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Keep It To Yourself
This is the time of year for giving. First we give candy, then we give thanks, then we give presents. It’s a strange order if you think about it, but that is just the way things shake out. I guess it is normal at the end of each year to reflect on all we have been blessed with and then to respond by the sharing of our blessings. It was our Lord, after all, who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). But there are some things we often fail to give. Perhaps it is because we are not sure if anyone else would want…
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A Skill You Can Use to Help Others (and Anyone Can Do It)
Are you a parent who has a desire for your children to have a good life (however you define that term)? If that is the case, what do you think would be one essential skill you need to implement? Maybe you are married and have no children. Maybe you are married and your children are no longer in the house. In either case, your desire is for you and your spouse to have a fulfilling relationship. If that is the case, what do you think would be one essential skill you need to implement? Perhaps you have some sort of supervisory role where you work. You may, in fact, own the company or be at…
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Episode 113: Attacking December Before December Attacks You [Podcast]
https://media.blubrry.com/faughnfamily/content.blubrry.com/faughnfamily/Legacy_Podcast_113.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS(Player not displaying or working? Click here to listen.) As December and the Christmas season are drawing near, Adam and Leah take some time to talk about how people–especially families–can keep control of their finances, schedules, and health during this time of year. This is a candid conversation that should help any family realize that they need to exercise self-control, while enjoying so many good things about the season. (And there’s a shout-out to the Cameron Crazies at Duke.) More from A Legacy of Faith To subscribe to A Legacy of Faith by email for free click here. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Subscribe…
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Holiday Traditions (with Free Recipe for Hot Onion Dip)
I’ve really enjoyed the fact that Thanksgiving was a little earlier this year. It allowed for some extra time in November to think about the things I needed to get done before Christmas rolls around. We have some family traditions that seem to happen every year when the Christmas holiday is held at our home. (We alternate holidays at our house, Thanksgiving one year and Christmas the next, so that all of our family can be together.) This is our year for Christmas, and we are really looking forward to it. We enjoy playing games (well, the kids do), going to the park to see the Christmas light display, singing, visiting, and most definitely…
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If You Think You Have Nothing in Common with Your Fellow Christians
It was, in many ways, a heartbreaking conversation. There were issues, to be sure. And some of those issues were heart-wrenching. The conversation was one I had with a Christian lady. She just needed to talk about some things going on with her and her family, and I was glad she felt as if she could trust me to listen and, maybe, offer some advice. Some of the conversation included some things I was expecting, but at least one aspect of what she shared I was not ready for. Still, as she spoke about her relationships (family, friends, and so on), there was an undercurrent that I could not quite…
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Why Sin is More Than Just a Mistake
Because we are human we tend to be beset by weakness. God knows this. “He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:14). This is why His gracious and merciful nature abounds towards His creation. He has not dealt with us according to our sins. Aren’t we thankful?! The phrase, “To err is human, to forgive, divine,” originates from the English poet Alexander Pope, in his work: An Essay on Criticism, Part II (1711). Pope was trying to convey in this phrase that forgiveness is a superior response to human failings. Ultimately we can see this in our Father’s answer to our sins through the gift of…
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A Matter of Distance (and Maybe Something Else)
I first heard the expression fairly recently. It was attributed to the child of a famous political figure who is very close to the extreme left of the political spectrum in our nation. While the politician’s daughter shares her mother’s political philosophy, it was reported that she gained a new perspective. The perspective was a result of her actually spending some time “up close and personal” with people who do not agree with her or her mother politically. This person had left the “hallowed halls of academia.” She had not done her research by attending political rallies, strategy sessions, or policy forums. Instead, she actually rubbed elbows and communicated with ordinary people with whom…
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A Two-Step Process to Making Thanksgiving More Meaningful
My favorite holiday is tomorrow! I love Thanksgiving. I know I have a bit of an idealized view of the holiday, but it is still my favorite. People slow down a bit and, for the most part, seem to relish what really matters. However, as the years go by, Thanksgiving is just another day on the calendar for more and more people. We rush through everything and even head out to shop all afternoon, getting a jumpstart on Christmas. Honestly, I wonder how much longer Thanksgiving will actually be a holiday, since we don’t treat it like one! Still, it is a great day, if we will make it so.…
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Thankful Hearts
There is a song we typically hear each November and December with the lyrics, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” For a guy from California, I have often sneered at that song because of how I feel about the weather. I mean how can it be wonderful when I am freezing to death?! But then I think about the kinds of things I typically witness at this time of year like what I encountered this past Saturday. As I passed by a local church building, there were some teenagers outside the building holding signs and inviting anyone to a free turkey dinner. My heart was touched! All were…
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A Matter of Focus
Please allow me to suggest some seemingly disconnected questions which all, at least in my opinion, might have the same answer: Why is it so difficult to find the time to worship and/or participate in a Bible class on a regular basis?’ Why is it that, when I do attend a worship service or Bible class, I don’t seem to get anything out of it? Do I need to feel like I’ve been entertained by a big production company in order to feel like I’ve really worshiped? Is it helpful if special lighting and other effects are used in order to “create the proper mood?” Why can I not seem to…
