Leaving a Legacy Part 2

Wow what a Journey!

It has been epic to do life with other like-minded ladies over the past six weeks, where we have opened up to those things that we have possibly struggled with.

But the best part has been the offer of collaboration with one another, and we have been able to see another side to our individual journey’s moving forward.

In my part ‘one’ of this blog, last month, I shared a brief thought process on our first four weeks and so I wish to share our remaining two weeks and some testimonies too!

Our Final Destination

Heaven is our home but much like countries share ‘Ambassadors’ (diplomats, attaché, envoy) around the world who live in an Embassy of their own country, which is situated in another country, we too are called to be the same as an Ambassador of Heaven.

While heaven is our home, we are here to make Heaven a reality for those around us so that they too would desire to call Heaven their home as well!

Home at Last

^7b The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. - 1 Samuel 16:7b NIV

Imagine if God is always seeing us as the younger, fitter and impassioned version of ourselves and not what we see ourselves as.

That I think would change our perspective on what we could or should be accomplishing for His Kingdom purpose.  In my head I tend to think of myself in my twenties but on the outside, I know it is a very different scenario!  If God sees me as the person I ‘think’ in, then maybe I should be praying and pursuing for those attributes more when asking for Him to use me moving forward?

They say ‘Home is where the Heart is’ so if Jesus Christ has my heart in His safe keeping, then I guess my Home is with Him!

TESTIMONIES

‘A’       A six-week journey recounting the past, sharing the present and looking more

intently into the future with a group of open hearted, trusting and honest ladies who live intentionally for God and for their progeny was such a refreshing experience. 

The uniqueness of each shared story coming from different walks of life, different homes, different seasons was edifying, uplifting and encouraging.

Even as we started the series my heart was heavy over a totally unexpected and surprising incident which created an imbalance and an uncertainty concerning where and when I would get to serve and minister fulfilling the purpose and calling God had assigned and designed for me.  This journey with the amazing ladies has given me strength, hope and courage to see opportunities and practically engaging in interceding to be a blessing to another family and being blessed with an assured prayer covering for a whole year so that I get to be all who God intended me.

It is amazing that just a short journey with committed believing ladies could open doors for me to be a helpmate for someone’s journey to leave a legacy of holiness as well as for me to receive the same help from another person to make sure that I leave a legacy of holiness for my next generations!

With God all things are possible! All Glory and Honour to Him who gives all sufficient Grace and Wisdom!

‘D’      Leaving a legacy hasn’t been at the forefront of my mind.  However, as I've

entered the later years of my life and continue working with school children, the importance of what we leave behind has become much more apparent to me.  

This study did two significant things for me.  First, it awakened a strong desire to pray for both the current and the next generation.  Secondly, it encouraged me that I still have a vital purpose to fulfil.   Billy Graham’s study reminded me of the fundamental essence of our faith in such an inspiring way.  

I was able to see the “golden thread of God’s plan throughout my life, revealing the Father’s heart and His intention for all generations.  This gave me much hope. Knowing that the Father has a plan for each of us until the moment we meet Him face-to-face reminds me that my journey is far from over.

The experience has been a beautiful reminder that as long as we have breath, we have a purpose – and that purpose is to plant seeds for the generations to follow.

 ‘K’ While this Leaving a Legacy course was in progress my personal circumstances changed dramatically – coming

out of no-where but I can see Gods hand in it and am believing that with the vision God gave me to pray over a

new suburb;

(Eight = Shemoni, literally to ‘make fat’, new beginnings, ‘fat’ is having more than enough, full to overflowing, moves from natural to supernatural, alluding to greater authority, accountability & holiness (set apartness))

he will enable us to sell our house for the right price to then purchase our new home in the new suburb He is calling us to, to cover a neighbouring community in prayer!

Although that may seem very simplistic and straightforward, it was totally not that at all.  Along with the push to make this a reality – it was like a ‘tsunami’ on steroids for me, but I can see our Heavenly Father was always right there in the process!

