"The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you...Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me, your throne will be established forever."  2 Samuel 7

Miriam, Esther, Catherine, Grandma Finch, Paul, Robert, and Ralph

Thought: If we were to trace the lineage of our family all the way back to Biblical times, I would wager that we are direct descendants of King David's line. Which only leads to one obvious conclusion...we are also of the bloodline of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself! What an awesome thought. To not only be adopted into the Family of Christ and having His blood wash through our veins by the mere acceptance of His grace and mercy through salvation, but to be truly, physically, linked to the family bloodline of Jesus Himself! Wow. Well now, honestly, whether that's true or not, that's unknown , but if evidence were to demand a verdict and the heritage of our family were on the line, one would only have to review the past history of our family; observe and take note of the number of devout soul winners and ministers of the Gospel that walked throughout its history, and then emphatically conclude that we are indeed direct descendants of King David. (After all, we have to be connected to somebody back there!)

What is evident and true: Our family possesses a rich heritage of faith. The footprints of those gone on before us lead us along a path of personal sacrifices made by members of our family, young and old, in order to spread the news of true life and freedom in Christ throughout the nations. The simple Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. Grandma and Grandpa Ralph Finch, devout mother/father, wife/husband, and warriors of the Gospel...who raised a family of mighty warriors, or married them off to warriors! Paul, Miriam, Esther, Catherine, Naomi, Robert and Ralph, and those who followed, carried with them a passion for Christ and for the lost or weary. Everyone gladly and willingly laid down their lives for the Life of the one who laid down His life for theirs. Family life was close. Not without adversity, but peaceful in its nature through trusting God for every step and provision along the way. Because of our family's devotion to our faith, countless lives have been changed forever, souls redeemed and saved from eternal separation from God. For those no longer with us, they now walk the streets of Glory. There's no telling how many others the Lord will show members of this family once we get to heaven; people who are present with the Lord because of the passion and compassion of generations passed and present who touched the lives of others and lit their fire of faith, to burn for Christ, and they in turn led others into a relationship with the Blessed Savior.

We share a rich heritage of faith, indeed. Every generation that has followed has found the one before it to be faithful. Their footprints led others to believe, the fire of their devotion lighted the way. The legacy was passed on. What about now? Will His Banner be carried high into the next generation? They kept the faith; how are we doing? Will the sweat from our fathers' brow be forgotten, and the river of tears from our mothers' eyes, as they labored in prayer, be dried up forever? It's so easy today to get caught up in everyday tasks.  It's so easy to be "so busy" that we just can't hear the cries of the hurting, nor see the emptiness in their eyes. It's too easy to waste a day with things we deem "so important" to us. What are we living for? The subtle "busyness" that the enemy may fill our lives with...or Christ? Let the former not be so. Let not this rich heritage of faith fade from the lack of passion or breath. Let's fan the embers of compassion and stir up the gifts He has given each one of us to share the message of Christ. If not with the nations, than with one another. There's a whole generation to be won, and one following close behind. Will they know how to carry the Banner high as our father's father did, and their fathers before them? It's our turn. Our turn to lay down our life for the life of the one who laid down His life for us.

May our footprints lead them to believe. May the life we lead inspire them, and light the way to the path we each must find. The greatest gift we can give one another is a life lived for Jesus, and the knowledge of our Lord passed on to the next generation... let it continue with me, Lord. We have a heritage to pass along...a faith that is real.