500 Weeks Later

         In the summer of 2013, I visited with some cousins at the Gates Family reunion. I discovered some family stories that Dad enjoyed telling were unknown to several younger family members. I promised I would try to share some of those family stories online.

        I had no idea how to share this time-honored family lore. I had heard the term blog bantered around but had no concept of what it really was. Through searching on the internet, I found myself on various informational sites that became a crash course on creating a blog post. 

        Discussions with my sister and Mother, as we cared for Dad following his first stroke, helped me develop my purpose for blog postings. I prioritized them as my faith, my family, and finally, the farm. I wanted people to be strengthened in their faith in Jesus. Of course, the original impetus for the whole blog idea was sharing family stories. As I stepped into the day-to-day care of the cattle in 2012, I realized how many life lessons farm work taught even an adult.

        On the first Sunday of September 2013, I posted the first blog post on September 1. With today's blog posting, I mark the 500th blog post from Faith_Family_Farm. The graphic below depicts a few nonscientific gleanings from the last three years and seven months of blog postings. 

         

Interestingly, C.S. Lewis's entire series, The Chronicles of Narnia have
345, 535 words. Little blog posts add up. 

             Many readers have given positive comments after reading a blog post or two. Some have been committed to reading each blog post published. I have appreciated each posted or verbal comment made. 

              

              My responsibilities have increased since I began writing weekly blog posts in the fall of 2013. I enjoy writing and crafting the blog posts. I hope to continue publishing it weekly; however, remember at anytime you can go to the site, search with a keyword for favorite blog posts, and read the choice stories as frequently as you wish.

               I hope one result might come from reading family stories, lessons learned from daily experiences, and ways God has worked. That result would be readers choosing to write their own family stories, jot down lessons learned, and above all, at least telling younger family members of how God has worked in your individual life and that of your family,

This will be written for the generation to come, that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord. Psalm 102:18

Thanks to each of you who have read the Faith_Family_Farm blog posts over the last 500 weeks!