Leaving A Legacy ... Questions For Your Memory Book (Part Two)

Good morning! I thought that I would quickly type up the last of the questions for your Memory Book for you before I head into town to do that lovely thing called 'grocery shopping'. It's just going to be a quick little post as it's freezing here and my fingers are half numb while I type this! Here are the rest of the questions for you:

• what are your best memories of school?
• what was your favourite subject at school?
• what are some fond memories of your grandparents/great grandparents? What are their full names and birth dates?
• what was your most exciting holiday/trip? when/where/why?
• did you have any nicknames growing up?
• what are your children's full names and birth dates and where were they born?
• what are some things that you admire about your husband/wife?
• what are the most significant lessons that you have learnt in marriage?
• what have been your greatest joys in your marriage?
• what are the most significant lessons that you have learnt in your parenting?
• what have been your greatest joys in your parenting?
• is there a hobby that you enjoy/are passionate about? has God used this for His purposes?
• what is your favourite: colour/flower/season/food/author/music/scent/animal?
• do you have any favourite quotes?
• what do you like to do to relax?
• did you complete any extra studies after school? what/when/where?
• where did you go to school?
• do you have a life-long friend?
• what are your talents and abilities?

I hope you enjoy these. Add or delete whatever you like and be sure to let me know if you've started one for your family legacy!

I'm off to Sydney for Hillsong conference with the Music Team at our Church for a week, and I am very excited! I'm looking forward to hearing the speakers, the music too, but the speakers especially! Hopefully, I'll have a whole pile of God inspired posts to share with you when I get back! (When I'll be hearing Christine Cain, I doubt that I could ever be uninspired!).

Have a blessed few weeks, enjoy the small moments, and I'll see you when I get back!

A Little Bit Of Crazy Fun ... For No Reason

Last Sunday night we had a lovely couple in our Church give a quick talk about having fun in marriage. I thought I would share. The concept is something that this couple have purposefully put in place in their own marriage of many years, and it works! It may seem simple, but I find it's often the simple things that we forget about in amongst all the distractions of life.

Their message was simply this: Those who play together, stay together.

They talked about how we in our marriages rarely remember the times when we are sitting down paying bills, gardening, cooking dinner etc. because those things are the 'need to be done' things in life. Although these things are important, they discussed the need for balancing the 'serious and required' with the 'fun and spontaneous'. They shared with us that it's when you are having fun, laughing and making inside jokes and fun little traditions together that that is when you are making memories that will last and add up to a sixty year marriage.They gave us two guidelines ...

1. It was not to have any reason
2. You have to go along with whatever the instigator ... well, instigates!

They threw it out to the congregation and asked us to think of some examples of 'fun for no reason' with your spouse, this is what we collectively came up with ...

• pillow fights
• food fights
• water fights
• nerf gun wars
• creating a fort
• hide and seek
• treasure hunt complete with maps and clues
• an obstacle course/race
• going outside and climbing trees

 

 

 



As you can see, some of the suggestions would be quite fun! What would you do to have fun with your spouse for no reason?! Would you try any of them?!

 

Have fun making memories with your special someone this week!

 



Leaving A Legacy ... Questions For Your Memory Book (Part One)

Hello my beautiful readers! I apologise for my slackness in writing out these questions for you to use in your memory books if you would like too, it has gone from slow to full-pace here lately! I thought I'd take these few quick minutes to write out some of the questions below. I realised as I was typing them out that I really did ask a lot of questions, so I will do them in a two part post (that explains why my Grandfather hesitated to answer them ... he thought there was too many! Sorry Grandad!)

I hope you enjoy them!

• when and where were you born?
• what is your full name? do you like your name?
• what were your parents and siblings full names and birth dates?
• when and where did your parents marry?
• what are some fond memories you have of your parents?
• what are some fond memories of your childhood?
• what is one cheeky/annoying thing that you did to your siblings when you were young?
• what careers/jobs have you had in your life? which one were you most passionate about?
• do you have a favourite bible character? why?
• which churches have you attended?
• what's your favourite bible verse/passage?
• do you have a favourite hymn/s or song/s?
• what has been your most challenging weakness to give to God?
• do you have any regrets? If so, what would you have done differently given that time/opportunity again?
• when and where did you give your life to Jesus? What was it that made you respond to Him?
• what is the most significant lesson in faith you have learned?
• who is Jesus to you?
• have you been on any mission trips? When/where/why?
• have you been baptised? When and where?
• do you know your love language and temperament?
• what have you discovered are the most important/valuable things in life?
• who has been a consistent Godly role model for you in your life and why?
• how and when has God answered one of your most fervent prayers?

 

 

I would love to hear from you if you've started a memory book of your own! It really is a lot of fun to put together, and even more fun to read again and again, learning from those you love.

 

I'll add the rest of the questions for you at a later date. Have a great day!

