#legacyoflove by: Deborah Ard
What a beautiful blessing to watch sorrow unfold a legacy of love. As our small community has been dealing with many tragedies, death, and sadness recently, one particular death has especially impacted my ten year old daughter. This has been the first time she has been old enough to understand and deal with grief. I have been touched and blessed by her tender and pure way of processing death.

As she and I attended the visitation for this beautiful Christian couple, it was evident that many more than us had been impacted by them. Sitting in the pew and waiting for our turn to pay my respects, I was touched by the overwhelming amount of people present. Person after person poured into the line to wait. Life after life that was changed because of encounters with these two special individuals. I often tell my children that everything you say and do will somehow affect others. We have the choice to make a positive impact or a negative impact. An overflowing church at this visitation was proof that these two individuals chose positively impact the lives they touched every day.
My daughter and I were unable to attend the funeral for these two angels. The morning of the funeral she asked if at the time of the funeral she could come to my classroom and we could pray together. So we did just that. I arranged with her teacher to allow her to come to me at 10:55 and at 11:00 we stood together in my office, holding hands and praying. We prayed for the family and friends to have strength, comfort and courage as they continued to deal with the loss of their loved ones. We praised this precious couple and thanked Him for the blessing of knowing them. As I prayed out loud tears rolled down my sweet daughters face. In an effort to comfort her I asked her what she remembered most about the woman who had touched her life. She replied, “I remember that she loved me.”
When I later shared this with a friend she became teary eyed and said, “That is all we ever want a child to say about us. That they know we loved them.”
This Christian couple spent their lives building a legacy of love. They accepted the charge given by Jesus in Matthew 22:37-39, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbors as yourself.”
And now it is our turn to honor them and others who have set the example for us. Today I am examining what I am doing to build a legacy of love. How am I loving like Christ? Is my daily interactions a positive or negative impact? How about you? Take some time today to prayerfully ponder your daily habits, words, actions. What can you plan to do to build your legacy of love? After all is said and done the greatest legacy we can leave is love. May God give each of us the insight and discernment, strength and courage to love others like Christ!

#prayer #AllforGodsglory by: Julie Wicker

Father,
Thank you for sending your son to be an example so that we can strive to follow in His steps. Guide us all to do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly with you Lord so that we may love you with our whole hearts and minds. Radiate your love through us so that we can love others. A love that shows patience and kindness. A love that is selfless. And in all things may we bring glory to your name so that one day we too will hear, well done my good and faithful servant.
In the name of Jesus
Amen

#worshipwithus Only Jesus by: Casting Crowns