The Book-End of Legacy

I've shared before about how our family makes really big deals about each other's birthdays. After all -- that's the day that God presented us to this world for His purpose and pan. It IS a big deal. But on milestone birthdays, it is over-the-top honoring and celebrating. This year it was Alexia Wallace's (my granddaughter) Sweet 16 birthday year. My daughter, Staci, Alexia and I kicked off the month with adventures at Six Flags Over Texas -- the front-side bookend, and yesterday, with Larry and Staci away in Detroit, I was the bookend that finished off the celebrations. Each day leading up to her "16th on the 16th" was marked by a significant word of exhortation to Alexia. There have been family members, friends and mentors who took one of the days to honor our girl and pour into her strategies and principles for success.

I chose LEGACY as my word. In this first photo, is four generations -- my mom, me, Staci and Alexia -- that is legacy. In the second photo, you can see a beautiful shadow box that holds Payton and Alexia's christening clothes. I made Alexia's christening gown. That reminded me of LEGACY that is such a part of her DNA. Alexia is so creative that if she finds an "on sale" pair of pants, skirt or top that she really likes, and is way larger than she needs, she buys it anyway. She would hand-sew the seams to make those items fit perfectly. I was pleased to give her a sewing machine for this birthday gift.

My grandmother and mother sewed. I learned to sew from my mom and in my Home Economics Class in high school. Today, we can shop around and find clothing at far better prices than taking the time to sew, but sewing machines are sure handy for seams, making costumes and home decor' projects. I stopped sewing until my Alexia came along, and I picked up where I left off. I carefully made that christening gown and it represents the love I had and have for her when I see it displayed in their home. Most importantly, it represents the day that her Mom and Dad presented her to God and her church family, like Jesus was presented to God in the temple by His Mom and Dad.

More than talent, trade or personality, the most important value we can pass on to our children is the LEGACY of loving God with all our hearts. These words expressed my heart to Alexia yesterday. I encourage you to pass on the LEGACY of loving God with all their hearts to your children and grandchildren.

"My precious Alexia -- Today is the finale of your Sweet 16 celebrations, but I guarantee you, you will forever be celebrated – each and every day by those who love and adore you on this earth, and even more so, those that have gone on before us and are cheering us on from the grandstands of heaven. You will always be celebrated because of the legacy from your ancestors -- Godly men and women who prayed for you before you ever made your debut on this earth. You come from a long heritage of devoted followers of Christ and they lived this scripture and I, as your Nana, bequeath these words to you to carry on as you have been taught by your loving Mom and Dad. Now it is yours to take up and make them your own for those that you will birth one day -- both biologically and spiritually. How I thank God that you are already living, breathing and experiencing this legacy!

Deuteronomy 6:5-7 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."

Maybe You Could Use a Gap Year or Month or Day

I’ve been in Austin to see two of my sweet Canadian cousins. The extra perk is that they are staying at my kids’ home for a few days until they head out for Comfort, TX where Tynessa Neufeld will be attending Bible School.

Tynessa is taking a “gap” year to wholeheartedly pursue God and His Word. A “gap year” is typically when a student takes off a year to figure out what they want to do with the rest of their lives. Sometimes that gap year affords them the opportunity to explore the world or volunteer to help build water wells in third world countries or, in Tynessa’s case – to hone in on what God has planned for her future. Tynessa is three years in on her degree from the University of Manitoba, but along the way, she started asking “Where am I going? What will I be doing once I graduate? God, what IS your plan for my life?”

With so many questions about her future and a foolproof plan for her career future, she had an “aha” moment when she realized the answers can best be found in pursuing God and serving others. In fact, their first serving opportunity will be to Houston where the students will do their share in helping meet the needs there. I love her heart to be ON PURPOSE to get the answers for her future from HE Who knows everything about everything. The location is isolated and beautiful. I love that. Focus – void of the distractions of the world. Good for her and no doubt she will hear God’s voice -- loud and clear.

I, too, am in a “gap” year. I’m digging into the Word like the days when I was teaching full time which always gave me clear understanding for today’s decisions and tomorrow’s. We all need a “gap” time to clear our heads and hearts to hear directions from Heaven-Central! I sense that God may be waiting for many of us to admit to our dissatisfaction and lift our chins toward heaven and have guts enough to ask, “Are You asking more of me? Are You wanting me to pursue you more? Do You have plans for me that can only be known and found as I seek You with all my heart?”

If it is, then may God give peace and understanding to those of us who are unsettled. Over the course of the last six years, one of the things I believe God has consistently made clear to me is that He’d require more in my later years than less. Coasting was out of the question. If I wanted to be effective as a teacher and devoted follower of His, to bear more fruit so others see Him in me, I’d have to press in further, go deeper with Him in His Word, get bolder in love, service, and prayer. Those of us who are sensing an unsettled heart are expressing dependence on He Who GAVE His all for us. Unlike those with an "entitlement" mentality, our Lord was “titled” with God, Creator, Almighty, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, but He came to be one like us, without a title, to feel what we feel. He even took GAP times when He was found in the temple at age 12 and went home to learn more about His Father and pray and serve, and in His ministry years, He still needed to have GAP times when He’d steal away to a mountain to pray or to the Garden of Gethsemane to receive the strength He needed for what was up ahead.

We keep hearing the words “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14. We must ask ourselves the questions: "Are we really praying anymore? Do we read our Bibles anymore? As hard as this is to accept, reading a blog post or a daily devotion doesn’t really qualify as reading the Bible. We’re getting push notifications on our phones for our daily Scripture readings, but is that really digging into and seeking God's face and reading and meditating on God's Word?

In 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Paul refers to “the word of God which is at WORK within you.” Maybe it’s time for us to find some GAP moments, minutes, hours, days or even a year to seek Him and find Him. We won't have to look far. He's already there!

It's an Upside Down World!

Day 65 of Photo Inspirations -- It's an upside down world -- well, at least from this vantage point it is. It's all about perspective. And, this world can seem quite upside down -- even when we're right side up.   What happened to the good old days when we could leave our doors unlocked, where the worst thing we did in schools was chew gum, where kids played outside using their imaginations, and gas was 23 cents a gallon?

But were the good old days -- really that good?   For years after, a trip to the dentist was still horrifying to me.  Oh the painful memories that brings back -- no good anesthetic while he drilled and poked.  Now, I have a dentist that is literally PAIN FREE -- even getting a root canal. Were the good old days that good when tornadoes came without warning because, without technology, no one could see them building ahead of time.  And were the good old days that good when it took days to communicate with a loved one because the only communication was "snail mail".   Now we can communicate instantaneously by social media and email.

In the good old days AND in the good new days, there have always been distractions that kept us from our relationship with God and the people who are right with us right now.  No question, we need to keep the priorities in our lives....THE PRIORITY!   But, when we get that right, technology and all that living in THIS DAY brings, is a beautiful thing. And, I get to connect with amazing people like you.

It's truly a matter of perspective.   Yes, it's great to recall sweet memories from the past, but being alive in this day and this time, in this generation......is right when and where God planned for us to be.  We are here ON PURPOSE and if we embrace the opportunities, the technologies, the possibilities and the experiences of THESE GOOD NEW DAYS, that will be the BEST DAYS of our lives.   Let's live RIGHT SIDE UP -- realizing we're right where we're supposed to be.  Let's make the most of being here......right here, TODAY, and live each day believing that TODAY IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!