Mid September Memory Verse

"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14 (NIV, 84)

Yesterday, the girls were "helping me" put the groceries away. I was actually in the living room, feeding Josiah, and they were busy taking everything out of the bags and onto the counters. All the sudden I heard something bust on the floor. (Gosh, I hadn't even considered the fact that they are picking up breakable things...maybe it's not a good idea for them to put away the groceries. Dang it.)

I walk into the kitchen to see this:

What you don't see is the spaghetti sauce all over Elizabeth's white tennis shoes and the blood coming from Layla's ankle where a piece of glass went straight into her skin.

These are the moments when I just want to give up. The last thing I wanted to do was clean up this huge mess of spaghetti sauce and glass off the floor. Which would then be followed by putting up the rest of the groceries, fixing lunch, cleaning up a container of yogurt that Elizabeth would bust in a few minutes (after which I decided they are no longer allowed to help put away groceries, which stinks, because I kind of like the help), and the list goes on. Sometimes I feel like all I do is clean up messes. There are several messes that I need to clean up right now. Toys, food on the table, clothes, stuff in the hall. Goodness. You know what I'm talking about it. It's exhausting, and sometimes, I just want to give up.

That's why I need this verse. If you ever feel like I do, which I bet you do, that's why you need this verse. Let's commit it to memory.

"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14 (NIV, 84)

In every case for me, the prize is bringing glory to God. In this case, I bring glory to God by loving my children and taking care of them, which in turn means I can't leave a broken jar of spaghetti sauce on the floor. I cannot give up. I must press on.

September Memory Verse

September 1st. Can you believe it? Two thirds of the year are finished. Fall is just around the corner. College football starts tonight. I have to admit that part of me is always a little sad to see summer go, but I do love fall. The crisp cool mornings that warm into respectable afternoons. The beautiful shades of orange, yellow, and red. Our annual trip to the mountains. Candy corn on the shelves. Let's be honest, candy corn is by far the highlight of fall. Right? I'm really going to have to watch it this year, because I'm still trying to lose my babies weight (yep, weight from all three babies), but I'm sure I will indulge in some candy corn. Pretty soon, if I have anything to say about it.

With fall coming so soon, I thought it would be a great time to memorize this verse:

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV, 1984)

Let's read the verse in context, because the next bit of the passage is so good:

1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. 9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God.

This passage, to me, represents a promise that God is in control. Everything has its season. It's God-appointed season. In the midst of weeping, killing, and giving up, God is in control. In the high times, the laughing, dancing, embracing, and peaceful times - God is in control. He has appointed a time for everything and a season for every activity.

I also love verses 12 and 13. There is nothing better than for us to be happy and do good while we live...to eat and drink and find satisfaction in our lives is the gift of God. This tells me it is God's gift to find pleasure in the blessings of life. The sunsets, the breezes, the mountain views. The squeals and giggles of delighted little girls. The cooes from my sweet baby boy. Holding my husband's hand. Even the delicious food the Lord has given us to eat. Finding satisfaction in these things are a gift from God. Please, Lord, remind me of this. Too often I allow the enemy to rob me of this gift by tempting me to be unhappy, ungrateful, or even feeling guilty for the blessings I have been given.

I pray that in memorizing this verse, you are able to connect it to a particular truth that you need to be reminded of.

 And now...the song that plays in my head every time I think of our memory verse...

Mid August Memory Verse

Our verse for today is one that I just love.  I don't know that I had ever read/heard it before the other day, but when I did, I knew it was one to memorize.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort." 2 Corinthians 1:3 (NIV, 84)

For some reason, I love verses that begin with "praise be".  I enjoy verses that can be prayers, especially prayers of praise, and this one exactly fits the bill.  Plus, it says our Father is the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.  All comfort.  I believe in a very dynamic, multi-faceted God who has many qualities, including some that are not so warm and fuzzy.  But, at the end of the day, I love knowing my God is compassionate and comforting.  It makes me feel like I can climb up in His holy lap and just be.

August Memory Verse

Hello, friends.  I know, I know.  I'm 3 days late.  Not too shabby, if you ask me, considering I am taking care of three kids.  How long can I use that excuse?  Surely at least a while longer.

Seriously, though.  It is busy around here!  Elizabeth started school this week.  She's in 4K at ELCA, a local Christian school.  She's going 5 half days.  So far, she seems to really be enjoying things.  Bless her heart.  She's just like her mommy.  Loves school.  Loves to to be a helper.  I'm so very grateful for a child who loves school.  I pray it never changes.

