Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Lynnette Marie (Kline) Emmerling: We'll Miss You Mom.

Lynnette M. Emmerling, 60, of Elizabethtown, died Friday, Sept. 22, 2006, at Hardin Memorial Hospital in Elizabethtown.

A native of Linton, Ind., she was a member of First Christian Church in Elizabethtown. She helped her husband operate their business, Industrial Parts and Service, in Elizabethtown.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Laverne Resch Kline.

Survivors include:
  • her husband, William “Bill” Emmerling;
  • her father, Earl Kline of Washington, Ind.;
  • three sons, Bill Emmerling Jr. of Lamar, Mo., Jeff Emmerling Sr. of Magnolia and Ryan Emmerling of Elizabethtown;
  • a daughter, Lisa Highbaugh of Elizabethtown;
  • two sisters, Patricia Burton of Washington, Ind., and Barbara Hartz of La Grange, Ind.;
  • seven granddaughters;
  • four grandsons;
  • and a great-grandson.
The funeral was held Monday, Sept. 25, 2006 at Manakee Funeral Home in Elizabethtown with Bill Emmerling Jr. officiating. Burial will be in Elizabethtown Memorial Gardens.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to The Koman Foundation, 5005 LBJ Freeway, Suite 250, Dallas, TX 75244; (888) 888-3317; www.KOMEN.org/ donate.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Leaving a Legacy: Why?

Why do I want to leave a legacy?
Because I want to leave the world a better place than I found it. In fact, I believe God has called me to do so.

Why do I want to leave a legacy?
Because I did not receive one, I did not receive delibrate instruction on what it means to be a man, especially a man of God. I received instruction of manly skills, but not in what it is to be a man.

Why do I want to leave a legacy?
Because I see a world that has rejected its creator, and is quickly falling apart as a result.

Looking at the present often causes one to look at the past and wonder.
Were the “Good Old Days” really that good?
Or do we only remember what we want to?

I expect the answer to both questions is YES. Yes, many of the days before were better. Yes, we tend to over look the bad and remember what we found pleasant.

Yet, this is what we want for the future, especially for our children and our children’s children. We want the best for them. My goal is to lead my children to live godly lives, in relationship with our Savior, that they might experience God’s best by bringing glory to him.

It is also my goal to encourage other men to do the same.

To both ends, God has brought together a group of men at the church where I attend to consider what it is to raise a son and how to teach him to be a man.

I have daughters, of whom I am very proud and fond. I have every intention to train them up to be virtuous, godly women. Yet, I believe God has indicated in his word that men are to be the servant leaders in a family. And today too few men know what it is to be a man. I believe that men must be raised up to lead our families, our fellowships of faith, and our nation. Should we fail to do that, I fear that all three will fall.

Presently we are reading Raising a Modern-Day Knight by Robert Lewis, as well as dialoging over the video series of the same name.

The men of our church are also using the Men’s Fraternity Quest for Authentic Manhood by Robert Lewis.

It is exciting to see how God is using these materials to stir up men to follow him, and to take up the mantle of leadership that their families need.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

1st Blog Entry

My intent with this blog is to address what it is to be a man, a man of God, and to raise sons to be men. I may address family, faith and fellowship issues as additional subjects.