Legacy of a Simple Life

April 15, 2025

Last week, my family lost my grandmother. As with any loss, we have been spending the week reminiscing, discussing our memories with her, looking through old photos, and writing her obituary and eulogies. For me personally, this process has been paired with other changes and opportunities in my life as my husband and I begin instating some of our life goals. These events have also all collided with my interest in marketing, causing me to ponder branding, reputation, and associations. As minds often do, mine has drawn a connection between these unrelated topics, and I wanted to share my learnings from them with you.

As of late, I’ve been ruminating on life in general. I’ve thought about the testimony to others through one’s life, brought on by the losses of both my daughter, and now my grandmother. Brenden and I have also been revisiting our goals as a family to prayerfully make decisions toward the future we see ahead of us, sparked by an upcoming move to a new home. These decisions are coming from our life visions and creeds that we compared notes on while we were dating, finding ourselves in agreement on what we felt called to do in our lives.

Through this blog post, I hope to not only share with you some of that unified vision and creed, but also document for my future self where I am now with what I’m learning so as to track my growth and keep myself accountable.

my aspirational “brand”

In my journal, on the front page titled “Live Simply,” I have a list of things I want to utilize, emphasize, and use my time and money on in living my life. Things such as “grow/make my own teas, salves, and tinctures,” “use records/CDs, hardcopy books, physical photo albums,” “write a blog, poems, children’s books,” and “tend chickens, cows, and bees” live among the entries on my list. On another page, titled “In My Home,” I made a separate list of the things I’d like the lifestyle and the mood of my home to have:

• “live by example to Brenden and kids”
• “kids help with tasks and are a constant part of my day”
• “dinners at the table; ask to be excused”
• “limited electronics for everyone, and especially internet”
• “write down prayer requests and their answers”
• “blow a shofar for a dinner bell”
• “live and foster a love of the outdoors and Creation”
• “speak Spanish fluently as a family”
• “tidy the home and ‘fix pigtails’ daily before Brenden gets home from work”
• “pray, read books, and tell stories before bed”
• “homeschool from textbooks with practice in real-life applications”
• “regularly visit and invite over family and friends”
• “nothing becomes ‘just another thing we do’: keep intention”
• “use the fancy to make the ordinary occasions special”

These are some of the things in my lists, curating and crafting a lifestyle that I’d like to inhabit.

When I envision this dream lifestyle, I picture my husband and I with however many kids our Abba gives us, living in a cabin-y cottage we want to build ourselves, on a property we own. The property would have an open and sunny yard to play and run, an orchard to tend, a field for a few milk or meat cows, a coop and run for chickens, a garage for my husband to work and tinker, and a garden with a greenhouse for me to do the same, all with some woods around the border for the kids and us to play, learn, hunt deer, and explore. I’d love to be far enough from suburban life to see the stars and constellations, but still a reasonable drive to our family and community.

While I don’t believe in “manifesting” your goals through sheer will-power, I do believe there is great value in writing down these ideas, dreams, and aspirations of mine. In making a clear vision of what I’d like to do, I can more accurately and decisively make choices and purchases to nurture and cultivate that lifestyle. It helps greatly that my husband has the same goal, as I believe all married couples should if possible, since we’re two oxen pulling our yoke in the same direction.

reputation through the bible

From a practical, modern standpoint, I believe every person has a “brand” — not just companies and celebrities. It’s entirely up to you how this brand will take shape: the choices you make in what words you say, activities you enjoy and partake in, clothes you wear, things you eat, and so on. When people see your brand, they form an opinion and tell it to others, thus creating your reputation. You get to decide how people view you based on their experiences interacting with or viewing you in your life. The goals in my journal and the steps taken toward them are very much a part of my brand and image and, in turn, my reputation in the community.

There are numerous verses discussing reputation, image, and lifestyle, as well as their value to you, those around you, and to our God, Yehovah. Solomon discusses it throughout his proverbs of wisdom:

A good name is to be more desired than great wealth,
Favor is better than silver and gold.
— Proverbs 22:1

Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
    bind them around your neck,
    write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
    in the sight of God and man.
— Proverbs 3:3-4

The name of the righteous is used in blessings,
    but the name of the wicked will rot.
— Proverbs 10:7

It’s well-known through reputation that people like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah are recognized as faithful and faith-filled children of Yehovah in Hebrews 11:4-12. It’s well-known through reputation that Solomon was wise (1 Kings 4:29-34), that Ruth was loyal (Ruth 1:16-18), that Simon Peter was passionate (John 18:10-11, Matt. 26:69-75), that David was righteous (2 Sam. 22:25), that Abraham was a friend of God (Jam. 2:23), that Jezebel was wicked (Rev. 2:20), that Esther was brave (Es. 4:12-16), that Moses was humble (Num. 12:3), that both Phineas and Paul were zealous (Num. 25:10-11; Phil. 3:6), and that our Messiah, Yeshua, was sinless and perfect before the Father (Heb. 4:14-15, 1 Pet. 2:21, 1 John 3:5-6). We know these things about them because of the choices they made and actions they lived out. These things were witnessed by others and written down for our benefit, to learn and grow from it, acting according to our Abba’s will for us.