I was originally planning to keep Layla in the same Mom's Morning Out program that she attended last year, but we had our orientation this morning, and I left there just not feeling right.  There's nothing they did wrong.  It's a great program for a great price.  I don't know.  You know how sometimes it's just like you know something in your soul?  That's how I felt when I left this morning.  So, I called another local preschool and signed her up for preschool.  It's 3 half days, and she will actually be learning, rather than just playing, and I'm pumped about it.  She is too.  Hopefully she'll still be pumped when I drop her off Friday morning.  Eek!  My baby is in preschool?  What?  How can that be possible?

For your viewing pleasure, here's a picture of Layla with 2 month old Josiah.  How chunky is he?  I'm loving it.  And yes, Layla has quite a fro going on.  I do comb her hair (usually) before going out in public.



Moving on.  For our memory verse, I'd like to do something different.  There's no particular verse on my heart today.  Instead, I'd like for you to pick up your Bible, or go to one online, such as www.biblegateway.com, and read Job 38:1-42:6.  That's a little over 4 chapters, but I'm telling you, it is good stuff.  To give you a little context, you're jumping into the story after Job has been whining to/about God for 37 chapters.  A few of his friends try to make him see the error of his ways, but they are not successful.  When you pick up in 38, God has decided to speak, and the whole exchange is off the chain.  Seriously.  Read it.  If you ever thought you knew something or had a foot to stand on in front of the Lord, you won't after reading it.  I love how He puts Job in his place, and of course, we are right there with Job.  Please read it.  Even if you've read it before.  It's a good read.  Probably one of my favorite passages in the OT (so far).

If you're like me (ahem, anal retentive) and need a verse because you are planning to memorize 24 verses this year, and there's nothing wrong with being like me, here's my favorite one liner from the passage.  It's from The Message.  (Oh - I kind of suggest reading the whole passage in The Message.  I like the NIV too, but The Message reads very well.  If you don't have a copy of The Message, go buy one, but before you do, use an online Bible and read the scriptures I suggested.)

Okay - my fav.

Remember, this is God talking to Job.

"Do you have an arm like my arm?  Can you shout in thunder the way I can?" Job 40:9 (The Message)

Is that awesome, or what?  Do you have an arm like my arm?  My word.  Just think of the Lord's arms.  The strength.  The breadth.  The embrace.  The imagery is amazing.  And then...can you shout in thunder?  I love that.  What more can I say?

Happy reading, my friends.

Mid-July Memory Verse

My reasoning for choosing this verse will become more clear in the days and weeks to follow.  For now, here's the verse:

"Test everything.  Hold on to the good." 1 Thessalonians 5:21 (NIV, 84)

That's it.  Short and sweet.  But it's huge, isn't it? Great advice from the Lord.  Don't believe everything you hear.

July Memory Verse

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at wok within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Amen." -Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV, 84)

Amen.  And Amen.  Yes?

What more can I say about this one?  We should all know it.  To me, it is one of the most exciting and invigorating verses in the New Testament.  I feel like I should be shouting it by the time I finish.  And maybe jumping up and down with my hands held high.

He, and only He, is able to do MORE than ALL WE ASK OR IMAGINE.  His power is at work within us.  Praise God.  He deserves the glory in the church and in Christ.  In ALL generations.  Forever.  And ever.

Amen.

Let's memorize this one so we can start our days with it.  Or pray it to our God when we need to be reminded how powerful He is.

We'll be out of town for 14 out of the next 16 days, so if the blogging is sparse, that's why.  Enjoy your Independence Day and this last month of "summer".

A day early

Just after I predicted I'd never do anything on time again, I am posting our mid-June memory verse...a day early!!

I had not planned on it, but I've been thinking about this verse, and then someone else told it to me today, so I thought it might be a sign.  It was definitely a word from the Lord for me.  Maybe it will be for you too.

There's a decent chance you know this one.  If so, good for you.  Try to practice it.  If not, try to memorize it AND put it into practice.  I say try, because it's H.A.R.D.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

My putting this into practice involves doing something that's pretty hard for me.  I can't tell you what it is, but pray that God will give me the courage to follow through.  To trust Him and not lean on myself.  If I trust Him, why should I be scared of doing this thing?  I shouldn't.  But I am.  I'm just sayin'.

