Memory Lane

I am a hoarder. There, I said it. But I don’t hoard stuff or trash; I hoard memories. I cling to memories, happy or painful, far past their expiration date. Some of my memories I will carry forever. For instance, when I was a child, I vividly remember staying the night at my great aunt’s house. She always had the most interesting stuff. Pictures from years gone by covered her walls. An organ sat in the back room, always beaconing me to “play” it. And every Sunday- every Sunday- without fail, we would have Shipley’s do-nuts and black coffee. I love those memories.

My most favorite memories from my childhood are of Christmas’ gone by; but not for the reason you might think. Every year, my mom and dad would take my sister and I downtown to the building where my dad worked. If I close my eyes, I can still smell the air in the building and see the people buzzing around us. The building was lit up with the excitement of the season; or maybe it just felt that way because I knew why we were there. We’d stop at the long table that was just in front of the Christmas tree. The table was always filled with cards, and some even hung from the tree. The cards were names of less fortunate children in the area that were depending on us to save Christmas. 

 I couldn’t understand as a child the character it was building or the love of giving it was instilling in me. I was just excited to get to be a super hero; at least that’s how my parents made us feel. I would almost always pick a card with a kid near my own age. I could not wait to shop for them! One year, I remember asking if we could get an extra one, to which my parents obliged. We would gather the toys, and I would “help” mom wrap them. Dad would take them to work the next day, and I always remember have such a sense of pride, like I saved the world with one small act of kindness. 

On the other hand, sometimes my memories get the best of me. I have a hard time letting go of past pains and hurts. When I was in college, I thought I was in love with one of my close friends. I tried for years to get him to notice me, to no avail. When he finally started dated a mutual acquaintance, I was devastated. I had let myself get too attached to a thought. And even though I eventually let that go, I had a sense of timidity when my husband and I started courting because of the shame and hurt I felt from my previous friendship.

When we finally give our heart to the Lord through salvation, Scripture tells us that He cast our sin as far as the east is from the west; so far apart it never meets again. God is sincere in His forgiveness, and the memories of the pain we have caused Him in our past are erased forever. We as humans have a hard time understanding this concept, so we still allow the enemy to come in and remind us of our past. The great thing is, we can walk in victory over our past. We have to come to a point where we realize that if the God of the universe can forgive us, maybe we can cut ourselves a little slack.

While it’s easy to get wrapped up in who we used to be, we have to remember that God does not judge us on our forgiven past. But rather, He embraces us and cleans us up! We never have to worry about getting dirty again! His love and grace is sufficient for us! And any time the enemy tries to come in and remind you of your past, just remember to forget that memory, just as God does.

Scripture References:

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NIV)

4) The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5) We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Genesis 9:15I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.

Exodus 20:8
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

Isaiah 46:9
Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.

Matthew 16:9
Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?

Revelation 3:3
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

Thought Builder:

Are you holding on to some memories that you need to let go?

What’s your greatest memory of your walk with Christ?

Have you ever had a different memory than someone who experienced the same situation as you?

Love L.I.F.E (Love Is ForEver):

Take a few moments to reminisce with your sweetie. Take turns swapping the best memories that you have shared, and how they have impacted your relationship. If possible, pull out the photo album or scrap books, and let the great memories flow.

(Picture above © Trina Hattenstein)

What's my motivation?

In a random sort of way, I picked up a running magazine at a local smoothie shop. As I glanced through this magazine, I became entranced with the interesting tidbits about running and motivation, which stated a thought process.

It is HOT in Houston right now. Just the beginning of summer, we have felt scorchers that make me dread the “hottest” part of the summer. All I could think about was, “It’s too hot to do anything.” But then the Holy Spirit dropped a question in my spirit that has given me a new motivation: “Is it the weather or the weight loss that is my motivation?” If it is indeed the weather, I could spend most of these laboring summer days in doors, sleeping away the day; avoiding the heat and the sun. Or I can remember that my motivation is the weight loss and a tan, and  thank God for the summer, a perfect time to get into shape, because the summer gives way to beautiful weather and plenty of opportunity to get moving.