In my ruminating both on my goals and on the topic of branding and reputation, I’ve been connecting all these points together to form a picture of how I should act within my community.

actions speak louder than words

Around my home, I have verses hanging as decorations on my walls. By my door, I have, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15), and above my couch I have Ecclesiastes 12:13: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind” (Brenden and I have made this our family verse). These both serve as reminders to me as to what my ultimate goal is: to serve and fear Yehovah our God in keeping all of His commandments and Law/Torah.

I have a plaque on the wall of my dining room that reads, “My Redeemer lives,” paired nearby with another sign that reads, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8). Pairing these two together always brings John 1 to my mind; that Yeshua is the Word/Law in the flesh, and that Word lives in me (remembering also Galatians 2:17-21).

I also have a print that my dad made me for my birthday with Isaiah 56:1-8 on it, reminding me of my identity as an Israelite, grafted in like Caleb, Rahab, and the Gentiles throughout the Apostles’ writings: “Let no foreigner who is bound to Yehovah say, ‘Yehovah will surely exclude me from his people’” (Isaiah 56:3a). I chose to hang these verses and passages around my home to consistently remind me throughout the day of my identity, my work in Him, and my heritage. These are all crucial elements to me and to the brand I desire.

In light of the mission those passages convey, I also have hung up decor with further explanations of how to carry out the above creed. One that I have displayed is 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, “…and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” I also have a few quotes from books and writers, but one of my favorite displays is in my dining room, with a vertical row of little plaques, one for each of the fruits of the spirit, formatted like dictionary definitions:

Love
[luv] · verb
committing to the wellbeing of others without conditions
1 John 4:7-12

Joy
[joi] · noun
gladness not based on circumstance
1 Peter 1:8-9

…and so on. But all of these things are merely empty words if I don’t implement and live them out. It’s the classic, “Actions speak louder than words,” such as James 2:14-26 discusses:

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? …Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?
— James 2:14, 17-20

I have to constantly revisit, reassess, and realign with the values and goals I’m working to live out, beginning with, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Yeshua our Messiah is in you — unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong — not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed.
— 2 Corinthians 13:5-7

We’re back to reputations again: “not so that people will see.” People seeing your actions is a product of living among others, but should never become the reason for your actions being good. Your actions should always be purposed to serve God in righteousness. As a disclaimer: I am not insinuating that our actions and good deeds are for salvation. Salvation comes through faith in Yeshua and through the shedding of His blood for us on the cross. However, we show our love for Yehovah our God in serving Him, obeying His laws and commandments for us, and through the testimony of that love, we emulate our Master Yeshua, becoming His disciples and fishers of men (Eph. 2:8-10). As Yeshua is righteousness embodied, it’s clear that righteousness and good deeds are the basis of a good reputation. It’s to those who have good reputations and honest “brands” that the Bible says get more responsibility, especially among the community:

Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them.
— Acts 6:3

Responsibility is a great thing, and handling it well and with righteousness and wisdom is commended throughout the Bible (Prov. 31:10-31, Matt. 25:14-30). Handling responsibility well increases your good reputation, and is a sign of a good and tov human. It’s even a requirement for leadership within the ecclesia to be good at handling responsibility within your family and to have a good reputation in the community (1 Timothy 3:1-13).

surrendering the self

I’ve found on several occasions that it can be easy to become complacent in life. I’ve found it to be easy to start “going through the motions,” and losing intention in my actions. It can be easy to let sin begin to creep in, distracting me from my goals. And it can also be tempting to hide it from others, both to continue in it without being called out, but also as a way of preserving a good reputation. As I said before, I have to constantly revisit, reassess, and realign with the values and goals I’m working to live out, beginning with, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). To sin is to be human in our fallen world, but to live continually in sin is wickedness. Confessing your sin before God, repenting of it completely and turning back to righteousness is the best, most humble and honest way to preserve a good reputation. Just check yourself for true humility before Yehovah, and not a display before men.

