Do you ever forget things you wanted to remember in the moment? Especially things God has done? You are not alone. We are a forgetful people. And although God has continued to show Himself clearly to us from Genesis 1, we still struggle to remember. Today as we embark on our penultimate episode of the REDEEM Her Phone Time Series, I not only have a surprise for you, I’ll also share with you 5 ways to use your phone well to remember God’s faithfulness, share it…and not forget! Let’s do it!
Hey friend, before we get to the surprise, I bet you’re wondering what penultimate means…it means second-to-last. As in this is our second to last episode of the REDEEM Her Phone Time Series. It makes me a little sad to be saying goodbye to this conversation cuz I know it’s what we all need to hear living in this ever-connected world. No worries- it’s always here when you need to hear it again. Be sure to tune in in a few days for how we will wrap up this experience and continue to take what we’ve learned with us into how we use our time in this season and in light of eternity.
So about that surprise…did you remember that if you left a review for the podcast over the past few months, your name goes in the drawing for $100 off the new REDEEM Her Time Program?!?!?
If you missed it, no worries, you can still push pause and go leave a review cuz you never know when another fun drawing might pop up!
We’re at 47 reviews and my goal is to hit 100 soon, so I can use help and it will just take a min. Just go to apple podcasts (yes you can do this even if you are an android user- use your computer or find a friend with an apple device) find the show, scroll down to the bottom and leave a 5 star written review. And may I just say thank you now for helping us to get to the next threshold of 10,000 downloads…and beyond!
Before I spin the wheel of names to discover our lucky winner, you may be wondering, what’s the REDEEM Her Time Coaching Program all about? I’m so glad you asked.
Imagine waking up without the stress of feeling like you don’t have enough time for everything you need to get done for the day….or going to bed without the nagging worry that you forgot something important but you can’t remember what it was…
Instead, imagine waking up peacefully because you know where your most important resource, your time, is going to be invested that day in the people and things that matter most in the season you’re in…and going to bed satisfied knowing that you took care of the things God has given you to do that mattered not only that day, but for eternity.
This 12-week group coaching program walks you through a simple framework to first identify what matters most in the 8 key areas of your life and then to implement a sustainable system to manage your time so you can be more present with who + what matters most. Plus you’ll build a toolbox of resources to pull out when you encounter obstacles and distractions- cuz we all know even with the best-laid plans, life happens, right?
What you learn through the weekly self-paced modules and live group coaching calls will last you a lifetime…and better yet, give you your life back… instead of giving it away to less important things day after day. And you’re gonna meet some other amazing Christian women on the journey too that will become life-long friends and support. How do I know? Cuz that’s what’s already happening!
So come join us. You can check out all the details at https://redeemhertime.com/coaching and grab a spot before they fill up
One person is going to get $100 off and everyone else with an early bird spot gets lifetime access to the REDEEM Her Time Program at a cost that will never be the same again after April 20th. So either way, you’re gonna want to hop on over and grab yours now…
And the WINNER is…
That was super exciting. Congrats! And congrats to everyone who snags a limited early bird spot. In fact, you might wanna go do that now before you forget, cuz once the word gets out, they’re gonna go fast!
Speaking of forgetting…let’s talk about how to use our phones well to remember. Cuz I don’t think it’s just an age thing, I think it’s a distraction thing– our attention is pulled away from what matters more by the trivial things that come across our paths (and phones) everyday.
As I was preparing for this episode, I found a really cool site called eternalwall.org that is all about helping people remember the things God has done, both in biblical times as well as today. I love this definition of remembering they share…
“Remembering isn’t passive, it is an action that brings the power of Jesus into our lives. As we remember what He has done, it enables us to stop focusing on impossibility and instead focus on the God who does the impossible.”
It makes me think of a woman who came and spoke at our MOPS group back in the day when I had preschoolers underfoot (if you still are in that season, I highly recommend finding the closest Mothers of PreSchoolers group as a place to plug in for resources and connection to help you be the mother God is calling you to be…it was so helpful when I was in that season.) Anyway, I remember she talked about creating memorial stones in order to not forget what God had done in our lives. In her practical application, she recommended collecting doll size items to represent what God had done- I can vividly remember that she showed us a doll size oven because hers had almost exploded one day and would have burnt down her house, but God miraculously prevented that from happening.
Funny how I can remember what God did in her life, but because I didn’t follow through with that idea like I had intended, I’ve forgotten many of the little blessings and miracles God has done in my own life.
