J.E. Solinski
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Books
  • About
  • Contact
  • Resources
  • My Favs!

Memories . . .

10/22/2022

2 Comments

 
Picture
Last week I received a text from my cousin reminding me that last year at this time, she, my mom, and I were at the Hermitage outside of Nashville, Tennessee. Ahhh, the memories. It was a beautiful fall day and an absolutely wonderful experience. That one memory relegated to the background four long days of driving, three nights in less than . . . and then lesser than . . . and then much lesser than (are those words?) salubrious hotels, and the previous day’s booting and $50 release of our tire at Mud Island.



I responded with, “A trip takes months of preparation, lasts a couple of weeks, but provides a lifetime of memories.” And wouldn’t you know it . . . a blog was born.

Have you noticed how trips take on a life of their own after the fact? Years after the actual journey, participants continue to talk about this experience and laugh about that one. Even the bad or rough parts seem to play an essential role as they now provide “trench warfare” experiences that strengthen the personal connections even more.

Memories bind us together.

Mom and I had been planning this trip back to Tennessee for awhile. We were to visit relatives and take a side trip with them up into Kentucky to see the Creation Museum and the Ark. In an extended family Zoom call, we shared our plans. In a later visit to my cousin’s, she asked if she could join us and share with the driving. We immediately said yes.

But that was only part of the story. As Paul Harvey would say, “Here’s the rest of the story.”

Previous by weeks if not months to our Zoom call “reveal”, my cousin had been listening to some of her neighbors talk about various recent road trips. Though she had traveled a lot, she had never been on an actual “road trip” per se, and was beginning to take to the idea. She had also always wanted to see the Ark . . . but to do either alone seemed both impractical and not that much fun. So . . . she prayed . . . that God would create an opportunity for a road trip and that she could see the Ark. She just never dreamed God would put the two together . . . and with her two favorite relatives. (Smiley face and tongue in cheek emojis inserted here.)

But He did, and now a year later we are sharing the experience and the smiles again.

As Christians, we need to take a lesson from our secular experiences. We need to not only remember what God has done for us . . . the way he has answered prayer . . . walked us through difficult situations . . . provided for our needs . . . but we also need to share them. To bring them back and talk about them just like we do those vacation memories. We need to continue to revel in his power and smile at his creativity, and the mind-blowing way He answers prayer or resolves issues.

The Israelites would set stones and create festivals to remind them of what God had done for them. When we take communion we remember what Christ did for us on the cross. Remembering is important. David in Psalm 77:11 says, “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.” Sharing those memories with others is one way to solidify those memories and glorify God.

I hope to share with you a wonderful example of God’s provision in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, I would love you to share one of yours. It is good to remember.









2 Comments
Lynn Lutz
10/22/2022 07:16:33 am

Wow Jody! Now you’ve done it & truly stirred things up within me. With the loss of my sweet husband in April, I can say that God has blessed me over and over again. And those blessings, for the most part, have been the people he has placed in my life. And with each and every new person, I’m able to share not only the heartache but the fact God is watching and continuing to bless me.

Reply
Joni
10/22/2022 08:21:49 am

Thanks for the reminder how often God puts at the right place with the perfect people.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Jody Eileen Solinski spent her career teaching in the California public school system where she enjoyed helping young adults take their place in society. A native Californian, she enjoys the outdoors and so loves living in Northern California where she can enjoy the beauty of God’s creation up close.

    Picture
    Subscribe

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015

    Categories

    All
    Anger
    Appreciation
    Art
    Attitude
    Beauty
    Belief
    Books
    Bravery
    Calm
    Change
    Christian Bloggers
    Christian Living
    Christmas
    Cleansing
    Conflict
    Consistency
    Coronavirus
    Costs
    Demands
    Disappointment
    Discontent
    End Times
    Evil
    Faith
    Fatigue
    Fear
    Fires
    Focus
    Foolishness
    Forgiveness
    Frustration
    God's Protection
    God's Sovereignty
    God's Timing
    Good Intentions
    Grace
    Grief
    Healing
    Hell
    Holy Spirit
    Hopes
    Hymns
    Hypocrisy
    Ingenuity
    Isolation
    Jesus
    Legacies
    Listening
    Love
    Memories
    Money
    Mornings
    Mothers
    Music
    New Years
    Opportunities
    Order
    Pain
    Patience
    Peace
    Perfection
    Perseverance
    Perspective
    Prayer
    Pressure
    Promises
    Purpose
    Readiness
    Reading
    Reduction
    Refreshed
    Relationship
    Relief
    Remembering
    Renewed
    Reset
    Rest
    Sacrifice
    Science
    Seeing
    Self-Centeredness
    Service
    Sin
    Sleep
    Spiritual Diet
    Spiritual Life
    Storms
    Strength
    Suffering
    Summer
    Talents
    Temptation
    Thanksgiving
    The Bible
    The Tongue
    Troubles
    Trust
    Truth
    Unity
    Water
    Weaknesses
    Wise Counsel
    Worry
    Writing
    Youth

J.E. Solinski ©2015