Faith of Our Fathers

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues to all generations. --Psalm 100:5

I am blessed in the fact that not only is my family large and close-knit, but we all live in the same state and within reasonable traveling distance of each other. I love that we get together often for holiday, birthdays and other events. My family, particularly my extended family on my mom's side, has developed its own set of traditions, some of which are older than I am! For example, instead of getting all of us together for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, we congregate on the first weekend of November to have what we refer to as "The Holiday Dinner".

In my opinion, the greatest and most valuable of all my family's traditions is the fear of the Lord. I am fortunate to have grown up in a Christ-centered home. I learned from a very young age that God is real and that Jesus loves me. My parents were also taught that lesson when they were young, as were their parents. I'm not sure how far back that tradition goes, but I would imagine that it goes pretty far.

My husband and I are in the process of establishing our own traditions for our family. We are committed to carrying on the tradition of faith that has defined our families for generations. My great-grandma used to refer to this continuing tradition as "passing the torch" from one generation to the next. I am excited and honored that we now hold our own torch that we can use to be a light in a world of darkness. We do this not out of a sense of obligation to family heritage, but because we know that there is truth in God's word, and purpose in a life lived for him.

As families grow and change, so can the traditions and expressions of faith. These can vary widely from one generation to the next, and also from one individual to another. Despite our differences, our God is the same. I have been blessed by his faithfulness to me and my family throughout each generation, and I know that he will continue to bless us as we continue in our tradition of faith.