Posted in Scripture Memory

Scripture Memory Challenge Day 8 – Galatians 5:22-23

I’ve been loving getting to know the Holy Spirit this past year. I think because he’s a Spirit we get all weirded out like he’s some mystical force that’s hovering around us or something. And that maybe he comes and goes like the wind. But it’s just not true. He’s the spirit of Jesus. So he’s a person….just without a body. Ok….I totally get how that can sound weird and slightly creepy. But I’ve been looking at it as a huge blessing lately!

The Holy Spirit came to be my friend, my guide through life, my strength and my comforter. He’s been becoming so real to me lately. I ask him for help with all kinds of things.

Like how do I deal with this 3 year old throwing a fit right now?!

Or how do I communicate with my husband when it seems everything I say makes him tense up?

Or help me memorize this music so I can play the piano flawlessly.

He’s available and wanting to help me with everything in my life so I’ve been learning to ask him for his help and follow his advice. The cool thing is he actually helps me! Ha!

We were on a 400 mile trip to visit Hubby’s family around the holidays and it seemed everything I said to him made him shut down. So I was getting super ticked. We have 7-8 hours together in the car. I’m not going to have torturous conversation the whole time. So I quietly asked the Holy Spirit to help me. Then I just waited a few minutes and felt like I should ask Hubby about work. He started talking like crazy telling me all about what’s going on with the business. Thanks Holy Spirit! It made our drive so much better. And how simple is that?! God just cares about every area of our lives.

The more time I spend with him the more I’m able to walk in love, radiate joy, live in peace, practice patience, extend kindness, pour out goodness, display steady and quiet faithfulness, exude gentleness, and crucify my flesh with self-control.

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Scripture Memory Challenge Day 7 – Psalm 34:5

This has been a favorite verse of mine since high school. My uncle would always say, “How are you so happy all the time?” All I could think was….well, because of Jesus! Then I found this verse. I look to the Lord so joy shows on my face. As a follower of Jesus, I want my life to be attractive to people. Most people aren’t attracted to grumps. So let’s radiate joy! It’s more fun than being a grump anyway.

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Scripture Memory Challenge Day 6 – Psalm 33:1

I wrote down all 4 of my memory verses today to make sure I still have them all in my brain! I rehearse them all the time: driving to school, making dinner, doing laundry. I’m constantly trying to speak these verses out of my mouth.

Today’s is Psalm 33:1

I was drawn to memorize this verse because I’m a worshipper! We were all designed to worship and it’s one of my favorite things to do. It’s a beautiful verse because I’m only righteous and upright because I trust in Jesus to save me. I don’t become righteous by doing everything right all the time but by accepting what Jesus did for me on the cross. He makes me righteous.

So now that I’ve been made righteous by trusting Him, my praise is beautiful! Regardless of what it sounds like, it’s beautiful to Him. I love it!

Posted in Scripture Memory

Scripture Memory Challenge Day 3 – Psalm 19:14

Meditation of my heart…..sounds so fancy but what I allow my heart to meditate on can often be ugly. It’s those things I let roll over and over in my mind. Those things that make me fume at my husband or last out at my kids. What am I allowing my heart to meditate on? I really want to be meditating on the goodness of God – and I do at times. I want to meditate on the good traits in my husband. I want to meditate on the sweetness and innocence of my kids. I want to meditate on my strengths and not my shortcomings.

As I’m memorizing these verses, I’m reciting them all day and practicing them with my kids. Today I did a little activity and had my kids decide if the thought (meditation) was acceptable to God or not. Things like “My sister is a meany!” “I love my brother.” “I’m not going to clean my room.” “I love obeying my mommy.” They were running around playing but they still had fun answering my questions. I love getting my whole family involved in this challenge!

Posted in Scripture Memory

Scripture Memory Challenge Day 2 – Psalm 18:32-33

I love the security in the midst of challenge and risk. Like I was designed to be in risky situations but they don’t feel scary because He gave me the appropriate tools to handle it. Feet like a deer and strength for clothing. When God is my guide and with upgraded equipment I have no reason to fear. New heights in life don’t shake me. I could look down from the side of the mountain and think, that’s a big drop! But I don’t fear falling because the Lord my God who made the mountains for my enjoyment and made me to scale the mountains is my guide. He’s at my right hand so I won’t be shaken. When my thoughts attempt to trouble me, I will bless the Lord who counsels me. I will remember to put on strength. I will remember that my feet aren’t clunky and ill-fit for the path. My feet were specially crafted for the path ahead. They were designed to fit perfectly between rocks and on tight ledges and I was given perfect balance and a strong hand to hold. I will not tremble and shake in fear because I know that’s when I’m unstable and more likely to fall. I am clothed with strength. I am strong. I have the maker of the earth and the creator of my life holding my hand. It makes fear seem impossible.

Have you ever experienced the madness of those mountain goats that can hop around on tiny little 2″ mountain ledges without slipping?? We saw some mountain goats like this on our honeymoon in Ireland. It just makes me all nervous but, of course, my adventure loving, thrill seeking new husband is jumping out on those cliffs with the goats! I was pretty sure he was going to lose his balance and fall off the huge drop and I was going to come home a widow. Freaked me straight out! But fortunately, he survived and we got to be married for more than just 7 days.

