The Tree Is Up

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

I didn't think it would ever represent a victory for me to put up the Christmas tree...but this year, it kinda did.

See, I'm not ready for Christmas this year.  So not ready, that my subconscious is trying hard to push it back and be in denial that it is coming.

I woke up Friday morning almost dreading the decorating process...which I usually love.

So, being me, I had to do some prayer and soul-searching to see what is going on.  Why have I been infected with a humbug virus?

Once I figured out what was going on...and I did...then I had a choice.  Do I let what is essentially fear rob me of something that I love?  Do I let a desire for comfort and ease make me dread a little inconvenience to the point that I miss a blessing?  Do I allow memories of past difficulties to shade my expectations to the point that I don't want to even try to pray for a different experience this year?

Oh me of little faith.

I overrode my desire to just do minimal decoration this year and pulled out the whole enchilada...the tree spins, blinks, bubbles and talks.  And it's going to be my constant reminder to pray and expect God to make the paths straight, keep the roads safe, hold the flu and whatever other ailments that have plagued our Christmases in years past at bay, and give us a blessed Christmas with our family this year.

Because I *am* going to pray for that.  Instead of just hoping it happens or dreading that it doesn't.

Season of Praise: Barak

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Nov. 28 -  Barak - Strong's 1288 

This is another primitive root word with a handful of tenses.  The lexicon linked above and Strong's Hebrew and Chaldee dictionary agree that Barak primarily means to kneel, but Strong adds that implications include to bless God (as an act of adoration)  and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit);  apparently one of those tenses means the opposite, as the word can also be translated to curse (God or the king, as treason).  

The word appears a whopping 330 times in the Old Testament; 302 of those are translated in the King James as Bless, but it also appears five times as Salute, four times as Curse, twice each as  Blaspheme, Blessing, Praised, and Kneel down;  once time each as Congratulate, Kneel, and Make to kneel, and finally, with a notation I haven't encountered before, the Blue Letter Bible lexicon just says that it is translated  eight times as what appears to be miscellaneous unspecified words.

If I counted right, the word is used 65 times in the book of Genesis alone, 34 of those instances are God giving His blessing.  Here's a  glimpse (and I'm using the Amplified again):

Genesis 1:22 - And God blessed [Barak] them, saying, Be fruitful, multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let the fowl multiply in the earth.

Genesis 1:28 - And God blessed [Barak] them, and said to them, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it (with all its vast resources); and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the earth.

Genesis 2:3 - And God blessed [Barak] (spoke good of) the seventh day, set it apart as His own, and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all His work which He had created and done.

Genesis 12: 2-3 - And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless [Barak] you (with abundance and increase of favors)  and make your name famous and distinguished, and you shall be a blessing - dispensing good to others.  And I will bless [Barak]  those who bless [Barak] you (who confer prosperity or happiness upon you) and curse him who curses or uses insolent language toward you; in you shall all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed [Barak]  - by you they shall bless themselves. 

Genesis 26:12 - Then Isaac sowed seed in that land, and received in the same year 100 times as much as he had planted, and the Lord favored him with blessings [Barak].

Genesis 32:29 - Then Jacob asked Him, Tell me, I pray You,  what (in contrast)  is Your name?  But He said, Why is it that you ask My name?  and (the Angel of God declared) a blessing [Barak] on (Jacob) there.

Genesis 39:5 - From the time that he made him supervisor in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed [Barak] the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the Lord's blessing was on all that he had in the house and in the field.

Genesis 48:3 -  And Jacob said to Joseph, God Almighty appeared to me at Luz (Bethel) in the land of Canaan and blessed [Barak] me.
 
I knew from previous sermon series that Barak  means to kneel, to bless God but I had not seen that it also means God blesses as well.  I think it's really interesting that the word used for God blessing man has in its root the connotation of kneeling.

I know I've wandered a bit from my stated purpose in studying praise, but I'm not so sure it isn't related.  The position of kneeling is synonymous with submission; one kneels to a person in higher authority.  It shows recognition of overlordship; a subject presenting himself to his liege lord.