·       Four days prior to ‘final offers’ - a date technicality that was missed in paperwork, was picked up, signed & sorted mid home open

·       On that same day and time, a friend from Leaving a Legacy group rang to ask if there was anything she could do for us, I asked for prayer & she said God showed her a man coming wearing sunglasses & driving a green car!

·       On day of final ‘offers’ devotion scripture was – ‘…the Lord … will give you the desires of your heart’ – Ps 37:4

·       On day of final ‘offers’ nothing came forward that was suitable!

·       Day after offers closed we had a breather of 24hrs (God’s Grace from 1^st point) and devotion read ‘God wants to Amaze You – As you meditate on what God has done you should be filled with wonder, awe & amazement’

·       Day after offers closed, God highlighted to us we needed to ‘ask of Him again’ just prior to our time limit cutting out on our offer to purchase so we prayed & we found favour with those we were purchasing from to extend our offer for another 5 days! (Hebrew meaning of 5 - Grace)

·       Day 2 after offers closed I had a coffee catch up conversation with someone else from Leaving a Legacy group who pointed out to me some things to ponder on (suggesting we could make up financial difference with funds elsewhere) … came home to chat to hubby & from that we decided to ‘ask again’ as we were prompted before…

·       So that same day, we called Real Estate to “ask again” of the highest offer to see if they were still interested and our real estate came back saying ‘he had just withdrawn an offer on another property at that same day/moment because he did not feel agent was professional enough, when our agent called’ – he was willing to offer again and we accepted – Praise God!

Through this whole process I have struggled to keep the peace God promises me at the forefront of it all and in my humanness probably have not demonstrated my best (especially to my husband) BUT I have totally loved that God knew ahead of time all of this and had these Marvellous, Magnificent & Mighty women of God from doing ‘Leaving a Legacy’ around me to do life with me through this season!

Amen!

‘M’     Leaving a Legacy for me was about the challenge I have in living a life of integrity.

Integrity is a word I know the meaning of, but Billy Graham described it in a practical way that sharpened it up for me. He wrote, ‘If what I do in private were to be suddenly exposed, would I have reason to be ashamed or embarrassed?’

It made me wonder, when my family, friends or strangers see me in everyday life, are they seeing Jesus?

It’s something I have to work on daily, to grow closer to Jesus and become more like Him.

 ‘R’      One of the best things for me was to spend time with the lovely ladies Kim gathered together, and to hear the

warmth and heart-felt sharing that resulted.

But the book, the Journey, was inspiring to read.  IT was good to see inside the Great Evangelist’s mind and to see the man behind the legend.  He walked the reader through every stage of the journey that we all share and showed us his insights and person stories along the way.

I was inspired most, I think by the calling for us to evangelise.  It is not something to be scared of, and it should be part of our natural walk, to simply not hide who we are.  I have done that at times, but reading his book brought back to my attention that to look out for opportunities should be on our radar at all times.

At every stage of our lives, we have opportunities to shine the light and the love of God.  We are never in a place where God cannot speak to us, or speak through us.  On this human journey, we are always at the same place and experiencing the same things as others, and it is from that human experience that we can let the love of God for us bleed through to loving others.

‘Sa’      5 Things I want to transfer to the Next Generation;

1.       My Convictions – that almighty God, creator of Heaven and earth is my Lord, and I want to serve Him all the days of my life.  That Jesus, died for me to cleanse me from my sin & I will live forever with Him in Glory.  That I am a citizen of Heaven and this early home is only temporary.  That God is my healer, provider and shepherd and my reward.

