Wednesday, March 28, 2012

C.S. Lewis --> 10 Fun Facts!

We all know C.S. Lewis from his famous Chronicles of Narnia books, with his ability to depict Aslan as Jesus the Christ so perfectly. A Christian man, who was once an atheist has always been intriguing to me, and not just for his talented writing, but for his love toward Christ in his writing. He was one of the boldest men of his time when it came to speaking about his Christian beliefs. His Legacy is our gift.
Thank you Clive!

10 fun facts about C.S. Lewis:

  1. C.S. Lewis stands for Clive Staples Lewis.

  2. Born: 29 November 1898 in Belfast Ireland.

  3. When he was 4, he announces his new name to be "Jacksie" after his dog who had recently died. Friends and family called him "Jacksie" and "Jack" for most of his life.

  4. At the Age of 15 Lewis gave up his childhood Christian faith and became an atheist.

  5. In 1917 he left his studies to serve in the WWI British Army.

  6. Lewis converts to Christianity in 1931, (age 33).

  7. Occupation: Novelist, scholar, broadcaster.

  8. Married only once, at the age of 58, to Joy Davidman on April 1956, she dies 4 years later.

  9. He never had any children of his own, but raised his two step sons after Joy's death.

  10. In Oxford, England On 22 November 1963, exactly one week before his 65th birthday, Lewis collapsed in his bedroom at 5:30 pm and died a few minutes later. His death was almost completely overshadowed by news of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which occurred on the same day, as did the death of Aldous Huxley.
C.S. Lewis Bibliography >>

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Temple Facts Challenge -BY CHAD E. PHARES

"One thing have I desired of the Lord…that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple." - Psalms 27:4

For My Sunday Message, I thought it would be a fun idea to have a Temple facts challenge. This challenge can also be found on the LDS.org site. The picture above is my daughter's 8 year old baptism picture that was taken at her favorite temple: the Salt Lake City Temple. Which temple is your favorite?

Even if you are not able to visit all of the temples, you can still learn about them. Answer these questions to see if you know some of the interesting facts that make each temple unique. You can also visit lds.org/temples to find information about these temples. Find the answers below.
1. Although ground was broken to build this temple in February 1853, it was not completed until April 1893, 40 years later.
  • A. Salt Lake Temple
  • B. Nauvoo Illinois Temple
  • C. London England Temple
  • D. São Paulo Brazil Temple
2. This temple was destroyed in 1848 after early members of the Church were forced to leave, but it was rebuilt and rededicated in 2002.
  • A. St. George Utah Temple
  • B. Nauvoo Illinois Temple
  • C. Ciudad Juárez México Temple
  • D. Bern Switzerland Temple
3. Most of the temples have a tower or spire, but there are a few that don’t. Name one of these temples.
  • A. Tokyo Japan Temple 
  • B. Laie Hawaii Temple
  • C. Boise Idaho Temple
  • D. Orlando Florida Temple
4. Which was the first temple constructed outside of the United States?
  • A. Bern Switzerland Temple
  • B. Apia Samoa Temple
  • C. Stockholm Sweden Temple
  • D. Cardston Alberta Temple
5. This temple is located on the top three floors of a building that includes a mission office and a meetinghouse on its lower levels.
  • A. Hong Kong China Temple
  • B. Seattle Washington Temple 
  • C. Dallas Texas Temple
  • D. Helsinki Finland Temple
6. This temple, which was formerly the Uintah Stake Tabernacle, is one of the few temples that was converted from an existing building.
  • A. Madrid Spain Temple
  • B. Vernal Utah Temple
  • C. Manti Utah Temple
  • D. Anchorage Alaska Temple
7. These two temples were dedicated on the same day—November 14, 1999.
  • A. Halifax Nova Scotia Temple and Regina Saskatchewan Temple
  • B. Guatemala City Guatemala Temple and Columbus Ohio Temple
  • C. Louisville Kentucky Temple and Seoul Korea Temple
  • D. Papeete Tahiti Temple and Fukuoka Japan Temple
8. The upper exterior of this temple includes a sculpted depiction of Christ with His disciples.
  • A. México City México Temple
  • B. Ogden Utah Temple
  • C. Oakland California Temple
  • D. Washington D.C. Temple
Salt Lake Temple © 1992 IRI; Nauvoo Illinois Temple © 2002 IRI; Hawaii Temple, by Craig Dimond, © IRI; Cardston Alberta Temple © 1991 Mel Ebelshauser; Hong Kong Temple, by Craig Dimond, © IRI; Vernal Utah Temple, by John Luke, © IRI; Halifax Nova Scotia Temple © 2002 Robert Thompson; Regina Saskatchewan Temple, by Don Cruickshank, © IRI; Oakland California Temple © IRI
Answers: 1) A, 2) B, 3) B, 4) D, 5) A, 6) B, 7) A, 8) C.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Happy 43rd Anniversary Mitt & Ann Romney!!

