A Crafted Prayer to Ascribe Greatness to Our God

Taken from 2 Samuel 7:22 in the New Living Translation, the Verse of the Day for October 15, 2023, celebrates the greatness and uniqueness of God Almighty.

 “How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you!

The Amplified Bible has this to say:

2 Samuel 7:22:

Therefore You are great, O Lord God; for none is like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all [You have made] our ears to hear.

 The Verse of the Day brought to mind “A Crafted Prayer to Ascribe Greatness to Our Great God” which I composed about 20 years ago.  

 Well-known Bible teacher, Graham Cooke, has developed the concept of “crafted prayer” in his book Crafted Prayer: The Joy of Always Getting Your Prayers Answered. Cooke offers instruction in using the Scriptures to construct specific, targeted prayers, addressed to God individually as well as corporately. He examines the discipline of approaching God by listening. He encourages us to ask God what He would like us to pray when we consider the issues surrounding our lives. He suggests that over time, we can create a crafted prayer consisting of words given to us by the Lord, that are appropriate to our current needs, and we can begin to pray in the certain knowledge that the Father will delight in answering that which He has given us to pray

A Crafted Prayer to Ascribe Greatness to Our Great God

God, our Father, you alone are great and greatly to be praised. We, your sons and daughters, praise you according to your excellent greatness. Your greatness is unsearchable. Your right hand, O LORD, has become glorious in power: your right hand, O LORD, has dashed into pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of your excellency, you have overthrown them that rose up against you: you sent forth your wrath, which consumed them as stubble. And with the blast of your nostrils, the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as a heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. You blew with your wind;  the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like unto you, O LORD, among the gods? who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? You stretched out your right hand, and the earth swallowed them. You in your mercy have led forth the people whom you have redeemed: you have guided them in your strength unto your holy habitation.

We, your people, the children of the most high God, will make known the name of the LORD, and we will ascribe greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you reign over all; and in your hand is power and might; and by your hand you have made us great and given strength unto us all. You shall increase our greatness, as we acknowledge you and recognize that you have made us great through Christ Jesus. Magnanimous Father, we pray as you desire us to pray and confess that the eyes of our understanding might be enlightened, that we might know what is the hope of your calling and what are the riches of the glory of your inheritance in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of your power which you wrought in Christ when you raised him from the dead. Now therefore, our great God, we thank you and praise your glorious name through your Son who is the express image of your greatness and your glory, Jesus Christ, our risen savior and soon-coming king.

Amen.

We close as Natalie Grant sings so powerfully of “The Greatness of Our God”:

Special reflections on Jeremiah 29:11

According to Biblegate.com, the Verse of the Day for October 13, 2023, comes from Jeremiah 29:11 in the King James Version:

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

I recall hearing this verse for the first time in the New International Version of the Bible more than 27 years ago:

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

In order to understand more fully the magnitude of God’s declaration, take a look at the following video that graphically illustrates the context of the verse taken from Jeremiah 29:11-14

The New Living Testament renders Jeremiah 29:11-13 in this way:

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

12 In those days when you pray, I will listen.

13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

As I reflected on this familiar passage from the Old Testament, I recall the first time that I heard it occurred as I was embarking upon a new assignment in my career as well as in my ministry. Almost three decades later, I find myself in a similar position of transition, having returned to the same place where I was at that time. “Oh, the Providence of God!”

Although the words of Jeremiah were specifically addressed to Israel concerning their release from Babylonian captivity after seventy years, we recognize the truth expressed in Romans 15:4 (New Living Translation):

Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

The prophetic word from Jeremiah can certainly have personal application, in that the plans that God has for each of His children are no less grand than those He has for the Children of Israel.

As we ask God for guidance and direction, He will lead us and teach us all along the path that unfolds as a shining light that shines increasingly unto the perfect day (Proverbs 4:18). Jeremiah 29:11-13 also informs us of God’s concern for our future or “final outcome”, so that we need to have no fear for our future.