All this thought about motivation reminded me of the story of Ananias and Sapphira. They were a New Testament couple who converted to Christianity, but did not fully understand the concept of motivation. They sold a piece of property to give to the apostles, but held back a portion. You might say to yourself, “I never understood this story. It was their property. What’s the big deal if they kept a little for themselves?” But you have to look at the story in context. They felt led by the Holy Spirit to sell their land for the money, so why would God be honored with a partial offering? Their motivation was the glory their gift might offer, not the full sacrifice of knowing God is Jehovah Jirah.

We have to be careful to understand that while people may see the outward gift, God see’s the inward motivation. If we give haphazardly, God is not impressed with our gifts. The scripture is clear to tell us to give cheerfully and without reservation. Besides, it goes beyond the principle of blessing others. When we look to God to be our supplier, we have to remember that sometimes He will stretch our gifts and sometimes He will stretch us. I will NEVER forget a time in my marriage where we were just struggling to get by. I had made a commitment months before, when my husband had a better paying job, to make a 14 hour trip to be a bridesmaid. But at that time, merely months later, we were struggling to pay our bills. We had a choice to make… I could write a tithe check and watch it bounce or we could skip the tithe and pay a bill. I wrote the tithe check. The next Sunday, just days after we trusted God to provide, a wonderful couple in our church- who had no clue about out situation- just handed over a roll of money worth $500!! The clincher: someone had recently blessed them with the money, but they were obedient when God told them it wasn’t for them. I cried for hours and I vowed to bless them back someday 10 fol; and someday I will make good on that, Praise God. Intention. It all has to do with the heart condition, the motivation behind your acts.

I encourage you to take inventory of your motivations. God calls us to worship in spirit and in truth, and that includes ALL (money, time, gifts) of our worship.

Scripture References:

Acts 5:1-9 (NIV)

           

1) Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2) With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. 3) Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4) Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.” 5) When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6) Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. 7) About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8) Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” 9) Peter said to her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

1st Samuel 16:6 (NLT)

           

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV)

            12) Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13) Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14) I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 131:1 (NIV)

            A song of ascents. Of David. My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.

Thought Builder:

What does it mean to have a genuine spirit?

Is there a difference in “good” and “bad” motivation if the end result is the same?

What difference could being a cheerful giver make in your life?

Can you give cheerfully and still be worried?

Love L.I.F.E (Love Is ForEver)

I often look back when my husband and I first started courting, and I think about all the fun we had. Try to surprise your love with a recreation of your first date. Let them know that though times change, your love for them never will!!

Priorities

I had to chuckle when I looked up on the screen of my computer and it was blank except for the word priorities. I had been browsing my phone, allowing it to distract me when I was gently reminded of the plans I had made to accomplish some new task today. I struggle with the word priorities. Sometimes, I do not have my priorities in order; that causes mass chaos. Priorities are the nuances in life that are supposed to take precedence over other, less important goals we have to accomplish. Priorities can either cause us to focus when we feel driven, or go crazy when we lose site of the end result. Life is about priorities.

Loving and serving God is always my top priority. It is most important on my list because I know that if I can accomplish this top task every day, the rest will fall into place. But some days, much like today, I allow the distractions of the world to dictate my priorities; and my determination becomes less than stellar. Priorities give us a goal, something to drive towards. A conversation with my best friend earlier led me to start thinking about priorities. She is a teacher, so she has to make the most of the two months she will have off for summer break. She excitedly told me of all the targeted ambitions she was planning for the summer. I asked her to call me back so we could talk some more about motivation. I have this issue in life sometimes that causes me to lose site of my goals before they are accomplished. My priorities become stressors, and I lose faith in myself to accomplish what I set out to do.

