Grains of Sand

In my last move I inherited a couple of suitcases full of old family photos, old anniversary and birthday cards and a few bits and pieces of paper with handwritten notes from my mother. The pictures are often what prompt that "I wish there was someone to ask about …" statement. Many of us look back and wish we had more information on certain people and certain events from our past. Perhaps it is this desire that has prompted many people to encourage the elderly members of their families to write down their stories while they still can. These stories can then be passed down to the next generation. Peter had similar concerns as he sat down to write the Book of 2 Peter. He knew his time was short and he wanted to be sure that he left something behind after he was gone. He writes: " So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the ...

Deuteronomy 17-19 Not too many people remember the “punishment” some teachers used to mete out in public school when one of their students committed an infraction. Let’s say I got caught chewing gum in class. The teacher would instruct me, after making me spit the stuff into the garbage pail beside her desk, to take a piece of paper, and then she would say: “Lynda, write out two hundred times, ‘I will not chew gum in class.’ Maybe that will remind you not to do it again.” I wonder if that particular punishment grew out of God’s instructions via Moses for Israel’s future kings. God says: “ When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and theses decrees and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law t...