Memory Monday

First a check to see how I am doing on the last couple weeks of verses. This first one is my Nov 1 verse for SSMT verse #21. 

1Corinthians 10:23
Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial.
Everything is permissible, but not everything is constructive.

Psalm 5: 3,8
Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.
Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.
Lead me oin the right path,O Lord, or my enemies will conquer me.
Tell me clearly what to do, and show me which way to turn.

Proverbs 16:3
Commit your actions to the Lord
and your plans will succeed.

Galatians 5:16
So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives,
so then  you don't do won't be doing what your sinful nature craves.

Galatians 5:22-23
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
There is no law against these things.


Have I mentioned that it is getting easier to memorize verses and that I am still reciting all of the ones since the beginning of the year! Yep, amazing to me as well. But the even more amazing thing is that I am often finding myself pulling verses I have memorized and being able to apply them to a situation or even a conversation.  God puts His Word into our hearts for when we need it most.  In fact, just today I opened my Bible to search for just the right verse to apply to a friend's situation and found two that apply just as well to me. Three memory verses to work on this week...

1Corinthians 6:19-20
Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit,
who lives in you and was given to you by God?
You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you at a high price.
So you should honor God with your body.

Proverbs 15:18
A hothead starts fights; a cool-tempered person tries to stop them.

Psalm 69:1-3
Save me, O God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck.
Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire;
I can't find a foothold to stand on.
I am in deep water and the floods overwhelm me.
I am exhausted from crying for help;
my throat is parched and dry.
my eyes are swollen from weeping,
waiting for my God to help me.



About Memory Monday
I originally found Memory Monday with Joanne at The Simple Wife.  The idea is to memorize a verse during the week and come back to her blog on Mondays to comment about it.  That's it, nothing fancy, just simply an encouragement and reminder to memorize scripture for yourself.  Please join in Memory Monday as a way to be blessed by hiding God's Word in your heart. And also join me in prayer for Joanne as she continues to recover from the stroke she had in January.


About Siesta Scripture Memory Team
This is another program to encourage us to memorize scripture and is hosted by Beth Moore over on her blog  Living Proof Ministries Blog.  This program is set up so that each person who wants to join the Siesta Scripture Memory Team will memorize two verses a month for all of 2011 and post a comment on the LPM blog on the 1st and the 15th of the month.  If you do that all year you get to attend a Celebration with her and the SSMT next January!  I so want to do that, don't you?

Memory Monday

I have been working a lot this past couple weeks which means I have not been reciting these as much, but let's see how well I know them anyways.

#1 Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me down the paths of righteousness for His names sake.
Yea,though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.



#2 Psalm 121
I raise my eyes towards the mountains.
Where will my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to slip, your protector will not slumber.
Indeed, the protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep.
The Lord protects you, He is likeThe Lord is a shelter right by your side.
The sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will protect you from all harm. The Lord He will protect your life.
The Lord will protect your coming and going both now and forever.


#3 2Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation.
The old is gone, the new has come.


#4 Galatians 2:20
I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me.

#5 Romans 12:1
And so dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God.
Let them be a living and holy sacrifice, the kind that He will accept.
When you think of what He has done for you, is this too much to ask?


#6 John 14:21
Those who obey my commands commandments are those who love me
and because they love me, I will love them and my Father will love them
and I will reveal myself to each one of them.


#7 Haggai 1:5-7
Now This is what the Lord Almighty says, "Give careful thought to your ways.
You have planted much but have harvested little.
You eat but are not full never have enough.
You drink but are not satisfied never have your fill.
You put on clothes, but are not warm.
You earn wages only to put them in a purse with holes in it."
This is what the Lord Almighty says, "Give careful thought to your ways."

#8 Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink
but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

#9 2Timothy 3:16
All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true
and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.  It straightens us out
and teaches us to do what is right.


#10 Joshua 1:8
Study this book of the Law continually, meditate on it day and night
so that you may be sure to obey all that is written in it.
Only then will you succeed.


#11 John 15:7
But If you remain in me and my words remains in you,
you may ask for anything you want and it will be granted.


#12 Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition
and with thanksgiving present your requests to God.
And the peace of God which transcends all understanding
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.


#13 Matthew 18:20
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there I am there in the midst of them.


#14 Hebrews 10:24-25
And Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds
and let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing,
but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.


#15 Matthew 4:19
"Come, follow me" Jesus said "and I will make you fishers of men."


#16 Romans 1:16
I am not ashamed of the gospel for because it is the power of God
for the salvation of all everyone who believes.
First for the Jew, then for the Gentile.