When I stopped and considered all of this for a moment, I was reminded that we have an enemy who is a great distracter. When we lose track of our priorities, we open a door for negativity and complacency to enter our lives, pushing us further from our goals. To that I say, we need to remember we have a plan. There is a God-given destiny that we have been place here to accomplish, and we can not do that if we take the focus off of our main priorities. Even the disciples, those closest to Christ, lost site of the bigger picture. I can recall in Matthew when they started to argue over which of them were the greatest disciple. Um, excuse me guys; isn’t the goal to glorify God and not yourselves? But we do that so often. When we are setting our priority, it is a “best practice” to create a plan for when distractions come our way. When I was in high school it was so corny to hear, but “When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” True statement if I ever heard one. We need to have an escape for when distractions come our way. I have found that an accountability partner is an incredible helpful way to stay on track. When you have some one who knows your goals, and your desire level to reach them, they can come in and say, “Hey, get to work slacker. I don’t pay you to look at Facebook all day.” Or, you know, something else of that nature. My point is when we set priorities, which we should all have, we need to make sure that they take precedence over the things that can wait. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a closet to reorganize.

Scripture Reference:

 1^st Corinthians 9:24(NIV)

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets a prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

           

2^nd Timothy 4:7 (NIV)

            I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Matthew 18:1-7 (NIV)

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and place the child among them. And He said, “Truly, I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in My Name welcomes Me. If anyone causes one of these little ones- those who believe in me- to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be ne drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things come, but woe to the person through whom they come!”

Thought Builder:

What is the biggest distraction in your life right now?

How can setting priorities make our life easier?

What priorities can to rearrange to make God top priority?

Love LIFE (Love Is ForEver):

           

Our spouse often becomes less and less of a priority as life becomes more demanding. Do something today that reminds your spouse they are still a top priority to you. A handwritten letter or poem may seem cheesy, but I promise it will make them feel so loved because you took the time to do something from your heart.

Uncommon Love

Last night, as I occasionally do, I was going over some of my old church notes. I have to admit that it was, in the moment, more for nostalgia than for study. As I poured over dozens of hand written pages, I could almost remember the moment in which I wrote them. There were funny antidotes my pastor gave and dozens of scripture reference. Of course there were doodles and drawings in the margins of my note book as well. I was reading some of the old notes to my husband that I thought were applicable to a particular situation that we are going through, when I became fixated on this one particular note.

Now, our pastor was awesome. Going to church was an amazing experience under his leadership because every Sunday service was filled with impassioned worship, genuine people, and relevant word. He was clever and entertaining; and when it came to the Holy Spirit, he was serious and obedient. That’s why when I read this note, I could immediately remember his heart behind the message and the seriousness with which it was said. I wrote,

“The problem is we don’t see a dead and dying world- we see a world that needs a bath. We see people for their value and not for their lack. When we love something/ someone, we see the value in it.”

In a gist, he was saying that we have become a people who, unlike Christ, are respecters’ of people based on the outside. A few years ago, Todd Agnew came out with a song “My Jesus” that included the lyrics, “‘Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church/ The blood and dirt on His feet might stain the carpet.”

Wow, is that who we really are? Have we as Christians become so numb to truly loving people that we would miss Jesus because He doesn’t look pretty? Jesus didn’t drive a Mercedes.  He walked everywhere so He could be in constant connection to God’s most precious creation, His people. Jesus didn’t wear designer clothes made of the finest material because He knew fulfilling His purpose would cause Him to get dirty and messy. Jesus did not associate with “holy” people. He befriended the people with no friends; the person who’s reputation preceded them in a most negative way. We are called to be like Christ, and Christ was a servant before He was a King.

People are God’s most precious commodity. Why do we cringe when the homeless guy decides he wants to sit next to us in church (I’m just as guilty)? Is his odor so offensive that he is unlovable? Is he too dirty to worship the Lord next to me? Shouldn’t we be more leery of the guy in front of us with the Armani suit that we know has been cheating on his wife? There needs to be a mental shift here, and it needs to start with me.

