GENOGRAM!
That's one way GOD DOES FAMILY!
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Understanding the Genogram
story of JESUS can be transforming!
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Understanding your family genograms can transform your family!
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I remember traveling from Kansas City back to our home in York, NE about eight years ago. I was in the car with someone very special to me. This young college girl had been really struggling with life and was really down and out about alot of things. As we talked, I affirmed her, gave her a vision for who she was and who she could become, her giftedness, and talked to her about all the options she had.
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Want to know what her response was? It went something like this..."It's hard to believe that I am special. My parents were from two different races. I don't belong anywhere. I'm not black. I'm not white. I'm mixed. Mixed breed. I'm really nothing. I don't even know my family tree...where I came from." I grieved at her response. Yet, I went on to talk about me being part German, French, and Chinook Indian. I knew that it was different though. I know alot about my family tree. My mom made sure that I understood my family heritage. I grew up hearing lots and lots of stories of past generations of my family. I learned which aunt, uncle, or cousin that I was most like. I learned there were certain rights and responsibilities of being the oldest daughter/grand daughter. Heritage! Roots! Connection! Knowledge! Understanding! Time spent telling stories! Needs met!
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I am amazed at how GOD uses the Bible to stress our genogram-in Christ. We can even examine the stories to see who we are like or not like. It gives us a heritage, roots, connection, knowledge, understanding, time spent in the WORD, and needs are met. When is the last time you studied the women in Jesus' genogram? Sarah? Rebekah? Leah? Tamar? Rahab? Ruth? Bathsheba? Colorful characters in the most royal lineage!
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In the Wednesday night Bible class that Steve and I taught last night, HOW GOD DOES FAMILY, we focused on THE GENOGRAM:
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GENDER DIFFERENCES: boys/girls, men/women
BIRTH ORDER: oldest, middle, youngest, only
BACKGROUND EXPERIENCES: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
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We did a mixer activity at the first of class with 24 statemets about possible background experiences. Each person, basically, needed to find different people who could connect with a statement by saying 'yes, that describes my background'. We learned of new background information about our church family in a short amount of time. Tonight, I learned that...
Kristy has lived in another country besides the USA
Dawnna would be able to survive if she lived in the 1800's by buillding a cabin, hunting, fishing, and protecting her family.
Alana is a writer of short stories and poetry
Suzanne is an oldest child like me
Kelly was raised in a family of 7 or more
Dee as a step-brother and/or step-sister
Carla can speak a second language
Katherine has had 5 or more surgeries
Mandy grew up in a family that valued her playing sports
Noreen grew up in a family that stressed spirituality
Suzie has been scuba diving
Have you told your "stories" to your children? To your spouse? Our background stories give a window into what makes us who we are. If you are interested in more information about how to do your genogram you can actually google the word and get free programs to do your own.
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Looking at background information is only part of a genogram. Gender differences and birth order are also part. Boys tend to do some things differently from girls. Oldest children tend to be different from youngest or middle children. Why not spend time meditating on your little family? Spend time really getting to know one another. What can you learn from the information? In an effort to really know one another, spend quality time together like our class did last night. When you spend quality time with one another, you get to know the other person better. You begin to identify needs that person has. Find ways to meet each others needs.
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Hopefully, you can say, "Time spent! Needs met!" After all, that's the way it is when I spend time with GOD...I can easily say, "Time spent! Needs met!" It's one way GOD does family! It's TRANSFORMING!
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