Family Members

“Follow my advice, my son; always treasure my commands. Obey them and live! Guard my teachings as your most precious possession. Tie them on your fingers as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.”

Proverbs 7: 1-3 (NLT)

A friend on Facebook posted her status as “Sorting my family history. Hope that the children and grandkids will enjoy reading it someday and find it useful.” I commented, “I’ve been doing the same thing.”  Another friend, Jane, has done extensive research through ancestry.com and has found her history going back several generations.

It’s been an education as I read through birth and death certificates, captions on photos, newspaper articles and research of my husband’s family tree. There’s quite a contrast between my husband’s family, pioneers moving to Texas, and my roots in Italian immigrants crossing the Atlantic Ocean and settling in a new country. His family has lots of information, and mine is limited. Yet in each family, there are similar lessons of risk, perseverance to overcome hardship, faith and family joys.

Reading through the book of Proverbs, I find many references to family. Sons and daughters are encouraged to “listen” and not forsake their parent’s teaching. Women are told how to wisely build their homes. Men are challenged to live as examples of integrity. Grandchildren are the crown of the aged. It doesn’t matter what our roots are, according to Proverbs. The challenges, encouragement, warnings and consequences are universal.

Further in Proverbs 7:4, we read, “Love wisdom like a sister; make insight a beloved member of your family.”  My notebooks of family history are filled with photos and documents, but also embedded in them are examples of close relatives--wisdom and insight. My prayer is that I carry on that legacy.

Reflection: Read through the book of Proverbs and look for references to “family” members. Can you make each character quality a prayer for you and your family?

This month I want to share recipes from our family roots—one from our Texas family and the other from my Italian heritage. You should be able to figure out which is which.

Date Roll

2 cups sugar

1 small can evaporated milk

1 box dates, cut fine

1 cup chopped nuts (pecans are best)

Cook sugar and milk to soft ball stage. Add dates and cook until soft. Beat by hand. Add nuts and mold into a roll in a damp cloth or oiled paper. Refrigerate and slice when cold.

Zucchini Fritters 

Immigrants wasted nothing. The flowers that wouldn’t yield a zucchini were picked and used in this recipe.

1 cup of flour

1 Tsp of baking powder

1 cup zucchini flowers cut up

Chopped fresh basil, salt and pepper to taste. 

Mix well. Drop batter by tablespoon in hot oil. Drain on paper towel and serve hot.