Remembering

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana 

"A forgetful heart soon becomes a foolish heart." Rev. Karl Pike (the senior pastor at Good News Baptist Church) 

Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God. Numbers 15:38-40 NIV 

You can find the word "remember" in God's Word more than 300 times. Usually, that kind of repetition means it's important. And I have to believe that is the case for this particular sentiment.

There's lots of different kinds of remembering mentioned in the Bible, but today I want to talk about just one. I'll save my thoughts on what God remembers - and doesn't remember - for another time. Today, I'm pondering His people's need to remember.

Today is Memorial Day here in the United States. It's a day to remember those who fought for our freedom. Those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the well-being of those not yet born - for our country.

I have friends who take this holiday extremely personally. They have lost someone near and dear to them in war. They do not need to be reminded to set time aside to honor the fallen. To them, I'd venture to say that every day is Memorial Day. But still, I am sure it warms their hearts to see others set the time aside to remember - even if it is only one day a year.

It seems that we, as humans, need reminders like these - physical "hints" can bring important things to mind that we might otherwise forget. The Israelites wore tassels on the corners of their garments to help them remember God's law. They celebrated Passover to remember their deliverance from Egypt. We have countless holidays to help us remember everything from administrative professionals to fathers to our first president.

But there is Someone even more deserving of our remembrance. And everything around us and in us can be a cue to recall the sacrifice He made. He created the heavens and the earth. He gave us everything we have. He hand-crafted us - physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. And, when He wanted us to come close, and our sin repelled Him, He gave all that blackness to His Son, who took it upon Himself, and died on the cross to set us free from it.

I don't need a holiday to remember He who made the ultimate sacrifice so I could be free in Christ. At least not all the time. (admit it - you act like He didn't sometimes, dontcha?) But I'm glad there are plenty of them anyhow.
**



What are some ways you help yourself remember what is important? What speaks most meaningfully to you about God's sacrifice? How do you help your children remember Christ's sacrifice on the cross? How do you stop them from repeating the mistakes of the past?



Comment below, and/ or stop by Living by Grace and we can chat a bit!



Traveling Rough Roads With God's Strength

Finds for Fridays: May 25

  Finds for Fridays is my way of sharing some of the wonderful blogs posts I read each week. I am currently following close to 100 blogs and at least scan them as much as I can. Each week, I'll note and "set aside" some posts that especially speak to me for whatever reason. And each Friday that I am able, I'll share them with you. I hope you'll stop by and read the posts, and maybe even follow the blogs if you aren't already. A win-win, right?

And here they are!

Dr. Quinn Time: What I'm Learning About Dedication by Mona Hodgson at Seekerville (about dedication to writing and finding time)

Johannes Gutenberg/Laughing at Us by Linda Glaz at her blog (about the changing face of publishing)

The Broken Places by Laura Lee Groves at Outnumbered Mom (about pride and letting our imperfections shine)

How Input Affects Output by Anita Agers-Brooks at WordServe Water Cooler (about re-energizing and/or avoiding afternoon fatigue)

Hope these posts bless you. I know they did me :) Have a great holiday weekend!
 
Traveling Rough Roads With God's Strength

His Heavy Hand of Opportunity - Guest Tracy Nunes - God Is So Good

Welcome to my Wednesday feature God is So Good. Here I will share stories - true and fiction, mine and others' - of the Lord's presence in the midst of trials, struggles, and difficulties.

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33b

I was looking through FaithWriters Free Reprints (a GREAT place to find Christian content, by the way), looking for a post for my "guest slot" in God is So Good, and this one grabbed my attention. We like to think that suffering is only bad - that it is something to be endured. But Tracy reminded me that there is no time like suffering to draw us closer to Him. I pray this post blesses you.
 

His Heavy Hand of Opportunity
By Tracy Nunes

Once in a Blue Moon, you feel the press of His Hands; the weight and power of them crumble your proud strength and your backside falls into a horizontal position. It is there that you find out what "Be still and know that I am God" really means (Psalm 46:10a).

Throughout our lives as Christians He'll often move pebbles - repeatedly -to get our attention. A little stone here and a little one there, until we gradually start to get a vision for the mountain He is building.

Photo credit

Or, He will speak in a gentle whisper just strong enough to float a feather. If we're paying attention we'll feel the slight brush of the plume as it glides over our cheek and follow it wherever it leads.

But, once in a Blue Moon, He will allow the full force of His presence to bear down on our circumstances and we can't help but be knocked off our feet. Choice is removed from the equation; He will have His way.

He will have His way and we can only choose how bad our struggle is going to get; the internal and eternal struggle, that is. He has ordained our state of affairs and there is no budging. Like a wild animal who has been caught for relocation to a safer place, but who perceives that it's been fixed in a trap engineered for its doom, we can beat against the cage and rage.

These last couple of years of my life have been a wild ride of highs and lows; higher highs than ever and lower lows by far. It culminated in the neurosurgery department at Kaiser Hospital where a disk in my neck was removed to make way for a Bioplastic doughnut and bone pulp with the hopes that it would eventually resolve long term pain.

