By Ada Brownell
Your two-pound
brain can store more than today’s most advanced computers, according to Kenneth
Higbee, author of Your Memory and How it Works and How to Improve it.[1]
The most important thing about our brains is what we put in all that
storage.
Paul Reber, professor of psychology at Northwestern
University, says the human brain consists of about one billion neurons. Each
neuron forms about 1,000 connections to other neurons, amounting to more than a
trillion connections. If each neuron could only help store a single memory,
running out of space would be a problem. You might have only a few gigabytes of
storage space, similar to the space in an iPod or a USB flash drive. Yet
neurons combine so that each one helps with many memories at a time, exponentially
increasing the brain’s memory storage capacity to something closer to around
2.5 petabytes (or a million gigabytes). For comparison, if your brain worked
like a digital video recorder in a television, 2.5 petabytes would be enough to
hold three million hours of TV shows. You would have to leave the TV running
continuously for more than 300 years to use up all that storage.
Think. What do you want to know to help you with success? Finding
a good mate and making a good marriage? What would you like to know that would
help with your emotions such as fear, depression, anxiety, anger? Do you need
help with parenting? What would you want
to recall if you knew you’re probably drawing your last breaths?
My son-in-law and I had the privilege to lead a neighbor to the
Lord who had a terminal diagnosis. In about two weeks, lung cancer advanced so
much the man struggled to breathe. He was a little hard of hearing, but I don’t
think he could have heard me try to encourage him anyhow because his wheezing
was so loud people in the room couldn’t hear each other.
I prayed for him, but wished so much I could quote some of the
scriptures that bring an extra baptism of peace for the dying. It would have
been useless to sing him a wonderful old hymn about God’s love and heaven.
Since he never served God until his life was nearly gone, his head was empty of
scripture and singing.
Every time I’ve been around the dying they were comforted by God’s
Word and songs with a wonderful message.
.
The Bible is the greatest book ever written and it has powerful words
for every occasion, every age group, every nationality, rich or poor. Every
member of your family should know the scriptures.
The first verse I remember memorizing was as a young child, “God
is love” (1 John 4:8).
Parents and Sunday school teachers who don’t think little ones can
understand and memorize are mistaken. I was pretty young when I learned The Ten
Commandments, and “Children obey your
parents for this is right. Honor thy father and mother, which is the first
commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live
long on the earth” (Ephesians 6:1-3 KJ). I memorized King James.
Children learn a big hunk
of their language in their first three years, and by the time the tots are
five, they not only remember and memorize numerous songs and poems, they have
reasoning skills that often surprise others.
The Bible isn’t like textbooks that are outdated in 10 years or
less. Scriptures we learn as a child are as powerful when we’re 2, 20, 40, 80,
or even 108. The Word of God is most powerful information you can put in your
brain.
Memorize the Word yourself and teach it to your children and
grandchildren.
Here are three important scriptures to teach children:
“God is love” (1 John 4:8).
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis
1:1).
“Honor your father and your mother...so that you may live long and
that it may go well with you” (Deuteronomy 5: 16 NIV).
***
If you would like to read more encouraging and educational
material about how God’s Word works in us, try any of Ada Brownell’s books. You’ll
probably especially enjoy The Lady Fugitive Here or Swallowed by Life. Here
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