✝ Daily Encouragement (3/20/25) "Generations Come And Go"
Published: Thu, 03/20/25
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(Click refresh or reload for current message) Thursday, March 20, 2025
Stephen's
cousins
gathered for
his Mom's
burial service
in 2006 at the
little
Methodist
Church (now
closed) that
she attended
as a child.
Dub is wearing
the sweater
and peach
colored shirt.
"Generations Come And Go" Note:
Today's
message will
have some
exposition but
we hope it
causes some
personal
reminiscing
and
thankfulness. Message
summary: Today
I encourage
you to examine
both your
roots and your
destination.
It's plainly
apparent, "generations
come and
generations
go" and
there is "a
time to be
born and a
time to die".
You have come
and you are
most certainly
going.
According to
James 4:14 we
are a mist
that appears
for a little
while and then
vanishes. The
vital question
for each of us
is, “Where am
I going and
have I
properly
prepared for
my eternal
future?”
Listen to our message on your audio player. “Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever” (Ecclesiastes 1:4). “A time to be born and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:2).
Today
let us
consider our
cousins.
Depending on
the size of
our families
we may have a
lot or some
have none,
such as if
each parent
was an only
child. In our
area we have
many "Plain"
people who
have large
families and
thus many,
many cousins.
Yesterday
Brooksyne
spoke to a
neighbor who
shared that
her sister had
just lost a
newborn baby,
the ninth
child and only
boy which they
had been
hoping and
praying for.
Certainly
there is much
heartache in
that family so
the parents
and siblings
are gathering
with one
another today
to offer
consolation
and support.
My
grandparents
on Mom's side
had nine
children,
although two
died in their
youth. These
two were
always
considered
part of the
family and
their loss was
felt. The
seven who
lived to
adulthood, one
boy and six
girls, went on
to have
sixteen
children, my
cousins on the
Steincross
side. Our
connection is
being the
grandchildren
of George
Washington and
Nellie May
Steincross,
who lived in
the tiny
village of
Harwood,
Missouri
(population of
45 in 2019 but
probably less
now). They
died in the
early
seventies. My
Uncle Gentry,
Mom's only
brother, saw
to it the
family would
stay together
and in 1975 we
had our first
reunion after
our
grandparents'
death. We meet
every year and
this year it
will be in
Wisconsin, the
50th
anniversary. One by one Uncle Gentry and his six younger sisters: Anita Ruth, Hazel, Tempy, Zola, Georgia Mae (my mom), and Frances died who was the youngest about 15 years ago. But the cousins keep the reunion going, no longer the little children playing on the farm but now all seniors, my oldest living cousin Anna Lee is in her 90's and we received a card from her yesterday! The penmanship is difficult to decipher but how special it was to know that she would make the effort to reach out to us, but she's always been that kind of cousin (Brooksyne says she's sweet because she lived in Tulsa most of her adult years, as most know that's where Brooksyne was raised). But four from our generation have gone on, the most recent is Gentry's only son, George (whom the family affectionately called "Dub"), who died last Friday. Ester and I are going out to Kansas City for his service as through the years she has been close to the family attending many reunions with us. And Dub was especially kind to her. Dub and his
wife Joy who
were married
62 years. They
both are very
kind and
gifted people.
In
one sense a
generation is
all of the
people born
and living at
about the same
time, regarded
collectively.
In this regard
my generation
is considered
"the boomer
generation"
while Ester is
a millennial. In the Bible "generation" usually is referring to the family such as the first reference in Scripture, "These are the generations of Noah" (Genesis 6:9). But it can also apply in a broader sense such as in Christ's teaching on the end-times, "Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place" (Matthew 24:34). Generations
are a reminder
of how
temporary life
really is, how
fast it
passes, and
the need to
focus on that
which really
matters.
Brooksyne’s
and my parents
have both gone
to be with the
Lord so our
generation is
next. At the
death of a
parent(s) you
take a long
hard look at
your own
physical
mortality head
on. Be encouraged today! Hebrews 3:13
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
(See Ecclesiastes 3)
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"He
May Not Come
When You Want
Him"
Watch
on YouTube
Providence
Baptist Church
Choir
(Jeff, a
friend from
North Carolina
suggested this
song in light
of the theme
yesterday, "Understanding
God's
'Slowness'")
Any reader
have a
suggested song
to go with
today's
message?
I
picked up
Dorothy
(Dottie) in
Lancaster at
Trillium Place
(formerly
Calvary Homes)
and took her
shopping at
our local
Mount Joy
& Thrift
where I
volunteer once
a week. She
found some
nice
spring/summer
blouses for
and she had
fun checking
out our new
and improved
location.
Dottie very
rarely gets
out so she
thoroughly
enjoyed
herself. We
then went to
the Annie and
Chris' farm
(see below) to
pick up eggs
and convey a
message to
Annie as their
phone is in
the barn so
making contact
is easier in
person.
Afterwards we
headed to
Goodwill to
say hi to
Ester. She
greeted Dottie
with "Hi
Grandma" as
she is much
like a
grandmother to
Ester since
we've known
Dottie and her
husband Jim
for about 25
years now
meeting them
at a
conference in
Boston.
![]()
Children's
Clothesline
Brooksyne's
Note:
Growing up in
the country in
West Tulsa we
children
learned to
work hard, not
much different
than that of
the Amish
community here
in Lancaster,
PA. Mom had a
ringer washer
when I was
very young,
but eventually
stepped up to
a washing
machine. We
never had a
dryer like the
"rich folks"
but we did
have a long
clothes line
with 3 or 4
wires strung
from pole to
pole. One
thing we small
children
didn't have to
do is hang out
the clothes or
bring them in
since we
weren't tall
enough to
reach the
line. We
helped fold
the clothes
and as we got
older we later
ironed the big
load of
clothing Mom
first starched
on the bed and
let it soak in
for the day. I
visited Chris
and Annie
yesterday and
purchased a
couple dozen
brown eggs.
They have a
nice farm and
have been our
neighbors for
probably 16
years. This is
the second
time I've
visited when
the low
hanging
clothesline is
filled with
clothing and I
said, "Annie,
you don't mind
if I take a
photo, do
you?" She
shook her head
with a big
smile knowing
that I get a
kick out of
the children's
clothesline.
They have nine
children with
the oldest
being 16. It's
a good thing
they don't
have goats
grazing in the
yard as the
clothes would
be the first
thing the
goats would
chew!
No
excuses for
the little
ones in this
family as Mom
and Dad simply
drop the line
low enough for
the young ones
to reach. The
grown up
clothesline
goes way up in
the air as it
is attached to
a pulley that
crosses the
wire from the
barn all the
way to the
house. Rarely
do you see an
Amish
clothesline
empty in these
parts since
families often
number 9 or
more. One
thing I have
observed among
our Amish
friends is
that the
children
really enjoy
getting big
enough to work
with their
siblings or
parents -
gardening,
clothes-hanging,
helping
prepare the
meal, washing
and drying
dishes,
feeding the
animals, etc.
Of course I
know there are
exceptions,
but the work
ethic is truly
admirable and
it starts at a
very early
age.
In
the photo
above you can
see my car
parked in the
drive and
Dottie is
patiently
waiting for me
all the while
observing the
restored farm
house,
animals,
chickens, and
the precious
children.
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Personal
Mission
Statement:
"I am created
by God to
bring Him
glory. Through
God's Son
Jesus Christ I
have been
redeemed and
make it my
life's goal to
please the
Lord. My
mission in
life is to
honor God
through my
faith and
obedience and
prepare myself
and all whom I
may influence
for eternity."
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