Don't Forget To Remember

During the past few weeks as I was checking my facebook status and following-up on some notifications, one particular update caught my attention. It went on to say that "You just got hit by a memory pillow and you have 2 days to respond or you lose." As funny as it seemed at the moment, it demanded a response on my part. For starters, I really don't like losing, but worse than that I hate leaving things undone and up in the air. Not to say that I always respond to everything on every occasion, but truthfully I am a perfectionist and the smallest detail will sometimes linger in my head. The memory pillow fight began and we each set out to win.

So the game was on, my friends I and began to correspond back and forth thru emails, phone calls, etc. and share memories and whereabouts of individuals from our past. Each name had it's own memory attached to it. Some names and faces we did not recall right away, but with just a few slight memory prompts it all came back to us very quickly. It amazed us how much we collectively challenged each others memories and the amount of data we collected on old friends as a result. There were a few funny as well as embarrassing memories went back as early as age 5 and reminded us how we went thru the Tarzan phase and swung from the vines of trees, or robbing the neighbor's pear tree, sneaking to the blackberry patch to pick berries, you name it.

We were stunned as to how much the times of our society have changed and how we really valued the friendship and the families of each other as our own family even though we were neighbors. Their uncles and aunts were considered our uncles and aunts, or the neighbor's grandmother we called grandmother too. Just a few simple questions sent us on a treasure hunt down memory lane to seek indivuduals that made us smile,laugh,those we teased, or fought with, who did memorable things in school etc. or whatever they had done to make us remember them in one way or the other.

Whatever happened to_________? My response was "he died of an overdose, ___________ was shot to death, ____________ had a massive heart attack, ______________ was killed by a hit and run driver, suicide, etc. The list went on and on. To our surprise, the one's that we were certain would be around for a long time were the ones who were gone. In most cases it had happened in an instant.

Each one of us has been given the gift of life with no strings attached. It is up to us to decide how it will be lived. To live means to have a mission to fulfill. It is a sad thing to come to the end of your life only to find that you have not lived. Many will come to the point of leaving the space of the earth, and when they gaze back, they see the joy and the beauty that could not be theirs because of the fears they lived. We must make a decision to extract every moment of goodness and beauty and insight or-by default-you will simply use up your days going through the motions.

Let us remember to not just live our life, or just spend our life but to invest our life. To celebrate the fullest life possible, give yourself completely to the master of life. Trust your whole life, your whole being to him. Read his words in the Bible, follow his ways, talk to him daily in prayer. As you do, you will fill our life with "joy unspeakable and full of glory" 1Pet. 1:8.

Remember that...your presence is a present to the world.
Remember that...you're unique and one of a kind.
Remember that...your life can be whatever you want it to be.
Remember that...it's best to take each day as it comes.
Remember that...you should count your blessings and not your troubles.
Remember that...God will help you through whatever comes
Remember that...God has the answer to any question that you may have.
Remember that...you should never put limits on yourself.
Remember that...you must have courage to be strong.
Remember that...you have many dreams waiting to be realized.
Remember that...only you can fulfill your dreams.
Remember that...decisions are too important to leave to chance.
Remember that...it's up to you to reach for your peak, your goal, and your prize.
Remember that...nothing wastes more time than worrying.
Remember that...the longer you carry a problem, the heavier it gets.
Remember that...you should never take things too seriously.
Remember that...you should live in a way that leaves you with no regrets.
Remember that...a little love goes a long way.
Remember that...you should never ever give up.
Remember that...friendship is one of life's wisest investments.
Remember that...life's treasures are people.
Remember that...it's never too late.
Remember that...ordinary things can be done in extraordinary ways.
Remember that...health, hope, and happiness are worth striving for.

And never forget..how very special you are. You are the feathers in someone else's memory pillow. Walk with the Lord of joy and live in His spirit. Live life to the fullest. Life is filled with meaning as soon as Jesus Christ enters into it.