One of Dave Isay’s earliest memories involves capturing the stories of his grandparents and great aunts on a small cassette recorder (remember those?). He turned his love of stories into a vocation as founder of StoryCorps, an organization that has recorded stories from more than 600,000 people and preserved them at the Library of Congress. Many of these stories are shared between family members and friends, ranging from serious to side-splitting and everything in between. 

God has also given you a story to steward. Some parts are funny, others spotlight His faithfulness, and all of it has shaped the person you are and the values you hold dear. It’s a story your family wants—and needs—to hear. Take advantage of your time together over Thanksgiving and Christmas and share it with your loved ones. We have some prompts to get you started:  

Talk about traditions. Do you know why you always serve prune whip with your Christmas meal? Or how you began regularly attending the late Christmas Eve service? It’s important to talk about those traditions to preserve memories, remember God’s goodness to you, and bring deeper meaning to these rhythms.  

Interview yourself. We often think of interviewing others to get their stories, but you don’t need to wait for someone to talk to you—do it yourself! Create a list of questions or find some online and share your answers.  

Go online. There are a number of online tools and apps available to prompt and capture stories, from Storyworth to Remento. You may find these especially helpful if you want to turn your story into a keepsake book or video. 

Impact others. At the heart of your story is your faith and the values important to you, as well as the causes close to your heart. Including a gift in your will to Global Disciples is a meaningful way to share that with your family—and impact others beyond your lifetime. 

Your faithful support over the years makes you a significant part of our story and we’re so grateful. When you share that with others, you embody these words from Psalm 78:4, “We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.”