Regret Lane vs. Restoration Blvd.

Last week my family attended a reunion in Texas. It's always good to see everyone after a long time and have fun together. It's also a time of reflection and remembrance of those who have gone from this world to the next one in Heaven.

Sometimes when reminiscing it's easy to get into the trap of "what if". We ask ourselves what could we have done to have spent more time with loved ones or appreciate them more. Or how could we have made better choices in our life.

But God doesn't want us to spend our life in regret or sorrow, rather to look ahead at the future He has for us.

He tells us in Joel 2:25-27, "So I will restore to you the years the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, my great army which I sent among you, you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; and My people shall never be put to shame. Then you will know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord your God and there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame."

Even though our past years are gone, He tells us he will restore the years the locust has eaten. No matter what has happened or what we may regret, God can make all that up to us with our future if we let Him have control of our lives.

• Our first step in navigating the highway of regret is to not wallow in it.

• Next, when we are attacked with those feelings or thoughts, we can stop them by reminding ourselves of Joel 2:25.

• Third, learn from past regrets and make any changes necessary for our present and future.

Remember, His people will never be put to shame.

Do you have an example of overcoming this curve in your life?

History: True or False?

 Did George Washington really cut down a cherry tree and then admit to his father that he couldn't tell a lie? He may have cut down many trees in his lifetime, but that tale was actually written by Parson Mason Weems. He included it in a biography of Washington with several other anecdotes to make it more interesting to portray our first president's heroic feats. The story then became part of General Washington's legacy.

What about Thomas Jefferson? Did he father one of Sally Heming's children? Even though DNA testing was done several years ago, and the results reported in the news media at first confirmed this, it was later recanted. Of course, the retraction was not as publicized due to the embarrassment of the those doing the study. In fact, Jefferson's DNA was not even used in the test. Kind of hard to prove something that way, isn't it?

These are just two examples of some in our society who try to change history and pass down stories and traditions as fact. 

In September of this year, Mount Vernon (George Washington's home in Virginia) will celebrate the opening of  his Presidential Library. This will contain many of his documents and books collected while he was serving as the leader of our country. You can learn more about him on the website www.mountvernon.org.

Another helpful site for the truth about our history on any subject is www.wallbuilders.com. David Barton has collected thousands of original documents and his book, The Jefferson Lies, puts to rest many of the myths about Thomas Jefferson. Believing falsehoods about our roots is a curve in the road we need to navigate by dispelling myths and lies and standing for the truth.

Happy Birthday America and may God continue to bless our country.

Have you found some myths about our history you would like to share?