“Then spake the chief butler unto Pharoah, saying, I do remember my faults this day<\/em>” (Genesis 41:9). The butler had a good memory. After two years, he could remember what had taken place in a jail where he and the chief baker had dreamed dreams and had had their dreams interpreted by Joseph. Memory, in this case, worked well for Joseph as it started him on his rise to favor in the eyes of Pharoah.<\/p>\n Not all of us have such good memories. That’s why man invented paper and pencil, ink and pen. And later the typewriter. And much later, the computer and word processor. All so we can put down on paper or on discs things that are worth remembering. I prefer paper because I have never learned to operate a computer, much less a word processor. Isn’t it great that the Lord was thoughtful enough to have the New Testament written down on something that could be preserved and referred to at will? When Peter wrote his epistles, he stressed the importance of memory. “Moreover I will endeavor that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance<\/em>” (II Peter 1:5). In other words, Peter was writing down some things that we know but need to be reminded of.<\/p>\nThey say that as you get older, senility can rearrange your memory cells so that you can easily recall things that took place 40 years ago but forget what happened yesterday. In my case, I have a difficult time remembering what happened 40 years ago. I wish I had started early in my preaching to get into the habit of a daily diary. To sit down at the end of the day and record the My wife, Alice, has a much better memory than I. So I depend on her to recall the names and days of bygone years. She can even tell me Floyd’s exact words when he first visited our home more than twenty-five years ago. But the Lord has also blessed us with a good forgetter. Some things are best forgotten.<\/p>\n After more than forty years of preaching and working with local churches, and a severe heart attack, together with prayer and the counsel of loved ones, we decided to move closer to our children. Now, I have time to reflect on those past years. But the problem is my memory. I neglected to write down the past forty years’ names, places, dates, and incidents. I remember eating squirrel and dressing in a family’s home in Tennessee, the first and last time I had ever eaten that. But I don’t remember who they were. I remember fording a small creek to get to a young couple’s home in the backwoods. He took us out, showed us how they killed hogs, and scalded them in a large vat of boiling water. But, sad to say, I don’t remember their names. I remember a member out at the Petway church who repeatedly kidded me about whether I had ever “tied the knot” for anyone. He was “uncle” something-or-other. But I don’t remember his name. There was a time when instead of money, we were paid with eggs, vegetables, etc. We ate at a nice country house with beautiful grounds in middle Tennessee. But I don’t remember their names. How sad! And the place where the congregation got up and filed past a hat that had been placed on the table in the front of the auditorium! They put in their contribution, and after the service, all that was in the hat was given to us. But I don’t remember much about who “they” were. How sad! I have said all this to make a point. Young preachers begin to develop the habit of a daily diary early. Write it down. Do it now. In coming years, you will appreciate it more than you know.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Kenneth Frazier via\u00a0Sentry Magazine, Vol. 16 No. 1, March 31, 1990 “Then spake the chief butler unto Pharoah, saying, I do remember my faults this day” (Genesis 41:9). The butler had a good memory. After two years, he could remember what had taken place in a jail where he and the chief baker had…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[1511,1458],"class_list":["post-85484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-preachers","tag-remembering"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":48025,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/things-to-remember\/","url_meta":{"origin":85484,"position":0},"title":"Things to Remember","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 4, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ecclesiastes 1:3-11 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0There are so many things to remember! \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Need to tie a string around my finger, but then I wouldn\u2019t be able to bend it \u2013 there would be so many strings tied there. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Then there are organizers: paper and electronic, for the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":54966,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/after-twenty-two-years\/","url_meta":{"origin":85484,"position":1},"title":"After Twenty-Two Years","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 5, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"by Kent Heaton The story of Joseph is remarkable for many reasons. His visions set him at odds with his brothers who would eventually sell him to a passing band of Midianites (without Reuben's knowledge). He would be sold on the slavery block to the captain of Pharaoh's guard where\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/scan0058-1-248x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":69921,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/josephs-four-dreams\/","url_meta":{"origin":85484,"position":2},"title":"Joseph’s Four Dreams","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 26, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jarrod Jacobs When reading about the birth of Christ, I saw something I had not seen before. Namely, the Bible records Joseph's four dreams before and after Christ's birth. Below, we will list the occasions of Joseph's dreams and then comment on them. (Please read the context of these\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":63347,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/remember\/","url_meta":{"origin":85484,"position":3},"title":"Remember (Hamilton)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 21, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ecclesiastes 12:1 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0At times I get teased about my memory. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A researcher at Johns Hopkins noted the things people most often forget. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Names - 83% \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a02.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Where something is - 60% \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a03.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Telephone numbers - 57% \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a04.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Words - 53% \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a05.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0What was said - 49% \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a06.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Faces -\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":37433,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/gods-providence\/","url_meta":{"origin":85484,"position":4},"title":"God’s Providence","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 26, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Ken Green J. W. McGarvey, the great Restoration preacher and scholar of the 19th century, published two sermons on providence. One was based on the Genesis account of Joseph. The other was based on the book of Esther. Both narratives are permeated with the amazing and mysterious providence of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":60652,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-a-friend-we-have-in-jesus\/","url_meta":{"origin":85484,"position":5},"title":"What a Friend We Have in Jesus","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 2, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"by Ralph Walker, Jr. Joseph Scriven was born Sept. 10, 1819, at Seapatrick, near Dublin Ireland, into the wealthy family of Capt. John Scriven. Joseph's hopes to follow his father in the military were dashed due to poor health. In 1835 he entered Trinity College and graduated with a bachelor's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85484"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85484\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nhighlights of the day. Names, places, times, and addresses that might seem unimportant at present, but forty years from now you would devoutly seek to recall.\n