I love how each year takes on it’s own special touch yet we share the same Legacy and vision. Enjoy reading and watching as we just hosted our 14th annual event.
Below you can get a glimpse into the past Legacy Events.
Our first “One Girl’s Passion, Another Girl’s Pain” Purity Event was hosted on August 20, 2005, exactly one year to the date of Danielle’s homecoming to be with her true Groom, her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I purposely planned the event to coincide with the anniversary of her death for a couple reasons. One reason was so that I could celebrate her life instead of morning her loss. It just so happened that year one, August 20th fell on a Saturday making the day so much harder than I had anticipated and yet so much more rewarding as well by the number of girls and their Mom’s who came to take part. I know that many young ladies came in honor of Danielle due to it being the one year death date of our tragedy. I know that some came to support me and our family for the same reason rather than attending an event for the purpose to learn how to live a life of purity. That is ok because in all honesty that was part of my heart too which brings me to my other purpose for having our first purity event on August 20th, 2005. A few months after Danielle’s death I went through a time of anger because I could not understand the purpose of her earthly death. I was angry that Danielle and I were not able to do this mother daughter purity mentoring study that she had asked me to do for her and her friends. There was something in me that felt the need to continue on with her desire and passion to help mentor young girls how to live a life of purity. Then one day the thought came to my mind to see what day August 20th, 2005 fell on and to my surprise it just happened to be a Saturday. It was then that I began to consider the possibilities of putting a purity event together and to condense a purity mentoring study into one day.
In 2005, over 200 women came together for a day filled with laughter and tears. Young girls and older saints, many single, and even some married, mostly Mom’s and their daughters came to help me fulfill the passion of my daughter’s life and her legacy to me, Purity.
The theme that first year was “Legacy” and throughout the day we discussed both Danielle’s desire for such an event and the need for one that would deal openly and honestly with the hurts and heartaches associated with impurity and bad choices.
Everyone in attendance was able to clearly see from the bible as well as through the testimonies shared the blessings that are ours in Christ when we choose a life of purity. Besides great teaching and sharing we enjoyed a time of singing to the Lord and a wonderful lunch was provided for everyone. At the days end we invited any girl, young or old who needed forgiveness to receive Jesus Christ and to make a fresh commitment to follow Him. Many girls came forward for prayer for strength and wisdom, as they knew that though the Purity Event would end, the battle never ends for our purity, and that the victory is ours in Jesus Christ our Lord. One of my most favorite times of this event is when we invited the ladies to make a commitment and promise that day to begin to live a life of purity. We were able to share with the ladies that it did not matter what they did the night before or what they did before they attended the purity event, but right then and there they could make a decision to walk out of the event and begin a new life with a desire to live with purity in their hearts and minds. As each lady took the time alone or with a mentor who was available for them to pray with, they were able to then walk forward and sign a purity commitment book and then I had the greatest joy of handing them a white Gerber daisy for them to take home as a reminder of the commitment that they had just made. Gerber Daisies were Danielle’s favorite flower and what we discovered after her earthly death was that this beautiful flower represents purity. As I handed each lady who came forward to sign the purity book a flower I was able to give them a hug to congratulate them of the choice that they had just made. Tears streamed down each of our faces as many young ladies had the guilt, shame and pain of the poor choices that they had made in the past washed from their lives. Tears streamed down my face for there was no greater joy for me to experience on such a painful day. For me to see the results of my daughter’s passion, desire and request for me to share with her and her friends now in a greater plan than her and I ever dreamed was a moment that will forever be in my heart. For me to think that on my cherished daughters one year earthly death date, I had the joy and honor to share her life, her passion, her desire and her amazing “Legacy” with hundreds of ladies. This is a day that I will never forget and a day that will always bring tear filled emotions when I think about it. I knew by days end that the Lord was glorified, lives were touched and changed, including mine, and that I knew now in a deeper way, what seemed to be a tragedy to me in the loss of my baby girl was all part of a grander plan, a heavenly plan, and it was unfolding right before my very eyes. What I did not know was that there was even a greater plan for my future and what I did not expect to happen began to take place before my very life. Within hours after this wonderful purity event finally took place I began receiving calls, emails and letters by mail from women especially mothers who had attended this event telling me how their lives were not only touched but changed. Each one thanked me as they also asked me if and when I would be doing another purity event. I found myself very overwhelmed with thoughts, emotions and even doubt for I truly believed at that moment this purity event was just a one time event so that I could share and fulfill in my heart my daughters request and desire. What I did not know was that the following years would each have their own event but that the passion, desire, legacy and Truth would be the same.
August 19th 2006 Danielle’s Legacy presented “The Bride of Christ”. On this Saturday that fell closest to August 20th which was Danielle’s 2nd year in Glory, we began the day by sharing her passion and legacy in a beautiful play that portrayed a young lady as a bride coming to Christ for forgiveness from her sins and the freedom and life that she received as a “Bride of Christ”. We actually began the day with a wedding ceremony that took place between a young lady and Jesus. We decorated our sanctuary just like a wedding and we even had our speakers of the day stand in as bridesmaids which fit perfectly with our study of needing women in our life to help us become and live as brides for Christ who is our True Groom.