I love the quote by C.S. Lewis: “Until you have given your self to Him, you will not have a real self. Keep back nothing, Nothing that you have not given away will be really yours. Nothing in you that has not died will ever be raised from the dead. Look for your self, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ, and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.”

they will know you by your fruit

Not only is it damaging to you to hide your sin and shame, but it’s harmful to those who would know you by your good deeds for the glory of Yehovah.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
— 1 Peter 2:9-12

Keep your walk on the narrow road, and your reputation will be your testimony.

When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied: “I know that for a number of years you have been a judge over this nation; so I gladly make my defense. You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. My accusers did not find me arguing… And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me. However, I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God as these men themselves have, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.
— Acts 24:10-16

Yeshua tells us that we’ll know “false prophets” by their fruit.

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.“
— Matthew 7:15-20

Galatians 5 and 1 Timothy 5 also speak to knowing good people vs. bad people by their fruit.

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Yeshua Messiah have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
— Galatians 5:19-26

The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.
— 1 Timothy 5:24-25

I mentioned my “fruits of the spirit” decorations before. The collections reads as such:

Love: committing to the wellbeing of others without conditions (1 John 4:7-12).
Joy: gladness not based on circumstance (1 Peter 1:8-9).
Peace: contentment and unity between others (Romans 14:19).
Patience: slow to speak, slow to anger (Proverbs 15:18).
Kindness: merciful, gracious, and tender temperament (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
Goodness: selfless desire to be generous to others (Ephesians 5:8-10).
Faithfulness: dependable, loyal, and trusting (Proverbs 3:3).
Gentleness: humble, calm, yet strong demeanor (1 Peter 3:15).
Self-Control: doing God’s will, not your own (Titus 2:11-12).

Once again, I believe that writing things out helps to envision how to proceed in the right direction. If I properly know what the words mean in the context of the Scriptures and my Abba’s intention, then I can properly make decisions to fulfill them.

being community-minded

In all of this, a community is of huge importance. Without community, there’s no incentive outside of personal conviction and discipline to keep living for God in righteousness, and humans are quick to stumble. Brenden and I strive to be community-minded individuals, which seems to be a difficult task in the Torah Observant way of life during the modern day. It seems to me that we’re so spread out and busy with our personal lives that to commune with others throughout the week is near unheard of and impossible. But how else will we know of each other’s fruits? How else will we support one another, the way that’s intended? And how else can we know, by that fruit, when to hold one another accountable in love (Matt. 18:15-17, Luke 17:3, Gal. 6:1, Heb. 13:30)? Part of the goals listed in my journal is to grow in community with other Believers, hoping to live out Proverbs 27:17, with iron sharpening iron all week long, throughout daily life. We’re still in the process of prayer and seeking His will in this area of our lives, doing our best to flesh out how He wants us to proceed.

my “eulogy”

On the second page of my notebook, I have another list, one I labeled, “Known for…” Underneath this title, I wrote words or concise phrases in a column. Family, community, gardening, sunflowers, coziness, stewarding the earth, outer space, wisdom, music, poetry, generosity, warmth, servitude, bees, yummy drinks, childlike wonder, natural health, comfort, and hospitality are among the images, emotions, actions, sounds, and tastes I hope to be known and remembered for in my community. My hope is that, in making this a post on my blog, I’m further incentivized to implement steps toward these goals, leaving space for changing and growing throughout my lifetime, and giving grace to myself for things I can’t do in this season of life.

I’m writing from my little, city apartment, being freshly married, with no children as of yet. I don’t know when, how, or perhaps even if our Abba YHVH plans to bring about Brenden’s and my vision in its fullness. I don’t yet know for sure who my full community will include, how we’ll fund our desired lifestyle, how many children we’ll have, where we’ll end up living, or if this vision will change in the future.

I can, however, pray about it. I can work to build skills, put away savings, read books and articles, make connections with those around me, and use my time wisely while I wait for His direction and go-ahead. I can blog to share my journey and what I’m learning along the way, and I can build my brand: working on myself, committing my self and my ways to Him. I can live in contentment with what He’s already given me. And hopefully someday, after my own death, I’ll be known for a life of serving my God as my grandma is known, loving my community and family as she did, and being a gentle and joyful woman as she was, emulating Yeshua and the fruits of the spirit.

Until Abba lays a new topic on my heart, I’ll leave you with this little poem:

Over laundry and dishes
I offer humble greetings
Praying for divine intervention
in mundane meetings

Where my hands are busy
and my heart is still
My spirit listens
for Your Will

— Mundane Meetings, Haley Littlepage