Good Times

Denise Kelly introduced me to Creative Memories the summer before Nathan's senior year in high school.  There were several reasons for my excitement about the company.  One, there was finally a way to capture the essence of the photo not just on film, but with journaling as well.  Two, maybe, just maybe, we could do something with the thousands of pictures we had in boxes.  Three, the products are designed to last -- a very long time.  (anybody else have faded pictures in sticky books?)  I determined during our very first meeting that I would create a senior album for each one of the kids.  And, I did.  And each one received their book within the year of their high school graduation.  (one of my more amazing accomplishments I think)

Mike and I are getting the house ready for lots of company next week.  Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday.  Fellowship and food--the gift of family, friendship, and fun without the bother and stress of Christmas.  While we were rearranging furniture we ran across a box of things his siblings had gathered for him after Grandma died.  We have plenty of space in a filing cabinet we use and the decision was made to file it away at a later time.

This afternoon that was my task.  I found birth announcements for several of Mike's cousins and a note to Mike from a friend at church who had pinned him during his induction into Permian High School's National Honor Society.  There were church bulletins from special events and even one from Bacon Heights in Lubbock.  There were obituaries of those we've loved and lost.  There were thank you notes from several that Pop and Gram had blessed in some way through the years.  There was even a picture one of the kids had drawn of Pop's work.  There were report cards and scholarship letters.  Lots of memories.


But what sparked my interest the most were the photographs.  Several of our first Christmas as a married couple.  I'd forgotten Donna and I were so thin back in the day.  (What happened?)  There were pictures of Mike growing up.  Baseball, football, birthdays were all marked by pictures.  There was one of him in his baseball uniform standing in front of the infamous storage shed.  (he and Terry used to 'shoot' Donna off of it)  My favorite has to be one of him and Granny Ray grinning at each other the night he graduated from high school.  Priceless.  I wonder what the secret was?  There's a picture of Mike, Donna, and Terry as little guys.  Michael may have been five.  I was mesmerized by their hands.  Each little hand was telling its own story.


There were other photos.  Several taken of Pop and Gram during happier times.  The last few years so overshadowed my memories that I had forgotten other times--the good times.


I know everyone doesn't like to record memories the way I do.  And really, I don't mean for this to be a Creative Memories commercial, but have you collected a few things and made notes about them?  Some day your family will be going through your stuff.  Will there be items there to remind them of the good times?  Will there be pictures but no stories to go with them?  The 'why' answered for the shared grin?  I hope so.  Today I was unexpectedly blessed by pictures from the past.  It might have been better if there were a few stories written somewhere about those pictures!!

What Am I Supposed to be Doing?

Yesterday I was cleaning out files.  When we moved two years ago we didn't have a lot of time to get things packed and all of my work and home files were just thrown in boxes and loaded.  One of my goals while not working is to go back through and get rid of more 'stuff.'  All of that to say I ran across some notes from 2006 that were helpful to me at the time.  Maybe the message of those notes will encourage you as well.

Dr. Randy Hatchett was the interim pastor at Immanuel for awhile.  He is also a professor at Houston Baptist University.  His sermons are the kind that make you think well into the week (and future) about truths revealed.  One of them was based on 1 Samuel 30.

Basically David and his men are hired mercenaries to the Philistines, but the Philistines are preparing for battle against the Hebrews. The higher ups tell David and his men they cannot participate.  So, David and his men pack up their gear and head down to Ziklag.  


When David and his men arrive at Ziklag they find it plundered and burned by the Amalekites.  All of the women and children have been taken captive.  The men are very upset and decide that stoning David might be a great idea.  David calls for the ephod and inquires of God whether or not he and his men should pursue the Amalekites.  God tells David that he will be successful in his quest.


The men get to the Brook of Besor and some of them are too worn out and exhausted to continue.  Two hundred of them stay behind while the other four hundred continue on.  They happen to stumble upon an Egyptian slave who has been left for dead.


David stops to render aid, very uncommon in those days, but the slave has information David needs in order to rescue the women and children.  Of course, David doesn't know this at the time.  He just happened to see another person in need and stops--an 'interruption' if you will.


Information provided by the slave leads David and his men to the camp of the Amalekites.  True to God's word, they are successful in rescuing the women and children.  God also gives them the plunder of the Amalekites.  (By the way, the Amalekites are dreadful--you should read about them some time!)


The point is that God uses us to extend his circle of mercy to others, and in doing so he gives us information as to what our next move may or may not be.  David not only helps the slave, but later insists that ALL of his men share in the spoils of the plunder, not just those that went on.  


We all come to the Brook of Besor--you know, that place in time where we absolutely cannot continue.  Sometimes we need others to fight the battle for us--and then share the plunder--grace and mercy.  Sometimes we are the ones who continue on and do battle.  Then we are responsible for sharing the plunder--grace and mercy--with those around us who can't go on.  Sometimes we are the slave who has the information needed to continue the battle.


God uses each of us in different ways at different times.  But we get so focused on the question of 'what is God's will' and being annoyed by the 'interruptions' getting in our way to reach 'God's will' that we forget to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God. (Micah 6:8)  We forget that the 'interruptions' ARE the calling.  We make it hard.  God makes it simple.  "Follow me," he says.  And if we follow him, his will is to invite others to "come and see."


I don't know which role you are playing today.  My prayer for each of you is that you have friends who will stand up and do battle for you when you can't go on--or that you will have the strength and wisdom to do battle for others in your midst who can't go on.  May you share your plunder--wisdom, strength, grace, mercy--unselfishly.  If you're the slave, speak truth.  You may have a piece of wisdom or advice that someone else desperately needs to hear.  Follow me.  Come and see.  Come and see that God is good.