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Echoes of Legacy Part 4-Compelled By Ebenezers
In this Echoes of Legacy series, we have explored how the needs of the world and the mandates of Scripture compel us forward. Today, we add a third catalyst: our Ebenezers. What is an Ebenezer? In his book The Strength You Need, Robert Morgan suggests we should navigate life by raising “stones of help.” This follows the example of the prophet Samuel, who set up a stone between Mizpah and Shen after a victory over the Philistines. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “The Lord has helped us to this point” (1 Samuel 7:12). Ebenezers are memorial stones—physical or spiritual markers of places where God provided specific help for specific needs.…
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Echoes of Legacy Part 3-Compelled by Biblical Examples
We are compelled to echo our legacy not only by the needs of the world around us (see Echoes of Legacy but by the weight of Scripture itself. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul boldly invites us into this cycle of discipleship, saying, “Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1; see also 1 Corinthians 4:16 and Philippians 3:17). Paul was far from perfect, yet he maintained a clear conscience before God. He shared his testimony—his story—repeatedly to spread the Gospel. He refused to let his past as a persecutor define him; instead, he was defined by his story of salvation. The Great Cloud of Witnesses In…
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Echoes of Legacy Part 2-Compelled By The Needs
The Need for Faithful Echoes In this Echoes of Legacy series (check out Part 1 here), one of our main focuses is a central question: Why are we compelled to echo our legacy? It may take several posts to fully explore this, but today, let’s look at the urgent need for “faithful echoes.” Simply put: look at the world we live in. None of us will get it right all the time. In fact, I often use the subtitle “An imperfect woman in God’s perfect plan.” He is always perfect, but I often fall short even as He works out His purpose in my life—and so do you! The Conclusion…
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Echoes of Legacy Part 1-Series Intro
Last year, I spent a significant amount of time reflecting on the past 40 years of women’s ministry—both from a personal and professional standpoint. In 2025, we celebrated the 30th LifeWay Women’s Forum. This leadership training began in 1996 and continues to thrive today, even if it looks much different now than it did at the start! Through this reflection and the current season of my life, I’ve been thinking deeply about those who impacted my calling. I’ve also been considering what I am leaving behind for those following in my footsteps. To be honest, the older I get, the sweeter heaven becomes! Discipleship has been at the heart of…
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A Sweet Legacy
Many of you have never heard of Esther Burroughs, especially those younger than Gen Xers. But for many Boomers and some Gen Xers, she was a huge catalyst for women seeking to grow spiritually, share their faith, lead, and minister to others. Sweet Esther transitioned from life on earth to life eternal this past week. This is a great article on her life and ministry. It features her and another pioneer women’s leader of influence. Baptist News-Two Trailblazing Women in Ministry. Esther was a trailblazer before we knew of many Christian women’s speakers and before we even started using the term “women’s ministry” in many churches. She encouraged women’s leaders…
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Obedience and Legacy
Have you ever followed someone who disappointed you? If you’ve lived long enough, it has probably happened more than once. Leaders are human and make mistakes. Hebrews 13:7 tells us to, Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith.” We only follow as they are following Christ. Watching their lives helps us discern this. Paul also mentions several times, follow (or imitate) me as I follow (or imitate) Christ. Has anyone ever followed you into disobedience? If anyone can say no to this, I need to meet you! My disobedience can influence others into disobedience. Obedience…
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Texas Legacy Tour Part 3: Life’s Influencers
Do you have a mentor, someone who influenced your life spiritually, that you cannot imagine not having in your life? This is part 3 of our Texas Legacy Tour, so read the previous posts to catch up! One sweet part of the trip was the opportunity to see some amazing people we’d known, served alongside, raised kids with, and matured spiritually with from the time we married until we left Texas for Tennessee. Mentally I began making a list of women who touched my life. Some are with the Lord, others still living. Going all the way back to my first years of marriage, I remembered a woman who showed…
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Texas Legacy Tour Part 2: Tearing It Down
As I begin part two of this Texas Legacy Tour Series, I can’t help but reflect back on the biggest shock I had.(Please read to Part 1 if you haven’t read.) I grew up in Houston and lived in a home from 6th grade until I married at 19. Eleven years ago, I was in Houston for a convention and drove out to the location. Thinking it might be less than I remembered, or run down, I was pleasantly surprised that it looked as good, maybe even better than when I lived in it! They even got grass to grow in a shady spot my dad never been able to…
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Texas Legacy Tour Part 1: The Trip Begins
Perhaps it’s my age, although I’m not old! It’s a state of mind more than chronological years! But I think back over my life a lot these days. One of the items on my retirement bucket list got checked off last week. I wanted to make a trip back to Texas where we had a lot of history. My husband was born and raised in Texas and I grew up there. We met, fell in love and married in Texas. Our parents were born and are buried there. It’s also where we spent the first 25 years of our married life, became parents and raised our daughters. It’s also where…
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The Cost of Leadership Part 8
Please start with the first 7 posts in this series if you haven’t already. This is the final segment. Cost 5: the cost of giving ministry away. As some point, the Lord will ask us to leave behind a place of ministry we have led. He may ask us to serve differently, or He may call us home to eternity. The question is, what do we leave behind? We must ask the question now: have I invested well so that God’s work continues even after I am no longer around? Our job it to obey and serve the best we can, then step away when He directs us to do…
