"The next Great Depression?

What a time to be living...I cant remember a time in my life where I have heard so much bad news in such a short period of time. There are so many people struggling in our country. Job loss, debt, and forclosure has touched every American in some form or another. Will these struggles be something we discuss with our grandchildren, just like our grandparents discussed the "great depression" with us?

The great depression impacted the American people in a lot of ways. Certainly it impacted people negatively, from a financial standpoint, but what about the positives? The great depression taught people that God and family were the most important things. The GD taught people how to spend(Cash-no credit), how to save and how to prepare for tomorrow.

Did Americans simply forget about how hard those times were? I think so...What else could explain our current financial state? I want to make sure that I am teaching my children about the significance about what is going on around them. I want to teach them that their relationship with their God and their family is more important than the things they acquire. I want teach them to save, and to use cash. Times are tough, but what can we learn from them? Just a thought.

Roll up your sleeves people...

Just spent 2 days with my children, my wife was on hiatus...Needless to say, I am glad she is back. The time with my children was awesome, but very challenging. I got a glimpse of what life would be like as a single dad. It's much harder to focus on the positive impact I should have on my kids, when I'm just trying to get through the day. I did however enjoy my special time with them, but know the power of a parenting partnership and how much children benefit from a mom and a dad under one roof. Legacy is not always about some reflective state out in nature, sometimes it's about rolling up your sleeves and being the dad that you need to be. Cooking a meal, doing bath time, cleaning up and giving plenty of hugs and kisses in the process.

Investing to Legacy

It struck me the other day that legacy is similar to investing...How could one draw this conclusion? In thinking about this, several other questions went through my mind. Why do I do the things that I do? How much of what I do is for me, versus for someone else? What provides me with the greatest fulfillment and satisfaction? Could a person pass an intentionally positive legacy if that person was all consumed with his or her self? You can see where I'm going with this...

Back to the investing thing... I think leaving and passing a good legacy is about investing in the lives of others. Perhaps this goes without saying, but God has clearly instructed us to put other people above ourselves. Invest in others and pass a legacy worth passing!

A slice of the good life

The last day of our hunt was cold and windy, but the sun was shining and the views of the prairie were stunning. Tyler and I were walking alone and away from our group. It was a very surreal experience for me. I feel as though I am entering into a different phase of my life. I am beginning to appreciate my son on a different level as we enjoy the same interests. I am finding it extremely fulfilling to pass the things that I love, on to him. I wonder if this is how God feels about me? Does He feel the intense satisfaction and joy when I accept the things He passes to me?
The hunt itself was less than mediocre, which is why we call it hunting and not killing...But, the ever increasing bond with my new hunting buddy was strengthened by the time we shared in the field. The talks we had, the hours driving, and the time spent with close friends. Funny thing was, I didn't even think about business....Tyler and I got a slice of the good life on this trip, we were blessed.

Legacy of a Sportsman

So, why is it important to be intentional about passing on your legacy as a sportsman? You love the outdoors. It is your passion. It is where we feel alive. Is it important to somehow capture all of the adventures and emotions and somehow express them to the generations that will follow us? The miles you have walked through the woods, and the depths you have floated on your favorite lakes or the ripples you have counted on the river and all of the memories that those events encompass. Is it important to capture all of the thoughts and conversations that you have while spending countless hours with those people that you love?

What were some of the most memorable camp fire discussions you had? What made your belly laugh so hard, that you felt like you were drowning with no air? How much emotional healing have you had over the years by smelling the sweet aroma of the morning mist; Or watching a breath taking sunset beyond the horizon, as you and you son sit on a rock. You spend both quality time and quantity of time in the field.

How many hours in the car swapping stories, eating beef jerky(as if eating beef jerky somehow brings us closer to nature) and anticipating the hunting or fishing experience in which you were about to embark? This is where you lose yourself and find yourself, all at the same time. Things become clear and less complicated. This is where you connect with your friends and family. This is where some of the most important lessons in life were learned and now taught. The field and what you learned from it, is your legacy.

