Tag Archives: ancestors

Happy Thanksgiving!

There  has been much conversation about when and why our ancestors came to this county. Some insist that many of  them came for the land for the possible wealth of this country.  This may very well be correct. As we all know there are those that came to this country for religious freedom. Some of these had to learn tolerance and others that gave it freely. There was a smaller group yet, that arrived on these shores as punishment, who in time gained their freedom.

What strikes me about both groups they came here for FREEDOM, whether it was freedom to better their life with good land and hard work or the FREEDOM to worship as they pleased  and in many cases for both freedoms.

I give thanks for these ancestors, for whatever reason that the embarked on a long hard voyage across a  large and not always peaceful body of water, to seek their freedom so that their descendants would also enjoy such freedoms.

My fondest prayer, is that we open up our eyes and see that our freedoms are being slowly taken away in the name of progress. In the hopes that government will cure-all our ills. I truly don’t believe this is good for our country.

If my people which are called  by my name , shall humble themselves, and pray , and seek my face, and turn from their wicked  ways ; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2Chronicles 7:14

This passage from The Holy Bible is talking to the believer. We should humble ourselves, pray, seek his face and above all turn from our wicked ways? You say wicked ways??? Why would a Christian be or do wicked things? Have they not professed a love and fellowship with God? Yes we have, but in saying that we are yet human. Capable of doing things that please ourselves and not God. I think many reasons that people are seeking for the Government to take care of things to help the poor and all the other ills of our society is that the Church has neglected The Great Commandment To Love God and  to  love thy neighbor. I am thankful I belong to a church that has not forgotten and strives daily to improve on our selves in God’s light and not in our own light. I call believers to remember God’s command to love they neighbor and how are we to love or neighbors… MORE than ourselves. Instead of being self-serving be a servant to others.

Bless yourself by Blessing others! Happy Thanksgiving to each and everyone!

The Cycle of Thanksgiving

 

Questions

I sit here wondering what your life must have been like?
As I try to piece it together with fragments that I have found.
Did you find life hard, did you find life a pleasure?
Were your children a blessing or curse?
Ah the questions I should have asked.

Did your father speak with a brogue?
Did your mother fix wonderful food?
Did your uncles toss you on their knees?
Did your aunts have tea with you?
Did you travel or did you stay?
Ah the question I should have asked.

What was your childhood like?
Did you learn to read? Did you learn to write?
Did you go to Church?
Did you learn to cook?
Did you learn to fish?
Did you ride in a wagon to a new found home?
Or was it a ship that brought you here?
Ah the questions I should have asked.

What were my parents like as children?
Were they serious? Were they clowns?
Were they your pride and joy?
Ah the questions I should have asked.

As I sit here and fill in the past,
My life I must try to encompass,
But there will be things I leave out
There will be things that slip my mind.
So Ask the questions now while my
Memories are fresh and my life is moving along.
Don’t wait for another day.
Do not delay or you’ll look for answers,
That will be shadows of the past
Ah the questions I should have asked.

Julia K. Hogston
July 24, 2003

Bowdoin Family

James Bowdoin II & Elizabeth Bowdoin

James Bowdoin II & his sister Elizabeth. A portrait by Joseph Blackburn.
Circa 1760 Oil on Canvas, 36 7/8 X 58 inches, Bequest of Mrs. Sarah Bowdoing Dearborn.
You may view this at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Brunswick, Maine.

Descendant, bjsgen@aol.com writes: “These are early descendants of
my Huguenot ancestors who left New Rochelle, France. The original
immigrant was Pierre BOWDOIN who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts
in 1686. He went to Casco Bay, Maine where he had a land grant. The
indians were unfriendly, so the family moved to Boston where we find
him in 1690.
His wife’s name was Elizabeth FIXE and they had four known children who
came with them, James, John, Mary & Elizabeth.”

Huguenot Web Sites:
Cyndislist Huguenot

Bowdoin College
Bowden Surname Mailing List
(Topic: the BOWDEN surname and variations
e.g., Baudon, Baudouin, Boden, Boudoin, Bowdoin, Bowdin, Bowdon, Bowdown)
Bowdoin Message Board
If you have questions about this family please write to: bjsgen© March 2004