Monday's Prayer and memories

This is a view of the top of our entertainment center at our home in Cinci.

All this stuff is packed away.  The entertainment unit is still standing

with only the TV in it.  Mike still stays there a few nights a month.

The buildings are of Barnesville where I grew up and where Mike and I live now.

Barnesville gave me some bad memories, but much more good than bad.

It's taken me years to realize how stabilizing living in Barnesville was for me.

It's taken me years to appreciate all the good in this little town.

I'm dealing with memories--some bad ones.

They sneak in and grasp hold of me

before I realize I'm in danger--

danger of falling into memories that I've released to God--

memories that needed forgiveness attached to them

in order to fully release them.

This can happen when I'm weak physically

and thus mentally.

None of them deal with Barnesville.

               These replicas are of actual homes that still grace our streets with families living in them. 
                             The middle building is our train depot which has been restored
                                                   and is used by the community.

The church is the First United Methodist Church.

It's where my dad was minister for nine years.

It's where I married my second husband and the love of my life.

This is a Mail Pouch mail box

and on the opposite end is a Mail Pouch birdhouse.

The man who painted the "Chew Mail Pouch" signs lived in a community

very close to us.

We here in this area are proud of him---even those of us who don't chew!

Here's our old high school. It's since been torn down

and a modern-type elementary built in its spot.

I was a junior when the new high school at the edge of town

opened its doors for the first time.

I could no longer walk to school and I missed that.

I'd  pass by Dad's church

and I would stop in and see him on my way back from school.

So what's bugging me now?

Not Barnesville itself, but the uncertainty of where we will move these items to.

Neither addition I mentioned earlier is practical financially--not by a long shot.

The house estimate at the acre lot is more than we want to put into that spot.

Irritation at some decisions made in a divorce I didn't want.

.

Some faint memories of another little town where Dad was a minister

when I was much younger.

Some good; some bad.

The town and its memories have crept into my consciousness

and I'm not certain what to do about them.

Sometimes memories have to be dealt with

to rid them of their power.

Also there is meanness rearing its head at school again,

and I'm trying so hard to forgive and walk in love.

Memories of past (forgiven) meanness try to sneak back in.

There are three teachers who are miserable

and extremely negative.

My friend Tracy with the red watch in Corner view-time 

is the prime target of the biggest and loudest one.

Please lift us all up in prayer.

So here's the prayer for Monday:

Lord,

You are my Savior and deliverer,

and I need You to save me

and deliver me right now.

Set me free from my fears and replace them with new faith.

Deliver me from old thoughts and replace them with Yours.

Liberate me from memories that serve no good in my life.

Replace them with memories of Your goodness to me.

Help me learn to praise and worship You for all that You are to me.

Help me to remember to thank You often every day

for all that You are doing in my life.

Amen.

Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; O LORD,

make hast to help me!

Psalm 40:13

From Stormie Omartian's Prayers for Emotional Wholeness.

Blessings to you all as you and God deal with whatever is heading your way this week.