Photo credit

They cut open my throat and moved aside everything that was in the way: esophagus, arteries, and ligaments in efforts to fix my ravaged spine. Surgery went well but weeks of post-op recovery forced me to sit still for prolonged periods of time. And, that was where I had a choice; to rage against it and feel sorry for myself (which I did do at times) or turn and embrace that Hand, heavy though it was.

And when I chose to grasp the Hand instead of slap it, I learned to be still and let Him do His handiwork. I learned that He can do things best when I stop trying to help Him. I found out that, as much as I thought I had learned in my walk with my Savior these 25 years, I'd yet come to complete surrender. It was a surrender that only could have happened when His heavy hand made me sit.

He made me sit and be completely unproductive, unhelpful, and unworthy so that I could find out that His love for me is not measured by how much I do for Him or for anyone else. It isn't measured by what treasures I gather to lay at His feet. It's measured by His willingness to step down out of heaven and into this world for my sake.

While He is present everyday and in all ways, He will occasionally give us a unique opportunity to see a glimpse of Heaven, a unique opportunity to hear His voice without distraction. Sometimes this gift will come wrapped up in pain and suffering and it will be tied with the bow of discouragement. But, it is a gift well worth opening.

Tracy lives in Hawaii with Richard, her husband of 25 years. She has 2 daughters and 2 grandsons. Writing ministry came after homeschooling her girls and a career in real estate management. Read her blog at: http://tracynunes.blogspot.com and find out why she is a self-described "Mess for Jesus."

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITER-MAKE A WEBSITE
 **

When there is nowhere else to lean, He is there. The clearest glimpses of Him often come in the midst of the worst of human circumstances. He is good!

Do you have a story you'd like to share about God's goodness in your struggles? Drop me an email and we can talk! 

Traveling Rough Roads With God's Strength

God's Public Relations Staff

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works,

 and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16 KJV)

There is a restaurant not far from my close friend's house where I will never again have a meal. I don't think it would matter if it was the last restaurant standing on earth. I'd just find somewhere else to eat.

Why? Well, the food was good and the prices were reasonable. The problem was our waiter.

photo credit

He basically ignored us. The last time (emphasis on "last") we were there, we waited a good twenty minutes for our menus. He probably didn't return to take our order for at least that long, and the wait for the food might have been double that. He never came by to see if we needed anything, and we even had to demand our check after a long delay. Also, not once did he sincerely apologize for the service. This one person made what could have been a lovely meal into a very poor one - an experience that has soured me to ever eating at that restaurant again.

 In the business world, the "front counter" person represents the company he works for to the customer. If the checker is rude, inattentive, or just plain wrong, the consumer will assume the company is that way as well. If the perceived offense is grievous enough, the customer may never shop there again, and may advise friends and acquaintances to avoid the business as well. If he is treated well, however, he can become a repeat customer, along with providing free advertising to his circle of friends.

While God is certainly not a company, or a CEO for that matter, it is probably not a huge stretch to say that His children - those who follow Him - are, in essence, in the business of Holy public relations for Him.

When unbelievers discover Who we belong to, they will take our actions and words as a sign of what we value and, ultimately, what our God is like. Even if our primary "job" in the Body of Christ isn't evangelism/recruitment, our actions have the potential to win (or lose) people for the Kingdom.

Remember the waiter? I am certain that recruiting new customers, or maintaining old ones, wasn't in his official job description. Yet, his behavior influenced our patronage of that restaurant more than any coupon, billboard, or commercial ever could.

Photo credit

What kind of "press" are you giving to your Father? Each time you lose control, ignore someone in need, or go back on your word, you give credence to those who say Christians are hypocrites. Each time you show jealousy, get even, or badmouth someone, you provide unbelievers with one more reason not to investigate Christ's claims. Is it any surprise that unbelievers want nothing to do with Christians who don't walk the talk?

Of course, this principle works the other way as well. If our waiter had been prompt, polite and friendly (or at least apologized when he wasn't), the restaurant likely would not have lost customers, and in fact may have gained some through word of mouth.

Similarly, exhibiting Christlike characteristics or apologizing when you don't can certainly draw unbelievers to us and, ultimately, to our God. Many people's salvation testimonies start with scenarios such as this one.

No one expects perfection, but behavior in front of others, especially unbelievers, can make a huge difference in your witness and testimony to God's work in your life. With God's help, we can all bring a true vision of our Lord to an unsaved world without causing too much "bad press."
**

What kind of "press" are you giving the Lord? Do you make an effort to provide positive public relations for your Savior? How have you made it harder for someone to follow Christ? Easier?

Comment below, and/ or stop by Living by Grace and we can chat a bit!

 
Traveling Rough Roads With God's Strength

All The Yet We Need

I'm over at Jewels of Encouragement today, talking about God's faithfulness in struggles. Hope you'll stop by and learn how He is All The Yet We Need.

And have a great weekend. Mine's pretty busy. Headless chicken busy.

Traveling Rough Roads With God's Strength