That’s why today, we’re going to talk about how we can remember, so that way you don’t forget like me, like us all.
The struggle to remember did not start with the digital age- it’s been around since the creation of the world starting in Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve forgot that God really meant what He said. Later after more people forgot His ways and God sent the flood, He gave a reminder in the form of a rainbow to Noah and his family of His covenant promise to never again destroy the earth in that way. And now every time we see a rainbow today, we are reminded of His faithfulness.
“Over and over again we see God creating ways to remember His works. He wants us to live in remembrance.” eternalwall.org
In Psalm 77, the author finds himself in a place of hopelessness and instead of focusing on the circumstances around him, he chooses to remember the deeds of the LORD and meditate on His miracles and mighty acts.
And what do you think happened…did his surroundings suddenly change?
No, but his heart did. And instead of being distracted by the temporary things around Him, his heart was redirected to the eternal God whose plans are well beyond the here and now. His despair turned into joy as his forgetting turned into remembering.
And not only does He want us to remember, He wants us to share it with others- especially those who come after us and did not witness it first-hand.
That’s why in the next chapter, Psalm 78, the same author teaches us to pass remembrance on to future generations by sharing God’s faithfulness with our children and their children. That makes hope in Him visible.
Back to memorial stones as a way to remember- this concept was not just that speaker’s great idea, it was God’s. In fact, it traces back all the way to Genesis as a way to remember the things God had done for His people.
Let’s take a quick look at 3 places in Scripture memorial stones are used to remember…
- The first place we find memorial stones is in Genesis 28 when Jacob set up a pillar at Bethel to commemorate the powerful vision God had given him there in his dream. The experience was so impactful, he wanted to have a tangible way to remember it and share it with others. (Note: Bethel is mentioned often as the children of Israel inhabit the Promised Land, so no doubt they saw this memorial and heard the story of one of their patriarchs)
- The second place we find memorial stones is in Joshua 4 when Joshua has just led the next generation of Isrealites through the Jordan River on dry land (which mind you not only was usually very wet, but it was also during harvest season when the river overflowed its banks…making it a miracle only God could do.) Again, the Jordan River was a central location in the Promised Land, so the people for generations to come would see it.
- The third place we find memorial stones is in 1 Samuel 7 when God leads the Isrealites to victory over the Philistines (a few chapters later, God helped David to overcome Goliath, the Philistines biggest warrior). I love that in this case Samuel names the stone Ebenezer which means “the stone of help”- he clearly recognized their victory was only because of God’s presence with them. The stone ensured that God got the glory.
In each case, the stones were not just an immediate thanks to God for what He had done, but came with a command to talk about it.
Joshua 4:21-22 says, “When your children ask their fathers (and mothers) in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know (what God did)…so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”
These stones shall be to the people a memorial forever.
Joshua 4:7b
Ok, great Lissa- you want me to have piles of rocks laying around and lug boulders with me everywhere so I don’t forget what God has done? Well…Not exactly…
I mean if you did, it would be pretty hard to forget His goodness in the past and let that build your faith for the present and hope for the future. And it certainly would create obvious talking points with your kids and grandkids…but I’ve got a better idea for this day in age…
Your phone. Build memorial stones with your phone. It’s always with you anyway, so that way you won’t forget!
The picture of a time capsule from my childhood days just came to mind- did you ever create one to remember something? Whether you did or not, I’m guessing the concept is familiar- you gather up items to represent what you want to remember and what you want other generations to know about that time or event and then you bury it with the intention someone will find it, dig it up, open it up and ask why…technically it’s out-of-sight out-of-mind…
But when you think about it, your phone is a time capsule.
Everyday it gathers and stores data about what you are doing, whether you know it or not. Most of the time it’s seemingly random- lists, reminders, dates. But what if you could redeem it for more eternal purposes? Why not use it intentionally to store remembrances of God’s work in your life for you to look back on and for future generations to know about?
Consider this the digital version of memorial stones.
Ready for 5 ways to use your phone well to remember God’s faithfulness so you can love Him and others more and more? We’re gonna talk about both verbal and visual ways to use it so you can pick which fit you best. You might wanna have your phone handy (or at least your notes app) so you can implement one or all of them right away…
- Notes App Gratitude List. It’s easy to get so wrapped up in the mundane parts of life that we miss His gifts. I remember being really moved by the book 1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp (have you read it? I just looked up the Amazon link to link it on the blogpost for you and noticed the subtitle of her 10th Anniversary edition- A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are…or maybe that was there 10 years ago when I read it, but I was still in my busy phase). Either way, it’s a book in which she tells the story of how she made a list of 1000 Gifts God had given her in her life and how it changed her perspective. Sometimes it was the easy-to-miss light reflected on the soap bubbles while she was washing the dishes and other times it was the blatantly-obvious ways God’s hand healed a loved one. Both the big and the small were reminders of who God is…and so she recorded them in writing.
