Dear Friends,

[For this Memorial Day weekend, it seems most appropriate to me to repeat the following article which I originally wrote to you two years ago. May God’s blessings always be with you.]

Memories are precious!

It is our hope, that when our time comes and we traverse through the tunnel of light, that Christ will remember us and welcome us into the heavenly realm. In the same way, it is the hope of our dear loved ones that we remember them at key moments of their lives. If forgetting is not caring; then remembering is giving life - to friendship, to dreams, to achievements, and to moments of salvation.

Think of marker events, turning points in our lives - like the time my dad caught my little brother at the bottom of a staircase who at the age of 4 launched himself off the top step thinking he could fly like Superman; or like my high school teacher who took such a special interest in me that I felt confident in beginning college; or like the moment I met Sylvia in Borders Bookstore and then married her, nearly six years later, on July 2, 2005.

All things and all persons we remember become a world of their own. The world exists in our hearts and it encompasses everyone who has made a difference in our lives. Our remembering keeps our loved ones - our friends, our families, our communities, and our country - alive in our world. As we pray that Jesus will remember us at critical times, it is important for us to remember those who have been vital parts of our time here on earth.

I remember my mom who had an amazing talent for making a little stretch a long way; I remember my brother who served in the Army, in Korea; I remember visiting the cemetery with my dear friend Gertie; I remember seeing a reunion between friends who had been separated by years; I remember every one of my pet cats and how special they were; and I remember my best friends and the special times we shared. All of these are vital parts of my world, just as all of us are vital parts of God’s world.

This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day - that we may never forget those who have been important to us in our becoming the persons we are. They are God’s secret truths. Memories are precious!

Your friend and pastor in Christ.

‒ Pastor Jim