Hello, God. It's me, Mara.

You know, Lord, S.B. stopped over, wanting to share his birthday, and to chat about his family so - here goes: "One granddaughter worked in probation, another one was a wiz at computers. If our grandparents were alive, he said, wouldn't they be totally amazed at what their off-spring had accomplished as well as be proud of all things they can do? Some cousins have covered numerous occupations: farmers and ranchers north and south; engineers are east and west. One guy, an engineer, J.B., is a fantastic photographer; then a chemical engineer, Gerry, was also a great trombone player; his brother was instrumental in turning city garbage into a heating system, working in the country of Malta, for a time, a long while ago.

"Next of kin: preachers, teachers, nurses, a doctor, singers/vocalists, artists, authors, pilots, soldiers and musicians. Scattered over several states are carpenters, builders, painters, computer experts, you name it they did it! And gals are cooks, homemakers, seamstresses, quilters, knitters, some crochet and some do crafts and scrapbooking. We've skipped some vocations, but about the only careers that haven't touched our family line are shepherds and veterinarians.

"Several kin were older than Mom, so when cousin Wesley began installing crank-type telephones, Mom looked for one. That was ages ago. Mom never got one like that, but she finally got a telephone.

"We're all God's children, led by the spirit - we're family. Aren't we filled with gratitude for the remarkable gifts and talents given to us by You, Lord? Read and believe Romans 12:4-5: "Just as there are many parts to our bodies, so it is with Christ's body. We are all parts of it, and it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we each have different work to do. So, we belong to each other and each one needs all the others."

Thank You, Lord for variety in families.

Love, Mara