Damaris Carbaugh shares “I Know the Plans” (Audrey’s Song) a musical reminder of Jeremiah 29:11

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem: October 2023

This photo shows men praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem

This morning, October 10, 2023,  during my daily devotional time of prayer, I focused on recent terrorist attacks on Israel by Hamas, as I recalled that since 2004, the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem occurs on the first Sunday in October. This global prayer initiative involving thousands of churches in America and other nations began as a prayer meeting organized by evangelists, the late Jack W. Hayford and Robert Stearns, through their organization “Eagles Wings.” They annually invite people around the world to pray for the peace of Jerusalem on the first Sunday of every October, close to the time of Yom Kippur, a Jewish holy day of prayer and fasting.

During my personal time of prayer, I also thought of an original psalm, “As We Pray,” a poetic exhortation to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” I recognized that our prayers for the Holy City should not be confined to one specific day of prayer, but such prayers should be ongoing. God, our Father, also desires that we pray for peace, not only for Jerusalem but for the entire world. His definition of peace goes beyond the usual dictionary definition, referring to “the normal non-warring condition of a nation, a group of nations, or the world. . . a state of harmony among people or groups. It is not the cessation or freedom from strife or dissension.” In contrast, the Biblical definition encompasses a state of untroubled, undisturbed well-being, expressed in the Hebrew expression shalom.

According to Strong’s Concordance, shalom means “completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord.” For the Christian believer, it is an inner reality, revealed as the peace of God that comes from the God of peace obtained through the Prince of Peace.  This peace which passes all understanding is not dependent upon outside conditions.

Now more than ever before, we need to heed the words of the Psalmist and “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”

As We Pray

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

“May they prosper who love you.

Peace be within your walls,

Prosperity within your palaces.”

Psalm 122:6-7

Today, as we pray, we focus on the Kingdom,

Established and grounded on a sure foundation.

As we diligently pursue Godly wisdom,

New paths of this Apostolic Reformation

Unfold as the sun rises on the horizon.

Even in turbulent times, we must stay the course.

Aware of consequences of each decision,

We look to God our Father, bountiful resource.

We are new wineskins, flexible, open to change.

With a “kingdom mindset,” we now see with new eyes.

Beyond past narrow limits, our view is long-range.

We number our days with each sunset and sunrise.

Observing the times and giving meaning to them,

We ever pray for “the peace of Jerusalem.”

We close with a moving musical reminder by Lize Hadassah Wiid: “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem”:

As we now witness signs, wonders, and miracles: “Look at God!”

In 2019, I moved from Fayetteville, NC to Ashburn, VA, where I continued to receive injections as part of my hormone therapy treatment along with a new dietary/nutritional protocol in response to prostate cancer which had metastasized to my hips and thighs.  After starting this treatment almost four years ago, I went to see my oncologist at the VA Hospital in Washington, DC for a follow-up visit and  I received some good news when I learned that my PSA {a blood test related to prostate cancer} had dropped significantly–from 90+ down to 0.7! Since that time, my PSA has stabilized at less than 0.1, and the doctor commented joyfully, “It doesn’t get much better than this!”  As the situation miraculously unfolded, I was inspired to write this poetic exhortation:

Look at God!

Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news;

lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news;

lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”

Isaiah 40:9 (ESV)

I am turning a new page, stepping out into the more,

Reaching far beyond anything I have ever thought of;

Beyond anything I have even dared to ask for;

Through Christ, God is able to do exceedingly above,

Way beyond anything my finite mind could ever see.

I continue to marvel at all that the Lord has done,

Who poured out a blessing–a miracle crafted for me:

My PSA had skyrocketed to more than ninety,

But it has now stabilized at less than zero point one.

Nothing is impossible–all things are possible with God.

When we pray, it is no secret what Father God can do;

What He has done for others He can do for me and you.

Behold!  The outpouring of the Spirit of the Living God

As we now witness signs, wonders, and miracles: “Look at God!”

