I Remember - by Nancy Baetz

Several years back I took a "speech for special occasions" class at the Bible College here that my husband and I were attending. Our final project was to write a tribute to someone (living, or not) and then present it to the class, using all the tools and rules of effective speaking that we hopefully learned during the semester. The whole event was going to be videotaped and would count for most of our final grade.

I knew right away that I wanted to pay tribute to a lovely lady who had meant a lot to me while growing up. She was a musical missionary who retired to our small town. She moved in catty-corner to our house. I had many memories of our long term friendship and I always wanted to share them with someone.

Searching through boxes, files and scrapbooks I found any remembrances of her and tried to formulate a tribute speech in my mind. The catch though, was that I had to have a "theme." I had to come up with some kind of a running thread that would make the speech stand out, be something different and unique. Well, it just wasn't turning out to be as easy as I hoped.

The days were quickly passing and soon I found myself sitting in front of a blank page in the word processor the night before I had to give the speech!  I had been praying and thinking, thinking and praying for several days and hadn't typed one word. Suddenly that night the idea just came to me all at once.....and I had to type like mad to get it all down before it was gone!

All the memories that I had, began to take their place in my mind, and from beginning to end, each little treasure she had in her home and each special deed or word she said to me became as clear as a little brass bell.....and one by one I began to write down everything that I remembered.  "I remember" became the theme of my tribute. 

In a very short time, I had my tribute all written.....or should I say, the Lord had my tribute all written.  For it was absolutely by His hand that it came into being. There was no way it could have come from me, it just wasn't possible. But I give Him any and all the glory for the words that described my friendship with my dear Shelley Abbott.

The next day, with notes in hand (yes, we could use notes) I took my place at the podium and told the story of my neighbor and friend.  I was never good at speaking before, but this time it flowed and it came from somewhere other than out of my mouth. It came from my heart. I could feel it, and I could feel strength and enabling that just weren't humanly possible. Please don't think I am bragging, I was very surprised, blessed and extremely happy about how it turned out because I knew it was totally a gift from God.

Several of my classmates came to me afterward and encouraged me to submit it "somewhere" and that made me feel very happy---I was happy that God had used me, and helped me to do something I didn't feel capable to do. I didn't know how to pursue it at the time, as far as trying to publish it. Plus, I had two small children by that time and that was about all I had time to think about.  I just kept the idea in the back of my mind.  I knew I would like it to be published some day....not because I thought it was so special, because *I* wrote it.  But because She was special, and the way the story came about, that was the special part.

I did get an A in the class after all, and my professor was very pleased---and now I can't wait to write to her and tell her that it is published in Jill's book, "The Gift Family Writing." I am in the best of company, being a part of this wonderful project! There are so many writers who have touched me with their stories, and getting to know some of them this last year has been the icing on the cake. What will be really super will be meeting some of them in person. I can't wait to see how God will work that out, but I know it's in the works. And by the way, my contribution to the book is the very last one in the "Tributes" section. After you read it, please let me know what you think, ok?

Remembrance Press has a pre-press special right now with free shipping for the month of June. If you would like to have a copy of Jill's book, just email her and let her know that you are from homeschoolblogger.com.

Writing together as a family is one of the most special things you will ever do as you homeschool. The ideas in this book are so numerous, I can't even tell you a tenth of them. But it is not only great information.....the stories are precious, and the pages are beautifully designed and full of inspiration just by the visual appeal. 

Here is where you can go to order it

www.giftoffamilywriting.com

Be Blessed!

Nancy Baetz

12:46 PM - Jun. 7, 2006 - post comment

Stopping by to say Hello!

Just checking on my friends today. What a special tribute you have left. Congratulations and praise the Lord.

:O)amy

akabain - 4:39 PM - Jun. 7, 2006

Untitled Comment

Congratulations on your annointed writing and presentation, along with that A!

dumspirospero - 8:33 PM - Jun. 7, 2006

Thank you!

Thanks for the great inspiration, Jill. You have definitely whetted our appetite for your book!!
Our 8 and 6 year old boys wrote for their daddy this year... I posted their offerings here
http://onebeggarsbread.wordpress.com/2006/06/18/fathers-day/
Thanks again, for the great ideas!
Deborah

Anonymous - 11:09 AM - Jun. 18, 2006

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