#17 Psalm 91:14
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love
so that we may sing for joy until to the end of our days lives.


#18 1John 4:7a
Let us love one another, for love comes from God.


#19 Psalm 119:89
Forever, O Lord, your Word is settled in heaven.


#20 Genesis1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

This #20 verse is actually the current SSMT verse that I posted on the Living Proof blog, so I am a little ahead, and I have even been 'craving' more verses to memorize! Praise God for that!  So because I am craving more verses to memorize I am jumping ahead and found this verse while reading Chapter 1 of the Made to Crave book - see the last post for more about that!

1Corinthians 10:23
Everything is permissible - but not everything is beneficial.
Everything is permissible - but not everything is constructive.




About Memory Monday
I originally found Memory Monday with Joanne at The Simple Wife.  The idea is to memorize a verse during the week and come back to her blog on Mondays to comment about it.  That's it, nothing fancy, just simply an encouragement and reminder to memorize scripture for yourself.  Please join in Memory Monday as a way to be blessed by hiding God's Word in your heart. And also join me in prayer for Joanne as she continues to recover from the stroke she had in January.


About Siesta Scripture Memory Team
This is another program to encourage us to memorize scripture and is hosted by Beth Moore over on her blog  Living Proof Ministries Blog.  This program is set up so that each person who wants to join the Siesta Scripture Memory Team will memorize two verses a month for all of 2011 and post a comment on the LPM blog on the 1st and the 15th of the month.  If you do that all year you get to attend a Celebration with her and the SSMT next January!  I so want to do that, don't you?

20 verses

I really miss blogging - really I do.  Of course you would never know it by how much I have actually blogged in the last year or two!  Anyway, here we go again... back to blogging memory verses.  Even though I have not been posting for Memory Monday, I have actually been working on my verses.  In the last few weeks I have been working even harder - I started taking my spiral notebook with me.  Then I started opening it while I had it with me... What a concept!  Did you know that if you take your verses with you and look at them and practice them, it doesn't take long at all to memorize them!  Amazing! 

Every week, Sam's kindergarten class has what his teacher calls a checkup.  It is basically a test to see how well they are doing and what they are retaining.  Memory Monday is my checkup, it will show me which verses I need to work more on. And yes, I do realize that it is actually Tuesday, but I didn't want to put it off another week.

I make the list of verses, then type them out from memory.  After I have typed them all out I go back to my notebook and correct any mistakes in red - let's see how I have been doing with my memory verses for the year.

#1 Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul. He leads me down in the paths of righteousness for His names sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemyenemies.
You anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.


#2 Psalm 121
I raise my eyes toward the mountains, where will my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to stumbleslip, your protector will not slumber.
Indeed, the protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep.
The Lord protects you, the Lord is a shelter right by your side.
The sun will not strike you by day or the moon at night.
The Lord will protects you from all harm. He will protects your life.
The Lord will protects your coming and going both now and forever.



#3 2Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation.
The old is gone, the new has come.


#4 Galatians 2:20
I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave Himself for me.


#5 Romans 12:1
And so dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God.
Let them be a living and holy sacrifice, the kind He will accept.
When you think of all what He has done for you, is this too much to ask?


#6 John 14:21
Those who obey my commandments are thosethe ones who love me.
And because they love me, I my Father will love them and my Father I will love them,
and I will reveal myself to each one of them.


#7 Haggai 1:5-7
Now This is what the Lord Almighty says, "Give careful thought to your ways.
You have planted much but have harvested little.
You eat but never have enough.
You drink but never have your fill.
You put on clothes but are not warm.
You earn wages only to put them in a purse with holes in it."
This is what the Lord Almighty says, "Give careful thought to your ways."


#8 Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink,
but of living a life of goodness, and peace and joy in Christ Jesus the Holy Spirit.


#9 2Timothy 3:16
All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true,
and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.
It straightens us out and is useful to teaches us to do what is right.


#10 Joshua 1:8
Study this book of the law continually.  Meditate on it day and night
so that you may be sure to obey all that is written in it.
Only then will you succeed.


#11 John 15:7
But If you remain in me and my words remain in you
you may ask for anything you want and it will be granted!


#12 Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition
and with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will
guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.


#13 Matthew 18:20
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there I am there in the midst of them.


#14 Hebrews 10:24-25
And Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.
And let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing,
but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.


#15 Matthew 4:19
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."


#16 Romans 1:16
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation
of all everyone who believes. First for the Jew, then for the Gentile.


#17 Psalm 91:14
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love
so we may sing for joy until the end of our life lives.


