A legacy is a reflection of the values, beliefs, and contributions someone leaves behind, whether through their actions, their achievements, or the way they inspire others. It has less to do with material wealth and more to do with a life of purpose and fulfillment. A strong legacy can shape communities, inspire change, and create a foundation for those who come after—ensuring that the essence of who you are continues to resonate and guide others after you are gone.

Our hope is that you will be inspired by the legacies that these families will share through their stories here. What legacy will you leave?

The Rinas family’s legacy is founded on the importance of faith, hard work, and authenticity. With God as a central part of their lives, they have built an inspiring life together—one focused on being true to themselves, meeting challenges head-on, prioritizing family, and lifting others up.

As the years carry on, they hope to be remembered as loving, hardworking, and fun individuals who lived life to the fullest.

In what ways do you hope your actions, decisions, and example will influence others in their lives?

One of the scriptures that probably describes us best is 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12. “Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.”

What core values do you hope to pass on to your loved ones?

Live Your Faith: Making God a priority in your family provides the foundation that helps families get through the tough times. He provides the moral compass when making decisions and brings peace, joy, and love even when life gets chaotic and hectic. We have found tithing to be another important priority in our lives. “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruit of all your produce.”  Proverbs 3:9.

Work Hard and Be Work-Brittle: Go above and beyond in everything you do no matter what the task. Stay the course, keep trying and never give up. When you don’t think you can go anymore, dig deep and keep going anyway. Get to work early, never late.

Rise Above Mediocrity: Don’t just settle for the norm; think big and set your goals high. Be the best that you can be in whatever you do. Always go the extra mile and reach even higher than you think possible.

Be Yourself: Don’t try to follow the latest fad, fit in with the “in” crowd, or compromise your values to be accepted. Set your own Godly standards and be comfortable in your own skin. We weren’t all blessed with the same talents—know what you’re good at and work on those talents. You can’t be all things to all people.

When have you felt you made a lasting impact on someone’s life?

Most of the time you don’t know if anyone even notices the little things you do on a daily basis, then all of a sudden, someone will say, “Do you remember when you did …?” And you realize you made a difference in their life in some small way. A few times stand out as notable points of making an impact:

• I coached a soccer team of seemingly uncoachable teenage boys who just wanted to show how “bad-boy tough” they were instead of playing within the rules of the game. Years later, these boys would come to me, respectfully calling me Mr. Rinas, telling me how they appreciated the patience I had with them and thanking me for the example I set for them.
• Years ago, I worked with a single, party-boy type lawyer. Then 30 years later, he shared with me that it was because of the example I set for him that he is now a happily married Christian husband and father and now living a Godly life. Wow—I had no idea at the time.
• Our family gave bicycles to kids at Christmas who would not have otherwise had a gift under the tree.
• We brought groceries to families during the holidays who would not have had a holiday meal without the food.
• It is fulfilling to give to and then hear the stories from organizations that help meet the needs of sick children, provide Christian education for students, provide scholarships for children of fallen soldiers, and help meet the needs of the families of wounded or killed veterans.

These all seem like small things but how satisfying and rewarding to know they made a              difference in someone’s life. It truly is more blessed to give than receive.

Reflecting on your challenges or setbacks, what key lessons have you learned, and how have they shaped you?

We have found that during the most challenging times in our lives, when we weren’t sure what do next, we could only do the next right thing. We continued working hard, looked for whatever resources we could use that were available to us, stayed the course, and made sure our motives were always pure and good. We tried to make sure we didn’t retaliate or try to get even as a part of our motivation to overcome the setbacks. When you finally come out on the other end of the trials (and trials do end), success has an even sweeter feeling.

How do you want to be remembered by family and friends?

We hope our family will always know that we loved them and only wanted the best for them.  We hope they will think of us as fun, loving parents and grandparents who liked living life to its fullest. Work hard, play hard! We enjoyed taking them to places they had never been and doing things with them such as snow skiing, parasailing, white water rafting, cruising to fun places, learning to play pickle ball, boating, tubing, road trips, soccer games, and many other fun events. We hope they know we just wanted to spend time with them and enjoy their company.

We hope our employees will say we were fair, friendly, caring, respectful of their feelings, hard-working, and never asked them to do anything we wouldn’t do.

What are the traditions you consider essential to preserve and pass on to future generations?

Spend as much time as you can with family and friends. Celebrate the holidays together, take vacations together, and celebrate birthdays together. Find reasons and make time to get together.

What stories from your past best illustrate the values you hold dear?

We both grew up on farms in North Dakota. From early spring to late fall, we worked from sunup to sundown—very long days. There were times when the rains were coming and the crops needed to be harvested, so working all night long was required. Doing what needed to be done, no matter how tired we were, just became a part of our everyday lives and still is today. God has blessed both of us with the ultimate gift of good health. We have no reason or excuse not to work hard.

What advice do you have for future generations about living a meaningful life?

Put God first in your life. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”  Mathew 6:33

Surround yourself with good friends who only make you a better person. Work hard, persevere, and always be respectful and caring for other people.