The position of an individual blessing God results in God blessing the individual.

Or nation, for that matter.  When we acknowledge the power and authority of God, from a position of kneeling and blessing Him, that puts us in the position for Him to put His blessing on us.

Short workweek = time for a Hodgepodge post!

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi.

I haven't had time to properly think through the questions lately, so I haven't Hodgepodged for a while...but I decided that, since the office is closed for Thanksgiving, it will be a good opportunity to play along.


So, if you're in the mood, hop on over to From This Side of the Pond and play along or see what everyone is up to while we're doing the last minute Thanksgiving prep...

This weeks questions:

1. Besides U.S. Thanksgiving, it's also National Game and Puzzle Week...what game have you played most recently, and who were you with? Have you worked a puzzle of any kind in the past week?

My most recent game-playing has been Mario Party 8, with the Flute Player when she was home for a wee bit.  I absolutely stink at video games...I just do not have the eye-hand coordination to do a lot of that stuff...but we found a way to play on the same team, against a pair of computer-operated opponents, so my ineptitude does not impair my enjoyment.  We both get to win.


As for puzzles, I am a logic puzzle fiend.  I carry them around in the car so that if I get stuck waiting somewhere, I have something to do.  Since I just have a stupid phone and can't cruise the web while I wait.

2. What is one place you were thankful for this year?
 (because church isn't a place ...it's a body...) Gorham's Bluff.  We got to sneak off for an overnight to celebrate my Sweet Babboo's birthday...it is such a treat. 

3. Take a nap, watch football, go for an after dinner walk, or hit the stores...which ONE is on your must-do list for Thanksgiving day? For those of you playing along who aren't in the US, answer as it relates to any big holiday meal.

Um, none of the above.  The we-must-do-this-on Thanksgiving is to sit down and watch Miracle on 34th Street while we eat pie, once dinner has settled enough that the pie is possible.  Sometimes a walk follows, if the weather's fit.

4. Besides Thanksgiving, what's your favorite home cooked meal?

Tough question, because any other meal could happen at any other time of the year for any reason, while Thanksgiving is  a feast on a particular day, and there's so much more than food that makes it special.  I will say that My Sweet Babboo grills a mean steak...sometimes we'll do that for Mother's Day, sometimes for my birthday, which is in July.  So that probably counts.  Steak, salad, onion rings. And almost always with the kids, if they know dad's grilling steaks. ;-)  Simple and yummy.  But not cheap.

5. What product from an infomercial would you most like to own?
I haven't seen an infomercial in so long that I don't even know what is offered anymore.  So I have no clue.

6. Christmas shopping? Have you begun? Finished? Will you shop on Black Friday? How do you feel about stores opening on Thanksgiving Day? What percentage of your Christmas shopping is done online?


I have a bit done...mostly what I have done so far has been done online.  I may order a couple of more things; some things I make and some things I just go looking for what suddenly fits.  If that makes sense.  I have quite a bit more to do...but you will not see me on the hunt for sales on Black Friday.  I don't need anything that bad.  I don't have anyone in the 'toys' age group anymore, although a toy or two may end up under the tree.  You never know.

7. What are you most grateful for that adds beauty to your everyday life?


Music. As I'm typing, I'm listening to the Allegro from Bach's Concerto for Violin.  Perfect for the season.

We actually have music that is associated with Thanksgiving.  The current CD playing is a compilation disc titled The Bells of St. Genevieve and Other Baroque Delights, but also in the rotation is Bobby McFerrin's Simple Pleasures, a compilation disc titled Tapestry: Evening from Warner Alliance;  Quietime: Hymns...which was a random find in the church bookstore...and The Bach Variations, which is a compilation from Windham Hill. We'll switch to kind of obscure Christmas music on Friday; I try to hold off on Andy Williams and The Boston Pops and Robert Shaw until later in the season...although we've got so much Mannheim Steamroller that there's usually one of theirs in the player from Black Friday to Epiphany.  But I start with their newer stuff and work my way backwards.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Have a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!

