Like a Rooster: Herald of the Holy Light

 

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.

—Colossians 4:3-4 (emphasis mine)

In June I researched my birth surname, St. Clair, and came across historical information about the Sinclair/St. Clair clan, thought to have its origins in Normandy, France (clansinclairusa.org). I discovered a rooster on the family crest, which gave me pause. Why a rooster? A boisterous barnyard critter, not typically a bird of high esteem. Why not the majestic eagle or even a wise ole owl?

Have You Been Added to the Family Tree?

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!

—1 John 3:1

My cousin and I are co-chairing a long-overdue family reunion for our mothers’ side of the family.

I assumed the responsibility of creating the family tree and am taking advantage of a free trial period with Ancestry.com. I’ve been busy plugging in names, birthdates, and places of birth and am amazed at how the tree is taking shape. I’m especially delighted whenever a green leaf appears on my screen, which means the database has an ancestry hint for me. It could be a documented record of birth or a census record indicating a place of residence. I consider each hint to determine if it’s applicable and decide if I want to add it to the family tree.