So that's why I chose this verse.  I pray there is something in it for you.  Maybe there is something hard that you need to do.  Take this verse, commit it to memory, and then try to follow it.  Trust the Lord with all your heart.  Do that hard thing.  Say those hard words.  End that unhealthy relationship.  Quit that unhealthy addiction.  I pray the Lord will give you courage, as I pray He will also give it to me.

This is the day

First, I'm sorry this is so late.  Heck, it's almost time for our mid-June memory verse.  I'm going to predict right now that I will always be late posting memory verses from this point forward.  In fact, I'll probably be late for every single thing I ever do.  Ha!

Having three kids means there's even less time for blogging!  Actually, I just choose to spend my time differently.  Much of my time is usurped by my two older children during the day.  When they are quiet during nap time, and when they go to bed at night, I am finding that I'd much rather hold my baby than check email, clean, blog, or just about anything else.  I know you mothers out there understand, especially if you're a mother of more than one.

Anywho.  Today's memory verse.

"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

Simple.  Short.  But for me?  Right now?  Crucial.  I'm finding that my days are kind of tough.  I predict a post about that in the near future.  Until then, let's just say this new normal is hard for me.  It's exhausting, mentally and physically.  And emotionally.  I am tempted to throw a pity party.  Pretty much every day.

Instead, I'm going to use this verse as a daily reminder that even though today may be hard, today is the day the Lord has made.  He has given it to me as a gift.  My response is a choice.  Feel sorry for myself.  Or choose to accept His gift and give Him the response He deserves.  To rejoice.  Because even on a hard day, I am lavished with His blessings.  I can choose to be glad.  Or should I say that I'm going to try to be glad.

I find it much easier to memorize a verse if I have a song to go with it, so here's a link to a sweet video of an adorable little boy singing the song that goes with this verse.

http://youtu.be/hqYctnjwNG4

Praise the Lord for parents who are teaching their children to worship the Lord by singing His Word!

Mid May Memory Verse

This will be short and sweet.  I've been thinking a lot about the Proverbial Wife, and I have chosen our Memory Verse from her description.  If you've never read about her, you should.  She's pretty fabulous.  There are several verses in Proverbs that describe a wife, but the largest chunk of scripture devoted to her description is found in Proverbs 31:10-31.  It would be an honor to be described the way that she is.

Keep pressing on toward the goal, Lauren.  Keep pressing on toward the goal.

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Proverbs 31:30

For you men out there, I promise I won't make it a habit to choose verses that only apply to the ladies.  Pass it along to your wife or sister.  It's a great truth for every woman to memorize and strive toward.

Happy memorizing, friends.  In addition to memorizing, I will hopefully be meeting my son in the next week (or thereabouts).  My due date is one week from today.  Here's to hoping that he won't be late!  Most importantly, I would appreciate your prayers for a safe, smooth delivery and a healthy baby boy.

Early May Memory Verse

Maybe we should start saying I'll post the memory verses on the 3rd and the 18th.  =)  Or the first few days of the month and on or about the 18th.  I would say I'll try to be better about posting on the 1st and 15th, but with Josiah's birth quickly approaching, I have a sneaking suspicion that it will only get harder for me to be timely.  Thank goodness I have understanding readers, right?

Before we get to today's verse, I want to take a minute to type all of the ones we've done before.  If you've been memorizing along with me, this will be a good test for you.  Try to read the first couple of words and then say the rest out loud without looking.

"The righteous cry out and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:17-18 (NIV)

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing, and perfect will."  Romans 12:2 (NIV)

"All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."  2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV, 2010)

"You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.  And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ."  Romans 8:9 (NIV)

"As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless.  He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.  For who is God besides the Lord?  And who is the Rock except our God?  It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." 2 Samuel 22:31-33 (NIV)

"Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness."  Genesis 15:6 (NIV)

"Your Love, oh Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.  Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep." Psalm 36:5-6 (NIV)

"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:4 (NIV)

So? How did you do?  I will admit that I don't have them all perfectly memorized.  It's okay if you're still learning them too.  It's important to reread the old verses or at least try to say them to yourself throughout the week to make sure you truly have them committed to memory.  Think about John 3:16.  If you're like me, you can recite that one backward and forward and will not miss one single word (unless some weirdo is saying it from a different translation).  That's because you've been saying it all your life.  The more you say these verses, the more you will remember them.

For today's verse, let's go with something short and simple.  It happens to be Beth Moore's memory verse, and it's a good one, so we're going to borrow it.  If you didn't know Beth had memory verses, go back and read this post to see how all this got started.