Talk about transition....

...this was one I did not expect to see...

http://www.al.com/news/huntsville/index.ssf/2014/11/boeing_layoffs_in_huntsville_t.html#incart_river

After 35+ years with the company, My Sweet Babboo got caught in the wrong group at the wrong time and got the notice yesterday. We have dodged that bullet several times over the years, so it is kind of a shock for it to hit now.

But the phrase that is ringing in my head is 'Now you will see what I will do...' (Ex. 6:1)

So.

Season of Praise: Zamar

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

11/21/14 - Zamar - Strong's 2167

I recollect from our pastor's previous sermon series on these words that zamar was interpreted 'to play skillfully upon a musical instrument'

The Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary in the back of Zodhiates  defines it as a prim. root; prop. to touch the strings or parts of a musical instrument, i.e. play upon it; to make music, accompanied by the voice; hence to celebrate in song and music; -- give praise, sing forth praises, psalms.  There is a mention of an association with another word that involves the connotation of 'striking with the fingers', although I am not really able to figure out quite what that association is.

The linked reference mentions 'to pluck or to prune, especially a vine'.  But, out of the 47 times the word is used in the Old Testament, the KJV translates it as  Praise  26 times, Sing 16 times, Sing Psalms twice and Sing Forth once.  All but 4 of those references are in the Psalms.

No mention of musical instruments in that list, but, looking at the Hebrew meanings of the word, it's clear that musical instruments are implied.

Over and over in the Psalms, the idea that one should just grab anything that makes a sound and use it to proclaim God's praise is presented.  Cymbals, flutes, trumpets...anything.  David's harp playing could calm Saul's torment (1 Samuel 16); Elisha asked for a harp player to help dispel an atmosphere of unbelief so he could discern the voice of God (2 Kings 3:15).

I marvel at folks who can sit down and pick up an instrument and worship.  I played the clarinet in school band for years...even a bit in college...but it is not something that came particularly easy.  I had to work at it to just be a fair musician.  But some of my best playing was done years later, in our little 'we're all family here' church, along side  the church pianist.  Who, fortunately for me, always transposed anything with more than two sharps into the corresponding flats key...down half a step, which meant that the B flat clarinet didn't have to play in foreign keys that had a bodacious number of sharps.  I even did a little arranging of songs to play.

Don't get me wrong.  I was still just fair at it.  But I loved doing it.  Praising Him with an instrument blessed me.  Maybe at the cost of the folks who listened...but I was encouraged to do it, so I am taking that as an indication that it wasn't terribly offensive to the human audience.

So...what can you do?  Play a tambourine, like Miriam?  Play the piano...which is really just a harp turned sideways?  Play an accordion to the glory of God?  A harmonica?  The guitar, which is the descendant of the biblical lyre? Or just listen and rejoice in the gifts that God gave others to enter into worship with their skillful playing upon instruments?  Put in that cd...or pull up that song on the mp3  player...and let the worship minister to you in trouble, like it did for Saul, or help you focus and discern the voice of God, as it did for Elisha.

A smattering of verses that use Zamar - from the Amplified:

Ps. 21:13 - Be exalted, Lord, in Your strength; we will sing and praise [Zamar] Your power.

Ps. 57:7 - My heart is fixed, O God; my heart is steadfast and confident!  I will sing and make melody [Zamar].

Ps. 71:22 - I will also praise [Zamar] You with the harp, even Your truth and faithfulness, O my God; unto you will I sing praises.

Ps. 95:8 -  Sing  praises [Zamar] to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the voice of melody.

Ps 144:9 - I will sing a new song to You, O God; upon a harp, an instrument of ten strings, will I offer praises [Zamar] to You. 

Ps. 147:7  -  Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praises [Zamar] with the harp or the lyre to our God!

Ps. 149:3 - Let them praise His name in chorus and choir and with the (single or group) dance, let them sing praises [Zamar] to Him with they tambourine and lyre!

True Confession Time

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Nothing like getting called out by a reader.