We first have to give definition to what legacy is, and legacy is about teaching others about the life experiences that you have. You were taught how to shoot a gun, or how to cast a line, look for game on the side of a shady ridge. How to clean a shotgun, tie a fly, load ammo. You were taught the skill of holding in that sneeze and staying still when that big buck was just out of range. You were taught how to fight the urge to sleep later, but instead to get up and get the “worm” (remember the “early bird” saying?)

Legacy is about passing values to those that are most important to us. The honesty of passing on a questionable shot, or avoiding the temptation to fish with two rods instead of one, even though you know no one else will know. It’s about passing convictions, and it’s about seeing those things blossom in the lives of those that you love. Legacy is about your present past and your future working together to impact to the lives of your children and your children’s children. So what lessons are taught while you are hunting and fishing?

· You’re teaching the beauty and the care for the creation that you’re enjoying.
· You’re teaching respect for animals and other people.
· You’re teaching integrity of the sportsman in general and what your values are.
· You’re teaching safety and readiness.
· You’re teaching how to focus under pressure

This concept of legacy brought new meaning to me the first time my son shot his first bird out of the air at age 9. I was dancing around with my gun in the air like I had just won the lottery. Something inside of me had been stirred unlike anything I had ever experienced. He and I celebrated, laughed and to this day still retell the story of what happed on that late September afternoon. What occurred during that hunt that was beyond special. It was more than memorable. I don’t want to lose this experience. I want my son’s grandchildren to know about the day he shot his first dove. The hunt itself had a higher meaning. It wasn’t about filling my limit, or outdoing my hunting comrades. It was about investing my life in the life of my son.

Legacy brought new meaning to me the first time my 6 year old daughter caught her first trout. As she reeled in that 8-inch stocker, my life changed forever. We bonded in a way that was not possible before that fish. As we sat hand in hand on the edge of that pond, waiting for the next unlucky little “tyke” to eat the morsel on the end of her line, I was at peace as a dad. My role for that moment, was complete.

Isn’t it interesting that we are discussing the change that Legacy, and passing things on in the future has a way of changing our lives for the better, today? Legacy is not just about the future, it is about being who we were created to be, today.

Those with children and grandchildren have stories of their own, special stories. It would be such a shame to lose those stories. Every sportsman should do whatever possible to preserve this unique tool that we have to teach the generations that will follow about the importance of being a sportsman and passing on their traits through a sportsman legacy.

Intentional Legacy Now!

There is a process to Legacy. Legacy itself is not a destination. Legacy is a consideration of the future, but it deeply involves the present and the past. God can use legacy to heal your past and make you more effective for His kingdom in the future. God calls us to disciple our families, and what is one of the products of that discipleship? It's an intentional legacy that is left for others to see and experience.

Why is legacy important to me today? God is going to use legacy to heal the wounds that we have. We all have wounds, and we all need healing for those wounds. I believe it is very difficult to be open to God's will for your life for the future when you haven't reconciled God's will for your past. What has hurt you in the past? What circumstances occurred that you cannot explain? Why are you unsettled when you look at certain historical events that took place in your life?

I am discovering that my legacy involves my past as much as it does my future. The generations that follow me will want to know about me. they will want to know my struggles, but more importantly how I dealt with those struggles and how God used those struggles to draw me closer to Him. I believe God will use my past to teach me about Him, but He will use those things to impact the lives of those yet to come. Romans 8:28 " And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose".

Sold out...To what?

Why is legacy capturing my thoughts these days? I am thinking that God is some way whispering to me that there are things in this life that are just not as important as I thought. I have spent so much time pursuing an illusion. The closer I get to that illusion, the oasis in the desert, the farther I am away from it. In other words its unattainable. As a believer in Jesus Christ , I will never be completely satisfied with what life has to offer without Him. My thirst will never be quenched by drinking from the well of the world.

I am thinking more about how my life in Christ will impact those around me. I am specifically interested in how I will pass my values to my children and their children, and their children. Perhaps I have finally given in to the fact that I will not be a Kennedy or a Rockefeller, and the inheritance that my kids will receive will have nothing to do with money. Good thing!