"Rely on the Lord!  Be strong and confident!  Rely on the Lord!" Psalm 27:14 (The NET Bible)

Don't we all need to remember to rely on the Lord, to be strong and confident in Him, and oh yes, to rely on Him?  I know I do.

If you're like me and are wondering what the NET Bible is, here's a link to explain it.  I had never heard of it myself until I saw Beth's verse, but I did a little research today, and it's definitely intriguing.  I want to learn more.

Okay, people.  Let's go memorize!

Anniversary & A Memory Verse

Yep.  I'm late posting the memory verse again.  At least you get to see that I'm real, right?  I can honestly say that this is the first time I didn't forget.  I thought about it Thursday night, knowing I should post one for Friday, but then I decided I wanted to leave the Doula for a Day post up a little longer.  So that's why this one is late.

Well, that and I was busy this weekend.  Busy doing what?  Oh, I'd love to tell you.

I was busy celebrating my six year anniversary with my husband.  Giselle, who must be an angel in disguise, offered to keep the girls FOR FREE so that Derrick and I could enjoy some time to ourselves.  She actually made the offer back in October, but we decided to wait until this past weekend to take her up on it.  Interestingly enough, even though Giselle is only 21, she's one of the only people I trust to keep my kids for two nights.  I know that may sound crazy, but she's a very mature 21, and she has a younger sister that she practically raised, so she's basically a little momma.  And an angel.

Derrick and I knew we didn't have much time for our anniversary weekend, so we didn't want to waste all of our time traveling to a far away destination.  At first, I was looking at some resorts and spas on the north side of metro Atlanta, but I quickly realized it would cost an arm and a leg to stay at one of those places.  So, we decided to use priceline to book a hotel in Midtown, and to just have a little staycation.  In retrospect, we made a great decision.  We wound up staying at the Renaissance Atlanta Midtown, which was very nice.  I've included two photos, one of the view from the room and one of the dog bed in the lobby.  (Kind of funny to see such a dog friendly hotel in the middle of the city.)  We had time to eat at some of our favorite restaurants, we got massages on Saturday, we slept late, we shopped, and we just spent time together.  We even tried a new restaurant, Rosebud, for brunch on Sunday.  It was pretty yummy.  I'd definitely recommend it, and I hope to go back soon.  It was a wonderful weekend, and I'm so grateful for the time we had.  I definitely came home feeling rested and better able to be a good mommy to my girls.

Thanks again, Giselle, for the amazing opportunity.  It was a true blessing.

On to the memory verse.  I don't have a story for this one.  It' just a verse that I've always wanted to memorize.

"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:4 (NIV, '84)

I'm not very good at rejoicing in my suffering.  Are you?  Whether you are or not, this is a great verse to help us remember why we should rejoice, even when tough times come our way.  Perseverance, character, and hope are all qualities that I'd like to possess.  Wouldn't you?

Oops. Our memory verse.

What do you know?  It's April 3rd.  That just dawned on me this morning.  It's April 3rd, and I haven't done an April 1st memory verse.  Oops.  I'm sorry, y'all.  I don't have an excuse, other than the last few weeks have been crazy, I have two small kids, and I'm 33 weeks pregnant with another.  I know you understand.

Speaking of the last few weeks.  I know I mentioned here how sick the girls had been, but I just want to update the list of illnesses we've had in our house the last few weeks.  It's almost comical.  But I haven't been laughing about it yet.  Maybe in a month or two.  Beginning on March 8th, and continuing until now, we've had:

• 2 cases of the flu
• 3 ear infections
• 3 cases of pink eye
• 2 cases of diarrhea (Layla still has it - they say it's from the Augmentin)
• 2 cases of vomiting
• 1 case of vaginitis (By the way, it's not a good idea to use soap on your little girls' private parts or to let them sit in the tub for a long time with soap/shampoo in the water.  Just in case you were wondering.  Right now I'm trying to figure out how to avoid long baths and still find time to wash/condition/comb 2 heads of unruly hair.  Suggestions are welcome.)
• 1 case of sinusitis
• 1 head cold
• and whatever Derrick has had that hasn't been diagnosed, but over the last couple of weeks, he's had a sore throat, fever, diarrhea, congestion, a very stiff neck, and his eye sight is failing.  Bad.  I think we're getting old or something.

And that brings me to today's verse.  It sort of applies in the same way our last memory verse applied.  And again, the idea for the verse came to me this morning, as I sat in church listening to one our pastors, Seth Hoover, preach a fantastic sermon.  This week's sermon was about David.