We close with Sovereign Grace Music singing: “Behold, Our God”:

On 9-11-2023: Remembering Once More God Gives Beauty for Ashes

Today, September 11, 2023, marks the 22nd anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington DC. In commemoration of that event and other related incidents, I am revising and re-posting a previous blog entry.

In addition, the nation also pauses to remember the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2012, attack against the U.S. consulate in Benghazi where four Americans were killed, including the U.S. Ambassador to Libya. On such solemn occasions, we look for rays of hope, like radiant beams of light that penetrate plumes of dust and debris on that fateful day, September 11, 2001. This morning during my time of prayer and reflection, I thought of the passage from Isaiah 61:3:

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

Today, we reflect upon God’s amazing ability to transform the most horrific circumstances into a glorious display of His wisdom, power, and might. The expression “beauty for ashes” from Isaiah 61:3 offers a series of such transformations or exchanges that only He can give. That particular verse introduces this original psalm with that title:

Beauty for Ashes

To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

                    Isaiah 61:3

Beauty for ashes–we are transformed to testify

Of lives so radically changed that we might glorify

The God of Heaven who touches the earth with His love

That overflows with bountiful blessings from above.

We are blessed and highly favored–no one can deny.          

That we should be chosen by God some may wonder why,                

But none can fathom God’s grace, no matter how they try.

Ascend into God’s presence on the wings of a dove:

Beauty for ashes

Many times it may seem as if life has passed us by,

But God is faithful; on Him we can always rely.

Nothing in this life surpasses God’s unchanging love;

It is far beyond all that we could ask or think of.

Remember that God is not a man that He should lie: 

Beauty for ashes.

The expression “Beauty for ashes” also brings to mind the fact that beautiful gemstones are formed from volcanic ash. Did you know that ashes in volcanoes under extreme heat and pressure provide the perfect conditions to form certain precious stones, such as diamonds? As the volcanoes erupt, they push the gemstones to the surface where they can be seen after the site has cooled. So, indeed, God both figuratively and literally “gives beauty for ashes.”

Crystal Lewis and Ron Kenoly offer a tender rendition of the song “Beauty for Ashes.”

On the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9-11, we recall God’s amazing power to transform an unimaginable disaster into a glorious display of His power and grace to restore.

On Labor Day 2023: Reflecting on Life Lessons About Work

For most Americans, Labor Day has special significance. The national holiday observed on the first Monday in September marks the end of summer, after which most outdoor pools and amusement parks close for the season.  Originally instituted to recognize the dedication and strength of the labor movement, Labor Day celebrations include picnics and barbecues, parades, fireworks, and other public events. In many places, the long weekend becomes the last vacation for families before school starts. The date also marks the beginning of NFL and collegiate football seasons. For the sartorially precise, white or beige is not to be worn after Labor Day; although in many places that rule is certainly no longer adhered to so rigidly. 

I recall an unforgettable Labor Day when I was in graduate school at Emporia State University in Kansas. At the time I was coordinating a Bible study in our home, and the night before Labor Day, I taught on work and the blessing that it is to be able to work, citing scriptures from the Old and New Testaments. The Book of Ecclesiastes contains these references to labor:

Ecclesiastes 2:24:                       

There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw that it was from the hand of God.

Ecclesiastes 3:22:

Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

Ecclesiastes 3:13:

And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God.

Proverbs 14:23a says, “In all labor there is profit.”

I recall citing wise words from the Jewish tradition that there is no labor so menial that God will not adorn it with beauty, that God will anoint every work with value.

I concluded with this reminder from Colossians 3:23-24:

²³ Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. ²⁴ Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward and that the Master you are serving is Christ.

The next day following this most invigorating teaching, I had an opportunity to almost immediately apply what I had taught when I started my first day on a new job. At the time I was going to grad school using the GI bill, but with a young child less than a year old, that was not sufficient, so I needed a part-time job to supplement my income. Because of my class schedule, I could only work at night. I found a part-time job working for a cleaning company that contracted with Iowa Beef, affectionately called “The Beef” a huge meat processing company, where I was assigned to clean areas of the plant, using high-powered hoses.