We then had beautiful testimonies and life changed stories and teachings from ladies of our church who shared their lives, sin, pain and then forgiven changed lives openly with our guests. We had lunch together that was served by women in our church and then ended the afternoon with a teaching on how to become a “Bride for Christ” and a time of singing songs together as each lady was given the opportunity to come forward to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savoir and to also sign the Purity Commitment Book and once again I had the joy of presenting each lady with a white Gerber Daisy to take home as remembrance of the choice that she made. This was our second event and once again the day was filled with changed lives, encouraged hearts that life of purity is possible and it also continues to help me share my daughter’s passion for purity with young ladies at a time of year that will always be more painful than others. Once again I was asked to continue to share my daughters amazing Legacy and once again it was a great honor. At the end of this year it was placed upon my heart to not only host a one day purity event but to also put together a purity follow up that would allow mentors which are the older or more seasoned women of the church to provide helpful tools, encouragement and time to help these ladies to be able to remain true to the commitment that hey had just made at the purity event. It almost seems impossible to expect our ladies to live pure lives if they just attend an exciting, fun and emotionally day together but then walk out our church doors and go back to their schools, homes, friends, relationships and world that may cause them to struggle with the commitment that they had just made. So, this year I put together a group of mature ladies who would be mentors and we offered a six week purity follow up study at our church that was very successful and helpful for our young ladies who attended.
August 18th, 2007 we hosted our 3rd annual One Girls Passion…another Girls Pain women’s purity event and we titled it, “A Legacy to Remember”. I once again had the joy to share Danielle’s Legacy as we then used testimonies and teachings from women within our church to encourage our guests that a life of purity is available and possible for each of them. We shared “Legacy” and what a true legacy is as well as encouraging the ladies to think about their legacy and what they can leave behind for others to not only remember them by but to pick up and apply to their life that can then be passed on to others. That is a true “Legacy”. The focus was that Legacy is not just a memory left behind for others to remember but a life that is inherited and applied to our life to share with others. We again shared a fun lunch and fellowship time together and ended with our time of signing and making a commitment of purity. This year I had the joy of sharing the moment of handing out the Gerber Daisy flowers with my oldest daughter Dezarei. This wonderful life of purity had now become the passion and desire of hers as well so we both shared in this moment together and that in which I once believed would be shared with Danielle has now become a purity event that her sister Dezarie and I get the honor of sharing together. Once again I was reminded that God always has the greater plan.
August 23rd, 2008 Legacy Presented, “The Real Me”. This year took on a different year of it’s own as I was still able to begin the morning with sharing Danielle’s Legacy with our guests.we once again shared a wonderful time of fellowship and lunch together and ended the day with a song and teaching titled, “The Real Me”. This year was placed on my heart due to a song that I had heard and fell in love with by one of my favorite Christian singers, Natalie Grant. If you have not heard or read the lyrics to this song I encourage you to look it up on youtube.com. This year the ending teaching was directed to the women and how we often hide behind a mask due to the pain, shame and guilt of our choices and sin. We are often afraid to allow others to see who we really are inside and sometimes we ourselves do not even know who we truly are. Many ladies came forward that day with pain of who they had become but then they were filled with forgiveness, love and encouragement that a new life of purity is available to them no matter what they had done. My daughter and I hugged each lady as they received their white Gerber Daisy as a reminder of the choice that they had just made and received which was a new life of purity. This was once again an amazing year during a very painful summer.
August, 22, 2009 was a much different event for many reasons. This was our 5th annual One Girls Passion…another Girls Pain purity event and I believe that it was one of my most painful events and years. I guess partly due to it being considered a milestone but more than that it was a year that was filled with many changes in my life. Once again I was reminded that God had such a bigger and grander plan than I could possibly ever imagine. This past year I was asked by our pastor and his wife to take over the women’s ministry of our church family at Calvary Chapel Westbrook. I would have never dreamed that God would take my life and change it in such a way that I would be considered and asked for such an honor and yet responsibility. This year would also be the year that our pastor would help me put together a couple of Danielle’s journals to publish and have available for ladies to purchase to help them to live a life of purity and in honor of my daughter. The reality of this wonderful gift has overwhelmed me beyond my ability to even try to express. So, on this year that is considered a milestone I again have been reminded of the amazing life and legacy that my cherished daughter has left behind for me to share. I am reminded that my daughter’s life and death here on this earth is what God would use to mature me and change me into the life and woman that He has created me to be. It truly took me dying to life for part of me did die the night of August 2004 so that I could be re-birthed for the purpose that God had for me. This year’s purity event just as the other years took on its own theme and purpose. God always places a different theme and way to share Danielle’s Legacy for the purpose to help ladies to learn the importance of purity in their own life. This year the theme was “Purity in the Heart and Mind”. Once again I began the day with sharing Danielle’s Legacy as we then had our fun fellowship lunch together and then we had our very own fashion show which focused on purity in the way we dress and present our bodies. Purity begins in the heart and then our bodies and the way we dress are a reflection of the heart and mind. Our closing teaching was on the need for purity to begin in our minds for it is a choice that we get to make. The things that we think about and allow into our minds will determine that in which becomes our heart and passion. The testimonies and teachings that we shared this year were from ladies who learned that it is far more than just sexual purity but how we talk, walk, dress, and treat others. My closing time was focused on our relationships with our mothers, daughters and our friends and how they become so impure by how we talk and treat one another. We ended the day with examining our thoughts, hearts and actions during a time of singing and then we all come forward to sign the purity commitment book and receive our white Gerber Daisy as a reminder of purity.
This has been an amazing year for me filled with many life changing moments. Each change has been filled with much joy and pain but I would not change a thing for I know that God does have a greater plan and purpose than I can possibly imagine. Jeremiah 29:11 is a promise that has become one of my life verses in the bible. It says, “For I know the plans that I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope.” This verse is what I have learned to be true in my life and I look forward to the plans that the Lord has for me and for this wonderful Legacy that the Lord has allowed me to share with you.
Hope to see you at our next, One Girls Passion….another Girls Pain” aka Danielle’s Legacy.
danielleslegacy.com 