A few weeks ago my sister, mother, and I went to visit our family in Southern California: brothers, uncles, aunts, cousins. We had been looking forward to the trip for months, and the trip did not disappoint. We talked and laughed and shared stories. But the trip was only two days in length, and then we were headed home.

But — the memories will last years. 

On the way home we had already started reminiscing about the trip: the homes we hadn’t seen before, the dinners we had shared, the stories we laughed at, the damage the fire had caused.

Our memory is just one more reason to be in awe of a God who, when he created us, thought of everything. We have a brain that can calculate, imagine, reason, and remember. 

And while God encourages us not to remember those things that keep us rooted in past mistakes — “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” Philippians 3:13b, He readily encourages us to remember: to bring us to repentance, to encourage us, to provide hope. Over 550 times is the word, in some form, used in scripture.

“And you are to keep in memory the agreement which I have made with you; and you are to have no other gods.” 2 Kings 17:38

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." John 14:2

“And when it had been broken with an act of praise, he said, This is my body which is for you: do this in memory of me.In the same way, with the cup, after the meal, he said, This cup is the new testament in my blood: do this, whenever you take it, in memory of me.” I Corinthians 11:24-25

Likewise, God remembers us. He remembered his promise to Abraham to give him a son. He remembered Joseph while imprisoned. He remembered the Israelites enslaved in Egypt. And He remembered all of us mired in sin and in need of a Savior.

“He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations.” Psalm 105:8

What a precious gift from God is our memory (which is why loss of memory is one of this world’s most devastating diseases).

As Proverbs 10:7 tells us, ​"The memory of the righteous is a blessing."

Tomorrow is Easter, and the message is simple. Jesus Christ, who was crucified on the cross, is alive and coming again!

There are many wonderful hymns about the resurrection, but one of my favorite songs is a song written and performed by Dolly Parton called "He's Alive." It looks at the resurrection through the experience of Peter, the disciple so passionately devoted to Jesus, yet denied he even knew him--three times--on the eve of his crucifixion. 

I hope it speaks to you as deeply as it does me. HAPPY RESURRECTION SUNDAY! THE CROSS IS EMPTY! HE'S ALIVE!

It all happened so quickly. One on top of the other. 

The first was at the Costco gas pumps. The second was on the golf course. Both by people I didn’t know. Both accusing me of something I didn’t do. 

In both cases, I stood stunned, and then started to defend myself: first by denying their allegations, then by pointing out their error, then by . . . I could keep going, but you could probably guess what the result was — nothing changed. In fact, the more I engaged, the more they dug their heels in until finally I just turned away.

However, I didn’t let it go. I kept working it over and over in my head—what I should have said, what I could have said, what I would say next time. Then, I related the incident to more people than I care to admit, gathering allies in my quest to be right.

In other words, I invested a lot of time and energy into these two events. Which is why I think God had me experience them. This has always been my mode of operandi. And it is not Biblical.

It did turn me to the Bible, though, to see how exactly I should have handled the situations. And it is plain to see, I didn’t handle either correctly.

We are told . . .

To pray for those who mistreat or persecute us. (Luke 6:28; Romans 12:19)

To turn the other cheek. (Matthew 5:38-39)

But we are shown these principles through Jesus’s own life. He demonstrated forgiveness and mercy throughout his ministry. He prayed for his accusers and persecutors. During his sham of a court case, he remained silent. And on the cross he forgave them.

Abby McDonald of Proverbs 31 Ministries, wrote a blog entitled “Laying Down the Need to Defend Ourselves.”
In it she quotes 1 Peter 3:9:“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing” 

Then she summed up her thoughts by getting to the heart of the matter. “But when we let God take His rightful place as our Defender and respond to others in His love, something beautiful happens. Instead of the focus being on us, it turns to Him. People are drawn to God in us instead of being repelled — because they notice something contrary to the me-first attitude our culture promotes."

Thank you, Abby. Lesson learned.

A few weeks ago (March 14 to be exact) I took a friend of mine out to celebrate her 89th birthday. The night before I had gone to bed with the forecast of possible rain. I woke up to snow!


​When I picked my friend up, she had the best description of March that I had ever heard.


“It’s confused,” she said.


It is indeed, for since then we have had 35 mph winds, drenching rains, and beautiful sunny days. 


While the March forecast might keep us all a bit “confused,” it is comforting to know that “God is not a God of confusion but of peace” I Corinthians 14:33.


And of clarity. And nowhere do you see this clarity more than in God’s personal love for us and the simple path to salvation. It’s not rocket science and it’s not confusing.


“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” Jeremiah 1:5


“But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:30-31

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23


“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

“And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:46

No, God is not the author of confusion, but Satan is, and he will twist and manipulate these simple, clear truths so that people will not call sin, sin. That people will believe that if there is a god, he is unknowable. They will claim that there are multiple ways to get to heaven (all of which require being good enough or doing enough) or that everyone will go to heaven. And finally, that there is no hell.


Confusing these simple truths robs people of an intimate relationship with God and a life of peace, but worst of all, sets them up to spend  eternity in pain and torment. 


​Though we have no control over March’s mercurial temperament, or any responsibility for it, we do have an obligation to make sure God’s simple, clear, and life-giving truths are made known to all.
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