Beginning with the first day I had to make quick adjustments. As I descended into the lower level of the plant, I experienced immediate sensory overload. I felt like I was descending into the bowels of the New York City subway system, as the churning pulsating sounds grew louder. A barrage of distinct odors, as powerful as the accompanying noise, invaded my nostrils. The pungent smells ranged from scorched beef broth that grew more rancid to the nauseating stench of blood. Huge animal hides emerged from murky water, a series of rugs suspended on a conveyor belt that wrapped its way around the plant. The entire scene was startling, as it blurred like a motion picture film off the track of a projector.

My job was like cleaning an enormous bathtub, with many drains clogged with hair, mud, and debris. “A rather menial job, Johnson,” my mind caustically remarked. I replayed my teaching from the previous night on the recorder of my mind, and I quickly realized that if I were to survive that first day, I would have to control my thoughts. Each negative thought I countered with a positive thought. At the end of that day, I had learned a new job, as learned to change my world by changing my attitude. I toughed it out that first day and survived, but if I had not gone to battle with my mind, I would not have stayed. However, I chose to stay, and I won the “Battle of the Mind at the Beef.”

Today on Labor Day, 2023, I still have a great appreciation for work, of any kind, from manual labor to high-tech positions in management or education, sales or service, or any area of endeavor. Especially at this time when the unemployment rate reached double-digit figures following the pandemic in 2020, having a job is, indeed, a blessing. Now more than ever, the words I shared during that unforgettable Labor Day teaching forty-five years ago, still ring true: “There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.”

We conclude with this lively musical reminder from Steven Curtis Chapman who reinforces the message: “Do Everything.”

Celebrating 50 years of marriage—reflecting on the Providence of God and His love toward us.

Today, August 31, 2023, is a “doubly lovely Good News Day” for my wife, Brenda Joyce, and me as we celebrate 50 years of marriage. We reflect upon the Providence of God that brought us together and thank God for His love that has sustained us over the years. It’s hard to believe, for it seemed like such a short time ago that we first met. For several years as our daughters were growing up, Brenda and I would share the story of how we met. Here is a brief summary of one of the most remarkable experiences of our lives. We both were praying to God to meet someone special in our lives, and His answer unfolded in a short period of time. Here is a condensed version of how we met:

Upon being discharged from the US Army in 1968, where I served as a pharmacy instructor during the Vietnam era, I secured a job working as an Information Analyst for the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association in Washington, DC. Prior to leaving that position, I enrolled in a leadership program of a Biblical Research Ministry in 1971. The same month as my departure, I met Brenda Joyce Warren, who worked as a secretary for the American Association of Junior Colleges in the same office building where I worked. This excerpt from an original psalm summarizes what transpired:

We each prayed and God answered, as I remember.

Before I knew you, I reached toward you in my heart, 

Where I had prepared, set aside a special place.

Until we met, I had been patiently waiting.

Our lives were entwined, and we were forever changed,

As we vowed to walk in God’s love from that moment.

We were married in Ohio and returned to serve in ministry in DC, Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware in 1973.

Fifty years later, Brenda and I have returned to live in this same area, thanks to our older daughter, Melissa, and her husband, William, who wanted us to be near them and our first grandson, Kingston. Our other daughter, Angela, and her husband, Shajuan, live a couple of hours away in Delaware. Today, I recall and celebrate the Providence of God, that brought Brenda and Lonnell to the vicinity of the Nation’s Capital where we first met to see what God has in store for us in the remaining years of our lives.

We conclude our celebration with Bernie Armstrong, who offers “1 Corinthians 13—The Wedding Song–Love Never Fails,” not just a lovely song for marriage but a truly beautiful song of life:

God has great plans for us

This morning, as I was completing the daily Bible reading for my joyful task of reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation this year, I read three chapters from the Book of Jeremiah. The reading included a familiar passage found in Jeremiah 29:11-14. This section of Scripture brought to mind a previous blog entry which I am revising and re-posting.

