Memories

I really love that I have guests in my house. I get up every morning, very early, to read. My children also have a tendency to get up very early. Usually when this happens, I abandon my seat in the living room and head down stairs. Since there is a family living down stairs, I cannot do this. I was forced to find a new place to have my quiet time. The wonderful blessing of reaching out of my comfort zone is that I landed out side on the front porch. It is beautiful. I love listening to the birds, watching the sprinklers as they come on and watching the same people every day, when they think no one is watching. I know who gets off work very early in the morning and I watch the news paper deliverer as she gets out of her car to take the paper to the front door of the handicapped mans house, next door. I love this time that God has blessed me with.

I like my Bible because it has different inserts about different people, places and things. In Mark there is an insert about Harod. I like this insert. Harod liked John because he told Harod the truth. Even though this truth was bitter, he still liked to hear it. John was probably the only person who ever dared to tell him the truth and he respected this. But, while he respected this he could not afford for the people to not respect their leader, so he had him thrown into prison. God has placed someone in every one's life who will tell them the truth no matter how badly it may taste to the person receiving it. You have a choice; you can listen to the person that is trying to help you with the will of God in your life or you can imprison them so that they cannot talk any longer. It is your choice. Remember, for every decision that you make, there are consequences. Harod would not listen to the messenger so why would he listen to Jesus when Jesus spoke. If you will not listen to your messenger, you run the risk of never listening to God. Jesus would not speak to Harod because he new that it would be fruitless.

I try very hard to share every thing about my life. I share the ugly and the good. If you refuse to listen to someone who has been there and done that; who will you listen to? I will share what has happened to me lately and show you why it is not wise to go against God's commandments.

I have made decision after decision that was wrong; guys that I slept with and drugs that I used. It is not that a bad decision will ruin your whole life but that it will reap a harvest of bad memories. I hate it when I am having a perfectly wonderful time and a memory comes flooding in with no warning or invitation. This is the price that I pay for the decisions that I made while I was young. I shouldn't have to battle this much. I have a good life, but the choices that I made reap a bitter harvest. I shouldn't have to fight the thoughts of doing drugs, getting high just one more time. When I am in bed with my husband, I shouldn't have a memory flooding in my head about a previous sexual encounter. These are the consequences of my life that no one else gets to see, but that I live with every day. How much easier it would be, if I had just made the right decision the first time.

I write to you, so that you can see the consequences of bad decisions. I did not think about the future, I lived in the moment. The moment is long past, but the memories last forever. What are the images that you are placing in your mind? What are you choosing to battle for the rest of your life? There are many choices that you can make. Many choices will never see a result of any kind, except the memory that you will have. God not only wants to protect you from physical consequences, but memories as well. Make your memories special and sweet; not bitter and sour.