Book Drawing!!! “Heirloom: Living and Leaving a Legacy of Faith”

by Kathy Howard

I love everything Kathy Howard writes and so I’m excited about featuring Kathy’s latest book. I think we all want to leave a spiritual legacy for our families. And Kathy’s book will help and inspire you to do that regardless of your stage in life. Here’s an excerpt from her book to encourage you and then read below how to enter the drawing. (The drawing is now closed. Amber is the winner!)

That’ll Leave a Mark

by Kathy Howard

Every family has those stories. The ones that begin with “remember when…” A couple of our family’s stories begin like this: “Remember when Sarah got stuck in a turnstile?” “Remember when we lost Sarah at Disney World?” Yes, many of our memorable family events feature our second daughter Sarah in a tight spot.

But we also have those family stories that feature God’s activity in our lives.

My favorite happened during the time we lived in Alberta, Canada. God began bringing adults to our church who had never attended a church and knew nothing about the Bible. With God’s leading, my husband and I started a Bible study for spiritual seekers. God used that group to bring dozens of adults to faith in Christ. Eventually, the ministry involved our whole church. For instance, members invited their neighbors who had spiritual questions, then joined them in the Bible study class.

As a permanent reminder of God’s work, we bought a print depicting Jesus as the Good Shepherd who sought and found the one lost sheep. Our children know this God story well. And every time someone else asks about the picture, we happily tell it again.

That picture of Jesus is an example of a spiritual marker. Spiritual markers commemorate a great activity of God. Not only do they help those who experienced it personally remember it, but they also provide a way for their descendants to participate in these mighty works of God through the story.

God Himself established this principle of spiritual markers. For instance, when His people crossed the Jordan River on dry ground at flood stage, God directed them to set up memorial stones as a way to preserve and pass down this event of God’s glorious intervention. TWEET THAT!!!!

These solid, physical reminders also prompted questions from future generations who did not witness the miracle.

“When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over…”^[ Joshua 4:21-23a ESV

You can do the same in your family. Memorialize a mighty work of God by connecting the story to a unique physical object. Then use this “spiritual marker” as an opportunity to tell the story over and over to your family and friends.

Sadly, memories can be so short. Spiritual markers not only strengthen memory, they provide a great opportunity to pass down the family God stories to the next generation. If you don’t tell your children what God has done in your life, who will?

Thank you, Kathy, for that  beautiful and significant encouragement of how we can develop our own spiritual legacy.

More about Heirloom:

“Heirloom: Living and Leaving a Legacy of Faith” tells stories of the past that will impact our faith today. These 52 heart-felt reflections reveal the seeds of our faith―seeds that sprouted and took root, growing through the centuries to today. Heirloom weaves these stories of faith and family history with Scripture, beautiful artwork, and ancestry research tips and techniques. Through these stories of persevering faith you’ll discover the potential your story has to impact future generations. (See “Heirloom” on Amazon.)

If you’d like to enter the drawing to win Kathy Howard’s book “Heirloom,” go to my blog and write a comment on my post. CLICK HERE. The drawing ends Thursday evening, April 7th, 2022. You must have a US address to win. UPDATE: the drawing is now closed. Amber is the winner of Kathy’s book!

Kathy Howard is a treasure hunter. She hunts for the creamiest chocolate and richest coffee. She searches for cherished stories of faith that still impact hearts. And, she digs deep into God’s Word, mining His eternal truths for herself and to share with others. With more than 30 years of experience, Kathy has taught in dozens of states, internationally, and in a wide range of venues including multi-church conferences and large online events. She has a Masters of Christian Education from the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary and is the author of 10 books, including the “Deep Rooted” devotional series and “Heirloom: Living and Leaving a Legacy of Faith” .  Kathy and her husband live in the Dallas/Ft Worth area near family. They have three married children, six grandchildren, and two accidental dogs. Kathy provides free discipleship resources and blogs regularly at www.KathyHoward.org.