 

 

 

But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear Him,

and his righteousness with their children's children -

with those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts.

Psalm 103: 17-18

 

Leaving A Legacy

I still see them, together, sitting on their bed. Legs stretched straight out in front, open Bibles in their laps, hand cupped to the ear that housed a hearing aid. They were listening to the Pastors message from Sunday on cassette. They never missed one sermon. Their faith was so evident. So tangible and real. Their house was permeated with the calm, quiet and gentle presence of God. His peace rested there. My heart still misses them. Almost every day.

And now I am aware that I am entering into a time in my life where, as they age, I may not have the presence of my Grandparents in my life as I do right now. Like my Great Grandparents, whose gentle, visible faith has not been in my life since my early teens, my Grandparents may not be with me much longer either. Oh how I will miss them. There will be such an irreplaceable gap in my heart.

I realise that I am so abundantly blessed to still have the amount of Grandparents in my life that I do right now.  I/we have, three Grandfathers and three Grandmothers still alive. Our children have four Grandparents, three G.Grandfathers and three G.Grandmothers (there was deaths/divorce years back so we have gained 'extra's' to love!).

I also realise the older I get, just how much they have shaped who I am right now. How much their love, care, influence and example has wrapped its way into the makeup of my person, my soul, my heart. They also hold a torch up high, showing me the person I still am wanting to become. The legacy I am wanting to leave.

How do you capture such faith and life experiences as theirs? (Although they are far from perfect) How do you pause time to forever remember the impact they have in your life? (Although the times weren't always rosey) How do you not forget? These were all questions that I couldn't ignore. I had to do something that would seize the faith of these beautiful Saints so that in years to come, when they are rejoicing in glory, we can have their words of wisdom as an added guide to know how to step out our faith. To know the truth that this world drowns out by distractions, complications, stresses and sins. To be reminded of the worth and value of a faith genuinely lived in the day to day ups and downs; the Word of God being the unmovable, firm foundation of our lives and that our God is mighty and worthy of all honour and praise and adoration for the rest of our lives!

Then, God showed me what I had to do. I created a 'Memory Book' for each of our Grandparents and Parents. It is a journal that I put together containing a pretty large amount of questions that they could answer. Questions that I wanted to remember; that I know are important. Not only ones about their genealogy, but mostly about their faith. 'Who is God to You?' 'What are the greatest lessons in your walk with God?' 'What is your favourite Bible verse/hymn/song/Bible character and why?' 'What are your lessons in marriage/parenting?' They all gave a cheeky 'grumble' when I handed the journals to them, but as they are being returned, there are smiles and comments of "It was actually a wonderful thing to do". They felt honoured, valued, worthwhile and loved - so very loved. I am still waiting to receive a couple of books back, and they know that I will lovingly 'nag' them until I have them!

The content of these journals are priceless. I can see my children and their children (Lord willing) reading over these words of truth and wisdom. Applying it to their own lives. Knowing what the faith of the ones before them looked like. Living a life that glorifies God. MR S and I are going to be completing one of these journals together sometime soon so that our children have a record of their parents faith too. I'm praying the unwavering (although tested) faith lived out so beautifully by my G.Grandparents, Grandparents and Parents before me will return full circle and be found in me. So that the circle may begin again and extend to my future generations.

Praise His Holy Name!

MR S's Paternal Grandfather and 'step'-grandmother's journal

... his Maternal Grandmother had already passed away before God gave me this idea.

Thankfully, she was an avid journal keeper.

 

My Paternal Grandfather and 'step' Grandmothers journal ...

lots of wise and cheeky answers in this one!

 

This is my Great Aunty's journal who recorded so much of my Paternal G.Grandparents,

her parents, in here for me, as well as from her own life. So precious.

 

 

These are my Nana's old Bibles - she has scrawled

her precious notes in the tiniest, neatest cursive I've ever seen!

 

 

Our piano is where I have chosen to hang pictures

of our extended families on both sides. Visual reminders

of beautiful people who I just love so much!

 

The lady in the centre collage picture is my Mother-in-love

when she was younger, wasn't she beautiful! The wedding picture on the piano

is my Mum and Dad ... I love this piano area.

 

 

 

My legacy, your legacy, our faith is worth recording. It is worth the effort. For so many reasons I hope God gives you a way to record your story too. It is such a blessing.

 

Tomorrow, Lord willing,  I will be making some 'nagging-in-love' (come on Nana! I'm really wanting to read yours!) phone calls, writing a letter or two and maybe purchasing the journal for MR S and I to begin together.

Some time this week I will try my very best to write out all the questions that I included in  the journals for you to use if you so desire.


You're welcome here anytime!

Love in Christ,
Elisha.

But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear Him,

and his righteousness with their children's children -

with those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts.

Psalm 103: 17-18

 

 

I'm linking up with these blogs today for even more inspiration!