Let's all give a "shout out" to Mr. & Mrs. Mitt Romney. Today, March 21, 2012, marks their 43rd anniversary. Their kind of love is precious beyond words. They were High School sweethearts, with the ability to rise above the odds because today, 43 years later, their love story continues. March 21st is a special day for the Romney's for more than one reason, here's why:  
  1. Mitt & Ann's first date was on March 21, 1965
  2. Mitt & Ann married on March 21, 1969
  3. Mitt & Ann's first child was born  on March 21, 1970 
Remarkable! I can see why today is such a special day. Good luck to you and your sweet family in the coming months.

Just like the Romney family, we all have a remarkable story to tell. You might think your story isn't as glamorous as theirs, so you're hesitant to take that first step. Get passed this hurdle because YOU deserve to be preserved.   Start your genealogy today! 

Saturday, March 17, 2012

St. Patrick's Day Honors St. Patrick - 10 Fun Facts (Christian, Kidnapped, Ireland, Trinity, Downspatrick)

  1. St. Patrick was born in Roman Britain in the fourth century, into a wealthy Romano-British family.

  2. His father and grandfather were deacons in the Christian church.

  3. At the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken captive to Ireland as a slave.

  4. He was told by God in a dream to flee from captivity to the coast, where he would board a ship and return to Britain.

  5. Upon returning, he quickly joined the Church in Auxerre in Gaul and studied to be a priest.

  6. In 432, he again said that he was called back to Ireland, though as a bishop, to Christianise the Irish from their native polytheism.

  7. He used a shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity (God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit were three parts of the same divinity) to the Irish people.

  8. After nearly thirty years of evangelism, he died on 17 March 461.

  9. According to tradition, he was buried at Downpatrick.

  10. Although there were other more successful missions to Ireland from Rome, Patrick endured as the principal champion of Irish Christianity and is held in esteem in the Irish church.
St. Patrick depicted in a stained glass
window at St. Benin's Church, Ireland.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Numbers mean EVERYTHING!! 13-13-13

Numbers represent time, age, location, temperature, distance, weight and so much more. As I began my family history, I was astonished at how often certain correlate with our life history.
Here's what I mean:

My Grandpa William Emry Burnes, US Soldier, lucky number was 13, died on March 13, 1956
My Brother William Aaron Burnes, US Soldier, came from a family of 13, died on March 13, 2006 
Both were named William Burnes, Both were US Soldiers, Both were the oldest sibling. Both died on March 13th, exactly 50 years apart. Coincidence? I don't think so.

When I was very young, I loved the number 7. When I played sports and especially soccer, my number was 7.  It wasn't until I started doing genealogy that I pieced my own life of numbers together. My lucky number was always 7, and I was the 7th child born to my parents.

If we all take a look at our own timeline, we will be amazed at how often certain numbers correlate with our life history. Since this discovery, my mind has given more attention to the fact that numbers mean everything.

As you can see, today is March 13, 2012, and I am honoring these two amazing men by telling their story on their special day. To read more about these men, click on the image below. 

Sunday, March 04, 2012

Looking Through Windows - Judge Not!!

"We should be careful about judging others, as we may be looking through our own “unclean windows.”

I love this video, check it out!!

Thursday, March 01, 2012

Share your Genealogy!!

Sharing your genealogy, is one of my most important rules. It not only gives your family members the knowledge of your heritage, but it defines who we are as individuals. Start researching the internet, call up mom or grandma for info, (sorry guys, women really do have a better memory when it comes to remembering important dates), and start collecting pictures. Everyone has a starting point, so keep it simple, keep it growing, and send it off for the next family birthday.


My Top 7 websites for Genealogical Research:
  1. www.ancestry.com
  2. www.familysearch.org & www.new.familysearch.org (LDS)
  3. www.usgenweb.org
  4. www.archives.com
  5. www.findagrave.com
  6. www.google.com
  7. www.rootsweb.com