When we begin to see people the way Christ does, our blinders come off and we can remember that we are all the same, sinners saved by Grace. Don’t forget that we do entertain angels. What would your angel report back? I encourage you, if you never have before, go volunteer at a homeless shelter. You will see for the most part the people are so appreciative that another human being isn’t turning their nose up at them, but willing to serve the “least of these.” You become a picture of Christ, and isn’t that what we truly want anyway?

Scripture Reference:

Matthew 25:40 (NCV)

            “Then the King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me.’”

Matthew 5: 3 (NCV)

            “They are blessed who realize their spiritual poverty, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.”

Matthew 6:1 (NCV)

            “Be careful! When you do good things, don’t do them in front of people to be seen by them. If you do that, you will have reward from your Father in heaven.”

Romans 12:13 (NCV)

            Share with God’s people who need help. Bring strangers in need into your home.

Galatians 6:10 (NCV)

            When we have the opportunity to help anyone, we should do it. But we should give special attention to those who are in the family of believers.

Thought Builder:

When was the last time you did something for someone outside of your immediate family?

How can we change one day in our routine to involve ministering to others?

Why is it easier, we think, to respect someone who looks like they have it all together?

Have you ever been deceived by the way someone looked?

How can we teach our children to be generous givers, in time, money and faith?

Love LIFE (Love Is ForEver):

Our spouses are our greatest commodity in life. Sometimes when we get into a routine, we forget that our spouses exist. Is there anything you can do for them today that would involve unselfish love on your part?

The Boat

There is this seafood restaurant in Houston that my sister affectionately calls “the boat.” For a long time, my very picky sister would not eat there. There are no tables, there are only bar stools, and the outside looks a little shady. Mainly, it looks like a boat. No literally… It looks like a boat was washed ashore in some terrific hurricane and place in the most random spot in Houston it could have possibly landed. A few weeks ago, with much chagrin, she followed (more like he dragged) her husband into “the boat” for a family lunch. Of course, with a little coaxing, she tried the gumbo and she loved it. Now, she goes as often as he ask because, hey, the food is good. I was thinking about my picky sister today, and I couldn’t help but correlate this story to how we (Christians) feel about the Word.

Some Christians, at best, crack their Bible open to the Sunday morning scripture, stick the bulletin in there to mark the place in case the preacher references it again, and go a full six days without so much as looking at it again. (Mostly because it sits in the back seat of the car until the next Sunday, or until they’re trying to convince a new love interest that they are, in fact, a Christian.) On the outside, the book appears almost unappetizing, crammed with non-interesting facts about Jehosa-whoever’s great grand son’s baby momma becoming a pillar of salt for overlooking the Nile to the east instead of the west… Or something to that nature. To many, it seems to be a book of do’s and don’ts, mostly taking the “fun” out of our very existence.

But, if we dare to venture into the deepest crevices, the inside of our spiritual “boat” can take us on unexpected, even delicious adventures.  When we begin to dive into the Word, our Spirit- man becomes alive with curiosity. We find out that God loves us so much He gave the greatest sacrifice any parent could offer. We discover that life has a purpose, a destiny beyond anything we could have come up with; a reason for our traditions and our importance in society.

I’ll admit, it can be laboring, frightful even, trying to figure out where to start. The great thing is, there are so many resources available out there to help you get started; I can’t fathom a topic that someone hasn’t tackled pertaining to the Bible that doesn’t have a devotional for personal study. And if you’re still at a loss, there are 31 Proverbs for (most of) the 31 days in a month… So there…. No more excuses…

In all seriousness, we should tackle our walk with Christ the way we tackle any goal in life, with reason and faith, defeating our potential obstacles before we face them, stretching ourselves to grow in spite of those awkward and uncomfortable growing pains.

