REMEMBER-DO NOT FORGET

What a year we have all just gone through! My word for 2020 was surrender. Did anyone ever guess that we all would have to surrender so much in our lives this past year? It was a good word to have, to dwell on for the year, to surrender daily to the Lord as He was and still is in control of everything.

As usual I have been giving much thought to the word God wants me to think upon this year. I had the privilege of doing a Bible study last fall, Jesus and Women In The First Century and Now by Kristi McLelland. It was very informative and after I finished my Advent study I decided to record what I learned in a condensed format in a notebook in case I ever needed to teach the lessons I had learned. I was surprised to realize how much I had forgotten in just a month and so I think this is something I will do as I finish each Bible study that is in a book format such as this one. So in this study the author teaches a lot of Hebrew words and their meanings. I decided to use one of them for my word for 2021, ZAKHAR. It means “to remember.” In the Bible God issues many commands, but He repeats one of them over and over—remember—do not forget.

I tend to remember my hurts and the things that have devastated me, but easily forget all God's little blessings, the beautiful grace filled moments He has given me. Remembering God's faithfulness in my life is the way I plan to step forward into the future. Remembering Him will give me the courage to trust with a renewed faith for this year. He has never failed me in the past and I know He will not fail me in the future.

My last blog was in July. The last half of last year was just as crazy as the first half, but we did make some memories. We had what will become our annual back-to-school sleepover at Grandpa and Grandma's house. It was just an August sleepover-in-a-tent-in-the-living room because the two oldest were just starting kindergarten! This year it will officially be a back-to-school (hopefully) and also possibly an outside event.

In September Bill and I took a small vacation of epic proportions. We drove down the Shenandoah Parkway and the Blue Ridge Parkway. The first four nights we stayed in a tent on an air mattress, until a hurricane went through, completely soaked us, and our air mattress got a leak. Both on the same night. God was clearly telling us that we are more RV people than tent people but once again we made wonderful memories and we were able to spend some time with Bill's sister and nephew in SC before we made the drive back home.

Birthdays were not celebrated all together in October as last year, due to busy schedules and quarantines. The oldest grandchild turned 6, Bill turned 70 and our son-in-law had a birthday also.

Emily's birthday was in November and was bittersweet as has been every event this past fall. She hopes to be in Southeast Asia by July, serving the Lord there for the rest of her life, as has been her desire since she was a little girl. We don't know what our country or the world situation will be like in the near future, but God holds her in His hands.

December brought the birthday of our youngest grandchild. He turned 3, a loving little tyke so advanced in his learning, I wonder what great plans God has for his life? I know it's going to be something very special.

We also started another yearly tradition in December—a nativity play at Christmas with the grandkids. The two oldest had to play double roles since the younger ones didn't want to be in it! So Will got to be Joseph and the angel and Mari played Mary and a shepherd. It was a lot of fun preparing and trying to keep it a secret from their parents.

Christmas is always a blessed time for me. What can be sweeter than celebrating the birth of our Savior? I still make a Jesus Birthday Cake, as my mother did, and we sing Happy Birthday to Jesus. I love to see the light reflecting in the eyes of my grandchildren as we sing to Jesus!

Even as the year seemed to drag on, looking back it has passed quickly and now a new year is here. I know for some of you reading this must think that remember might seem to be a strange word to focus on when the last year has been so hard. Actually the last 8 years have been difficult for our family. But God.... isn't that always Who we should be looking to? He has showered us with His faithfulness even in hard times.

And we have much to look forward to.....

Any day now our new little granddaughter will be making her entrance into this world.

Thank you Lord, for Your blessings to us.

Psalm 77:11-14

I will remember the works of the LORD;

Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.

I will also meditate on all Your work,

And talk of Your deeds.

Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary;

Who is so great a God as our God?

Yor are the God who does wonders,

You have declared Your strength among the peoples