Bob's Psalm

 

Ancestors

They speak to us through wills,

And birth certificates, journals

And marriage licenses,

To tell us what they did and how they lived,

Of how they fought in wars and revolutions,

Or stayed at home and raised

Their crops of corn and children

 

As we search and find the documents

That tell of great events and small,

Our eyes of love clothe these words

On dry and dusty paper with living flesh.

On imagination’s stage they dart about

With the burning energy of youth,

Or limp along on tired legs

Of pioneers who near their journey’s end.

 

I knew you not, but now I know you.

Your blood is mine, your struggles gave me life.

Had you not been, I would not be.

And as I resurrect the past

Through microfilm, CD and book,

I only pray that some day one will say

Of me, I knew him not, but I am proud

To have his genes within, making me

A little bit like him.

 2005 Robert E. Field

 

RootsTech2026: What I've learned today about Empathy

Is it DNA or Random Family Traits,

Culture or Circumstances?

Marlee Matlin has really got me thinking.

Now I am going to read census records with empathy.

I told a friend who is doing a one -place study

to be sure to extract that sanitorium/hospital.

But did I look for those gaps...

The silence in the records?

I've always tried to find the missing children

when there was a gap.

But Intentional Inclusion has opened my eyes.

What exactly did my family pass on 

from generation to generation that was

kept in SILENCE?

RootsTech2026: "Together" Part of a Team Effort

What's New on FamilySearch

 

I never considered myself to be an archivist,

but I am a record custodian in this

Soccer team Parable.

I'm not a professional historian,

but I am a memory keeper.

In 2010 I was a Census worker,

and Boy, have I taken photographs!

A digitizer, I'm not.

I've been a friend to Industry friends,

and my friends think I'm a genealogist.

Today at the "What's new at FamilySearch"

I learned that my old family letters,

my journals, all those photographs 

that I am custodian for,

From my mom and dad, now gone;

and my husbands mom and dad;

Add MY photos of life in California,

Tennessee, Arkansas, Kwajelein,

Guadalajara, Mexico and now at home

in Tucson, Arizona

What do I have: Stewardship over a 

massive collection hidden from view!

Today I learned that by sharing these

on FamilySeach I'll be forming a worldwide

collaboration with descendants of 

Generations past, users today and

Future generations to come.

And guess what?

The Era of Artificial Intelligence has

joined the team!

Now I REALLY have to run to keep up

With Technology, and New changes.

My normal research and documentation

procedures and worksheets will look

different. Am I up to This?

Yes, to guided merge integrity

Yes, to patron's interface with AI

Yes, to full AI text translation

Yes, to Collaborations with relatives

There is more coming from Labs to

excite and help this team effort,

Yes, we can do it

TOGETHER.

  

Relatives at RootsTech 2026 now open

Relatives at RootsTech 2026 now open: Expert genealogy research tips, technology updates, and historical insights from a veteran researcher and industry consultant.

Many LDS Women Share the Gift of Writing Psalms

 God inspired me to write Psalms.

He asked my friend Sharon to write, too.

We come from a long line of LDS women

who write about their relationship with

Jesus Christ and His gospel.

They share with their friends but also

with the world.

Here is a quote written on a wooden plaque

found on a tree at Adam-Ondi-Ahman:

Eliza R. Snow

1804 - 1887

I will go forward...

I will smile at the rage of the tempest,

And ride fearlessly and triumphantly

Across the boisterous ocean of circumstance...

And 'the Testimony of Jesus' will light the lamp

that will guide my vision through the portals

Of immortality, and communicate my

Understanding the glories of the Celestial Kingdom.

 

ROOTSTECH2026

 

RootsTech 2026, March 5-7, offers something for everyone, from introductory sessions for those new to family history, to advanced workshops for experienced genealogists, as well as inspiring keynote addresses by renowned artists, athletes, and speakers. It also brings together leading genealogy companies and service providers. Register today at RootsTech.org to take the next step in your family history discovery journey.  Keynote speakers include National Football League Hall of Famer and Super Bowl MVP Steve Young; Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin; and Irish dance sensations Michael and Matthew Gardiner (check them out on You Tube). 

Bev’s Psalm 8 : A Bee’s Eye View

 

An eternal perspective hovers

outside at the edge of my thoughts.

Clear at times, but cloudy most days.

What do they say?

Partly cloudy with a twenty percent chance of rain?

Rise above the clouds and it’s sunshine.

Into each life a little rain must fall.

Clouds are necessary for rain.

Why rain, God?

“Well, my little Bee,

there would be no flowers for you to pollinate.”

God’s eternal overview of our lives

Is how miracles occur.

Going from flower to flower, gathering nectar,

And passing little particles of pollen

To germinate long after you are gone

And blossoms become mature fruit

And the bee goes happily along in the sunshine,

Blissfully unaware of the miracle

She’s created, savoring the joy of delicious nectar

And her end result, sweet drops of honey.

BEE is not always aware how her actions

Affect others.

Every once in a while, retrospectively,

A blind bump throws another off course.

Then, surprise! They share a piece of gratitude

Showing appreciation for the BEE.

That’s the sweet drop of honey that

Like Dew, drops from heaven

Into an otherwise lonely life.