3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
Ephesians 1:3-4. ESV
It has been four years since my last post! It is easy to say that time and life just got away from me and try to use that an an excuse. But there are no excuses to make up for poor manners so I apologize for being out of touch and yes, life just got very busy and full of changes and blogging and social media were not always the methods of reflection and sharing we wanted. (I say we because The Lord still is with me and I TRY to listen to His wisdom but when I don't, He has me covered!)
I wanted to communicate once again in this new season of my life and thought to develop a new blog with a new title, etc. My sweet daughter-in-law has always encouraged me and said I should just continue as it was all done well, just ended too soon! I looked to my introduction posting and yes indeed, all of it is still true! So, same title, same person, a few changes, but it's still me, Jeannee Marker, Jesus is My Savior, My Redeemer, My King, My Healer, My Teacher, My Comforter, and my BFF (Best Friend Forever) and he lives in me. I strive to walk my life daily in His Light therefore, this blog will continue to reflect that as I share my daily life events and meditations.
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I have been very interested and busy doing some genealogical background searches these past three years or so. There is a lot of wonderful information that the Lord has shown me about who I am and where I fit in this world. I am wanting to share more about that in the future and I probably will. Right now I bring it up because I do see patterns in my family emerging into the big picture in what I have found so far. This kind of interest in ancestors is probably more interesting to those of us getting older and reflecting on our lives and relationships. I think the experiences of life and relationships gives us more connection to those of past generations. It just is more interesting because we can make those connections to our own experiences. I had a grandfather who was an ordained pastor of a small pentecostal organization in Los Angeles, but who had been raised since birth by Baptist parents, very strongly committed and devout Baptist family. To this day, that large family remains strongly Baptist and Christian. Grandpa was born in 1901. My grandfather Milton Bustamante accepted Jesus as a young boy and by age 12 he was already teaching Sunday School. In his very early adulthood he became baptized in the Holy Spirit and then became a member of the Assemblies of God, which according to wikipedia, originated from the Pentecostal revival of the early 20th century. This revival led to the founding of the Assemblies of God in the United States in 1914. Grandpa was more of an itinerant preacher, although he did pastor a church in Hawthorne for a few years. Probably more of the Assistant Pastor, but to me he was The Pastor! Milton is my maternal grandfather.
On the paternal side I also had an uncle who pastored a church in Los Angeles for many, many years. Another uncle was not a pastor but spent countless hours working for his church and doing things, giving time and funds to orphanages in Mexico and never failed to talking to anyone about Jesus.
Well I share this because I do come three generations before me of Christian leaders. According to one single line on my maternal great grandmother's side came some of the original founders of the New Mexico, many named and known colonizers and captains sent to the colonize New Spain, and descendants leading back to Iberian Peninsula Royal Thrones, as well as French, Italian and British nobility. I'm back to the Crusades of the 900's now and wondering what else I might find.
My DNA shows no traces of Jewish bloodlines for me, however, many of my cousins (today) who have done this show traces of Jewish DNA. Obviously I am a real Gentile since some of my ancestors appear to have lived in Jerusalem for about four generations and yet I have to traces. Well, that was almost 1100 years ago so I may have just skipped those traces. My sister and I have, without a doubt, the same parents and therefore almost the exact DNA, but not quite. We got our own collection from all the DNA available in our genealogy, but not identical! That is one of the many ways we know that God makes us unique and special.
Every individual one of those ancestors had a role to play in the history of our world. He or she was given a role for the time and place in which they lived. Whether they liked or wanted that role, whether they chose it or simply were obedient to the calling they were given, they lived it. I see then that I too have been given a calling for my time. It is not the same as my grandfather's calling, because I serve God in a different time and place. These past four years have now moved me into a new season with new adventures and work to do for my Lord and Savior. I am no longer a young woman, but still have many very useful years left. Until my dying breath, I will continue to love and serve my Lord and develop the close intimacy he so desires us to have.
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| Archbishop Taylor and Rev. Bertha Jean Rodriguez Marker |
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| Glen Sturdivan, my good friend and Brother in Christ was also ordained that day! |
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| Here we are with my son Daniel and Daughter Sara. |
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| This photo was from dinner the night before, but my sister Delilah and JR Ball came for the ceremony as well. |
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| My treasures, Ella, Rachel and Sammy Marker with their Grandma Jeannee. |
On December 12, 2015, I ordained a Priest in the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, by The Most Rev. Bruce W. Taylor, Archbishop and Primate of The Anglo-Catholic Fellowship. And what do you think, my Apostolic Succession can be traced back to to St Peter. Another lineage to be inspired by in this season. As you can see from the photos, it was a very special occasion and my most loved ones were there and small family were there!
In this new season of my life I have answered a new calling. I did move to the Merced, CA area to be closer to my grandchildren. Grand motherhood is a calling! I am an adjunct instructor for Fresno Pacific University, my Alma mater, where I teach a Teacher Education methods class in English Language Learner Instruction.. That is a calling I have had for a long time lived out in a formal way. I have lots of friends and live in a senior community now, where I have bible studies and listen to many who call on me for comfort, counsel and prayer and healing prayers. Add to that traveling to join with my Anglo-Catholic Fellowship group, in Oxnard and Lemoore, and visiting churches and having some at home prayer and worship services, and you can see the new calling is underway. I love walking in God's light and just listening and living as he leads me. It is always an adventure, full of love and peace, and always joyful.
Come back and visit soon!
