal to
reinstate the rule of Christ in our sadly demoralized country. As the
Israelites learned time and again from the last of their enemies, it was
only by repentance and submission to the God of their Fathers that they
could survive and prosper. I pray every day for a rebirth of the spiritual
values that made us a nation in the first place. If the Spirit of God were
to rouse 200 million Americans to action, there is no describing the
greatness and glory in store for this country, or the blessings forthcoming
to nations now held captive if and when, once again, the United States
rededicates itself to the cause of freedom under God's Law.
Much love,
Fred
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