What is the example we are setting for our children? Is it one of love, integrity, credibility or is it one of strife, jealousy, anger and bad decisions?

My father passed away a little over a year ago and he was fleeced by a woman and her son in the last two years of his life. He married her and proceeded within two years to let her and her son dismantle his whole estate and in the end, disavowing all his children. While she and her son think they have really pulled something over on my dad’s family, what they don’t know is that they will not be in peace. Shortly after his death, this woman and her son threw every belonging my dad possessed that did not have value in the trash. The pieces that had value, they stole and or sold. The only things of my father I have today were items I had already been given.

I was with my brothers and sister last weekend and what came out of the conversation was that what she and her son really stole from us was the good memories of our father. See, when we think of him now, the only memory we have is his final act which was to tell his children he didn’t love them. I believe God is watching everything and he knows the intentions of the heart and this woman and her son will not be at rest or at peace. I and my siblings are.

Why am I telling you this story? It is so you can understand the power of setting the example and leaving a legacy. Being true to the end should be the goal we all have.

I believe the greatest thing we can do for our children and grandchildren is to be the example they need to see. Every single person alive want (they might not say it) to have examples in their life. They want to follow someone that stands the test of time and finishes the race and leaves a legacy of honor, credibility, integrity, and honesty. Everyone wants a hero and I just think there is a special anointing and favor that follows people willing to set the example. My grandfather (dad’s dad) was that way. He always had time for me and always made me feel loved. He was a farmer and not wealthy when he died but his memory will live long in my heart. He gave us kids the one greatest gift he could. The gift of unconditional love.

When the Lord calls me home, it is my hope and prayer that I leave behind the gift of unconditional love for my daughters, son in-laws and all my grandchildren. I also believe the bible when it tells us that “great is the man who leaves an inheritance for his children’s children.” That is something I fully intend to do. Unlike my father, I intend to always say and show my love for my family. Merry Christmas! KT

We had a family get together this past weekend with my brothers and sister and all the children. Our granddaughters have their own rooms at our house for when they spend the night and they have clothes, toys etc. and it is their own space.

At some point that night my youngest granddaughter had gone up to her room and put on her house slippers and came back down to the party. When she left to go home, she changed back into her shoes and left her house slippers by my chair.

That evening I couldn’t sleep and got up to go read for a while and when I turned on my reading light by my chair I looked down and saw her little house slippers. Its funny how some things just stop you in your tracts. That night those little house slippers did that to me.

I realized at the moment how precious life is and how fast it goes by. When I saw those shoes, I thought about when my own daughters would leave their shoes downstairs and how that seemed like just a couple of years ago. Here I am looking my granddaughter’s shoes 30 years later. I was struck with a feeling of nostalgia and awareness of how fast time gets by. One day you wake up and realize that 20 years have passed while you were busy.

Getting older is scary. You began to think about things and events that you used to never think about. You were too busy living it and didn’t realize how quick those moments slip by. This Christmas look at the little house slippers (metaphorically) in your life and remind yourself of the best of life and what is important. The new phone, car or bank account do not compare to the importance of a little pair of slippers to remind you what matters most in your life. There will come a day in all our lives when there are no little slippers on the floor. Cherish each moment and be there in that moment. I think this may be the best gift we could give ourselves this Christmas. The gift of being aware. KT

Words are perhaps the most powerful thing in the world. It was words, that God used to form the world and it has been words that set in motion ever major event in history. Words are critically important for the ones hearing them but just as important for the one speaking them. Words heard or spoken, go straight to the soul and many times set in motion the course of life. Clearly there are situations where people/children have been told they will never amount to anything and that they have no value etc. Even in those tough situations, it was the spoken words (negative words) that forced the person to make a decision to rise above them and become somebody.

For many people, they never had a parent tell them that they loved them and believed in them and that they could accomplish anything they set their mind to. There are others that had only one parent that believed in them which was true in my case. It was my mom. Clearly, just the spoken word is not enough to change a life as there also must be decisions made by the ones hearing the words. But make no mistake. it is words that set the stage and in many situations start in motion the events of life.

While history has no record of this, I must believe that Nancy Lincoln, Morrow Graham, Muriel Waley, Pauline Einstein, Sara Roosevelt, Francis Nightingale, Alberta King and Cassandra Austen told their children that they believed in them and that they were loved. See, it was not them that changed the world, rather it was their children. Ps; see if you can guess the children’s name. A few are obvious but you might have to dig deep on a couple.

There is power in words and a special power and influence in the words of a parent. This Christmas when you are speaking to your children and grandchildren, regardless of age, tell them in actual words what they mean to you and give them words of affirmation, encouragement and let them know you believe in them. KT

In life, where we end up, can be significantly altered by a slight directional change now. Let’s take one degree as an example. If you started walking straight toward a target one mile away and turned one degree to the left or right at the beginning, you would miss your target by 92 feet. If you were flying to the moon and altered your course by one degree, you would miss the moon by 4,200 miles (twice the diameter of the moon.)

I heard a pastor say once that your direction is far more important than your intention. The example he used was that you could have the greatest intentions to go to Florida but if your car is heading north it doesn’t matter what your intentions are, you will not be going to Florida.

It is the same in life. One little direction change now could realign where you end up in life. Let’s say, you decided to cheat someone, lie on your taxes, mislead someone, try some substance you shouldn’t, have a relationship you shouldn’t etc. The list could go on for pages of the little decisions today that become very large decisions later in your life.  In a full circle there is 360 degrees so you can imagine how small a one-degree change is. At the beginning it is almost unnoticeable but that directional change could mean a whole different life for you.

In life its usually not the big decisions that get us off tract. It’s usually a combination of little decisions that seem so small they couldn’t possible influence us long term. Think again, because it is those little directional changes, we make that could result in a real shift to where we end up in life. I heard a guy say one time that, “whatever you compromise to keep, you will eventually lose.” I think he was right. If you compromise your integrity now, that little degree turn in your direction, could affect your children, grandchildren and possibly your future.

So be aware, diligent and smart about little decisions you make today. We only get one try at life and it would be a shame to miss the target 20 years from now because of a little change in direction today. KT