The main point of the sermon was that David was passionate about God because of the picture of God that he held in his heart.  His passion for God didn't change based on circumstances.  I don't know about you, but I am very guilty of letting my circumstances determine how I feel about/toward God.  Like I said a couple of weeks ago, with all the sickness in our house, I was very quick to stop talking to the Lord.  Frighteningly quick.  It's been interesting to see how each of the sermons I've heard since then have applied so well to what I was/am feeling.  God's promises are true (from our last verse).  And now, God is loving, faithful, righteous, and just, no matter the circumstances that surround me.  I want to remember this verse and have this picture of the Lord ingrained in my heart so that when I'm in the middle of less than pleasant circumstances, I don't doubt my God, because I know He is loving, faithful, righteous, and just.

"Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.  Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep." Psalm 36:5-6 (NIV, 1984)

Some of you may get lucky with this verse, because there's a fairly popular worship song that has lyrics close to these in the chorus.  If you know that song, it'll be that much easier to memorize this verse.  Let's commit this one to memory.  Let's develop a healthy and true image of the Lord in our hearts so that we can be passionate about Him, no matter our circumstances.  If you have already mastered this, you're ahead of the game!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEF7IoQ3eUk

If this is your first time reading a Memory Verse post and want to know how/why we started doing memory verses, click here.  If you'd like to see all the verses we've memorized so far this year, click here.  Last, but not least, if you'd like to watch the sermons from our church live on Sunday mornings, click here.  (As of right now, this morning's broadcast is still on there.)  This series has been great so far, so I definitely recommend watching the sermons if you find yourself at home on a Sunday morning.  You can also find all the sermons from Momentum on iTunes as a podcast and listen to them anytime.

Memory Verse (Finally!)

I have returned to the land of the living, so it's time for our memory verse.  It's only a week late.  =)  In my defense, the last two weeks were hellacious.  Layla came down with a high fever on a Tuesday.  Elizabeth had it by Thursday.  Between that Thursday and the following Thursday, all of us were sick, the girls had fevers of 103+ for 8 days each, and we were at the doctor's office 5 times.  Layla was never diagnosed with anything, but Elizabeth had the flu, pink eye, and two ear infections.  I had sinusitis.  Who ever knew sinusitis could be so bad?  My teeth were hurting from my sinuses being so infected.  I can't imagine how terrible my girls felt.  Elizabeth literally laid in the bed for days, using tissue after tissue after tissue.  After tissue.  I bet we bought 10 boxes of tissues.  And Charlie ate 50% of them.  That dog.  Thank God for my husband who helped A TON.  Poor guy is still sick himself, but he's pushing through.  If you prayed for us while we were down, thank you.  We needed it, and I'm so very grateful to be able to say we are doing much better.

And now, on to our memory verse.  The verse I've chosen relates to the last two weeks I had, and it's one that came from a great sermon at church this past Sunday.

We're doing a series on redemption.  We're focusing on 8 key characters/stories in the Bible, and putting them all together to see the big picture of God's story of redemption.

This past week was about Abraham, and I chose a verse from his story.  Here's the verse, and then I'll give the back story.

"Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness." Genesis 15:6, NIV 1984

A simple verse.  An easy one to memorize.  So let's do it.

To help you understand why this verse is important, I'll give the back story that was given to me on Sunday.  Abram was just a man.  An Israelite that God chose to use to show His love for His creation.  He spoke to Abram one day, which was pretty big, because He had not really spoken to anyone in quite a while.  He first told Abram to leave his people, his land, and his home, and to go somewhere else.  And then He promised Abram that He would make him into a great nation, that He would make his name great, and that all the people on the earth would be blessed through him. (Genesis 12:1-3)

Big promises.  Especially since Abram was old (like way over the hill) and had no children.  But he trusted the Lord and left his home and did as the Lord had asked.

Time passed, and Abram still did not have any children, so he began to doubt the Lord's promises.  He started questioning the Lord, saying that since he had no children, a servant would have to be his heir.  The Lord came to him and said no.  In fact, he said,  "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir."  Then he took Abram outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them."  Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." (Genesis 15:4-5)

Can you imagine that moment?  (I love that he says, if indeed you can count them.)  Offspring as numerous as the stars?  And yet, Abram had no children and was in his 90s.  Pretty crazy stuff.  And that's where our memory verse comes in.

"Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness."  Genesis 15:6

As "crazy" as God's promises appeared to be, Abram chose to believe.  And when he believed, the Lord credited it to him as righteousness.  When we believe the Lord's promises, we are also given righteousness.  We are not righteous and do not deserve to be seen as righteous in the Lord's eyes, but He give us that when we believe Him.  How amazing is that?

I needed to hear that verse on Sunday, and I want to memorize it, because I realized over the last two weeks that I am a very weak person.  All it took was a week or two of being cooped up in the house with sick kids and feeling pretty sick myself to allow myself to go to dark places in my mind.  Hopeless places.  Bitter, frustrated, depressed places.  At first, I tried to keep up with my Bible reading, but it wasn't long before I gave up.  I didn't want to talk to God, because I was feeling bitter and not understanding why He was allowing it to keep getting worse.  In the back of my mind, I tried to remind myself to rejoice in all circumstances and to try and find the lesson to learn, but I could not do it.  Instead, I gave in to my sinful nature and allowed myself to think and feel things that were not pretty.

This verse is important, because it reminds me that I need to believe God's promises.  Even in the bad times.  Let's be honest.  The things people were going through in the Bible were way worse than a couple of weeks with sick kids.  Heck.  Abram would soon have a baby, who would likely be sick at some point, and he would be in his 90s trying to take care of that baby.  Good gracious!  I can't imagine.

I hope this verse becomes meaningful to you.  Thanks for letting me share some of my inner thoughts and things I'm not really that proud of, and thanks for not judging me.  Now let's start memorizing.

Oh - and just in case you're wondering.  The Lord wound up changing Abram's name to Abraham.  Abraham had 8 sons.  One of his sons, Ishmael, became the father of 12 sons who were the 12 tribes of Ishmael.  Another son, Isaac, had two sons of his own, Jacob and Esau.  Jacob had 12 sons who became the 12 tribes of Israel.  Another of Abraham's sons, Midian, became the father of the Midianites.  Today, according to wikipedia, Abraham is known as the father of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.  And you can read the entire genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1, which shows how Jesus was even born into Abraham's blood line.  So the Lord really did keep His promise to Abram.  He made him into a great nation for sure, and the King of the World was even born into his bloodline.  Pretty cool stuff.

March 1st Memory Verse

It's time for a new memory verse.  If you are memorizing along with me, I hope you are enjoying the process.  Isn't it great to have scripture hidden in your heart?  I don't know about you, but I am constantly in need of a Word from the Lord, and it's great to be able to recall specific passages that I have committed to memory.  If you haven't been following along with us because you think scripture memorization is too hard, ask the Lord to help you.  Ask Him for a hunger for His Word, and ask Him to increase your memory so that you can memorize His Word.  I bet He will answer your prayer!

For today's verse, I had something specific in mind.  I wanted a verse that talked about the Lord being my strength.  I'm in a phase where I need strength.  I am tired and weak.  I have little energy to discipline my children.  I find it hard to get through each day without breaking down and crying, because I do not have the strength to do it.  So I went in search of a verse that would be a reminder to ask God for my daily strength.

I found lots of fantastic verses.  The Psalms are full of them.  But this verse from 2 Samuel stood out to me.  It's not necessarily a prayer for daily strength, but it excites me and it talks about strength, so to me, that's a good combination.

"As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless.  He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.  For who is God besides the Lord?  And who is the Rock except our God?  It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." 2 Samuel 22: 31-33

Interestingly enough, that exact same passage is found in Psalm 18: 30-32.  How cool is that?  I love when things match up in the Bible!  Do you know what I also love?  When I read scripture in the Bible that is from a song that I know and love.  I've been reading the book of Isaiah, and it's happened a couple of times where I read verses and a tune with those exact words comes to mind.  I love that!  Don't you?

Okay, friends.  Happy memorizing.  If you'd like to look back at the verses we've memorized so far this year, click here.

Feb 15th Memory Verse

"You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.  And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ." - Romans 8:9 (NIV, 1984)

This verse is from a section of Romans 8 that is entitled "Life Through the Spirit".  I definitely recommend reading the whole section (vs 1-17), or if you want to get really adventurous, read the whole book of Romans.  It's deep stuff, but it's very good.

This verse gives me comfort and also frustrates me.

It is comforting to know that I am not controlled by my sinful nature.  I am controlled by the Holy Spirit, because I am a Christ follower.

I am frustrated, though, because I feel like I am often controlled by my sinful nature.  Why else do I do the things I do, say the things I say, and think the things I think?

