Good News - November 2022

LIVE THE LIFE

www.goodnewsfl.org

16 NOVEMBER 2022

Good News • South Florida Edition

Living Legacies of Thankfulness and Faith

Two verses come to mind. God speaks to us through His scriptures and often to me through songs: As it relates to our legacy, two verses come to mind: The first reminds me that I can trust Him. “All things work together for the good of those that love the Lord and are “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians: 16-18). And three songs: The “Circle of Life,” “Pass it On” and “Great is Thy Faith fulness.” All of us have a "Circle of Life," none of us escape the scars, but we choose what our legacy will be. We will "Pass It On" for better or worse, but Great is God's Faithfulness. called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). The second is that He is faithful.

"Circle of Life" is a song from Disney's 1994 animated film The Lion King. It's the story of Mufasa, king of the Pride Lands and the father of Simba. During his reign, Mufasa was killed by his envious brother Scar. Mu fasa taught his son Simba how past kings lived in the stars and would always be there to guide him in times of need. Despite his death, Mufasa endures in the memories of his loved ones. We can all see Mufasa sit ting on the top of the mountain overlooking the kingdom as Elton John is singing the fol lowing lyrics. “From the day we arrive on the planet. And blinking, step into the Sun. There's more to be seen than can ever be seen,

- Lisa May - Executive Director, Live the Life South Florida

More to do than can ever be done. Some say eat or be eaten. Some say live and let live. But all are agreed as they join the stampede. You should never take more than you give. In the circle of life, it’s the wheel of fortune, it’s the leap of faith, it’s the band of hope, till we find our place on the path unwinding in the circle, the circle of life. Some of us fall by the wayside and some of us soar to the stars. Some of us sail through our troubles and some have to live with the scars. There's far too much to take in here. More to find than can ever be found. But the Sun rolling high through the sapphire sky keeps great and small on the endless round. In the circle of life.” Our circle of life and living legacy We all have our circle of life and a living legacy that continues beyond our time on earth. I recently had the blessing of attending a bridal shower. I listened as women shared the heritage of the relationships and connected ness of the people attending. There were two groups of women: the Mufasas (the mothers) and the Simbas (the daughters). The mothers shared their stories of friendships with the other women in the room, and the bride shared

the stories of her relationships with the different Simbas. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. Those same mothers had attended graduations and birthday parties and given the baby and bridal showers for each other's sons and daugh ters. There were Mufasas who had been friends since they were 5 years old, and Simbas who were friends from birth. It was a beautiful picture of the circle of life. Stories of marriage and faith Most notable was the sharing of the mothers’ stories of marriage and faith. What marriage represented, what it required, and the profound blessing it pro vided if we endured. “One generation shall commend your works to another and shall declare your mighty acts” (Psalm 145:4). As I listened to stories of loss and happiness, I was thankful for our freedom to publicly pray and profess God's goodness and love. So grateful that He takes all our brokenness and "circles of life" and redeems them so that we have an eternal legacy. A legacy of faith and trust in our King Jesus.

Live the Life South Florida exists to strengthen marriages and families through healthy relationship education, beginning in middle school through senior adults. We are educators, coaches, and pastoral counselors. If you're looking for a clinical counselor or therapist, we are blessed to have many in the South Florida community. We'd be honored to provide you a list of highly qualified and reputable individuals. Visit livethelifesoflo.org