REMEMBER ME

             I don’t have Alzheimer’s disease. Nor do I have dementia. I probably share some signs of senior memory loss by not severe. My greatest memory challenge is with the computer. I wrote last about a computer virus. This memory challenge has to do with “user name” and “password.” I can’t remember them. I use less than a half dozen of each. But I have a hard time remembering which goes with which account. I handle the problem by keeping a little book in my desk with all my accounts and their user name and password. If my first or second try to log into an account fails, I look it up in the book. A few I log into often I do remember.

               I find it is true with other things also. If I don’t write down a name after being introduced, I won’t remember it. Anything I want to remember, I know I need to write it down. 

              God, of course, can remember everything, except He has or will forget our sins. “For I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will remember no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34) God will not forget us, but I am so glad that the Lord’s has me written in the “lamb’s book of life.” In his vision of heaven the Apostle John says he saw no one who was not written there. “But there shall by no means enter (heaven)…only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” (Revelation 21:27)           

   Grace and peace.

FORGIVING HACKERS

            I’m sure it has happened to millions of others but you do not pay attention until it happens to you. One afternoon a few weeks ago a virus invaded my computer. I have no idea how it gained access,(I have Norton security and Webroot)but it succeeded in encrypting every one of my saved documents. There was a link which supposedly would allow you to reverse the encryption. I was unable to get the link to work. I have a contract with the Geek Squad, so I took the computer in to the local Best Buy.  They were able to remove the virus and a couple of more but were unable to reverse the encryptions. As a result I lost all my document files. To make it worse the thumb drive I was using for a backup was plugged in at the time and I lost my backup files also. So I lost all my documents. Gratefully my email accounts were OK.

            Thus far the breech in the computer has not been used to gain access into any of our financial accounts. I‘ve kept a close eye on them. It seems the virus is just a malicious plaything for some deranged hacker. Of course I do not know this hacker, or his/her motive. But I am obliged to forgive him his trespass. In teaching his disciples how to pray, Jesus gave them a model prayer. In that prayer He petitions “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12) Most interpret this to mean that we be forgiven in the same way or to the same extent that we forgive others. This is sufficient motivation for us to forgive others. So I forgive the hacker. Please don’t do it again. 

Grace and peace.

ELECTION OVER

            Hurray! The election is over for now. I grew so weary of the political ads. It seemed that ninety five percent of them were negative and personally attacked an opponent. We are told by political analysts that negative ads are more successful than positive ads. I wish it were not so. Positive or negative I grew so tired of these ads that on Wednesday week ago I felt I was released from prison. If you wanted to watch any television offerings in the weeks leading up to Election Day, you were compelled to also watch the ads. I am so glad the election is over for this cycle.

            I trust you exercised your right to vote.  Some say that if you didn’t bother to vote you don’t have the right to complain. The truth is it doesn’t do any good to complain. No matter what you think of the election’s results, those elected are now in charge of our government and deserve our support and prayers. Surveys indicate most citizens are frustrated with the government. The best thing we can do is pray for our leaders, collectively and individually. They need the Holy Spirit to direct them in their decisions. We need the Spirit to protect us from unwise actions of those in power. And prayer is not a wasted effort. We are told in James 5:16 “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”  I believe that! As I pray I know I have real input into the political process. 

Grace and peace.