For me, personally, my temper is my biggest stronghold, temptation, struggle...call it what you wish.  And almost always, it's my temper toward my kids.  Depending on the day, I may be yelling at my girls within 5 minutes of them waking up.  Lately, it seems that the only days I don't yell at them are the days when I'm too tired to yell.

My temper is something that makes me feel like a failure at the end of the day.  It's something I am 100% confident is not of the Lord.  Being angered by their misbehavior is fine.  I know that.  It's the way I react to the anger that is the problem.  Yelling, screaming, spanking out of anger - these things are a result of my sinful nature.

So today's verse is one that I hope will help me with my biggest struggle.  I hope it helps you too.  Maybe your struggle is lying, gossiping, undermining, alcohol, sex outside of marriage, porn, shopping, or gambling.   You know what it is.

The wonderful thing about this verse is that it applies to all sins, and it tells us that we are not controlled by our sinful nature.  If we are believers, Christ followers, then we have the Holy Spirit living in us.  This verse says that we are controlled by Him.  I'm guessing that we have to allow Him to have control, and that's where the problem lies.

If given the opportunity, the Spirit will control us.  We just have to ask Him.  And then allow it.  And maybe ask again and again and again.  Every day.  Every hour.  Every minute.

Join me in memorizing this verse and putting it into action to overcome the sins that have a hold on us.  The Lord does not desire for us to feel like failures.  Not for one minute.

"You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.  And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ." -Romans 8:9 (NIV, 1984)

If this is your first time reading a memory verse post, click here to see why we're memorizing, and click here to see all the verse so far.

Feb 1st Memory Verse

It's time for our next memory verse.  If you haven't been following along with the memory verses, read this post to see where the idea came from.  If you'd like to see all the memory verses so far, click here.

Today's memory verse was inspired by a particular situation in my life.  Let me tell you about it first, and we'll get to the memory verse in a minute.  If you'd rather skip the story, the verse is in bold toward the bottom of this post.

Derrick and I are thinking about the possibility of selling our house and moving into another house.  In all honesty, we are blessed here, but we would love to have more space.  To have a room for the baby and a more comfortable bedroom for my mom would be wonderful.  We also truly desire to live closer to our friends, to literally be living in and experiencing community with them.

There is a particular house that we are considering, but selling our house would truly have to be God's work.  That's all it boils down to.  To be quite honest, I don't even want to put it on the market.  I'm praying the Lord will bring someone to us without even having to list it.  We have talked to the owners of the other house, and they are praying as well.  Their house is not on the market either.  After talking this weekend, we decided to all pray and see where the Lord leads us.

Of course, I immediately started praying that the Lord would reveal His will to us.  I went in search for a scripture today that would say something about finding God's will.  Interestingly, I came across this post and this post on Decapolis, which is a web site run by former Ghoti Hook band member, Conrad Tolosa.  As I was reading his posts on how to discern God's will, I found myself in agreement with everything he said.  Too often, I (and other Christians) take the "pray wait and act" approach when it comes to discerning God's will.  That's probably what I would have done in this situation, until I read his post.  And we just had a sermon series at church about "hearing from God".  The teaching was very much in line with the post on Decapolis.

To discern God's will, I first need to turn to God's word.  Then pray for His wisdom.  If His will is still unclear, I should consult Godly counsel, then pray for Him to open and close doors.  And make sure the end result is accompanied by His peace.

So, now, instead of simply praying for Him to give me a revelation, I am going to pray for Him to show me scriptures that will teach me about things relating to the sale of this house and the purchase of another: our finances, responsibility, how to be a good manager of the material possessions He's already given to us and the possessions He may give us in the future, patience, and provision.

Y'all just wanted a memory verse, didn't you?  Well, here it is.  I chose it because it reminds me that when I am searching for an answer about what to do in a particular situation, I need to turn to scripture, because scripture is there to teach and train me. So here's the verse for today:

"All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3: 16-17 (NIV, 2010)

I pray that if you are following along with me, that you are being blessed by the scriptures you're learning.  May you be ready to recall them when the Lord gives you an opportunity to share them with someone or apply them to your own life.

Two side notes to end this post: 1. I really like that Decapolis site.  I think I'll check back there often, and you should too.  2.  The chances of us being in a new house any time soon are probably slim.  The way I see it, if it happens, I will have no doubt it's a work from God.  There's no other explanation.  I'm excited about the possibility but realistic about the fact that we may very well be here for several more years, and I'm fine with whatever He has for us.  Now, let's start memorizing!

January 15th Memory Verse (a day late)

First, a little update on the Ice Storm of 2011.

