Remember who you are fighting for

Last night I watched the movie Cinderella Man. Here is the plot synopsis from Wikipedia:

James J. Braddock (Russell Crowe), an Irish-American hard-nosed boxer, formerly a light heavyweight contender, is forced to give up on boxing after breaking his hand in the ring. As the United States enters the Great Depression, Braddock works at a variety of menial jobs to support his family, but still dreams of somehow returning to boxing and making it big. Thanks to a last minute cancellation by another boxer, Braddock gets a second chance to fight but is put up against the number two contender in the world by the promoters who see Braddock as nothing more than a punching bag. Braddock stuns the boxing experts and fans with a third round knockout of his formidable opponent. Fighting with permanent injuries to his hands, Braddock continues to win and before long he comes to represent the hopes and aspirations of the American public coping with the Depression. Dubbed the "Cinderella Man," in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history, he would eventually defeat the seemingly invincible Max Baer (Craig Bierko) to become the heavyweight champion of the world.

There is a point in the movie where James' wife, played by Renee Zellweger, tells James he has to remember who he is. She tells him he is the hope of New Jersey and the hero to his children. This is right before the biggest fight of his life. There is another point in the movie where a reporter asked him what he is fighting for and he responds, "milk." James remembered who he was and what he was fighting for. This led him to do great things that no one else thought he could accomplish. What and who are you fighting for?

This reminds me of the passage from Ephesians 6:10-20:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Who are you?

Have you ever taken a personality or strength assessment? Do these assessments help you to identify who you are at your core? I recently took a strength assessment. It's the one that classifies you as a lion, otter, golden retriever, or beaver. I'm a golden retriever by the way. Do these tests help you to remember who you truly are? Part of the test compares what your core strengths are versus your adapted style. The adapted style is how we present ourselves to others. Does remembering who we are draw our adapted style closer to our core strengths?

The Biggest Loser

Last night I was watching the Biggest Loser finale, and I couldn't believe how these people had changed their lives by remembering how they felt in the past and learning from those experiences. Throughout the show they continually showed pictures and video of these people from the past, so that the viewer had a point of reference to remember how much weight they had lost. Do you have a story of physical transformation from your past?

I can remember growing up, being involved in sports and always pushing my body to its limits. There is a personal satisfaction in this that makes you feel really good. Some people call it a runner's high. I have run two marathons in my life. The pain and physical exhaustion at the end of the race was great, but the satifaction in crossing the finish line was even greater. This reminds me of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 24-27:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Remembering through songs

I receive a daily email devotional from John Fischer called "The Catch of the Day." Today's email is called "The immortal virtue of song." He talks about how songs help him to remember past events. Do songs help you to remember special events? Do you have a favorite Christmas song? My favorite Christmas song is "O Holy Night." I can remember many Christmas Eve services when a soloist would perform an emotional rendition of this song.

Survivor remembers

Last night I was watching the final episode of Survivor and remembering came to my mind a couple of times. During the last episode of each series the contestants who are left remember the other contestants by walking along a path and picking up a post for each contestant. They set fire to these posts at the end of their journey. It is a neat way to remember all of the contestants who have participated in the game.

The other time that remembering came out was when Dan spoke about his experience on the show. He told the host that he had to remember his identity when the game gets hard because you are so vulnerable to the attacks of other people.

Remembering who we are makes me think about who we are in Christ. What does scripture say about who we are? This is something I picked up from http://www.fathersloveletter.com/:

My Child,You may not know me, but I know everything about you.
Psalm 139:1
I know when you sit down and when you rise up.
Psalm 139:2
I am familiar with all your ways.
Psalm 139:3
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered.
Matthew 10:29-31
For you were made in my image.
Genesis 1:27
In me you live and move and have your being.
Acts 17:28
For you are my offspring.
Acts 17:28
I knew you even before you were conceived.
Jeremiah 1:4-5
I chose you when I planned creation.
Ephesians 1:11-12
You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book.
Psalm 139:15-16
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live.
Acts 17:26
You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Psalm 139:14
I knit you together in your mother's womb.
Psalm 139:13
And brought you forth on the day you were born.
Psalm 71:6
I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me.
John 8:41-44
I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love.
1 John 4:16
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you.
1 John 3:1
Simply because you are my child and I am your Father.
1 John 3:1
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could.
Matthew 7:11
For I am the perfect father.
Matthew 5:48
Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand.
James 1:17
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs.
Matthew 6:31-33
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope.
Jeremiah 29:11
Because I love you with an everlasting love.
Jeremiah 31:3
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore.
Psalms 139:17-18
And I rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
I will never stop doing good to you.
Jeremiah 32:40
For you are my treasured possession.
Exodus 19:5
I desire to establish youwith all my heart and all my soul.
Jeremiah 32:41
And I want to show you great and marvelous things.
Jeremiah 33:3
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me.
Deuteronomy 4:29
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4
For it is I who gave you those desires.
Philippians 2:13
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine.
Ephesians 3:20
For I am your greatest encourager.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you.
Psalm 34:18
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart.
Isaiah 40:11
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes.
Revelation 21:3-4
And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth.
Revelation 21:3-4
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus.
John 17:23
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed.
John 17:26
He is the exact representation of my being.
Hebrews 1:3
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you.
Romans 8:31
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19
His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you.
1 John 4:10
I gave up everything I lovedthat I might gain your love.
Romans 8:31-32
If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me.
1 John 2:23
And nothing will ever separate you from my love again.
Romans 8:38-39
Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen.
Luke 15:7
I have always been Father, and will always be Father.
Ephesians 3:14-15
My question is…Will you be my child?
John 1:12-13
I am waiting for you.
Luke 15:11-32
Love, Your Dad Almighty God

Remembering and Forgiving

How do we learn to forgive while still remembering the situation? Remembering and forgiving may seem contradictory, but in fact if we truly forgive we will remember how God has blessed the situation. Many times in scripture we are asked to forgive each other because God has forgiven us. Joseph is asked to forgive his brothers. Many people ask God to forgive them, but we are also asked to remember how God has blessed us. The more I think about it, the more remembering and forgiving seem to be synonymous and not contradictory. Your thoughts?

Remember who set us free

I recently read the book "Jesus Wants to Save Christians" by Rob Bell. He talks about how we must remember that God set us free from sin. The Israelites forgot who set them free and it led them back into slavery. Here is a sample:

"The first commandment instructs the people to 'have no other gods.' (Exodus 20:3) Their humanity is directly connected to their ability to remember their liberation, which was a gift from God. If they forget God - the one, true God who freed them – they are at the very same moment forgetting their story. If they forget their story, they forget what it was like to be slaves, and they might find themselves back in a new sort of slavery."

How does God want to set you free? What do you remember or forget about your freedom in Christ?

Welcome!

Welcome to the Power of Remembering blog. What comes to mind when you think about the power of remembering? It is our hope that the power of remembering will bring healing, help shape your story, honor God, and help us all experience more joy. It has been surprising to me how often the power of remembering has come to my mind over the last month.

I’m often present or future oriented, so I don’t often think about the past. I need to be intentional about taking time to remember past events in my life and how those have shaped me into who I am today. The personal narrative I completed for the leadership class I participated in at church helped me to examine my life and figure out how God has shaped me. It is interesting to see how different people remember different things. What do you remember from the past? What are your most vivid memories from your childhood? What has impacted you the most? How has God used those memories to shape you?