Living Legacies One In A Million

I tell my wife when she spends money, "honey your on the wrong side of capitalism!" You either spend money to purchase what someone else creatively made or your the one being creative. Your either spending money to buy someone elses product or making a product to sell yourself. Why is it that some people can think of the craziest, silliest and senseless thing only to have people buy it up like crazy? Remember all those passing fads of yester-year? Remember Webkins? Every child had to have one. You bought the silly beannie pet then you'd name it, you'd go online and register it and then you had to feed and water it everyday or it would die and when it died you had to purchase another one to play on the website! Ugh!

I have an idea that I do not believe is crazy. In fact I believe it teaches us a very good lesson. If everyone does a little then we can accomplish a lot. I wanted to establish something that sets a small goal yet makes a person feel like a million bucks no matter how little they are able to give. This was the birth of a fundraising campaign that I am very excited about - the "One In A Million Campaign!"  

Do you remember the story of a guy who traded a house for one red paper clip?

Now that's a crazy idea! Who would ever believe that could happen? This has inspired me to start with something real simple where one person sends $1 per month to Living Legacies Inc, 213 Sawgrass Drive, Savannah, GA 31405.  I will place your name on my website and you and I can watch as it catches on around the world. Think of what you and I could accomplish if everyone would just give a little ($1 per month). The only question left to ask is who will be first? Who will start the campaign off with the first dollar?

Send your name, address and email so I can email a reminder each month of your commitment. I will also place your name, city and state on my website (http://www.livinglegaciesinc.net/) to track the giving to see how far and wide this program reaches. The money will go to the work of Living Legacies Inc - A nonprofit 501c3 ministry dedicated to honoring the aging population.  Living Legacies One in a Million Campaign - Will you be one of the million to give $1 per month? Come on! You can find that much change in the ashtray of your car. Go get it an send it in!

Understanding Death

IN the past seven years I have experienced a lot of death. I was a pastor of a small church near Tarboro, NC when Hurricane Hugo caused the eastern North Carolina floods back in the late 90's. I moved to Savannah, GA in 2002 and was here for the Sugar Refinery explosion back in the mid 2000's. I was an on call chaplain for a local hospital and worked in the extended care facilities as well. You can say death has followed me now for over seven years. Death has become so real and so certain in life that I find great comfort and satisfaction in helping aging people through this season of life. I like to say I have the ministry of walking people "through the valley of the shadow of death" (Psalm 23:4). I comfort people to "fear no evil" for God is with you (Psalm 23:4).

Even though these seasons are tough times nobody should be caught off guard by it. Death is a normal occurrence in this life and it will happen to every single person who will ever live (Hebrews 9:27). The quicker you can embrace the reality of death the sooner you can begin to live. The only two differences in the experience of death for each person are how each person will die and how long that person had to live -some die very young and others die very old. There are several truths pertaining to death that are very important to us in understanding life.

The first question is why? Why does death exist? Death exists because of the judgment of God (Genesis 2:17) against Adam's sin (Genesis 3: 19). Therefore death entered the world through Adam (Romans 5:12; 1Corinthians 15:21-22). Because of sin God appointed every man to die once. The next question is when, when will a man die? This is something that no man knows for sure. God has ordered our days. Job stated that "his days are determined" and that God has "appointed limits" that no man can extend their life (Job 14:5). In reality there is no reason or promise of one more breath. We must regard death as imminent and we must regard death as coming quickly (Psalm 39:4-5; 1Peter 1:24). We also must prepare ourselves for the inevitable (Psalm 90:12) by understanding that God is Sovereign and in control of life and death (Psalm 31:15; 139:16; Acts 17:26). There is great comfort in accepting death as coming from the Sovereign wisdom of God.

The first benefit is no sickness, disease, operation or person can take your life apart from God's wisdom. You can face surgeries and adversaries without fear knowing they have no control over whether you live or die. Remember Jesus facing his adversary Pilate? Pilate said, "Do You now know that I have the power to crucify You or release You? In which Jesus responded, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above" (John 19:10-11). Be comforted with this understanding - no one has the power over Life but One - Jesus Christ!

Serve Jesus Christ with boldness or face death with boldness for your God is Sovereign!!

Natural death is insignificant. There are things more important than natural death. The Bible says we are not to fear men who can only cause natural death but fear God who has the power to end life or give life(Matthew 10:28; 16:26). The Psalmist said "You turn men back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, O sons of man..." (Psalm 90:2-5). The Lord brings death and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and raises up (1Samuel 2:6). In order to face death we must give our lives completely over to the Lord Jesus.

It is my conviction God does not call anyone to always and in everyway attempt to keep a person alive. It is my conviction there comes a time when we can stop trying to save a loved ones life and let them die. Christians should view death as a door way into the presence of God and Jesus. We should live in such a way that we demonstrate to the fallen world that Heaven is a much better place to be and we are trying to get there not remain here forever.

Every decision should be made with much prayer and guidance from God. If you make a Biblical, Holy Spirit informed decision then I believe there is nothing wrong with trying to keep someone alive. On the other hand I equally feel there is a time when we begin to see all attempts to saving a life is futile and we should let them die. God will lead you to attempt to save a person's life and He will lead you when it is time to pull life support. Make sure the decision is bathed in prayer and you remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading and you stay true to your convictions and conscience. God is in control of life and death. We never want to take part in causing death but there are times when we can stop trying to keep someone alive so they will naturally die. God is the Sustainer of life and when the Sustainer stops sustaining the only life one has at this point is an artificial life.