True Confession time:  I was up at 4:15 because sirens were going off near my younger daughter's apartment and she wanted to know where the tornado warning was.  No sirens were sounding on our end of town...yet, anyway, which surprised me.  I knew we were to have some rumbly rain ahead of a cold front, but I had heard nothing of  any possibility of bad storms.  Still, this is North Alabama, so I got up and turned on the tv...no severe storm coverage in process.  I turned on the computer and checked all the radars...nothing.  We decided it must be a malfunction and headed back to bed.

It was 5 AM by that time, about 45 minutes before my alarm was going to go off.  I thought about just staying up...but I was tired.  I knew I wouldn't get good sleep...but a 40ish minute nap sounded like it would be a good idea.

I went back to bed...and when the alarm went off, I subconsciously hit 'snooze'...more than once.

When I got up, I shaved my 'to do' list down, got myself dressed and then got on Facebook to see if anyone had answered the query I'd posted about the bogus sirens when I was up earlier.  No one had, and, well, I thought I'd check and see if I had comments in the moderation page.

Amy had logged on about 6 AM, asking me if I'd gotten up and had  my time with God.

Um.

I didn't even publish her comment.

I turned the computer off, picked up my journal and Bible and spent some time with Him before The Actor came downstairs and we had to head to work.

Thanks, Amy... I needed that. ;-)

Those Cards...

Posted By Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Two weeks ago, I had the idea that I could take those cards from Dive and go through them one at a time, praying over it and listening to see how it should impact my life.


So, when we got our overnight getaway to celebrate My Sweet Baboo's birthday, I took the cards and my journal and picked up the first one.

The gist of the card was that I need to make room daily for time with God.

That was one of my big concerns this summer, when I was spending my lunch hours listening and journaling. I knew when the 40 days were up, I needed to resume the regular lunch;  there's a fellowship amongst all the office ladies that I need to be part of, and it pretty much happens at lunch.  Skipping it for a season is ok...dropping out altogether is not good. So I was concerned that I would not find an alternate time slot.

And, yeah, I didn't.  Here and there, odd moments when I could manage it, but it was managed...not planned.

So the card kind smacked me...both at Dive and two weeks ago.

So I came up with a plan.

Unfortunately, the plan involved getting out of bed early.

Have I mentioned here before how much of a morning person I am NOT?

Fail.

Last week, I sat down with my journal and thought I would ponder card 2.

And realized I had not yet implemented card 1.

I'm determined not to rush this; I'm not going to card 2 until I have card 1 working in my life.

So...back to the bare facts that, if I'm going to manage a regular quite time with God, I'm going to have to get. up. in. the. cold. dark. morning.

So.  Tomorrow's Monday.

Take 2. 

Season of Praise: Towdah

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

11/14/14 - Towdah:  Strong's 8426


I had a panicky moment last week when I first looked this up in my Zodhiates lexicon and read:

This fem. noun has its source in yadah (3034).  It means an extension of the hand, a confession, a vow; thanks, thanksgiving, a sacrifice of thanksgiving, a type of peace offering, offering praise to God for a sacrifice; a thanksgiving choir or procession who gave thanks in praising God.

I read 'extension of the hand' and thought, 'Oh, no!  I mixed them up!'

But when I checked the online listing linked above, I realized that no, I had not mixed them up.  Yahdah has the connotation of throwing or casting...fling the hands out, so to speak, while Towdah implies holding out a  hand with something in it... a Thanksgiving offering.

The Blue Letter Bible listing states that Towdah is used  32 times in the Old Testament. The King James Scholars translated it as Thanksgiving 18 times,  Praise six times, Thanks and Thank offerings three times each, and Confession twice; the translators connected the word with Thanksgiving two-thirds of the instances it appears.

And my memory of past sermon series based on these words agrees...one of the words meant 'thanksgiving.'