I remember that at that time, my hubby was deployed, so I committed to recording 3 gifts a day in a journal for the year he was away so I wouldn’t forget and could share what had happened (the big and the little that I’d surely forget) when he returned. Let me just say, that was a gift to him and to me.
So why not turn your notes app into your Gratitude Journal? Make adding an item part of your morning or evening refill each day…and if you’re like me and need extra reminders, set a reminder on your phone for the time of day you want to do it. It will only take a few seconds each day, but I guarantee you’ll be so glad you did…and so will future generations.
- Voice Memo Journaling. Are you a journaler? I’ve gone through seasons where I do and then seasons where I forget and I’ve just gotta say…I’m always thankful when I do cuz then I have a way of looking back at where I was, what I was thinking about or experiencing and what God was doing. Sometimes it chronicled times of joy and flourishing and other times it was pain and questions. I just wish I had been more consistent to fill in the gaps to create a full history over the years.
I’m not here to shame you, or myself, only to offer up another way to redeem your phone and keep track of God’s faithfulness in a way that will help you remember and share with future generations or those around you.
If you like typing, just use the notes app for that too…but if you have struggled with writing in the past, why not use a skill you undoubtedly use every day and are very good at- speaking. Each day or once a week or however often you commit to journaling, create a voice memo recording and then name it with something to help you remember what’s inside and the date you recorded it. I love reading what I’ve written with my own hand and even more hearing what I’ve recorded with my own voice….and others will too!
- Reminder Blessing List. Technically this is not a way to remember the past, but to not forget in the future. But I still consider it to be in response to something God has done, like giving you a Holy Spirit nudge. How often have you seen someone at church or around town or online and thought, “I should reach out” or “I should invite them over for coffee” or “I should help them with that”….only to get pulled in another direction and forget. No worries- we all do. Especially with the distractions of our phones.
I try to follow a rule of following through on those promptings in the moment if I can, and if not, to set a reminder of what God put on my heart to do…and when I plan to do it.
So when that thought pops into your head, open up your reminders, and create one with a date and time….I’ve found just a long list of someday reminders never seems to get done, kinda like those to-do lists we talked about detoxing from. Then when that reminder pops up, either do it or decide when a better time would be and reset the reminder. You can even make reminders with checkboxes so you can mark it off that way, especially if you have several ideas for the same person. I know they will be blessed by whatever you do to serve them.
Ok, for all you visual people that wondered when we were gonna get past all the wordy stuff, these last 2 ideas are for you…
- Memory Photo Albums. I don’t know about your phone, but most of the storage on mine is taken up with photos and videos…often they are random pics of something in my day I want to remember or share on social (when I was doing multiple stories a day) or screenshots that I don’t want to forget to get back to, but scattered in the midst of those are precious memories I want to save. I hate to admit I take way less pics these days, and the ones of my kids are few and far between since they’re all out of the house. But I cherish the ones I do have.
Back in the day I set off on a quest to scrapbook every moment of our lives…and quickly found there was no way I could keep up with that as a busy wife, mom and business owner (but I do know there are those of you out there who do and to you I give my highest respect). But I did come up with a sustainable idea to do birthday albums- basically every year I choose 6 pics to put in a pre-made scrapbook that we can pull out to look back at how much they’ve grown over the years.
And did you know you can create albums right on your phone? Whether you print those individual pics or send them over to be bound in an album from a site like Shutterfly, at least collecting them on your phone helps preserve their memory and give an opportunity to retell the stories. So what moments or times do you want to remember? Grab your phones, open up your photos app, create some albums, add pics you’ve already taken and then be intentional about taking more that will fall into that category. Talk about a memorial stone or time capsule…and having the important ones organized will make it way easier than scrolling back though thousands you’ve taken. That way you’ll remember.
- Video Montages. Thanks to our phone, we don’t have to pull out the projector and reels and hang up a screen when we want to watch live action videos…but you do need to remember to record some. You can even put your camera on video mode and grab still shots from your recording or set your photos on live so you get a few seconds of movement. Either way, your images come to life and will help you remember even more cuz now you’re not only seeing, but also hearing what was going on. And you can drop those videos into those photo albums you just created. And keep taking more.