I am listening more to what God would have me do.. I have often told God that I am going this direction, and I fully expect Him rain down His blessings upon me, as I pursue my own agenda. I bought into the "Blessing candy machine" philosophy. Pop in a couple of requests and out comes a pretty packaged blessing, just like I asked. Maybe it doesn't work that way. How do I totally surrender to what God has for my life and the lives of my children? Is it about living the good life and getting the blessings we ask for, or is it about simply being with and knowing God no matter what circumstances we are in?

I have been sold out to the "prosperity" doctrine for too long. If I do the right things, act the right way, pray more, do my devotions, read my bible, sin less, work harder, go to church more often, give more, then God will grant my every wish. The genie will come out of the bible and fulfill me to my hearts content. So why am I not always content? Can I really control God this way? Does this formulaic approach really work? Have I cracked the code? If I simply do these things, will I get what I want?

God wants me in relationship with Him. He never promised me life was going to be easy, no matter what I do. The good life concept is not some sort of deal we make with God in order to get what we want. We cannot manipulate God, and if we are arrogant enough to believe we can, then we deserve to live life in the fog of despair and discouragement.

In short, legacy is a perspective for me. It's a lens I am looking through at every area of my life. It affects everything. Is my legacy the money or things, I leave behind in memory of some distant generation? Or is legacy God's footprint in my life, lived for His glory, to teach His future generations about Him? Legacy isn't about us, it's about Him. Something to think about...

Family Vision Statement

My wife Heidi and I went through a 6 week process of creating a family vision statement. It was interesting to see how the Lord formulated our thoughts and priorities, as we developed this. The goal was to put in writing, what direction God was taking our family. The written statement will be framed and "written on our door frame" to remind us of our priorities when life gets fuzzy.

We held a family meeting with our children to discuss our family vision statement. It was encouraging to see their openness and willingness to adopt the priorities that were outlined. It was as if there was a pressure taken from our children in knowing what was expected of them and that God is at wheel.

In this post I am including a copy of our vision statement. May it encourage you to think about the direction God is leading your family...




Gonzales Family Vision Statement

We will…Put our relationship with Christ above all things in our home

We will…Look to God’s word for the answers to tough questions

We will…Have a quiet time each day

We will…Honor mom and dad

We will…Respect mom and dad’s time alone

We will…Love and protect each other, to the death if need be

We will…Obey the Lord and mom and dad

We will…Honor God with sound money decisions (Give and save first- buy with cash)

We will…Put God and our family before any other activities

We will…Worship together as a family

We will…Be available; Be affectionate; Give affirmation; And accept one another

Deuteronomy 6:5-9
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk with them when you sit at home and when you walk along side the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates”

"Dad, thanks for showing me how to handle money"

As I ponder what the future will hold me me and my posterity alike, I cant help but to think about how my children will handle money. There are conversations that I would like to have in 20 years with each of my children. One of them is the positive influence I had on their lives with regard to how well they manage their money.

When the word legacy is used in the secular community is often linked to a person's future financial affairs and concerns. It relates to how a person passes money on to their 3 "C's" their Children, their Church, or their Charity. But I think of legacy and money in a very different light.

The legacy the world is talking about has more to do with the actual money itself and the money legacy I am talking about has to do with how we teach our children and grandchildren about money and how it should be used now. There is also a lot to be said about where the money came from in the first place. God makes considerable reference to money in His word and He uses money as a tool in which to bring us into a more dependant relationship with Him. Do my kids know this to be the case?

I have three children, two of which are old enough to understand some of the concepts that revolve around money management. I have one child who can spend money like there is no tomorrow and who enjoys the "Live in the now" mentality as it relates to his financial well being. I have another child however who is the complete opposite. She seems to "Come into" money with very little effort. She does what she loves to do, which is serve people and the Lord seems to bless her abundantly, she can't spend her money fast enough. It is also interesting to note that she is very faithful in her giving. The offering basket does not get past her without some of her money making it's way in.

