~The Vision of Leaving a Legacy~

~Why Leaving a Legacy?~ The Story~

Where did the Vision Originate?

The First Vision of Leaving a Legacy is Marriage. We are all unique people and given different callings in life.  A passion of ours is to minister to marriages because aside from the obvious — faith in the Lord Jesus — ones marriage has the single greatest impact on the legacy one leaves. 

Like many, over the years Isaac and I have watched many marriages fail. Because we are in the industry of working with entreprenuers we have seen first hand what the pressures of running an organization have on a marriage. Sadly we have witnessed many marriages fail in attempt to save businesses and businesses fail  in attempt to save marriages, and it doesn’t have to be that way. Together My husband and I will be sharing on marriage from the perspective of being a team.  How to Create a Vision for your Marriage & Family.  Many women handicap their husbands and are not aware of how their words, actions, demeanor and presence in the room can actually paralyze a potential that could be experienced.  How their “strength” can actually “discourage” and handicap their husband.  Many Men do not appreciate, love and utilize the gift God gave them in providing them a wife. Isaac and I desire to see ALL marriages sanctified, saved… not just Christian Marriages.  There are many books and seminars available for Christian Marriages, but we have a burden on our heart for those marriages out there that are struggling that are not of faith too.  I believe God wants all Marriages to Thrive, not just survive or even be “normal.”  I believe that a Thriving Marriage is one the Most Powerful Legacies that can impact children.

Second, Leaving a Legacy is a landing-place for all moms to be encouraged, find resources, be challenged in their thinking and the actions they take on a daily basis.  I want Leaving a Legacy to inspire real~ness (no masks), I want it to challenge “as Iron Sharpens Iron.”  Most of all I want the writings in this Blog to jolt your best and most productive thinking, thinking that causes you to realize your gifts, talents and abilities and encourages you to shine for Jesus and live sharing those and giving your best contribution to the world God placed you in.  But I also want to ask you questions that reveal areas of growth.  The questions I ask and posts I write come from my own experience and the path of growth God has led me down.  I am human, not perfect, very sinful, and my writing is not meant to feel preachy… but I hope it is convicting… I hope it is a tool that God uses to help you create positive growth and change on an everyday basis in your homes.  Leaving a Legacy is here to Encourage, Equip & Engage Parents (especially moms) to be Intentional in Leaving a Legacy.

Lastly, but certain not the least of these is “A Life of Proactive Intentionality.” I believe that we are always “leaving a legacy” with our children.  Intentionally and unintentionally we do this.  Everything we say, we do, how we talk about others, how we love, how we forgive, how we pursue faith & God, how we serve, how we view life… all of it.  More is caught from what we do than taught from what we say.  So our words need and have to be in alignment with what we do… otherwise we are hypocrites and our children we grow up to call us that.  Like I said before, no one is perfect, but that truth doesn’t give us permission to be the worst version of ourselves, or even just a mediocre version.  God calls us to Greatness for His Glory.  If we are Christians do not “brand” Jesus well, what witness do we have.  We have to realize that our children are not saved automatically because we are Christians and take them to church.  We are called to lead our children, engage their hearts and minds, teach them, and most of all try to lead by example~ “WALK the TALK.”  When we sin, apologize and admit it!  Repent, teach them humility by being humble and honest. Everything we do in life needs to be surrendered and our actions need to be done not for our glory, but God’s.  If our priorities are wrong and the way we try to lead our family is lacking eternal purpose, than it’s a waste of time. 

Where did the Vision Come From?

It is a Gift given by God~  He opened my Eyes when I recieved Him into my heart years ago~ this journey I have been so blessed to be on~ of really realizing my sin and need for a Savior~ I don’t even want to imagine what my life would look like without Christ~ It certainly would look nothing like it does~ This Vision isn’t my own~ It’s God’s ~ it’s FREE

Why the Name Leaving a Legacy?

 When I was a little girl my Great Grandmother Viola took care of my brother, sister and I faithfully for many years.  She taught me so many things as a child… how to crochet, hard work (washing dishes by hand/weeding), a love for gardening and caring for plants, she had a wood~stove for heat and my brother had to help cut & stack wood, and she shared stories all the time.  Stories of growing up on the farm, her sister getting polio, her great grandparents… and she loved pictures.  I remember laying on the floor in the winter & sitting on the lawn swing in the summer perusing through her photo albums that had pictures from generations past.  She would tell us stories of our ancestors and the hard ships of being business owners and farmers. 

Twelve years ago when I was pregnant with my first baby I began becoming a scrap~booking fanatic.   The phrase “Leaving A Legacy” came to me then, twelve years ago when I was thinking of opening my own scrap~booking store.  I was going to call it “Leaving a Legacy” because when you die… those photos tell a story… the story of your Legacy, the Legacy of your Family.

After having my 2nd baby everything began going digital and the idea of a store for scrap~booking didn’t seem wise with the forethought of where technology would take Scrap~booking.  So five years I began my first blog… called “Leaving a Legacy.”  The original vision was to scrap~book memories of our family life… for grandparents and for myself and the kids… it was fast, easy, and free.

 Slowly my vision changed and I began writing more on Motherhood, Natural Living, Health for Families, Home Schooling, and so on.  As I began seeing the opportunity for ministry from a seat in my kitchen, that could be controlled by me and when I had free time… I felt a calling to share the passions, dreams and thoughts God has placed on my heart over the years of being married to a entrepreneur and raising a family on purpose. I began feeling limited in what I could do with Leaving a Legacy and had begun coaching clients through our company Choose Growth so felt the need for a growing site.

We launched the new “Leaving a Legacy the first weekend of November 2011, but have been “under construction” in some ways since then.  You know, we are ALL under-construction.  We all can grow.  Being introspective and honest about yourself, your faults, your sins can be ugly… but this is a healthy realization that has to occur for growth. 

I want to look forward to growing old experiencing a Thriving Marriage and watching the Legacy God has placed on our hearts to pursue come to realization.  I want that for you too!  To Enjoy the Experience of Life that God has gifted you with.  To live with no regrets but cheerful anticipation for the Eternal.

Blessings!

Isaac & Angie