If you go back and study the sacrifices that the people were to bring, you'll see that it was not always a burnt offering per se...usually, the animal was ceremonially slaughtered, specific parts of it were burned as an offering (the fat and certain innards...not what was particularly healthy to eat), a portion was set aside as holy for the priests and Levites and their families, and the rest was to be eaten with thanksgiving by the individual and his household.  It seemed to be that this was so taken for granted that it really is only kind of peripherally mentioned...see Lev. 7:15, for example.. (I'm quoting from the Amplified again today):

The flesh of the sacrifice of thanksgiving [towdah] presented as a peace offering, shall be eaten on the day that it is offered; none of it shall be left until the morning.

In fact, the passage in Lev. 7 describes thanksgiving offerings in great detail, and then goes on to say that if the sacrifice is not completely eaten in the specified time, it should be burned, and if it is not burned but eaten after that time has elapsed, then the one who brought it shall not be credited with it; it shall not be accepted.

I see in this something pretty amazing.   These were poor people who did not have a lot of meat available in their diet; the instruction was to bring a choice animal, sacrifice it ceremonially, and then have a family feast with the bulk of the carcass. It was a designated time for the family to gather, to eat well and enjoy each others company.  The direction to consume it immediately not only protected them from food-spoilage ailments but made sure that there were no sly plans to preserve the feast for later and dole it out slowly (I suppose they could've dried the meat into jerky or smoked it to keep it for later); it all had to be eaten...and, if there weren't enough people in the household to eat it, they were encouraged to share it with others.  All as part of the thanksgiving ritual.

A portion to God, a portion to His servants...and the rest intended for family, food and fellowship.  God's gift back to His people when they praised Him with their thanksgiving offerings.
 
I have been really surprised lately by the number of folks who have commented to me that their favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. I don't necessarily think the Hebrew feasts were in anybody's mind when the American Thanksgiving tradition developed, but Thanksgiving is...or was at one time, anyway... very, very close to the concept. 

Give something to help others. Bring your family together. Have a special meal.  Thank God for all His Blessings.

Looking forward to it already.

More Thanksgiving references:

Lev. 22:29-30 -  And when you sacrifice an offering of thanksgiving [towdah] to the LORD, sacrifice it so that you may be accepted.  It shall be eaten on the same day; you shall leave none of it until the next day; I am the LORD.

2 Chron. 29:31 - Then Hezekiah said, Now you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord; come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings [towdah] into the house of the Lord.  And the assembly brought in sacrifices and thank offerings [towdah], and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings.

2 Chron 33:16 - And he restored the Lord's altar, and sacrificed on it offerings of peace and of thanksgiving [towdah]; and he commanded Judah to serve the Lord the God of Israel.

Ps. 50:14 -  Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving [towdah]  and pay your vows to the Most High,


Ps. 107: 22 -  And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving [towdah], and rehearse His deeds with shouts of joy and singing!


Ps. 116:17 - I will offer to You the sacrifices of thanksgiving [towdah], and will call on the  name of the Lord.


Jer. 17:26 -  And people shall come from the cities of Judah and the places round about Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the lowland, from the hill country, and from the South, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, cereal offerings and frankincense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving [towdah] to the house of the Lord.

Jer. 33:11  - (There shall be heard again) the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing as they bring sacrifices of thanksgiving [towdah] into the house of the Lord, Give praise and thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for His mercy and kindness and steadfast love endure for ever!  For I will cause the captivity of the land to be reversed and return to be as it was at first, says the Lord.
 
Jonah 2:9 - But as for me, I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving [towdah]; I will pay that which I have vowed.  Salvation and deliverance belong to the Lord!

Season of Praise: Yadah

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

So, ok, wow, I may have jumped right outta the boat into the deep water here.

I'm not even gonna try to describe the maze of the Hebrew lexicon... I will just say that my search for a dictionary/concordance led me to this page, which in turn took me to  this listing for Strong's 3034 (Yadah).   I dug around a little more and found that I was looking at four different tenses/voices/whatever of Yadah, which result in that particular word being translated in various ways. 

