Shari A. Miller

Living to Leave a Legacy

The Why Behind Leaving A Legacy


by in Leaving a Legacy, Legacy Leaver Thursdays 43 Comments

I wanted to take a moment to share with you the “why” behind Leaving A Legacy for those of you who are new here, or for those of you who may not of heard this story before…..

On September 3, 2003, I heard the words that no woman ever wants to hear, “You have breast cancer.” Those words are enough to make your heart drop to the pit of your stomach and cause your breathing to stop. It’s a life altering moment, a door that you walk through that you can never turn around and walk out of again. God has always been with me on this journey, through all my treatments and surgeries, always holding my hand, always giving me strength to make it through another day.

In 2007, I felt God call me to speak about my story and then a year later to write about it through blogging.  I felt the Lord speak to me saying, “Yes, this is a very difficult situation, but I will never leave you. You have to tell them about me and your story. You must make this have meaning, for my sake.” As the seasons of life started to quickly move, my time on the blog slowly dwindled.  Little did I know that this was all about to change….

On November 10, 2010, my world took a turn for a second time. After being cancer free for seven years I heard the words I had feared for so long. You have stage IV breast cancer. I  was just initiated into a group of women that no one wants to belong to, a group that acts as a life line to make it through the dark and unknown. That life changing moment affected many things in my world, one of them was my desire and call to come back to Leaving A Legacy.

The “why” behind Leaving A Legacy is, to challenge myself and others to make each and every moment with your families and loved ones count. They are not to be wasted, but rather treasured and lived to their fullest potential. When I came to grips with the reality of my uncertain path, I knew my life had to be one that was lived with purpose and intention.

I knew that I had a possible limited amount of time, and still had so much that I wanted to share with my children. I wanted them to know they had a Savior who died for their sins and loved them more than they could imagine. I wanted to teach them to have a deep and personal relationship with Christ and to worship Him with all their might. I wanted them to know they had parents that loved them to the moon and back, who would give them the world if they could. I also wanted to create family memories with them, teach them to cook and take care of a home, how to be the person they were meant to be in the eyes of the Lord. It’s because of this….. that Leaving A Legacy was born.
Through Leaving A Legacy I will be sharing about:

~Ways to leave a legacy for your children which will include topics such as:

  • Mothering
  • Christianity
  • Family fun activities to create special memories.
  • Homemaking
  • Family Recipes
  • Homeschooling

~ Along with other topics that the Lord places on my heart such as:

  • Hope and encouragement in Jesus.
  • My journey as a stage IV cancer survivor.

I am so grateful that you’re joining me on this journey. If there are times it’s a little quieter on the blog it’s only because I am behind the scenes living out life with my family. There may also be times where I need to take a break from blogging for health reasons, family, or because the Lord leads me to. I want to encourage you to make sure you put God and your family as first priority, so when we come back together again we will have much to share. Life is precious, don’t miss a minute, live every moment with all you have, giving God the glory and praise each step of the way, Leaving A Legacy for everyone you know!

~Now it’s time to link up !~

Please take a moment to read through the link up instructions as some things have changed. Thanks!

 

 


* This link up will be happening every Thursday at Leaving a Legacy. You can link up your posts that deal with leaving a legacy to your children and other loved ones. These posts can vary from spiritual lessons, to homeschooling tips, to recipes and homemaking skills that you want to pass down. You can also link up posts that offer encouragement to the community. I will do the best I can to read as many posts as possible throughout the week. However, if there are times that I miss you, know that I’m so grateful that you linked up and was so blessed to have you here!

 

  • To link up go to the sidebar and get the code for the Legacy Leaver Thursdays button, right click and “save as” on the code and then upload it into your post. Or you can provide a direct link somewhere in your post linking back here. That way other bloggers can join in too!
  • Then copy and paste the direct link from your post, (not your blog url), into the linky tool below.
  • In order to create an encouraging community here, please take a moment to visit the person in front of you. As time permits, I will read as many of your posts as possible throughout the week. Thank you!

 

 

For those of you that link up throughout the month, I will be choosing a “featured blogger”, for the following month. The featured blogger will be someone who actively participates in the link up, and who’s posts have really touched the community. They will receive free advertising for their blog on my sidebar for that month, and also be allowed to submit one approved guest post during that month.