And if you ever see a seafood restaurant shaped like a boat, try it out; my sister would recommend the gumbo.

Scripture Reference:  

           

Psalm 119:105 (NIV)

            Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

            For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Joshua 1: 8 (NIV)

            Keep this Book of the Law on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

John 1:1 (NIV)

            In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Thought Builders:

What is keeping you for diving into God’s Instruction Manual? Do you feel the directions are too hard to follow?

If you have a regular devotion time, how can you encourage others to do the same?

Is the Word of God, in your opinion, still a valid resource for modern Christians?

(Note: If you have questions about how to get started, seek the guidance of your pastor or of a trust-worthy Christian friend.)

Love LIFE (Love Is ForEver):

I can’t think of anything more intimate than reading the Word with  your special someone. Grab your spouse, a cup of coffee, and your personal Bibles and read Song of Solomon together. Take turns reading a chapter, then take turns telling them how YOU would have written it about them.

When the city was finally invigorated with rain, I couldn’t help but soak up a few quiet moments as my husband slept. It had not rained that hard since we’d been in Houston and it was peaceful to hear the thunder gently colliding with the sky. I was already anticipating the smell of sweet, wet dirt the next morning as I drifted to sleep. As daylight gently crept through the window, though it still looked dark and dim, I knew the storms had passed. I woke slowly, taking in what was now my “off” day, wondering about the days plans as I sleepily stumbled out of bed. Suddenly, my lack of consciousness was shattered as my feet, planted firmly on the carpet in our bedroom, became damp with a mysterious wetness than immediately frustrated me. Evidently, the foundation of our apartment had some cracks in it because water saturated the carpet about seven inches away from the wall. Further inspection gave way to dank, foul smelling carpet in the living room. Hummmm, the storm had caused some damage.

Storms are inevitable in life. This is not some new axiom I think is exclusive to me. It’s how we handle ourselves in the lessons of our storms that cause us to grow and stretch or shrivel and become bitter.  Storms have a way of revealing weak and damaged parts. Living the past eight years on a coast that is devastated by hurricanes, I can tell you that if something is weak, it will fall apart in the storm.

Honestly, it’s hard to see the damage from a storm. But if we are open to seeing it, we can begin to repair it. No, it’s not fun having your flaws (foundational rifts if you will) revealed. Those fractures are our personal scars. But if we take them to the One who built the house to begin with, He can repair the foundation with not even a trace that it was broken.

I know my marriage has had its share of storms. And if I wasn’t careful, I could have mistaken the cracks in our foundation for unrepairable damage. But if I see those flaws in my foundation and begin to pray about them and work on them, the Lord will heal them. He is the Ultimate Engineer. It’s a matter of perspective. Yes, the storm revealed some structural issues in our apartment, but it also uncovered a blessing. My husband has recently taken up collecting change he finds on the ground after the Lord revealed to Him it was a blessing. And right in front of our apartment he found twelve cents that had been hiding in the dirt. It may not seem like much but it was a increase in the change he had been finding. And it took the storm to uncover it. Christ is strongest in us when we are weakest. We can take our wreckage to Him; He exchanges our ashes for beauty.

Scripture Reference:

Proverbs 10:25 (NIV)

       When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.

Isaiah 25:4 (NIV)

       You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.

Isaiah 61:3 (NIV)

       …and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.

Psalm 91:1-2 (NIV)

       Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Thought Builder:

Which is more important to you: Staying out of the storm or learning to dance in the midst of the rain?

How can revealing foundation flaws build your character?

When was the last time you did your own temple inspection to make sure your foundation will weather the storm?

Love LIFE (Love Is ForEver):

I challenge you to get outside of your comfort zone by doing something with your spouse you usually wouldn’t do. Remind them that you still love them by taking an interest in something they like to do. Agree to switch next weekend. You might find something new you’ll enjoy together!