Choosing to Remember

Almost every night around 9:00, my Palm starts beeping. I have it set up to remind me of bills to be paid, permission forms to be completed, birthdays on the horizon. I love a gadget that will do the reminding, because I have a severely dysfunctional memory.

Now, I can tell just about any trivial thing you want to know. Wanna' play "The 6° of Kevin Bacon"?...I'm there! Need to know who starred in an 80's flick, or sang a particular song? Usually, I have the answer stored in my brain. I can remember a small injustice I suffered at the hands of someone, even if it was 20 years ago. It's the important stuff I forget.

When I'm off wandering around on my own, it's because I forgot to listen for the Good Shepherd's voice guiding the way. When I'm worrying about the daily hassles of life, I've forgotten that He watches over me. When I question my current circumstance, it's slipped my mind that His ways are not mine. And always in situations like these, I stopped remembering the many great and marvelous things He's done in my life.

Even when my head remembers, my heart forgets.

A couple of months ago, my pastor shared this verse in his sermon. The sermon was, in fact, directed to the men in our congregation. But the Holy Spirit grabbed onto me during that message, and this verse in particular shouted to me. During the invitation, I stood up to sing, and I literally felt the Spirit push me back into the pew. I hung my head and just sobbed. I've never experienced anything like it.

Two months later, here I am back where I was. I'd forgotten that experience until the Lord reminded me of it for the first 40 by 40.

So, for those of you who are joining me on the Scripture memorization journey, here's our first challenge.

"Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them." --Deuteronomy 4:9


For me, this verse is a call to actively remember His Word and what He's done in my life. I hope that at the end of this journey, I will have been so focused on God that I won't dare forget what He's said and done. That I'll be able to pass those things along to CJ, and to give her the spiritual foundation I didn't have as a child.

So, get out your index cards or whatever else you use...and let's start remembering!

P.S. - Thanks to Boomama for the cute sidebar icon! If you'd like to add it to yours, let me know in your comments and I'll send it to you.

Updated to add...my first week's weigh-in results (drumroll, please)....I've lost 3.8 pounds! And I even had cheesecake!