He’s still the same thrill-seeking, risk taking, adventure lover that I married 7 years ago and this straight laced, rule following, 1st born is trying to jump on the risk-taking wagon and go for an exciting ride! (But I’ll probably at least buckle my seat belt.) He’s a former engineer turned entrepreneur who took a dying chemical manufacturing company and in 2 years has turned it around and in 2018 made over a million dollars in sales! He’s amazing. But he has only gotten there by taking some crazy risks. He forfeit a steady paycheck at a well known company in order to put all his energy into this new one. We invested a ton of personal funds. And everyday he tests new chemicals (trying not to blow anything up) and makes cold calls to try to increase sales. Did I mention that he’s amazing?! This all makes me nervous…..it’s just not me. I’m all about getting a mediocre paying job, working it til I retire with a nice pension and never doing anything that I might fail at. But as I memorize this verse today I’m encouraging myself that God didn’t design me to live in a safe bubble and never take any risks. He’s holding my hand and, although I will most definitely fail at times, He will never let go of my hand.

So adventure, watch out! Here I come!

Posted in Scripture Memory

February Challenge: Scripture Memory

New Month, New Challenge!

This month I’m going to keep a budget challenge going plus I’m going to memorize one section of the Bible every day.

I really like reading the Bible. It’s great because it’s not just some old boring history book. It’s amazing!! From raising the dead to raising a family, it is full of insane stories and timeless wisdom and I’m trying to fill myself up with as much of it as possible.

Right now, I’m reading through the Old Testament-the first chunk of the Bible that was written before Jesus was born. I started back in the summer of 2018 so I’m not going super fast by any means! But I’m enjoying reading it straight through. I did listen to Leviticus on my youversion Bible app while doing yard work this summer because it was a bit much to sit and read. By you should listen to it! Some of the laws those people were under were nuts….and so specific!

So I just got to The Psalms which is basically a collection of poems and songs written mainly by King David who was known as a man after God’s heart. As a teenager, I’d read a couple psalms a day and then move on to “the good stuff” like something from the New Testament. Almost like the psalms were just fluff, a filler. So when I came up on the book this time I was not super enthusiastic about reading it straight through. It’s just a bunch of songs! What am I really going to get it of that?!

But I’m amazed so far! And I’ve been inspired to take my reading one step further and memorize a couple sentences or verses each day. I’ve been keeping a journal and loving what I’m learning! It’s not just memorizing verses to recite at church so I look holy but actually getting the truth of the Bible in my heart so I can have a way cooler life.

Want to join me?

MEMORIZE SCRIPTURE EACH DAY

MOM CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

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Scripture Memory Challenge Day 1 – Psalm 16:7-8

First I simply bless Him. I turn my attention to Him; start thinking about His goodness rather than my troubling thoughts. Then I LET, ALLOW Him, ASK Him and LISTEN to Him guiding me. I do what He asks.

I just get to sit back and take in the beauty of the journey. As long as I stay with my guide, I won’t get lost. He may take me up some rocky paths that seem steep and treacherous so I can look down from above and be in awe of the beauty. But He will be at my right hand through it so I won’t be shaken. Because He is at my right hand – He’s closer than anyone else in my life. I let His words speak louder than anyone else in my life. I remind myself that He made it all, experienced it all and literally knows it all!

vs 9 Therefore my heart is glad.

When my focus is on my counselor and guide then my heart can be glad and light. I have a guide. It’s not up to me to figure out the path and remember the map.

Posted in Scripture Memory

6 Simple Steps to Memorize Scripture

1. UNDERLINE IT

When I read a verse I really like, I underline it in my Bible. My cool brother-in-law got me a fantastic note-taking Bible for Christmas. It has space in the margin for notes. Thanks Bro! Even if your Bible doesn’t have lines for notes, you should still write in it. Might as well use it and help yourself remember things that stuck out to you. They print new Bibles every day. If it gets too marked up, just get another one. 🙂

2. READ IT

Then I read it out loud. Several times. As I read it, I’m not just saying words. I’m getting them in my heart. I’m getting myself excited about how they apply to my life. I’m thanking God for them.

3. SAY IT

Then I attempt to say the verse with my eyes closed. I might do one sentence at a time, or even one phrase at a time.

4. WRITE IT

Next, I try writing the verse without looking at it in the Bible.

5. JOURNAL ABOUT IT

I then take time to journal about the verse. I write down what I think and I don’t attempt to make it eloquent. I want to actually use this verse in my life so I try to be as raw as possible while I journal. This is surprisingly the most important step for me. If the verse doesn’t apply to my life, or I simply don’t take the time to think about how it applies then it’s just empty words I’m trying to remember. When I see how it makes sense in my life, I remember it because I have a connection point in my brain.

6. RECITE IT

And then all day I recite it to my husband, kids, the cat. I say it out loud while I’m doing dishes, laundry, sitting down for dinner. I let it roll off my tongue constantly. All day. I try to put it into words that my kids understand and use it as a devotional time for our family.

And then each morning when I memorize a new verse, I recite the previous ones. Phew! This is going to be a CHALLENGE! I guess that’s kinda the point. Gotta push myself if I want to be the fabulous woman God’s made me to be!