As one of the most popular verses of the day, Jeremiah 29:11 appears on greeting cards, plaques, placards, and wall hangings of every kind. Believers rejoice as they anticipate seeing God’s plans for their lives unfold in glorious ways. Here is the New International Version of the widely recognized verse:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

To understand more fully the magnitude of God’s declaration, take a look at the context of the verse taken from Jeremiah 29:11-13:

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

The words of Jeremiah were specifically addressed to Israel concerning their release from Babylonian captivity after seventy years of enduring unimaginable pain and suffering, shame, and humiliation as a result of their rebellion and disobedience. As we read the passage, we recognize the truth expressed in Romans 15:4 (New Living Translation):

Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

The prophetic word from Jeremiah can certainly have personal application, in that the plans that God has for each of His children are no less grand than those He has for the Children of Israel. We must recognize, however, that those plans may not unfold in the way that we think they should at the time when we think they should. The Scriptures remind us: As for God, His way is perfect. The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 18:30).

The passage from Jeremiah 29 that speaks of the thoughts of God toward the people of God also brings to mind Isaiah 55:7-9

7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

This passage describes the mind of God, explaining that His thoughts are far beyond our thoughts. Isaiah 55:8 was also the inspiration for this original psalm expressing our desire that God will lead, guide, and direct us:

O Lord, prepare the way, straighten our path, and order our steps.
Shine your light upon us that we may not stumble,
That we may not walk in the light of our own sparks,
But illumine our way with the lamp of Your Word.
O Lord, direct our hearts into the love of God
And into the patient waiting for Jesus Christ.
Raise us up in righteousness and direct all our ways,
As we acknowledge Your thoughts are not our thoughts,
Neither are Your ways our ways, O Lord.

As we ask God for guidance and direction, He will lead us, teaching  us along the path that continues to unfold as a light shining more and more unto the perfect day (Proverbs 4:18). Jeremiah 29:11-13 also informs us of God’s concern for our future or “final outcome”, so that we need have no fear for our future.

To close, Damaris Carbaugh shares “I Know the Plans” (Debby’s Song) a musical reminder of Jeremiah 29:11:

Remembering Les Paul: the world is still waiting…

This morning, August 18, 2023, I woke up to see the sun rising on the horizon, and I thought of a song so often heard as I was preparing for elementary school back in the 1950s. Although I am by no means a guitarist or musician in any sense of the word, I have fond memories of listening to one of Les Paul and his wife, Mary Ford’s most popular recordings, “The World is Waiting for the Sunrise.”

On August 11, 2009, the world of music and the world, in general, suffered a great loss when Les Paul, the “father of the modern guitar,” passed away. His accomplishments, not only as a guitarist but as an inventor, are legendary. Not only was he the first musician to make an eight-track recording, but because of his innovative guitars and the development of other electronic devices, Paul was also inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Henry Juszkiewicz, CEO of Gibson Guitars, added, “Before Les Paul, the guitar was being used with amplifiers, but it was still just a loud acoustic guitar. Les really brought the guitar into the modern age and created the modern sound.”

Stephen Skinner, Columbus, Ohio musician and music teacher, commented on his first encounter with a Gibson Les Paul guitar, “It played so well. I couldn’t believe it. It almost ‘played itself’.”

The influence of the Les Paul guitar still resounds around the world, demonstrating the amazing versatility of the instrument that is played by devotees of gospel, hard rock, country, jazz, and indeed, in every musical genre. 

Here is a recording of the classic vocal and instrumental duo:

                                                                                                                                
For some strange reason, I really appreciated Les Paul and Mary Ford’s rendition of “The World is Waiting for the Sunrise.” I certainly didn’t recognize the virtuoso skills of Les on the guitar at the time I first heard it, but over the years, I have thought of that particular song and have come to appreciate its message which I heard in my “inner ear” in a spiritual context in light of Romans 8:22-23

For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

 ²³ Not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

Not only is every rose bud covered with dew, but all of God’s creation is pregnant with expectation, groaning as if in childbirth. I really like the translation from the Amplified Bible of this same passage.