The scholars state that it appears a total of 114 times in the Old Testament, and is translated in the King James as 'Praise' 53 times,  'Give thanks' 32 times, 'Confess' 16 times, 'Thank' 5 times, 'Make confession' twice,  'Thanksgiving' twice, and once each as 'Cast', 'Cast out', 'Shoot' and 'Thankful'.

The root of it, per Mr. Strong's Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary found listed in teeniny print in the back of  the Zodhiates text, means to use (ie, hold out) the hand; to throw (a stone, an arrow) at or away; espec. to revere or worship (with extended hands).  There is also a mention that in one tense it can be translated as wringing hands...as in bemoaning, making confession.

So much information!  My head was spinning.

But then I remembered my purpose...studying the words for PRAISE. 

So, for today, I've pulled the curtain back enough to show you some of where I've been to dig, but I'm not going there every week.  I'll link up the reference, so you can look if you want, but for each of these words I'm going to focus on the aspect of praise that is represented.

Which means we're considering Yadah with the translation given as 'espec. to revere or worship with extended hands.'

I have to admit, worshiping with 'extended hands' was a foreign concept to me until I was in my 30's.  It just Wasn't Done in the denomination that I grew up in....at least, not in the years I grew up.  But in the late '90's we began venturing outside of the denomination to youth events and conventions that were not affiliated with any particular denomination.

And we found ourselves amongst people who worshiped with extended hands.

It was a paradigm shift.

But I just thought it was a different worship style; aside from the instruction in 1 Timothy to men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, I really didn't know there was a Biblical basis for extending hands.

So here's a smattering of references, all using the Hebrew word yadah (translated as 'praise' in KJV, but other words may be used in other translations) with the background meaning of  'revere or worship with extended hands' (all references here from the Amplified):

And when all the people of Israel saw how the fire came down and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed with their faces upon the pavement, and worshiped and praised [yadah] the LORD, saying, For He is good, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure for ever. - 2 Chron. 7:3

I will praise [yadah] You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth (recount and tell aloud) all Your marvelous works and wondrous deeds! - Ps. 9:1

Why are you cast down, O my inner self?  And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me?  Hope you in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise [yadah] Him, my help and my God - Ps. 42:5

I will make your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore shall the people praise [yadah] and give you thanks for ever and ever. - Ps 45:17

Let Heaven (the angels) praise [yadah] Your wonders, O Lord, Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones (the holy angels) - Ps 89:5

All the kings of the land shall give you credit and praise [yadah] You, O Lord, for they have heard of the promises of Your mouth (which were fulfilled) - Ps 138:4

All Your works shall praise [yadah] You; O Lord, and Your loving ones shall bless You -- affectionately and gratefully shall Your saints confess and praise you! - Ps 145:10

O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise [yadah] Your name; for You have done wonderful things, even purposes planned of old and fulfilled in faithfulness and truth. - Is. 25:1

One thing I hadn't noticed before cruising through these verses...the angels are described as worshiping God with a yadah praise (Ps. 89:5).

There is something about a worship that involves extending the hand; it's a little more of a public demonstration than simply speaking; it requires more of a personal commitment/ involvement. A little more boldness.

But here's something totally off the wall -- it's interesting to note that the act of extending hands in such a way has an actual psychological effect on one's attitude; check out this TED talk to see what the research has shown.  Now, mind you, praise was not even a consideration in any of that research and it wasn't mentioned at all in the talk, but when I saw her demonstrate the 'posture of power' it struck me at once as  a position of praise.  If secular research has found that just taking the position of a yadah praise could have so much impact on an individual; what impact would actually adding praise to that position have on one's life and situation?

Could it be that one of the reasons praise involves lifting hands is because it not only honors God but strengthens and encourages the individual?

Wouldn't that be an amazing thing for God to have instilled in us...to be strengthened by the very action of praise?

Thought for the day...

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

And now, for a little frivolity....

Two quotes that somehow have linked themselves in my brain and put themselves on repeat for the last week or so:

But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus -- The Apostle Paul

I never look back, darling.  It detracts from the now. -- Edna Mode


Even animated characters get it right sometimes....