2.       My Name & Reputation – I need to guard what people see of me and think of me, and I pray they see the Character of God.  I want to choose right and what God wants, Proverbs 22:1

3.       My relationships & Connections – Blessing’s flow through people and I want to be a blessing to others.  Proverbs 13:20

4.       My Physical Assets – the family albums & history I have kept to pass on to our children.  Any financial assets we can help our children with.  Proverbs 13:22

5.       My Mantle & Spiritual Anointing – I want to bless the next generation by teaching the things I know to them & passing on the wealth of knowledge that I have, especially about the scriptures.  I want to pass on my faith.  Psalms 145:4 & 3 John 1:4

‘So’     Leaving a Legacy Testimony

I am very grateful to my friend Kim, who introduced me to a book titled The Journey by Billy Graham. It is a book I would highly recommend to everyone, as it speaks about every stage of life—from infancy to our final days. It raises many meaningful and relevant questions that led me to reflect deeply on my childhood, my relationship with my parents, my marriage, and my children.

What impacted me most was the chapter that talks about the responsibility of being a parent.

In one passage, Billy Graham wrote:

“Our responsibility as parents, however, doesn’t stop with providing for our children’s physical needs. They may grow into healthy young men and women—but if that’s all they become, we have failed to prepare them for life. More than that, we have failed to help them become the individuals God wants them to be.”

This really spoke to me. As parents, we are not only called to provide physically, but also to nurture our children emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

This truth became very real in my own life. I have friends and family members who are not believers, and they often encourage me to travel more with my husband now that our children are young adults. While it is true that this is a season where we have more time and financial freedom, I often feel uneasy leaving my children for long periods. To me, spending time with them is also a source of deep joy and fulfilment.

Billy Graham also emphasised that it is our responsibility as parents to teach our children moral and spiritual foundations. As a Christian mother, I often remind myself of Proverbs 22:6:

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”

Although this verse is always on my mind, I must admit that there are times when I find it difficult to fully live it out. There are moments when I feel like giving up. Yet, when I am reminded of my responsibility, I choose to persevere—to patiently listen to my children when they are struggling at work or facing challenges with friends.

Slowly, these changes in me have improved my relationship with them. In the past, my children would come home and immediately retreat to their rooms to talk to friends on their phones or computers. But when I began intentionally inviting them out for simple things—like lunch, a home-cooked meal, or even just ice cream—and truly listening to them, I began to win their hearts back from their devices.

In today’s society, many young people are more drawn to their screens than to conversation. This book opened my eyes to the importance of being present and intentional as a parent.

Another powerful reminder from Billy Graham is this:

“Love doesn’t mean giving our children everything they want. Love sometimes means we say ‘No’ or ‘Don’t’—not because we hate them, but because we love them and know what is best for them. Children need discipline and correction… A spoiled child becomes a spoiled adult.”

I realised that although I knew these truths, I had not consistently put them into practice, especially as my children grew into teenagers and young adults. But God, in His goodness, reminded me of my responsibility. Even though my children are older, I still need to guide and discipline them. I now see this as a true expression of love.

I could share so much more about what I have learned from this book and how it has shaped my journey. But I will simply say this—it is a wonderful book, especially for those preparing for parenthood. I believe it is something both husband and wife should read together, so they can understand their purpose and calling as parents.

‘V’       Leaving a Legacy - I concur with Billy Graham that you cannot change the past.

The topics and discussions created from this program have fuelled my determination to grow as a disciple, to work with others as guided by our Lord and Father.

I first attended Kingdom City in December 2024 and whilst completing 'Faith Believed' In February 2025 I signed up for Greenhouse and joined the prayer team. I also  decided to get baptized at Easter and later in the year when I attended Kingdom City conference I felt the Holy Spirit tell me to enrol in Healthy Relationships in 2026 and to take any opportunity to work with others who also prioritise having a close relationship with God who I believe can sustain us so we finish well and return to be with him in heaven. 

Until then, I will continue to read the bible, grow my faith, champion and acknowledge those who can guide me. Thank you, Kim I really have appreciated all you have done to organise this program and support me and others as appropriate.

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If there are any reading this that feel they too would like to experience a six week program of fellowship, camaraderie & discussion together then please do email me at kim.stanfield@bigpond.com to add your name to our next group for new friendships and more!