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Legacies and Households of Faith

I had the pleasure of writing about two pastors with a legacy of faith at CHOGNews: Household of Faith: Pastors Cherish a Long Legacy in the Church of God

Household of Faith: Pastors Cherish a Long Legacy in the Church of God

Similarities

Both pastors had compelling stories on how their legacies affected their call to ministry.

Both pastors emphasized while their family lineage was something to cherish, neither was called just because it was the family business. In fact, they may have hesitated because they didn’t want to enter ministry simply because it was expected of them.

Different Paths

But each traveled on different journeys. to get there.

One pastor ran from his calling and lived a life far from God until he was called back to faith and ministry. It’s a compelling story of redemption. He has been near death twice. He has a testimony that maintains nobody is too far gone to be saved.

The other pastor felt the call after he had been out in the workforce for three years. His career was flourishing, but he found the call to ministry irresistible. He has benefited from the mentorship of his father and is passing that legacy to the next generation.

Families of Origin

I resonated with their stories because, though I haven’t been called to pastor a church, my grandfather was a pastor. I felt similar pressure to perhaps go into ministry because of my legacy. Now mind you, nobody placed that pressure on me but myself. Still, I felt it and didn’t want to succumb to it just because it was part of my ancestry.

At the same time, the legacy of my parents, grandparents, and preceding generations had a profound impact on my life and the lives of my children. While only my maternal grandfather was a pastor, all faithfully lived their lives in powerful ways.

Legacies are important facets of our lives. They don’t totally define us, but they are a part of us. Some of us have great legacies that can be cherished. Others are working through baggage brought on by our family history. Every family has some skeletons in their closet—even good families.

We are not ultimately defined by our past, though it is part of our definition. We can embrace the good aspects of our family of origin and learn from the less than the pristine side of our family of origin.

Today, we have an opportunity to affect our future generations. If we are called, we can answer that call. If we need to address the sins of the past, let’s do it and give the following generations a good start. It reminds me of a song by Steve Green, May all who come behind us find us faithful.

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motivation Quotes

Leading an Excellent Life

“One cannot lead a life that is truly excellent without feeling that one belongs to something greater and more permanent than oneself.”

MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI in Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

Daniel Pink’s book, Drive, reminded me that all of us long for something more permanent and eternal. We know we are limited by our abilities and age. We can delude ourselves into thinking we are immortal, but deep down, we know we aren’t. If anything good can come from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that all of us are forced to face our mortality. This disease may not take us down. But sooner or later, something will.

Who or what do you belong to? Is it a firm foundation that will carry you through difficulties? Is it something that will last long after you are gone? Is it something that gives you hope and a future when everything else crumbles around you?

Businesses and organizations have life cycles just like people. Governments will rise and fall. The latest fad and fashion will look so dated in a few years. Where you put your faith will determine if and how you can lead a life of excellence.

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motivation writing

What is the difference between hope and despair?

There is little need for hope when things are going great. When life is just humming along, we can have false confidence things are going to stay this way indefinitely. We can pretend that it is something we did, or that we are simply fortunate and will stay that way.

But when we face challenges, that is when we are faced with a choice. Do we give in to despair, or do we speak a message of hope?

Choose Hope

All of us have faced challenges recently. our health, our welfare, and our well-being have all faced an onslaught. We have similar facts. Do we choose to speak a message of hope or despair? I encourage you to speak words of hope. Get your facts out on a page. or type them into a document. Then speak words of hope. Just like we didn’t expect these challenges in 2020, we can face unexpected bright days ahead.

I am a person of faith and a Christ-follower. If you are having a challenge with finding hope, I am more than happy to share the faith and hope I have. It is a firm foundation for me.

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.

Hebrews 6:19 (NIV)

Our faith and hope change how we look at circumstances. We didn’t have to use it much before this year. Now it is time to exercise that mental and spiritual muscle.

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motivation

How can I Improve My Economy?

Cartoon of a boy with a bandage over a dollar bill. he says to his dad, "Now that I fixed the economy, can we talk about something else?"

The current crises with the novel coronavirus may cause you to ask, “How can I improve my financial outlook during the COVID-19 outbreak?”

We’ve been through economic hardship before. When I drew this cartoon, we were going through the last economic crisis thanks to the housing bubble and junk mortgages. Many people found they owed more on their homes than they were worth. It definitely affected the 2008 election.

That felt overwhelming. Now we face a new economic crisis. According to The Wall Street Journal, this may be the worst downturn since the 1940s. Many businesses have been shuttered for over a month. There cautious talk about opening businesses. Yet, the virus that has dominated our thoughts for weeks is far from conquered. While some governments are allowing businesses to open, some business owners have chosen to stay closed because they feel it is too soon.

How can I improve my economy when everything feels so uncertain right now?

There are a few lessons I learned from the last financial crisis.

  • Focus on the things you can control
    • You can control your attitude
    • You can control your outlook
    • You can practice safe distancing and hygiene to prevent this virus from spreading
    • You can control how kind and helpful you are to others
    • You can plan for the future
    • You can change tactics even if it feels uncomfortable
    • You can make a situation worse or better by your actions
    • You can limit your news consumption so you’re not listening to the same doom and gloom for hours on end
    • You can listen to positive, uplifting music, audiobooks or podcasts
  • Let go of the things you can’t control
    • You can’t control nature
      • today’s weather
      • the novel coronavirus
      • that skunk on your biking trail
    • You can’t control another person’s actions or reactions
    • You can’t control governments and politicians (though you can make your voice heard by voting and calling those who represent you)
  • Start brainstorming of what this makes possible today
    • Can you learn a new skill?
    • Can you launch a new business that thrives in the new reality?
    • Can you volunteer in a position you always wanted to do?

Putting a bandage over a dollar isn’t going to fix the economy. Individually, we may not be able to fix the macroeconomy. However, each one of us can affect our microeconomy. Each one of us is an economy unto ourselves. It may be difficult while negative events are still unfolding. However, our attitude, combined with faith, hope, and a plan, can get us through the other side of this crisis. And remember: there will be another side of this. Keep the faith, and keep looking up!

Cartoon of a boy with a bandage over a dollar bill. he says to his dad, "Now that I fixed the economy, can we talk about something else?"
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children's ministry cartoons

Flying Objects of Biblical Proportions

Cartoon of two boys. a toy block and a ball are in mid air. One boy says, "When the preschoolers learn about David and Goliath, you should look out for flying objects."

There’s nothing like a good Bible story to inspire preschoolers. And there’s no other story like David and Goliath to get the kids going.

It is the story of the underdog going at the champion by faith. David has no armor, his brothers aren’t supportive. The king has the attitude of “good luck, because you’re going to need it!”

And yet, the kid conquers the giant. David doesn’t just barely make it. He kills him, collects the spoils and causes the enemy army to run in disarray. The unthinkable suddenly becomes reality because a boy had faith and determination.

So I can understand if a preschooler gets excited and wants to try out her own slingshot skills. Just be careful when that happens. You may want to bring some safety glasses to Sunday school this morning, just in case.