A Message From Days Gone By

I pulled one of my old Bibles off of the shelf this morning.  Not because I was looking for anything particular, but because I left my "good" Bible downstairs, I hadn't finished my coffee and I wasn't awake enough to go downstairs. 

I was sitting in my rocking chair in the living room.  Behind me is one of two built in book cases.  Most of the shelves are filled with PK's books which I carefully selected to be on these shelves for aesthetic reasons...matched sets and antique prayer books.  One of the shelves has my books...Bibles and Bible studies I have done.

When I realized my current Bible wasn't where it was supposed to be, I just grabbed a different one.  This one was my good ol' King Jimmy.  Don't be offended.  I know it is King James and it isn't like it is his spoken word.

This particular Bible was a gift for Christmas 1989 from a couple who were mentors of mine.  In case anyone doubts this information, it is written on the holy first page where there is a space for "Presented To" and "By" and "Date."  This would have been the middle of my senior year in high school and I used it regularly through college.

I grew up in a church where I was taught King James was the only way to go.  Everything else was watered down.  I sure did struggle with that first college New Testament class where I was assigned reading from *gasp* one of those watered down versions.  I remember the couple who gave me this Bible asking me if I would be interested in a different version and I was adamant about having King James.  Now a days I carry an NIV to church, but I study out of several different versions, do word studies on the original Greek or Hebrew and pull some of PK's matched sets (which happen to be commentaries...I may have chosen those to be in "my" area for more than aesthetics) off the shelf.

So, I pulled King Jimmy down and started flipping through the pages.  There were so many verses underlined and highlighted.  I could have spent hours just flipping through the pages and taking in those verses.  I flipped to the very back where I had written some notes and verses that I felt were extra important.  I came across an outline which must have been from a sermon I heard.  Yes, I wrote the entire outline...in ink...in the back of my Bible.  I didn't write when or where it came from.  This was before kids and before PK.

The Home Is Making Memories

         Gen 44:19

        3 Memories Every Home Should Be Making

        1. Discipline (need to reward as well)

               Proverbs 13:24, 19:18, 22:6, 29:17

       

         If as a parent you don't practice discipline you will be held accountable.

               I Samuel 3:12, 13

        2. Love

              Ephesians 6:4

        3.  Encouragement

                Colossians 3:21

                Hebrews 12:6-8

         What kind of memories is your home making?

         What will be the last memory you make?


Well.  Since this was before kids, I knew my kids would NEVER do some of the things I saw other kids do, I'm sure I was in agreement that discipline was the most important. 

My kids are well behaved little people and we have had to practice a lot of discipline over the years to train them to be that way.  The discipline has taken different forms over the years and still changes from situation to situation and child to child.  However, we loved and encouraged them long before we had to discipline and there is no question the volume of love out weighs the volume of discipline. 

When my kids look back at memories made in our home I hope they are memories of love, encouragement, fun, family, togetherness, silliness and a mom and dad who love Jesus.