Prayer is recognizing and cultivating an awareness of Christ’s indwelling presence, and seeking to give expression to his presence in my life and work.
Maxie Dunnam
“If shame is put in a petri dish, it needs secrecy, silence and judgment to grow. If we put it in the same bowl with empathy, it is stifled.”
Read the rest of Tina’s latest post about helping kids discover true confidence by clicking here.
In preparation for General Conference, the quadrennial gathering of all lay and clergy leaders in the United Methodist Church from around the globe, Bishop Robert Schnase is doing a 30 day blog series entitled, “Remember the Future.”
You can read today’s post, click here.
To subscribe and receive each post of this series via email, click here.
A great reminder for dads with daughters. [link]
This past weekend I attended a 50th wedding celebration for some of our church members. During that event I had the chance to sit and visit with another couple who will be celebrating their 55th wedding anniversary this coming summer. We talked about the plans they have made for a three week trip this summer. As we visited, we were watching the slideshow that was being played which marked the fifty years of marriage we had gathered to celebrate. Another couple at our table asked if my wife and I had already crossed the “ten year mark.” I told them we would be celebrating eleven years this June.
Walking out to my car I was thinking about the idea that if my wife and I are blessed to live long enough, we will celebrate our fiftieth wedding anniversary on June 23, 2051.
I’m certainly not in any rush. I want to enjoy all the moments that come between today and that future celebration that I pray we are able to share together, but the thought of it did lead me to consider the question of “the legacy” I hope that our life together leaves for our children, and God willing, our grandchildren.
Perhaps what triggered that thought in my mind was the final exercise that we offered couple at the end of our recent Sacred Marriage class. We invited couples to imagine in their minds a “surprise 50th wedding anniversary” party put together by family and friends. The rest of the exercise involved discussing three questions.
- What sacred moments in your history would you want your children, other family and friends to recognize, share and appreciate as a part of this moment?
- As you think about attending this celebration, how would you describe your vision of yourself in the following categories: [Personal health | Financial health | Your relationship with your spouse | Your relationship with your children | Your relationship with your friends | The kind of activities you would like to be participating in | Your spiritual health]
- What decisions and life choices am I making today that will more accurately ensure the outcome that I desire?
I’m guessing that you, like me, want to leave a good and sacred legacy behind.
This weekend I was reminded that we are each crafting our lasting legacy in every single moment of our life. That means that ensuring that our goal of leaving behind a “godly heritage” starts with making good and faithful decisions today.
Have you thought about what will be your lasting legacy?