And if you’re really up for it you can do what my daughter and almost daughter-in-law have done with fun memories they want to preserve…create a video montage. You know, it’s like what you see in IG reels where they put together several videos all together in one video. And to make it even more fun, put music over it all. Now, this is one techy thing I do not know how to do, but my 19 year old daughter does so I just messaged her and asked which one she used to create the one from our trip last summer to Montenegro and Roma- she recommends VN video editor. And if you don’t have a lot of videos, no worries, she didn’t either for first semester of college, so thankfully she had live photos that look like videos when she put them all together. Be sure to save it in your albums too…and look at it and share it often to remember!
If you are advanced with using those apps and create one, I’d love to see it!
So which of those ideas stirred up at little creativity inside you to make it easier (and more fun) to remember God’s faithfulness? Notes App Gratitude List. Voice Memo Journaling. Reminder Blessing List. Memory Photo Albums. Video Montages.
I’d love to hear- or maybe you have another idea to add to the list. By the way, are you an insider yet? If so, come share with us inside the group. If not, come join the conversation inside the free REDEEM Her Time Community at redeemhertime.com
And don’t forget to grab your early bird spot for the REDEEM Her Time Coaching Program starting April 20th…it’s filling up! And the early bird gets the first worm…aka best pricing! I’ll drop the link in the show notes.
But before we go I don’t wanna forget to pray…
Dear Father,
You are so good. Forgive us for getting so easily distracted and forgetting so quickly. Thank you that you are always at work around us so that we can see who You are and how You are drawing people to Yourself. We want to remember and to tell of your goodness to the next generation and those around us. Prompt us to create memorial stones when we see your blessings and miracles and help us to tell of Your glory to others. Thank you for the gift of our phones that can keep all these things at our fingertips so that we do not forget. We love you and can’t wait to see what You’ll do next that we can remember. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.
Now what was it you were going to do after this episode? Ah yes, go grab a spot for the REDEEM Her Time Coaching Program and then hop inside the community. Don’t forget!
Thanks for joining me for this episode and until next time, remember…
You DO have ALL the time you need to do what He has called you to in this season and in light of eternity…
Follow Him to create a rightly ordered schedule and a rightly ordered heart.
Cuz you are here for Such a Time as This.
Binge the REDEEM Her Phone-Time Challenge Series
Ep 105 No Time? The #1 Tip to Find 1-4 Hours in your Day for Better Time Management
Ep 106 Distracted by Your Phone? 2 Key Steps for Christian Women to Overcome Digital Distraction
Ep 107 Wish You Could Break-up with Your Phone? 3 Steps to Start Setting Healthy Screen-Time Boundaries
Ep 108 Don’t Live on Good Intentions. 4 Steps to Create a Personalized Phone-Time Plan to Prioritize What Matters
Ep 109 Wish your Phone wasn’t so Distracting? 5 Tips to Dumb-down your Smartphone to get more Time in your Day
Ep 110 3 Steps to Build the Kingdom of God with your Phone-Time as a Busy Christian Woman
Ep 111 Put it down. 5 NO Phone Zones for Better Time Management
Ep 112 Is your Phone Shaping You? 3 Questions to Ask to Be Transformed by God Instead
Ep 113 5 Speed Bumps You can Create to Make your Phone Less Accessible and Better Manage your Time
Ep 114 Don’t be a Hypocrite. 3 Steps to Redeem your Phone-Time (and heart) as a Christian Woman
Ep 115 Download these 5 Apps to Love God More and Make Better Use of Your Time
Ep 116 4 Things that are Better that Should Make you Put Down Your Phone, Pt 1
Ep 117 Download these 5 Apps to Love Others More and Make Better Use of Your Phone-Time
Ep 118 4 Things from the Psalms that are Better that Should Make you Put Down Your Phone, Pt 2
Ep 119 5 Times in Your Day it’s Good to Multitask Using Your Phone to Grow as a Christian Women
Ep 120 This is not ALL there is to LIfe. 3 Ways an Eternal Perspective Directs your Phone Use and Time Management
Visit the REDEEM Her Time Website https://redeemhertime.com
> Grab a spot for the REDEEM Her Time Coaching Program
> Join the REDEEM Her Time Community (did I mention it’s FREE?!)
> Schedule a free 15 Min Strategy Session
> Submit a question or comment
>>> or DO ALL-THE-ABOVE!
