When Michael and Jamie Higdon first became parents, they were challenged to identify traits that they’d pray over their son, believing that with the Lord’s help, he would become the fullness of who God created him to be. They went through that same exercise two years later when they were expecting their daughter. This time, they also decided to create family values that would shape the way they made decisions moving forward.

The Higdon family talks about these values a lot. The values provide guardrails for life’s big decisions, and help the family members explain what they do, as well as what they don’t do.

Jamie shared, “In other words, they inform our yeses and our nos.

Over the years, Michael and Jamie have felt the Lord challenge them to bigger yeses. Some of those decisions have been harder than others, but in those moments where fear and doubt crept in, they have consistently returned to several core values.

“We believe that God can do more with 90% than we can do with 100%. … Bible translation has become an integral part of our family’s financial discipline,” Jamie shared.

Their family partners with a Bible translation project in northwest Tanzania and as a result, their vision for the world has been enlarged. Jamie noted: “God has cultivated our longing to one day know that boys and girls just like our son and daughter will be able to read about the life-giving, life-changing story of Jesus in their … language.”

Jamie said: “We consistently ask ourselves, ‘How can we position ourselves to say yes to the things that we truly feel called to step into?’”

“We long to live open-handed lives,” she continued. “We long to see God work through us to fulfill what He’s already promised He will accomplish. His Kingdom come, His will be done. Biblical generosity reminds us that our time, talents and treasures … [are] all His! And for whatever reason, He’s entrusted [them] to our care. We, as a family, have the tremendous privilege of joining Him in the work that He’s already begun and He will be faithful to complete: Every man, woman and child knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that God speaks their language.”

Jamie closed by sharing,