7-Quick takes

  Join Jen and the other Quicktakers over at the Conversion Diary.

1. After mama died, I joined Ancestry.com. It’s a little pricy but I wanted to feel connected to the past and to my roots. I remember standing at the foot of mom’s bed after she had past and feeling as if those connections had been cut the moment she died and I didn’t want that to happen! Ancestry.com helped me to feel more connected.

2. I have learned some fascinating things! For example, I always thought that my great-grandfather Paul, was Lithuanian. Turns out he was born in Russia and reportedly so was my great-grandmother. So does that mean I am part Russian too? From looking at pictures of my great-grandmother when she was older, I can believe she was Lithuanian, but my great-grandfather does look Russian!

3. On another branch of the family tree, I have a great-great-great-grandmother named Emmeline! I love that name! Ever since I discovered here she has been popping into my thoughts. I always pray for the dead when I start thinking about them, so maybe this was destiny? Maybe Emmeline needs or wanted my prayers?

4. Emmeline’s part of the family tree was definitely Protestant. I always think that since Protestants don’t believe in purgatory and they don’t teach that to their children, it’s kind of a natural consequence that they won’t have anyone to pray for their souls, and maybe that’s why I felt compelled to pray for Emmeline.

5. I talked about that with SLO. SLO spent some time out of the church. She is a revert but she gets the Protestant paradigm better than I do because she lived it. Anyway I was discussing this with her and she said she thinks God has a different deal going with the Protestants. Since they didn’t believe in Purgatory, they don’t go there! She was serious.

I guess that’s kind of like if you didn’t know something was a mortal sin when you did it, you can’t really be held as accountable!

6. Once you know though… (a good explanation of purgatory is here.)

7. Homeschool mothers are exempt from all New Year’s Resolution the first week back to school after the holidays!

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