Memorial Day, 4th of July and 9/11

These – along with many other solemn occasions – drive us back to our core, back to our roots, back to the values that define us.  Here is the simple question: What are you doing to pass your core values on to your children, grandchildren or other younger family members?

There is a custom growing that I have notice most prominently this year.  As we each think back to the tragedy of 9/11/01, we recount where we were, what we were doing and how we responded to the events of that day and share it through Face Book, Twitter or any number of outlets.  This is a good thing!  There are lessons in history and as Edmund Burke (1729-1797) stated, “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.”  Part of those lessons and stories are the values that we decide to share with our kids – by both word and deed.

A number of years ago, I decided to develop a Family Crest.

My son’s tattoo

I wanted an identifiable symbol that would represent what had been passed on to me by my parents and ancestors.  The foundation of these values came from a single verse:

II Timothy 1:7 “God does not give the spirit of fear, but of Love, Power and Wisdom.”

This has become our family verse and from it has come a list of values that we try to instill in our kids.  It is a daily challenge to try to achieve a bar that is set high, but even in failure (as in history) there are lessons to be learned and taught.

What follows are the values that we identified as worthy of passing on to the next generation:

Power

1. Power to have Courage of Heart – Never let fear take over your emotions
2. Power to have Courage of Mind – Never let fear control your thoughts
3. Power to have Courage of Will – Never let fear paralyze your decisions

1. Power to have Integrity in Words – What you say should be truthful & reliable
2. Power to have Integrity in Thoughts – What you think should be pure & virtuous
3. Power to have Integrity in Actions – What you do should be worthy & honorable

1. Power to have Honor with Respect – Demonstrate moral principle without superiority
2. Power to have Honor with Principle – Demonstrate consistency without compromise
3. Power to have Honor with Reputation – Demonstrate probity without hypocrisy

Love

1. Love for God through Faith – Believing without seeing
2. Love for God through Obedience – Doing without questioning
3. Love for God through Devotion – Committing without reserving

1. Love for Family in Prosperity – Focus on value of family even in time of plenty
2. Love for Family in Want – Find lessons of growth even in time of poverty
3. Love for Family in Dissent – Forbear a permanent division in time of protest

1. Love for Country with Duty – Seek to know dynamics that effect your country
2. Love for Country with Honor – Choose to uphold moral foundation of your country
3. Love for Country with Action – Endeavor to exercise rights to influence direction of your country

Wisdom

1. Wisdom to choose Right over Wrong – Whether in your actions or in your approval of others actions
2. Wisdom to choose Right over Convenience – Whether it means personal profit or loss
3. Wisdom to choose Right over Peer Pressure – Whether it costs friends or family

1. Wisdom to choose Excellence in Work – Set the standard by which others must achieve
2. Wisdom to choose Excellence in Deed – Let the results indicate your integrity
3. Wisdom to choose Excellence in Play – Get the rejuvenation that fun is supposed to produce

1. Wisdom to choose Honesty with Words – Never allow the truth to be spoken without love
2. Wisdom to choose Honesty with Silence – Never allow your silence to confirm or indicate a lie
3. Wisdom to choose Honesty with Action – Never allow inaction to let dishonesty prevail

May you take the time to commemorate the past, be grateful for the present and secure the future by infusing your godly values in the lives of others.

Open Mic:  Share your thoughts

1. How about you?  Have you identified your family values?
2. Are you able to share them with your family members with clarity and conviction?

-Michael G