May those who've gone before us light the way.....

My Mom's favorite hobby is genealogy research. Because she shares what she learns with all of us, I am very familiar with my heritage. She has written down her findings and had them bound into books, so I have the information inmy hands to pass along to my children. I am thrilled to be able to do that!

What I want most to pass along to my kids, though, is a rich spiritual heritage. I am blessed to have been raised in an environment in which the Bible was the center of our home, my parents were strong christians, and most of their friends were preachers or missionaries.

BUT, even if you've never been in that kind of environment, you can still pass a rich spiritual heritage to your children. First and foremost, live your beliefs in front of your kids. Beyond that, introduce them to, or tell them about the person who led you to Christ. Tell them about all the folks who prayed for you, who influenced you to come to know Christ.

Certainly, we've all been influenced by hearing messages from some of the "famous" evangelists and teachers~Billy Graham, Beth Moore, etc. What I want to pass along to my kids is my thanks to all those "unsung heroes"~folks who influence others for Christ simply by living their lives in obedience to Him.

Introduce your children to the elderly folks in your church, and help your kids establish a friendship with these wonderful saints of God. If you expose your children now, while they are young, to Godly people, you are building a rich spiritual heritage for your kids.

In my prayer time last night, I was thanking the Lord for all the people he has brought into my life wh have had a strong spiritual influence on me. I'd like for my children to some day read this "thank you list".

My Grandfather, Walter Stonewall Shipman~He only came to know Christ 5 years before he died, but his love of God and His Word was evident to everyone he met. He was saved when I was 4 years old, and he passed away when I was 9. I don't remember ever seeing him without his Bible.

My parents, Don and Martha Shipman~they taught me the Word of God, and lived it before me. They dedicated 15 years of their lives to providing food, clothing, and shelter to the homeless. Most importantly, they shared Christ with each of these folks, and led many of them to the Lord.

My parents worked hard, and sacrificed a lot, because they were determined that my sisters and I would attend christian schools. My Dad often worked 2 jobs to make this possible.

Dr Lester Roloff~a great preacher! One of my fondest memories is of attending his old timey "camp meetings" during the summers when I was a child. His faith was amazing. His support and advice for my parents in their ministry was invaluable.

Dr Lee Roberson~I have always felt a call for ministering to children, and I think Dr Roberson is partly responsible for that. As I've said in recent posts, he was a man who lived out his faith. A part of that was his love for children, and his refusal to push them aside. He treated children with respect, and he let them know that they were important to him, and to God.

Mrs Sue Avery~this lady was my first grade teacher. She had a way of making the Bible stories that she shared with us come to life.

Miss Kathy~I don't remember this dear lady's last name, but she was a lady in our church who, for whatever reason, took a special interest in me when I was little. I would sit next to her in church and she would hold her Bible open so that I could see it too, and we would follow along together when the pastor read Scriptures. She helped me memorize verses for Sunday School and my lines for the Christmas play. And, she always had bubble gum! :)

Mr Rick Jackson~he was pastor of a small church, and taught Bible classes in a christian school. He showed me that a person could love God and live according to His Word and still have, and show, a wonderful sense of humor. He taught me that lots of things that aren't necessarily fun CAN be fun if you make up your mind to have a good time.

Mr Jerry Castleberry~my high school US History teacher. He instilled a love of history in me that has stayed with me, and has been a huge help in homeschooling my own children. More importantly, Mr Castleberry taught me that doing your best is important because it's the RIGHT thing to do. He taught me that a person's word should mean something, and that doing less than your best was cheating yourself and failing to bring glory to God. And, he told GREAT stories! :)

Mr. Joe Bokel~Mr. Bokel was my Bible teacher during my Junior and Senior years in high school. He put a lot of emphasis on a concept he called "the morning watch"~this was his name for the practice of starting out each day spending time in God's Word, and in prayer. I confess that my "morning" watch has sometimes been a "late night" watch instead of morning, but it was during my time in Mr. Bokel's classes that I began to truly know for myself how vital it is to spend daily private time with my Heavenly Father.

My Aunt Lila~Lila came to know Christ as a teenager. She wandered away from the Lord for many years, but you would never know that now. Her desire to do the Lord's will just shines in her life.

Mr Jim White~Brother Jim is an older man in our church. There have been very few times that I have seen him without a smile. He has become sort of a mentor to my husband and to me. He loves our children, and always makes them feel special. He volunteers in our AWANA program, spending time listening to the children recite the verses they have learned. He has a way of encouraging them that amazes me.

Mr O.E. "Bud" Martin~Brother Bud was a misionary to Alaska. He stayed with us for a year or so once when he was on furlough. Bro. Bud was a man who simply could not stop himself from sharing Christ with EVERYONE he came in contact with. Thank God for that!

Bro. Bud was at our house on my 4th birthday. My grandfather came to see us that day, to celebrate my birthday with me. As soon as Bro. Bud had been introduced to my grandfather, he asked Papa if he knew Christ as his Savior. A few minutes later, he had led Papa to Christ! My parents had been praying for my Papa's salvation for about 20 years!! I am so thankful for Brother Bud's boldness in sharing Christ with others!

My high school "Senior Class Song" was a song called Find Us Faithful by Steve Green. A part of it says this:

We're pilgrims on the journey of the narrow road,
And those who've gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful,
Encouraging the weary,
Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace

That's what these folks, and many others, are for me~the folks who have lighted the way with the testimonies of their lives. One day, I want to share this list with my children, and help them to know about these folks. In the meantine, I hope to expose them to a long list of Godly people who will "light the way" for them.

Blessings,
Vicki