I am sure glad that God is in control, because it's overwhelming to think of the responsibility I bear in teaching my children about money. Money is an instrument that is used for both good and evil and I pray that God will give me the wisdom to not only make good decisions myself with the money that he has entrusted to me, but also to pass on a legacy of money that fruitful in His eyes, to my children.

The financial legacy we leave to the generations ahead of us begins now with how we handle our money. My desire is to pass on solid godly financial principle that will aid them in good times and in bad...

Legacy of a Patriot

I can't seem to read the newspaper these days or watch a news program without seeing the rumblings of our countries political atmosphere. I am very interested, as every patriotic American should be, about who the next leader of our country will be. In business I was taught to not discuss money, sex, or politics, but this is not business. I cannot help but address the current state of affairs as I see them. That's the great thing about this form of expression, I get to discuss what I want... Feel free to click out anytime.



I have a few questions regarding legacy as it pertains to the last two terms of president Bush, as well as what the future legacy of our country will be with a new president. No doubt president Bush has had a tough go the last 8 years with the overall state of the economy, the markets, wars in the middle east, terrorism and foreign policy in general, family values, abortion, and global warming, just to mention a few. what will President Bush think when it it all said and done come November or December? As he debriefs from an 8 year roller coaster ride, how will he evaluate his performance? Did he do what was right for America. Was he intent on pleasing everyone? I think one thing is for sure, he was consistent in following his convictions and he obviously lead in such a way that made me believe he has a relationship with God. I found incredible comfort in that fact.



He made decisions that made a lot of people in America angry, but I believe he slept at night knowing that he was doing what he thought God wanted him to do. I am anxious to read his autobiography after his work is done in the white house. I am already disappointed with the views of our potential candidates on such topics as abortion. It seems that we are in trouble when our leaders cant agree on "thou shat not murder" Seems like morals 101 or intro to integrity, but the topic of abortion seems to be more about capturing the vote than it does a values based issue. That is one reason I like and respect president bush. He does what is right regardless of the political consequences. I think he will be able to face our Lord on the day of judgement know that he put his money where his mouth is. Bush fought for family values and this will be apart of his legacy more than the amount of money that was spent on wars in the middle east, or missing weapons of mass destruction.



I'm not sure of how strong of a believer he was going into his first term, but if I was a betting man(which I am not) I would bet that he is on his knees most everyday. I hear people say that the economy and the global position of America was almost destroyed by the hands of President Bush, and that he will have blood on his hands when he leaves office. I couldn't disagree more. President bush did very little to build his political equity; He did what he thought was right for American based on a supreme all knowing God, who was driving his decisions. Don't get me wrong, I didn't agree with everything he did, but I did have a certain amount of trust based on the fact that I believed that he was talking to the Lord about the decisions that were being made. I think I was able to see past the smugness and his so called arrogance knowing that he had a relationship with God.



It is interesting to think of the people that I lead. Can I truly make monumental mistakes and and still provide good leadership? The answer is yes if I too have a dependence on God the Father to control the outcomes of the decisions I make. That is what passing a godly legacy is all about. It is not about me taking the credit for the decisions I make that have and their favorable outcomes, its about humbly taking responsibility when things don't turn out well, and humbly giving God the credit when they do. I'm not in control, and I totally deny God when I think I am.

Leadership Though Legacy

In studying the the "Pastoral" Epistles, 1Tim, 2 Tim. and Titus, I was reading a commentary written by Vernon McGee, and I came across the following:

" These three words-love, mercy, and grace-are the little trinity. Love is that in God which existed before He could care to excises mercy or grace. God is love; it is His nature, His attribute. Mercy is that in God which provided for the need of sinful man. Grace then is that in Him which acts freely to save because all the demands of His holiness is satisfied. Therefore, because God is merciful, you can come to Him, and by His grace He'll save you. You don't have to bring anything, you cannot bring anything, because it would only be filthy rags to God"

I was somewhat caught in an ah-ha moment... I get so caught up in trying to do what is right and fighting that internal spiritual battle between my flesh and that of principalities, that I have lost sight of how and why God justifies His relationship with me. God loves me. Because I sin He gives me mercy, and He grants me overflowing grace in which to save me.

