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Today, right now, this very moment is the beginning of the rest of my life !!! Yesterday's burdens and baggage don't belong here. They will only show up if I choose to bring them. The only way yesterday's pain and heartbreak can affect me today is if I make the choice to keep it current, drag it with me, and keep it fresh......I wrote this in my journal January 1st of this year. You might call it a declaration or a warning to my past to beware of my future.

Not everything in my past is negative. I've had a pretty good life. I'm sure most would agree that we have good and bad memories. Reflecting is not only unavoidable but helpful. Remembering bad choices help us make good ones. Recalling fond memories bring a smile to our face. The problem lies in "dwelling" on the past. We move from remembering to "setting up camp" in that time of our lives. God created us to store memories to benefit our future. In Joshua 4:3-9 God commanded Joshua to get 12 stones out of the Jordan river to set up as a memorial of that great day when they crossed over. We are constantly setting up memorials in our mind -- the day we were saved, when we were married, when our children were born, when my husband took me on a romantic cruise (oh, that's right, that hasn't happened yet). God created our minds to retain significant events. The good and the bad. I have a friend from highschool that is so discouraged about her life that all she ever wants to talk about is when we were 17. And yes, we had a blast cutting 1st period to go to Dunkin Donuts, eating chocolate éclairs and trying to figure out who was cuter -- Sting or George Michael. My point is, George Michael was "way cuter." My other point is, I love those memories too, but I don't think of them often. My friend is still there, stuck somehow, because she was happy then. Dwelling on negative things in our past is blatantly wrong, especially to the Christian. If we dwell on past abuse, rejection, or terrible choices we made, it will obviously hinder our self-value, our relationship with God and with others. But dwelling on "good times" too long can also be destructive. Because then we create a mind-set that says, "things will never be that good again," "that was the best time of my life," "I wish I was there again." Satan will use the good and bad to distract us from our future. He's not afraid of where we've been but he's terrified of where we might go if our focus is forward. He knows that if you ever get a real glimpse, a real vision of what God has in store for you there would be no stopping you from attaining every destination or goal that the Lord prompts you to achieve.

We tend to consider "living in the past" to be 20, 30, or 40 years ago. But the last 4 months is your past. February of 2007 is your past. An hour ago or ten minutes ago is your past. Are you still there drudging up old worries or fears or maybe, wishing you were still there so you could feel good again?

The average driver drives approximately 12,000.00 miles a year. Only, approximately 700 of those miles are in reverse -- yet most accidents occur while backing up. Why, because the primary focus should be on what's ahead, not on what's behind. This is why our windshield is so much larger than our rearview mirror.

Sometimes, moving forward means saying goodbye. Look at what you are tied to. Are you hanging on to something that is no longer functional but once served a great purpose in your life? It's important for us to recognize closure so we can recognize the Promise Land. We have to constantly re-evaluate where we are and line it up with where we're headed.

We will always be influenced by our past but we have to be led by our future.

Lord, help us never get so attached to the past that you can't lead us into what's ahead.

Karen

http://www.darylwilliamstrio.net

THANKS FOR REQUESTING "MERCY OF THE BLOOD" ON RADIO
THE TRIO IS RECORDING VOCALS NEXT WEEK.....PLEASE KEEP US IN YOUR PRAYERS

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