We know that the whole creation [of irrational creatures] has been moaning together in the pains of labor until now.

And not only the creation, but we ourselves too, who have and enjoy the first fruits of the [Holy] Spirit [a foretaste of the blissful things to come] groan inwardly as we wait for the redemption of our bodies [from sensuality and the grave, which will reveal] our adoption (our manifestation as God’s sons).

The essence of the message of the song was reinforced as I listened to the YouTube recording when I learned that Les Paul had died. The rendition also moved me to tears, after having just officiated at another funeral the day before I listened to it. Indeed, the world IS waiting for the sunrise . . . which brings to mind another poem inspired by watching the sunrise from the top of a water tower in Gunnison, Colorado a number of years ago:

Sunrise

The sun also arises, and the sun goes down,
and hastens to the place where it arose.
Ecclesiastes 1:5

Today I beheld the beauty
of the dawning of the day,
the purple mountain majesty
crowned with mounds of sifted snow
displayed against the molten sky.

I saw no veil, no morning mist.
The sun’s purest rays revealed
mountains of uncut amethyst
ignited in dawn’s afterglow,
lingering as a fading flame.

Fleeting embers are man’s reward,
tokens of passing pleasures till
we all are gathered with our Lord
to see Him face to face and know
the sun shall rise to set no more.

Thanks for reminiscing with me as we await the day when the sun of righteousness shall arise.

What will be your legacy each day in August and beyond?

August, the eighth month of the year, continues to unfold, as we recognize one of the lesser-known celebrations: “What Will Be Your Legacy Month.” During this month, our thoughts turn to the term legacy, as various writers have offered their definitions of the concept. During this time, many people reflect upon the past and project toward the future with regard to the possible impact of their lives on future generations.

Gone-ta-pott.com, a holiday website, offers this definition and elaborates upon the month-long celebration with this comment:

“A legacy is what someone or something is remembered for or what they have left behind that is remembered, revered, or has influenced current events and the present day. . . What Will Your Legacy Be Month is a month for people to reflect on their past and present actions and vow to make positive changes that will affect generations. We have to remember the seeds, whether positive or negative, that we plant in our children’s lives. This observance is about making the right choices so our children and their children will make the right choices. Everything we do will grow and reflect our teachings. So, teach your children well.”

The following individuals offer statements regarding what it means to leave a legacy:

Emanuel James “Jim” Rohn (1930 — 2009), entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker, shares his insight:

“All good men and women must take responsibility to create legacies that will take the next generation to a level we could only imagine.”

Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790), recognized as a writer, printer, postmaster, scientist, inventor, humorist, and diplomat, offers another thoughtful comment:

“If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do something worth writing about.”

Joseph Addison (1672– 1719), English essayist, poet, playwright, and politician is remembered as co-founder, along with Richard Steele, of The Spectator magazine, shares a similar view:

“Books are the legacies that a great genius leaves to mankind, which are delivered down from generation to generation as presents to the posterity of those who are yet unborn.”

Maya Angelou, celebrated author, actress, teacher, and legendary personality shares this nugget on the subject:

“If you’re going to live, leave a legacy. Make a mark on the world that can’t be erased.”

Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881), 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, British politician of the Conservative Party who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, offers this perceptive comment:

“The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.”

We conclude with comments from one of the most admired and respected men of the Twentieth Century, Reverend Billy Graham (1914–2014), who provides Godly wisdom on the subject:

“Our days are numbered. One of the primary goals in our lives should be to prepare for our last day. The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives. What preparations should we be making now? The greatest waste in all of our earth, which cannot be recycled or reclaimed, is our waste of the time that God has given us each day.”

Finally, look at and listen to this reminder from FellowshipStories to “Leave Your Legacy” :