So you're probably wondering why I am studying the "Pastoral"Epistles. I was given this task by a friend who is discipling me in relation to biblical leadership. I have always thought of myself as a leader, but have I always been a good leader? The blunt answer is no.

I am faced with trying to figure out what separates me from God: I have narrowed it down to a few things-one of which is self-reliance and another is pragmatism.

I teeter back and forth from pragmatism(being totally results oriented) and controlling(self-reliant), to being a crying helpless child in His arms. I think God is teaching me that He wants the latter. He wants me to fully accept the inheritance He has for me. His love towards me is not dependant on what I do, but rather His ability to grant me mercy and grace. However, my response to His love, grace and mercy should be the good fruits in my life demonstrated by the way I live. I wish I could say this is always how I respond, unfortunately not.

I believe that in order to pass a legacy that is Christ centered, I have to be more like Christ. I also have to be prepared to lead in the way God designed. True leadership cannot exist without divine guidance from His absolute truth!

Please pray for us men as we lead our families in a world that desperately needs godly leaders.

Mom's and Legacy

We celebrated Mother's Day on Sunday, and as a family we enjoyed every minute. My wife Heidi always relishes in the attention that is given to her, but I think the children and I enjoyed giving to her and honoring her even more than she enjoyed receiving it all. It is the one day a year that we get to tell her how much we love and appreciate all that she does for our family.

What in the world would we do without her?

All of the doting over her we do, sets a precedent for how our children should view their mother. It was an opportunity to lead and teach them how to honor and respect their mother. I want them to know that nothing is more important on that day than showing their love and affection for all of the sacrifices she makes all year long. As leaders in our homes, our children are closely observing what we do on occasions like this.

I was listening to a radio program last week that described how hard the average mom works at raising her family, and how many hours in the week she spends tending to her family. I was astonished to hear that the average mom spends 90 hours per week "working on" her family. It was also stated that if she were paid an average wage, she would earn $107,000 per year, and most of her pay would be overtime! Wow.


What would our family look like in the future without her loving care? How will our wives impact the legacy of our family? HUGE! I am realizing that our wives(the mother of our children) have tremendous impact on the legacy that is left, and that it it not only the tasks that she does, the meals she cooks, the laundry that is done, the bedtime rituals that are performed, but it is all of her love and efforts rolled into one. It is also the response that her family has towards all of her efforts that helps to create a lasting legacy that will be remembered for many generations to come.

Failure is an Option...

I want my children to know where they came from, but do I really want them to know who I am. I find myself trying to be perfect in the eyes of my children, I don't want them to see my weaknesses or my faults. I am having to work hard these days at accomplishing this task, and are they really seeing perfection, or are thy witnessing hypocrisy. I am not perfect in my children's eyes or in anyone else's, but I have had this misconception that my children should only see the good and not the bad.

My children are going to learn more based on what I do, more so than what I say... Or so I'm told.

As my children get older, they are gaining more insight as to who I am, and I need to trust that the Lord will place a filter on their eyes to see me as He wants them to see me. I am also impressed to talk more openly about my relationship with Christ with them...

"These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up" Deuteronomy 6:6-7


I am so open to what the Lord would have me do with my children, but not having a model myself, I feel lost a good portion of the time. I am incredibly dependant on Him to give me direction. I explained to my friend Craig, that in my parenting I feel as though I am driving in a strange and unfamiliar city, without a map or GPS. I am constantly stopping to ask for directions and continually make wrong turns, but by the grace of God I get to where I am going...

Part of the legacy that I desire to leave my children is that of commitment. I want my children to know how committed I am to them, irregardless of my mistakes and failures or theirs. I also want them to see and experience my commitment to our Lord.

God, please grant me the courage to fail "successfully" in front of my children.

