Kathy Howard - Heirloom: Living and Leaving a Legacy of Faith

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Heirloom: Living and Leaving a Legacy of Faith

Copyright 2021 by Tyndale House Ministries. All rights reserved.

Cover and interior illustrations of florals are public domain from Biodiversity Heritage Library. All other interior images are the property of their respective copyright holders from Shutterstock, and all rights are reserved. Early railroad chippix; open Bible Stephen Rees; old treaty and grunge calligraphy Michael Steden; military discharge Maria Dryfhout; medals rCarner; soldier portrait Elzbieta Sekowska; grandmother Istomina Olena; passport and visa Mark Carrel; dog tag Sergey Kamshylin; photo frame nadi555; postcards pavila; map Steve Estvanik; silver cross Dennis van de Water; aged paper LiliGraphie; olive tree Protasov AN; pendant asharkyu; locket watch Asa Smudhavanich; oak tree and Nile landscape Morphart Creation; monocle vvspentax.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV; copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.; used by permission; all rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers; used by permission; all rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation; used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188; all rights reserved.

All the personal stories are true, based on the information provided by the contributors who have verified their accuracy. Some names have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.

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ISBN 978-1-4964-4744-9

ISBN 978-1-4964-4746-3 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-4964-4745-6 (Kindle); ISBN 978-1-4964-4747-0 (Apple)

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I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.

3 JOHN 1:4, NLT

Introduction

Im fascinated by the stories of my ancestors. I want to know where they came from, how they lived, and what they were like. Their stories help me understand how I got to be me. Maybe you feel the same way.

The Bible places great value on knowing our family history, specifically our spiritual roots. The stories of those who have come before us can strengthen and encourage our faith today. As we live intentionally for God, we lay a spiritual foundation for those who come after us.

When our three children were growing up, my husband and I worked to encourage their faith. In hindsight, I see some gaps in our discipling. We could have been more purposeful in some areas. Looking toward the future, I want to take advantage of every opportunity God gives us with our grandchildren.

What legacy do you want to leave for your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren? For other members of your extended family? The most valuable heirloom we can pass down is a legacy of faith. While we cant believe for any of our loved ones, we can teach them about our great God and create an atmosphere in our homes where trust in him can flourish. We can tell our own stories, share Gods Word, and point them to Jesus.

This devotional book is designed to help you purposefully live today in ways that will leave a legacy of faith for your descendants. Heirloom ties the past to the future. Within these pages are fifty-two stories about people who have gone before us and how they lived and whom they worshiped. These stories, which come from personal anecdotes, historical records, and the Bible, reveal the seeds of our faith seeds that sprouted and took root, growing through the centuries to touch our lives today.

These accounts exemplify biblical principles of spiritual legacy. Each devotion includes Scripture, questions for personal reflection, a prayer, and a practical tip to help you create a spiritual heirloom your family will treasure. And if you love digging into the stories of your own familys past, each devotion includes a bonus genealogy research tip.

Today were reading our ancestors stories. Tomorrow our descendants will be reading our stories. What kind of legacy will we leave?

Kathy Howard

This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.

PHILIPPIANS 1:9-10

I found a treasure while cleaning out a desk at my parents home. Stuffed in an old metal box, it shared the space with a pair of delicate, wire-rimmed spectacles and a small ledger with regular entries of twenty-five cents a week in savings. The letter, yellowed and fragile with age, was dated March 26, 1914. I struggled to read the faded ink. Addressed to Howell Adam Shouse, my great-grandfather on my mothers side, it was written by his mother, Mary Dozier Shouse.

Much of the news was what youd expect who had been sick, who had gotten married, who had visited, and how she longed to see her dear son. But one paragraph brought me to tears:

Oh, how much I do pray for you every single morning and night. I pray mightily to the Lord that you, Howell, and your children may be convicted and converted and sanctified. Never a day do I miss. May God hear and answer my prayers.

In chapter 1 of the apostle Pauls letter to the Christians in Philippi, he recorded a similar prayer for their spiritual well-being. Paul loved these spiritual children and prayed for them constantly.

Like Paul, Mary Dozier Shouse faithfully interceded on behalf of her descendants. This discovery thrilled me, because I knew her prayers covered me too. Long before I was born, my great-great-grandmother prayed for me to have a saving, growing relationship with Jesus. The letter challenged me not just to pray for the physical welfare of my loved ones, but also to faithfully lift prayers that matter for eternity.