Dig In and Remember

I have recently become keenly aware of the fact that I can't seem to remember anything. Blame it on the pregnancy, but in a few weeks, I will have to find something else to blame it on: not sleeping? nursing? raising 3 kids? speaking 2 languages? my open heart surgery from 10 years ago? the blonde hair?  Plain and simple, I have the memory of the rocks in the front yard. I do remember growing up hearing my mom and some of her church friends laughing about how they would forget their head if it wasn't glued on.  I have joined that club. I am jealous of people who can remember every minute detail of their childhood, their college economics class, the sermon from Sunday, the shower earlier that morning and where every single verse is in the Bible.  I know you might be thinking, no such genius exists.  I am here to tell you, they do. I am married to one of them. He has an uncanny ability to remember every conversation, quiet time, sermon, class lecture, historical date, shower, cup of coffee, everything. It's amazing and really rather annoying, especially when that whole "love keeps no record of wrongs" thing comes in.  In a heated moment, I can always say, "I never hold things you've said in the past against you, and you always hold them against me."  That boils down to the fact that he can remember those ugly things I have done in the past and I simply cannot.  In those moments, my inability to remember makes me look more loving and holy, but in my heart of hearts I sure do wish I could remember that ugly thing he said the other day cause I sure would like to hold it against him. :)

I suppose my lack of memory could be the grace of God in some areas of my life, but I do find it terribly aggravating in other areas, like when I desperately want to share with someone a part of the sermon I heard the other day or when my kids say something hysterical or sweet and I can't remember it five minutes later.  And when I have an incredible time with the Lord one morning and I try to tell Brian all about it at lunch, but I just can't remember why it was so good.  I mean, come on, that's ridiculous.  So other than trying to eat more berries, taking fish oil (when I remember) and playing brain games, I have decided to enact a plan to remember what my Heavenly Father is teaching me every day from his word.  Over the years of teaching young believers and seekers overseas, we have implemented a few things to help guide our time with them.  I always found that when I used one of these plans, I remembered the text much better.  So, this week I have determined to use these plans in my daily times with the Lord.  And guess what, I have still remembered what God has been teaching me well into dinner time. :)  I thought there may be one or two of you who have the same problem or who just simply want to get more out of their daily nourishment than just surface stuff. So here is the plan I have started using.  I have run out of time every day and therefore haven't read as long or as much, but I have been filled up as I have dug in in a more intentional way.
So, here you go, I hope it is helpful to you:
1. Grab a journal and a pen.
2.  Make the following notes from your text:

• What are the key words? 
• Who are the key people?
• What commands do you see?
• What promises do you hear?
• What do you learn about God?
• What do you learn about mankind?
• What is the main point of the text?
• What does this mean for me? (The for me won't change depending on the day, decade, stage or life.  It is the application that is always there)
• What does this mean to me? (The to me may change between today and tomorrow, depending on my mood.  But it something I can take with me for today.)

 or use the SPECKA plan (we learned this at training in Richmond 7 years ago):

• Sin to confess
• Promise to claim
• Example to follow
• Command to obey
• Knowledge about God and His character
• Application

So whether you have a hard time remembering your first cup of coffee and time with the Lord or not, I hope this will help you as you grow in Him.  I know it has helped me.