Life is but a Vapor

James 4:14 "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while, then vanishes." Heidi's close friend Michelle, lost her twin brother to cancer last night, he was 37. His name was Todd. He was married and and has 2 very young little girls ages 3 and 9 months. Heidi went to the hospital last night after he died to console Michelle. I was upstairs when she arrived back home. As I walked into the kitchen to greet her, she looked at me with a bit of a blank stare and said, "40 days... It was 40 days ago that Todd walked into the hospital with a pain in his side, now he's gone"

It's really hard to know what the purpose of his death is. Why would God allow a young wife to raise 2 girls on her own? We are left with questions and sorrow. I'm not sure about Heidi, but it makes me think my family. What if it were me that walked into a hospital with cancer and I died? I am obviously reminded of how important it is for me to instruct and lead my family now, but it is also important that I deliver an intentional legacy in the event I should die sooner as opposed to later.

There is a comfort knowing that I will spend eternity with Christ... I pray that Michelle and her family will come into a saving faith in Christ Jesus. Perhaps this is the reason for their hardship. I beleive that God is going to do whatever it takes to draw his children to himself. Lord I pray that Michelle would accept you as Lord and savior.

Is there anything that you could pass to your loved ones, that would be more valuable than your faith in Christ? Christ should be at the center of our Legacy.

Pass the Scissors Please...

Ladies have embraced legacy with pictures. When they cut out pictures and organize them in scrap books, women are creating a long lasting source of memories. They are congregating all over the world and pouring an amazing amount of time and energy into making sure their family memories are preserved. What is their motivation? Is creating a legacy motivating them? Are the "Oohs and Aahhs", when people look at the albums, motivating them? People see their work and can't help but to admire all of the effort. Is it the fact that they sit with other ladies, get a night off from the kids? Is it that they are able to get their creative juices flowing, doing "crafts" and get to eat snacks and drink wine at an evening event?

I'm sure if we interviewed 100 Ladies who scrapbook, we would get a combination of these answers. I recently sat down and really looked at what my wife Heidi had created over a 15 year period, and I was amazed. As I turned each page, not only could I actually see 5 pounds a year being added to my waistline, but I could see our lives being projected into the future. In fact, I was in the future as I looked at some of the events that took place over 15 years ago.

As I looked at the work of art that Heidi had created, I pondered the millions of bound memories that have been created through this scrap booking movement, and I couldn't help but ask the question, where are the men in this legacy ? Women are doing a fantastic thing, but men should be stepping up and participating in this legacy that their wives are documenting. As future generations look at the lives of each family, there are going to be questions of how the men were involved. They will ask, Where was he? Where is his voice, didn't he have anything to say? Did he care? Was he interested ?

Men have very important role to play in the legacy of their families.

I commend the millions of women that are putting their families history in the scrapbooks they are creating, but I think men need to be doing more to preserve their families legacy. Life from a man's perspective is very important to communicate to others. Now I don't see men sitting an doing a scrap book. I can't envision myself going away for the weekend a sitting around with a bunch of dude's cutting out pictures and reminiscing about days gone by, but men need to be more involved in the family legacy.

I believe God is calling men out... Get involved in developing, living and communicating the important legacy of your family!

The Good, Bad, and the Ugly

"May I see some identification please..." From making simple purchases to buying a home we present who we are. This verification process is a must when we are transacting any sort of business, important or trivial. Verifying someone identity creates a baseline for a positive outcome in the transaction. You know who I am, and I know who you are-Now let's work together.

How do you really know someone? Do you know how they were raised? What impacted their lives good and bad? Do you know where they came from? Just as important do know where they are going? Where they would like to end up in life? What is really important to them? Where will they go when they die? How do they make tough decisions?

Your Legacy is the past, present, and future rolled into one, and it is this that tells others who you really are. Legacy is a way that we are identified. Both good and bad. What we have done, what are doing now and what we will do in the future is our signature on this life, and many others will see and experience it in the future.

I cant help but think of Elliot Spitzer, the ex-Governor of New York. His life has been unraveled by his decisions to engage with a prostitute and somehow satisfy his cravings for today. This satisfaction carried more weight than the possible implications to him and his family in the future. I would bet that his decisions were not based on the legacy he wanted to live and leave, and if he could take a "mulligan" on those decisions, he would. What is Elliot Spitzer's legacy? What if you were one the many people who will inherit this legacy? How will his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren view him? Just as important, how will they be viewed.

