Memorial Stones-Trippin on the Past?

Today.....

Is my BIRTHDAY!!!!!  Birthdays, holidays, weddings and funerals are times when people reminisce....

Those special events serve as a place at which we stop, pause, and recall where we've come from....

You know...with my odd life...I've come from a lot of places.....

Portage Lakes, Ohio-Scottsdale, AZ-Tempe, AZ-Farmington Hills, MI-Mesa, AZ-Novi, Michigan-Lubbock, TX-Round Rock, TX-Dallas, TX- and NOW.....Lafayette, LA!

Lots of places....lots of people....lots of experiences....some great.....some good....some really bad!

Today's Old Testament section of my "through the Bible in a year plan" included Joshua chapter 4....there God tells Joshua how the Israelites are to cross the Jordan river:

After everyone had crossed, one man from each of the twelve tribes was to go back into the river bed and remove a large stone.

Those stones were to be a memorial for their children....so they would ask, "Ughhhh.....I just ran into that stone again......What is this stone doing here?"  That would begin a discussion with the elders, who would tell of the miracle of God's provision in the crossing of the Jordan and settling in the Promised Land.

Those stones were seen (and possibly tripped on) regularly. 
Everyone knew where their tribe's stone was placed! They had a common reference point regarding their history......

A common reference point regarding their history.......

One of my friends from high school just reconnected with me because she is beginning to plan our 40th Reunion.....she's set up a Facebook page for our classmates....there are some photos on the page of a gathering of the ladies who graduated with me....(by the way, Redcoat ladies....you all look fabulous!)

I have to admit, when I looked at the photo, some of these thoughts ran through my mind....

They all still live in the same area.  

They haven't moved an average of every 27 months for the past 16 years. 

They recognize each other, and possibly run into one another when at the mall or the grocery store....

Their kids probably go to some of the same schools together.

They have common memorial stones around which they can regularly gather.......

My stone, on the other hand....has rocked and rolled....to say the least.... 

As a mother, that can be the source of some good old fashioned "motherly guilt." Come on, moms....you know what I mean....

When my daughter got married last year, I realized she didn't have a "home"city.....she had to decide between Phoenix, Detroit, Dallas, and Round Rock.... (We love the people of Round Rock who treated her like family and helped make her wedding wonderful!)

My granddaughters are learning U.S. geography by keeping track of where GG lives.

When people ask me, "Where are you from?" I have to ask, "Do you mean recently?"

Yet every year, wherever I was, I had a birthday on March 19.  My birthday is one of my memorial stones....March 19 always came after March 18, and right before March 20....ALWAYS!

My memorial stones aren't at the weekly high school football game or Scottsdale Fashion Square where I can see familiar faces......
It's not a house, or a church building, or a familiar intersection....

My memorial stones are in my heart.......Here's one of my memorial stones....a rock that my son gave me when he was about twelve years old........

If you're not careful, you can trip on memorial stones......

Memorial stones aren't for trippin'.....

Someone who has lived in the same area for many years could get too comfortable and trip on the boredom of familiarity......

I could trip on.....alot of things in my past.....a....lot....of....things.....

But I am thankful that I get to see another March 19....and look back at this memorial and see what God has done in my life.......

• First, I'm still alive!!!  My body is strong!!! My spirit is strong!!!   

• I am married to the Amazing Mr. Brintnall. He is the smartest man I know. He can fix anything...really....ANYTHING....He can play the guitar....and He is a sincere believer in Jesus. He is good and kind and thoughtful. He is a hard worker and a righteous man. He also knows how to use a semi-colon properly!

• My son is married to a wonderful Godly woman. He is a highly anointed pastor of a growing congregation in Dallas. They have three amazingly beautiful and healthy daughters. They love God, love each other, and love me! 

• My daughter is married to a  wonderful Godly man. She is full of life. She's an extremely talented and anointed worship leader, youth minister, and Social Media guru. She has weathered things that most people twice her age would have fallen apart over. She is beautiful, funny, and strong. 

Those are my memorial stones.....what are some of yours?

Don't trip on your past....find things to look back on with gratitude....give thanks...and continue to move forward!

Hallelujah! Thank God! Pray to him by name! Tell everyone you meet what he has done! Sing him songs, belt out hymns, translate his wonders into music! Honor his holy name with Hallelujahs, you who seek God. Live a happy life! Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works; be alert for signs of his presence. Remember the world of wonders he has made, his miracles, and the verdicts he’s rendered— (Psalm 105:1-6 Message Bible)

Well....the Amazing Mr. Brintnall is taking me out for my birthday.....so I'll blog ya next week!
Please share this blog....and remember to do something today to fulfill your purpose!