Remember - Book 2

Ok . .. I am totally loving this series of books. I am amazed at what the Baxter family goes through and how God works in their lives through it all. I finished the second book in the series called Remember. It was just as good as the first book . . .it is a continuation of the life of the Baxter family.

Here are some of the things I took from this book in dealing with troubled relationships.

Remember the important things in life. The more time passes, the busier we get. The author suggests a point of having "Remembering Days" either alone or with someone you love. Reflect on the the essentials, the things that are truly necessary for your relationships to work. During this time, mkae list, and take a hard look at it. Think about how much time you spend each day on things that don't even make your list.

Remember your shared faith. We often begin our relationships in a a flurry of promises - of shared prayer time, church attendance and Bible study. Walk back through your past and see if this as the case with the person you love. God wants us to remember our first love - both in our relationship with Him and in our relationships with each other. In both cases, the bond that builds last relationships is none other than Jesus.

Remember how your relationship started. Thins back to the time when your relationship first began. Look at photo's or videos of your early days together. Whether this is a marriage or relationship with a parent or child . . .your decision to walk down memory lane and admire the foundation of your love will always be an impoirtant one.

Remember what you first like about that person. Take an hour or an afternoon and write a list of character traits, personality quirks or attributes that helped you build that relationship with that person. Maybe the busyness of life have buried the traits you liked most in the person you love.

Remember the good times you shared together: Scrapbooks and photographs have a way of triggering memories. Think back to happy times together. This might be the time that you and your child took walks each evening. Or it might be the time you and your spouse first began to court or date. Either way, make a list of how the two of you interacted during the time when things between you were the best. These remembered thoughts will go a long way toward replacing the sometimes troubled thoughts of the same relationship today.

Remember lessons from your past. If you have walked as a believer for very long , you know troubles have a way of coming and going. Jesus told us that in this world we would have trouble, but not to worry. He's already overcome the world . . .Remembering that single bit of truth will go a long ways toward helping you let go of today's troubles. Remember the ways that God has delivered your from your past troubles. He who was faithful to do that will also be faithful to deliver you through whatever relationship troubles you might be experiencing.

This book really shows the importance of working on our relationship through the use of our memories . . not just in our marriages but also in the special bonds we share with our children, parents, siblings and friends.