The featured blogger for the month of November is my good friend Tracy from My Daily Walk in His Grace. Please take a moment to stop by and read her encouraging words!

Many Blessings~

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Linking to:
Thought Provoking Thursday
Thriving Thursdays

 

 

 

 
 

 

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Comments

  6. eviejowilson says

    Thanks so much for sharing your testimony. I am new to the blogging world and learning the ropes. I shared today in my blog, just what it is that moved me to start blogging. Love and blessings to you and thanks also for the link up.

    EvieJo

    Reply

  9. Susan Stilwell says

    Shari,
    I didn’t realize the hard path you’ve walked. It really does make you stop and think about the things in life that are really important. At the end of the day, it’s all about living for Him and passing that along.

    Thanks for sharing your testimony and the heart behind your blog.
    Hugs from VA,
    Susan

    Reply

  10. Marty Walden says

    Thank you for sharing your “why” of blogging. I completely support you in your desire to leave a legacy of faith and family. Even though I’m not in the same situation, it’s why I blog, as well as to encourage other adoptive moms who are struggling. Family and faith are everything. God bless you and give you good health today.
    Marty from Marty’s Musings

    Reply

  11. Emily Cook says

    Thank you so much for sharing the story behind this blog. I am so glad to join you on your journey. Keep sharing your thoughts and wisdom with us.

    And you are right, He will never leave you nor forsake you.

    Reply

  12. Lori says

    Shari,
    This is my first visit to your blog. It’s lovely, both in design and in spirit and purpose. As a 17-year homeschooling veteran, it’s always such a joy to find another hsing mom 🙂 As I read your testimony, it reminded me of another brave friend’s powerful story. I’d love to share it with you from a blog post I wrote. Here’s the link: http://lori-benotweary.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-day-i-missed-miracle.html

    Thanks for the opportunity to link up with your sweet community. Blessings to you and yours.

    Reply

  13. fiveintow says

    What a wonderful testimony. I love how you used a time of shadows to give you greater clarity and purpose. I love how the light of Christ shines though you and encourages me even though I’ve never faced what you have faced. Thank you for being willing to be His vessel!

    Reply

  15. Renee says

    I’m not sure why I didn’t comment on this when I first saw it . . . I lost a best friend/sister in the Lord to breast cancer several years back. Her whole focus became the same as yours–leaving a legacy of faith for those who follow after. You are doing that beautifully on your site. Blessings!

    Reply

  16. Sheila Skillingstead says

    I have a friend who is a Stage IV breast cancer survivor and she has been cancer free for two years. It can be done. Faith is so important for all aspects of life. Thanks for the blog. Enjoy your SITS Day and the prayers of those reading your blog today.

    Reply

  17. Nicole Nenninger says

    I am so sorry to hear of your reoccurrence of cancer. I can’t imagine how it feels to think you’re almost in the clear, only to hear you have it again. That must have felt devastating, but at the same time I imagine you don’t take life for granted anymore. Visiting from SITS today and I thought I’d add that you have a beautiful blog–really nicely done.

    Reply

  18. Marianne says

    This is such a beautiful thing. I love your whole idea of leaving behind a legacy. Something that lasts and hopefully moves the world closer to being a better place.
    Thank you for sharing yourself with us.

    Reply

  22. Lisa says

    What a great premise for a blog. You are taking something that was/is a bad experience and turning it around to bless and help others through support or encouragement to leave a legacy. Fantastic!

    Reply

  24. Michelle says

    Your story is inspiring…I love that you are leaving a legacy! We all should be doing this, passing down the stories and the memories, the family traditions, recipes and life lessons that we have learned along the way. Visiting from SITS! I truly hope you had a wonderful SITS Day.

    Reply

  25. Crystal says

    You have an amazing story! I have found through my own trials that often God uses our stories to help others who may be going through the same thing and in turn this helps us heal as well. Hope you’ve enjoyed your SITS day!

    Reply

  26. Vinma says

    I am so glad I visited your place and got to know about you from your words.Your thoughts are noble and your courage is very inspiring. God Bless you…

    Reply