Well, let's just say the power never went out.  I went to WalMart and bought a lantern and propane for the lantern and fire starter logs and lots of other stuff, including nothing but junk food for the week since I thought I wouldn't be able to cook, and low and behold, the power never went out.  I'm glad it didn't, but I definitely felt kind of silly for buying all that stuff.  I felt even sillier when I returned all of it on Friday.  But, I got some money back, and that's worth it, even if I did feel silly.

The crazy thing is, the girls were out of school ALL WEEK.  I can't imagine how much of a pain that was for working moms and dads who don't have any other option for childcare.  I could not believe they cancelled school for the whole week.  My mom said that even in the blizzard of '93, we didn't miss a day of school.  Crazy what a few inches of snow and ice can do.  There is still a little "snow" in my back yard, and I am SO ready for it to be gone.  If I don't see snow again for 10 years, I'll be okay with it.  I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I don't EVER want to live where it's this cold and/or snows regularly.

Okay.  Moving on.

If you read this post, you know that I am going to post a memory verse twice a month for the entire year of 2011.  I apologize for being a day late on this one.  I'm going to try to post the verse on the 1st and 15th of each month, but yesterday just slipped right by without me even realizing it was the 15th!

For today's memory verse, I have chosen Romans 12:2.  This verse is special to me, because it's a verse that I always felt was meant for my husband.  I remember printing it and framing it for him to put in his office when he graduated from college.  My preacher referenced it today, and I was reminded how great it is.  Funny enough, I realize now that it's meant every bit as much for me as it is for Derrick.  And we both need it just as much today as we did 8 years ago when I first gave it to him in a frame.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing, and perfect will."  -Romans 12:2 (NIV)

Write it down.  Read it.  Reread it.  Meditate on it.  Happy memorizing!

Don't forget to remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. tomorrow.  What an amazing man of God and warrior for civil rights and social justice.  Because of him, and many others, my husband and I are raising our children in a world that is moving along toward equality for all people.  Thank God for him, his work, and the sacrifices he made.

Scripture Memorization

So, just after I resolved not to make any resolutions, I read an email from my dear friend, Lanie Beth, and now I'm resolving to memorize 24 scriptures this year.

Lanie Beth is participating in Beth Moore's Siesta Scripture Memory Team for 2010.  If you're interested in memorizing scripture, this is a great way to get started.  There are a couple of posts on the Living Proof Ministries Blog that you will want to read before you start.  Start with this one, then read this one.

As a quick recap, Beth will be posting a new SSMT post on the 1st and 15th of every month.  If you want to participate in her memory team, you simply have to leave a comment on the blog with the verse you're memorizing and a couple of other details.  Here's the kicker.  If you leave 21 out of 24 comments (meaning you don't forget to comment more than 3 times this year), you get into the SSMT celebration event in January 2012 for FREE.  All you have to bring to get in is your notebook where you wrote down the 24 verses you memorized throughout the year.  And from what I've read, the SSMT celebration event is a LOT of fun!

With all of that said, I don't think I will be able to travel to Houston for the SSMT celebration in 2012, because we're taking a big ski trip at the end of this year, and I don't think I would be financially able to handle another trip in January 2012.  BUT...I still think it would be awesome to memorize 24 verses this year.

So I'm going to try it.  And I'm going to try to post my verse on the 1st and 15th of the month here on this blog.  If you want to participate along with me, feel free to memorize the verse I post, or choose your own.  For each verse, write it down in a little notebook or on a note card, and take it with you everywhere.  Read it and reread it.  Meditate on it.  As Beth says, you will spend your days meditating on something.  Why not make it God's Word?  And if you think you could make it to Houston next January, be sure to leave a comment on the Living Proof Ministries Blog on the 1st and 15th as well.  Who would not relish a chance to meet Beth Moore?

Here's my verse for January 1st (4 days late, but who's counting?):

"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."  -Psalm 34: 17-18 (NIV)

Beth encourages the SSMT participants to choose verses that apply to their own lives.  I won't say I'm brokenhearted right now or crushed in spirit, but I did have a rough patch last week, and I know for sure that I will need a comforting verse like this at some point in the future.  And, if by some chance, I don't need it, someone else will.  I'm always searching for a good verse to bring comfort in a time of despair.

Won't you participate with me?  Even if you think you're not good at memorizing scripture, is there anything to lose by trying?  If nothing else, at least you will fill your mind with words from the Lord rather than all the other junk that is a product of our world.