{"id":338,"date":"2012-11-28T12:00:31","date_gmt":"2012-11-28T20:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/warmanloving.org\/site\/?p=338"},"modified":"2012-11-30T12:21:16","modified_gmt":"2012-11-30T20:21:16","slug":"gathering-stones-and-building-memories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/warmanloving.org\/site\/gathering-stones-and-building-memories\/","title":{"rendered":"Gathering Stones and Building Memories"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Christmas\"<\/a><\/p>\n

So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan.\u00c2\u00a0<\/sup> Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you.\u00c2\u00a0 In the future, when your children ask you, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcWhat do these stones mean?\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.\u00c2\u00a0 When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.\u00c2\u00a0 These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 . . . And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/sup>He said to the Israelites, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcWhat do these stones mean?\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 tell them, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcIsrael crossed the Jordan on dry ground.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00c2\u00a0 <\/sup>For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over.\u00c2\u00a0 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 [Joshua 4:4-7, 20-24]<\/em><\/p>\n

Traditions don’t happen by accident.\u00c2\u00a0 They are a conscious effort of making and recalling memories for the benefit of our children.\u00c2\u00a0 Joshua was intentional when called the men to gather 12 stones to build a memorial so that the people of Israel could teach their children about the great things God had done.\u00c2\u00a0 He wanted the generations to remember.<\/p>\n

Building memories celebrate your values with the people you love.\u00c2\u00a0 Investing in building solid memories brings tomorrow’s connections.\u00c2\u00a0 What are some of the “stones” you have gathered over the years that trigger special memories this time of year?\u00c2\u00a0 It may be the special box of Christmas ornaments.\u00c2\u00a0 Grandma’s secret recipe.\u00c2\u00a0 Dad’s watch.\u00c2\u00a0 The annual trip to the cabin.\u00c2\u00a0 Reading that favorite storybook before bedtime.\u00c2\u00a0 Gathering stones reminds our families to reflect on the past years and share dreams to make us hopeful for the future.\u00c2\u00a0 It is also a time to celebrate God’s love and His faithfulness to us.<\/p>\n

The holidays are an opportunity to create events that celebrate our values<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 Consider the holidays and events listed and think about what values you want to pass on to the next generation.<\/p>\n