This is interesting...

The legacy I leave, I get to chose; But as for the legacy my children receive, they have no choice whether or not to receive it; They get what they get...

Elliot Spitzer is not the first man to fall to his sinful cravings, and certainly won't be the last. The question is, when was the last time you were defeated by your sin? I am comforted by the fact that the blood of Christ was given on my behalf for the sin I have committed in the past, the sins I commit today and the sins I am sure to commit tomorrow. Elliot Spitzer's life is a mess, and I feel terrible for his legacy...My life would also be a mess if not for the grace of God.

"Then the Lord descended in the form of a pillar of cloud and stood there with him and passed in front of him and announced the meaning of his name. "I am Jehovah, the merciful and gracious God," He said, "slow to anger and rich in steadfast love and truth. I, Jehovah, show this steadfast love to many thousands by forgiving their sins; or else I refuse to clear the guilt, and require that a father's sins be punished in the sons and grandsons, and even later generations" (Exodus 34:5-8).

What sin's will your sons and grandsons have to answer for? So I have to ask, is my signature laced with the things of this world? Or is it laced with the saving grace of our Lord?

Synergy In Time

Past, Present and Future... These are the components of leaving an intentional legacy. Legacy, however to most people symbolizes what you will leave only in the future. I have put some thought into how our minds should process this concept in order to retrieve, build and effectively pass on a legacy that would help those who would draw upon it, down the road. We first address legacy in our present state. We first have to make a decision on whether or not we desire to make an effort to pass what is valuable to us, on to others. Second, we have to go back into the past to unlock the things, people, and events that shaped our lives.

It is through this process of "unlocking" the past that the first "synergy" takes place...

Until we have reconciled certain issues in our past, we cannot hope to pass those things on constructively into our future. This is key. Once we have begun this process we are then able to start thinking about the the footprint we desire to leave. We all suffer from the same terminal disease, mortality! Anyone reading this blog has some amount of years less than 100 left on this earth, and if you are a believer in Jesus Christ as Lord and savior, you know where you are going to spend eternity. But the question is how will your life be viewed between the 100 years and eternity. What stood out about your life to your children, grandchildren and perhaps your great grandchildren? Beyond your great grandchildren, you will only be know by the stories that are told about you, and the photographs that you left behind.

The second "synergy" is projecting your reconciled past and present into the future...

Our legacy begins to come alive as these two synergies ignite. I have found tremendous peace in putting to rest some of the dark area's of my past and have come to realize that God's grace is more than enough for me. I have learned so much about God's glory as I have searched for answers to my "why" questions about my past. I am starting to realize and see that God had a plan all along, and I want to make sure that the generations that follow my wife Heidi and I know about all of this.

The third "synergy " that takes place is the change that the past and the future has on your life today...

In other words legacy is not something you just for those in the future. I believe God designed us to process legacy as a unique tool for Him to change our lives today. I look forward to sharing some of the ways He has changed my life through this process called legacy!

Do you have a legacy?

We all have a legacy...Good or bad, we have a legacy... Intentional or unintentional, we have a legacy... People hear the word legacy and simply cannot wrap their minds around what this concept is. It is simply passing something on to others that will follow you. Simple, yet hard to do. I think what makes this hard is the fact that people have to summerize their life, take an inventory of sorts, and this is what makes legacy difficult. We are not given a context in which to do this. We are not taught to do this. We dont see the benefit to us now in doing this. The context that usually causes people to think about legacy is the death of a loved one or someone you know, or perhaps you are nearing the end of your life. But indeed it is somthing drastic. You begin to ponder what your significance really is. What did you do with your life that really meant anything. Did you make a difference? If you died today, what would your loved ones know about you? Have you done anything to speak to them from the grave? Do they know what you believed? Do they know your life story? How you were raised? Your first love? Your relationship with God? Your convictions? Legacy is an important for the generations that will follow you, but more important for shaping your life today. Being intentional about your legacy will change your life today. Knowing where you want you be in the future and knowing what you want to be remembered for, will shape how you live life now.