Letters From Dad: How to Leave a Legacy of Faith, Hope, and Love for Your Family [Hardcover]

Greg Vaughn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2005

What began as a passion in the heart of a father of seven has led to a new men's movement. Many fathers are asking "How do I leave something of lasting value to my children and grandchildren?" This book helps dads leave treasured words of love and blessing to their children.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

GREG VAUGHN, the founder of Letters from Dad, has spent 30 years creating companies that have impacted our world for Christ. He is a two-time Emmy award-winning film producer for his educational series In Search of Heroes which has been used in over 40,000 schools and libraries throughout the world. Through his marketing and distribution center in Texas, he works with over 85,000 churches. He and his wife Carolyn have seven awesome children and live in Richardson, Texas.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (June 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591453429
• ISBN-13: 978-1591453420
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #343,549 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An essential guide to leaving a legacy of love, blessing, and affirmation to your children, August 4, 2005

By 

FaithfulReader.com (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Letters From Dad: How to Leave a Legacy of Faith, Hope, and Love for Your Family (Hardcover)

Greg Vaughn had never been close with his dad. So after his dad died and Vaughn was cleaning out the garage, he was surprised at the depth of his grief. "The only thing I had left from my dad was an old tackle box and silence." He continues, "I remember crying out to God, 'This is it? This is all I get? I don't even have my father's signature!' "

That garage moment set in motion Vaughn's growing nationwide movement to encourage men to write periodic letters to their children --- and wives and parents --- leaving a legacy of blessing, affirmation, and love.

The book essentially explains how to set about writing letters, complete with sample letters, a table of contents listing topics that letters might address over time, and writing tips from a college professor. Vaughn suggests that letters include three elements: praise, hope and vision for the future, and assurance of loving commitment.

But it also has an unfolding plot with multiple characters, explaining how Vaughn gathered a dozen men to join him in his initial, tentative venture. They met monthly for four months, agreeing to write and then read to the group letters they'd written --- first to wives, then to children, then to parents, living or dead, and finally a letter on the order of a final testament: "If our friends who've passed away had been able to speak at their own funerals, I wonder what they would've said. Have you ever thought about that? What would you say if you could speak at your own funeral?"

You see the men interested in the letter-writing concept but clueless as to what to say or how to start. You see the reactions of wives and children when they receive their first letters, presented, according to Vaughn's schema, in wooden boxes with engraved nameplates. You see glimpses into Vaughn's own blended family. You see the birth of a church-based course called "Letters from Dad."

On one level the book is a promotional piece for Vaughn's ministry, but it should not be discounted on that count. It is an inspiring and encouraging tool in its own right. Its breezy tone, airy design, and short (four-page) chapters make the venture accessible even to reluctant participants. It would make a great gift for any father but especially those looking for some tangible way to connect with their children and those who are facing their own mortality and need to feel that they will be remembered after their passing.

As for leaving markable legacies, every chapter of LETTERS FROM DAD begins with a page of feel-good, multigenerational family photos that create nostalgia and interest. But the people are never identified. It seems most --- but not all --- are Vaughn's own family. It makes one wonder: Who are those guys?

--- Reviewed by Evelyn Bence

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Concept, July 28, 2005

By 

Virginia Allain "(retired librarian)" (Poinciana, FL) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Letters From Dad: How to Leave a Legacy of Faith, Hope, and Love for Your Family (Hardcover)

It's not just a book, it's a movement. The author wants fathers to write legacy letters to loved ones giving them a tangible expression of love showing the appreciation a father feels for the children and spouse. Wouldn't we all love to have something like that from our own parent.
I read in the Orlando paper about a church adopting this concept, planning to teach it using Vaughn's curriculum. I don't think you need a group or to attach it to religion and it doesn't have to be just for fathers. I need to do this for my parents, my bothers and sisters, and my friends.
Here's the question that moves this book: "If you died today, what would your children hold in their hands tomorrow that would let them know that they're the treasures of your life?" Let this book help you provide that special letter to your loved ones.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read it then LIVE IT - great book for all men!, May 3, 2007

By 

Dan Panetti "Worldview Director" (Plano, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Letters from Dad (Hardcover)

Men, if you're looking for something practical that you can do to bless your family - this is a great book for you! Vaughn readily admits that he wasn't going to win any "father-of-the-year" awards any time soon, but he felt that the Lord was leading him to bless his family and leave a tangible legacy for his own children that his father never left for him. The idea of writing letters to this children was planted and a ministry and this book are the fruits of his labor. In fact, there is now a web site that has all the resources and materials that you'll need to do exactly what Greg Vaughn did - leave a legacy for his children and grandchildren. [...].

The book was a great read - very encouraging, challenging and uplifting. As Vaughn set out on this journey to bless his family, he surrounded himself with fourteen other men and they began the first Legacy Group that went through the process of writing and giving a letter of blessing first to their wife, then to their children, next to their parents and finally a letter to those they would leave behind after they passed away. These four letters are the backbone of this book - how to write them, how to give them to their recipients and the shared stories of the men that went on this journey to bless their families with Vaughn. One great aspect of this book is that Vaughn includes the real life stories of these other men - some who were divorced and others who were estranged from their children for years - and while not all of the stories were filled with tears of joy, Vaughn and his fellow warriors were on a quest to bless their families regardless of the response from the members of their family.

The book is an easy read for men - it's a very short 240 pages with short chapters and plenty of white space and pictures throughout. The book is great for men wanting to connect with their wives and children and who want to lead their families spiritually as well as leave a legacy for generations to come as the Lord commanded in Psalm 78. I highly recommend this book to all husbands and fathers - it is worth the investment of time and money to buy and read - a real life-changing book!