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Getting around to writing or updating your will is one of those things that seems always to wind up at the bottom of our “to do” list. We do not want to stop what we are doing to spend time contemplating our demise and making decisions about the distribution of the financial blessings that we have. We know it is important to be a good steward who has an up-to-date will but we keep putting it off for a more convenient time.
Sometimes, however, we get a nudge that makes us act. Last week I heard of a woman who had decided last year that her will was not what she wanted. She had planned to get it changed but there were so many other things for her to get done. In the past two weeks, she had gotten her nudge, two heart attacks!
Lawyers tell me that when someone calls saying they need to get their will done quickly, their first thought is “I wonder where they’re flying off to?” A long journey is sometimes the nudge that motivates people into getting their “house into order”.
Sometimes it is the death of a friend or family member who did not have a will that is the nudge that makes us act. Watching the added grieving of the family trying to figure out what to do and what the deceased would have wanted is very troubling.
Good stewardship would be to care for your will now when you are not facing an emotional reaction to the death of a loved one, a trip deadline or even the unsettling news of a physical problem. It is so much better to write or update your will when you have the time and mental quietness to concentrate on making sound decisions regarding your estate … when you can do it calmly and rationally.
The Mission Endowment Board (MEB) of King of Kings Lutheran has set a goal for the King of King members. That goal is that by December 31, 2007 all members have a written will that has been updated within the past three years. 100 percent! We pray that perhaps you can let this be your “nudge” to move this task to the top of your “to do” list.
You’ll be hearing more about this as the year progresses. In the meantime, if you would like a “Will and Trust Workbook” to make this process easier, contact any member of the MEB Board or the Oregon Synod’s Director of Planned Giving, Tricia Larsen. This booklet will help you think through the process and gather information for your attorney. She can also provide you with a booklet, “Notes to Friends and Family” that will help your family during their time of loss. She can also help you plan your estate, which is most likely larger than you think, to maximize gifts to your family and leave a legacy to the ministries of your choice, including those of King of Kings. Tricia can be reached at 503-244-4102 or email at Blessed2Give@cs.com. She is available to help you without cost or obligation, funded in part through the mission support dollars KOK sends to the Oregon Synod and the ELCA.
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