Like a tree planted…

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  

But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.  

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.  

The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.  

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.  

For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

~Psalm 1

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For more 31 Days of Scripture Memory, click here.

For more 31 Days, click here.

Worth the Read (Repost)

It seems I’ve been writing a lot about books lately.  I love to read, but probably the biggest reason for the posts is the fact that I am riding in the car a lot and reading passes the time.  A friend of mine gave me the book His Word in My Heart: Memorizing Scripture for a Closer Walk with God recently.  This book is a must read!

Scripture memory has been a big part of my life in recent years.  Over the past few years, I tried to do whole chapters.  Memorizing Romans 8 was life-changing.  Janet Pope takes this a step further and encourages you to memorize books.  If you think you cannot memorize Scripture then this book is for you.  If you need encouragement to keep on keeping on in this area, this book is for you.  If you don’t memorize Scripture, but you feel like something is lacking in your spiritual life, this book is for you.

The author tells how this will help you in your prayer life as well.  I started to memorize Psalm 121 as I read through the book.  While I was working through my prayer list this morning and telling the Lord that I didn’t know how to pray for certain people, Psalm 121:7  popped into my mind.  “The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.”  That is something I can pray for others.

I knew that I was lacking something in my life, but didn’t know what.  The Lord has used this book to help meet that need.  I hope you’ll get a copy and take the time to read it.  It really is worth the read…

For more 31 Days of Scripture Memory, click here.

For more 31 Days, click here.

*I am going to be offline for the next 10 days.  I have posts scheduled.  Thank you for your understanding if I do not reply to your comments right away.  I’m looking forward to time with family.

When time gets away from you…

There will be times when we honestly don’t have time to sit down and read and study God’s Word.  Maybe the baby is sick and you are sleep-deprived from giving around-the-clock care.  There are days when our human frailty kicks in and we sleep through the alarm.  You may plan a special afternoon with the Lord and have circumstances beyond your control keep you from it.  When these kinds of things happen our thoughts begin to run away from us.  We are tired, frazzled, and frustrated.  If you are memorizing God’s Word, you will have something to meditate on throughout your day.  This will help you to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report. (Phil 4:8) One very special time for me with the Lord was watching my daughter at her swimming lesson.  I was working on memorizing Romans 8: 32, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”  The Lord began to teach me the meaning of that verse as I sat there meditating on it.  That was several years ago and I still have not forgotten it.

~edited quote from article written by me published in the Jan/Feb 2007 issue of Frontline Magazine

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For more 31 Days of Scripture Memory, click here.

For more 31 Days, click here.

Day and Night

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

~Joshua 1:8

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For more 31 Days of Scripture Memory, click here.

For more 31 Days, click here.

Just do it!

I’ve been working through some of Barb Raveling’s material at Beyond the Sinner’s Prayer.  There is some excellent material there to help you in renewing your mind.  I recently worked through this series of questions:  8 Questions To Ask When You Don’t Want to Renew Your Mind.  It was very helpful to me.  Of course, there is always the motto from an old Nike commercial:  Just.do.it!!!  You’ll be glad you did!

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Audio Help

Bible Gateway on ipad

Let’s face it.  We all have days when just can’t.  Can’t think.  Can’t remember.  Can’t make the time that we need to work on our verses.  One thing I’ve started to do on those kind of days is to use Bible Gateway.  You can use it on your computer through the web or download the app on a device.  I love the audio option that you get with Bible Gateway.  When you have one of those days, there are always moments that you can utilize.  For example, yesterday was one of those days for me.  I was so tired and trying to get out the door in a hurry.  I put Romans 8 on Bible Gateway and recited along with the audio.  This is a great way to review on “one of those kind of days.”  When the next verse wouldn’t come to my mind, the reader started it and then I was able to join in.  By the time I was somewhat put together, I had reviewed the whole chapter and discovered that I was calmer in my mind and body.

For more 31 Days of Scripture Memory, click here.

For more 31 Days, click here.

Inspiration

“But the great thing about Scripture memory is you can learn long passages in small steps—one word at a time, one verse after another. You don’t have to start with a long passage or even with a long verse. Just start with one word—the first word of the verse, then add the next, and the next.” ~pg. 8

“Some people question the value of rote memory, and I’ll admit that just memorizing words for the sake of words is of limited value. But Bible verses are not just words.” ~pg. 10

“Scripture memory enables us to maintain our mental equilibrium and spiritual vitality. We can see the Scripture in our minds, picturing its scenes, hearing its words as if spoken just to us, rolling them over in our minds like rocks in a tumbler. We’re transported to green pastures, still waters, Galilean storms, Judeans hills, Roman jails, golden streets, and to the very throne of God Himself.” ~pg.15

~from 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart by Robert J. Morgan

God’s creation never ceases to amaze me.  The sunset made this field glow with a golden red.  I am currently visiting family in the USA.  This view out the kitchen window changes everyday.  No matter the season, it takes my breath away.

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For more 31 Days of Scripture Memory, click here.

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No time?

review while in the shower

curling your hair

putting on make up

folding laundry

cleaning house

during work breaks

riding in the car

waiting in the doctor’s office

mowing the lawn

pulling weeds

preparing dinner

you fill in the blank

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On a humorous note:  Sometimes I feel like Barney in this clip when I am trying to recite my verse, especially when I am trying to do it in Japanese!  HA!

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For more 31 Days of Scripture Memory, click here.

For more 31 Days, click here.

Casting Down Imaginations

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” ~2 Corinthians 10:3-5

How do we cast down imaginations and thoughts that exalt against the knowledge?  How do we bring our thoughts into captivity?  Through Scripture memory.  When you are dwelling on the Scripture that you are memorizing or reviewing passages you’ve already memorized, you are not thinking about other things.  You can be doing any number of mundane tasks.  You can be doing some rather difficult tasks.  You can be running verses through your head and taking those thoughts captive, or you can choose to imagine all kinds of things that are against the knowledge of God in His Word.  What will choose today?

For more 31 Days of Scripture Memory, click here.

For more 31 Days, click here.

Keeping it real…

I’m not sure how I missed this link up for memorizing Ephesians 1.  This is a blog that I read regularly, but I did notice that the posts for it were at a particularly busy time for me so I must have skimmed over them.  I am memorizing Ephesians 1 and when I looked at the schedule, I am not behind!! I’ve been looking for some accountability and help, because I have been stuck.in.a.rut.  I can’t seem to get out of it.  I was so thrilled to discover this group online.  Won’t you join me?  It’s never too late to start.  For those of you who like to memorize in KJV, click here for the first-letter study help.

For more 31 Days of Scripture Memory, click here.

For more 31 Days, click here.