#18 1John 4:7a
Let us love one another, for love comes from God.


#19 Psalm 119:89
Forever O Lord, your word is settled in heaven.

Shouldn't have too much trouble with the next verse...
#20 Genesis1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
 
Like I said, it is amazing what happens when you actually practice them - mostly I have been reciting them while driving or jogging laps in the pool. The last three verses are the verses we are memorizing as a family during our family Bible study time. Truly amazes me how quickly kids can memorize verses and what they comprehend!


About Memory Monday
I originally found Memory Monday with Joanne at The Simple Wife.  The idea is to memorize a verse during the week and come back to her blog on Mondays to comment about it.  That's it, nothing fancy, just simply an encouragement and reminder to memorize scripture for yourself.  Please join in Memory Monday as a way to be blessed by hiding God's Word in your heart. And also join me in prayer for Joanne as she continues to recover from the stroke she had in January.


About Siesta Scripture Memory Team
This is another program to encourage us to memorize scripture and is hosted by Beth Moore over on her blog  Living Proof Ministries Blog.  This program is set up so that each person who wants to join the Siesta Scripture Memory Team will memorize two verses a month for all of 2011 and post a comment on the LPM blog on the 1st and the 15th of the month.  If you do that all year you get to attend a Celebration with her and the SSMT next January!  I so want to do that, don't you? I am registered to go and praying that God will find a way for me to actually attend!

Got some work to do...

I have not been diligent in working on my memory verses, at least not all of them.  So I thought I would work on a few at a time and post on Mondays to see if I can ever catch up.  So let's see how I did the last few days...

Jan 1  - Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul, He leads me down in the paths of righteousness for His names sake.
Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
and I shall will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Jan 15- 2Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone who is in Christ he is a new creation.
The old is gone, the new has come.

Feb 1 - Galatians 2:20
I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
And so I live my life in this earthly body
by trusting in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.


Feb 15- Psalm 121
I raise my eyes toward the mountains, where will my help come from.
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to stumble slip, your Protector does will not slumber.
Indeed, the Protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep.
The Lord protects you, He The Lord is a shelter right by your side.
The sun will not strike you by day, or the moon by night.
The Lord protects your life. The Lord protects you from all harm.
The Lord will protect you from all harm; He will protect your life.
The Lord will protect your coming and going both now and forever.

Mar 1  - 2Timothy 3:16
All scripture is inspired by God... (that's it I can't remember any more)

Mar 15- Joshua 1:8
...meditate on it day and night... (that's it on that one!)

Apr  1-  Romans 14:17
...(didn't ever work on memorizing this one)

Apr 15- Haggai 1:5-7
...(or this one)

May 1 - Romans 12:1
And so dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give you bodies to God.
Let them be a living and holy sacrifice, the kind He will accept.
When you think of what He has done for you, is this too much to ask?

May 15- John 14:21
Those who obey my commandments are those the ones who love me.
And those who because they love me, my Father will love them, and I will love them,
and I will reveal myself to each one of them.

 Jun 1  - John 15:7
...(haven't worked on it yet)

The verses for the May SSMT were actually a couple verses I worked on in February when I was being quite good at working on my memory verses.  Now I am praying that I can get back to that point because apparently I have some serious memory work to do!


About Memory Monday
I originally found Memory Monday with Joanne at The Simple Wife.  The idea is to memorize a verse during the week and come back to her blog on Mondays to comment about it.  That's it, nothing fancy, just simply an encouragement and reminder to memorize scripture for yourself.  Please join in Memory Monday as a way to be blessed by hiding God's Word in your heart. And also join me in prayer for Joanne as she continues to recover from the stroke she had in January.


About Siesta Scripture Memory Team
This is another program to encourage us to memorize scripture and is hosted by Beth Moore over on her blog  Living Proof Ministries Blog.  This program is set up so that each person who wants to join the Siesta Scripture Memory Team will memorize two verses a month for all of 2011 and post a comment on the LPM blog on the 1st and the 15th of the month.  If you do that all year you get to attend a Celebration with her and the SSMT next January!  I so want to do that, don't you?

Catching up with Memory Verses

Not only did I not keep up with Bible study for several weeks, I also have not been working on my memory verses all that much. I have neglected posting here on my blog for both Memory Monday and the Siesta Scripture Memory Team.   And even though I have worked at them occasionally in the last couple months it has not been with the daily diligence that is required to memorize verses. 

So...as it seems  to be the story of my life I need to refocus on my list of memory verses which I will be working on and then do postings on Monday's for Memory Monday.  Here is the list of verses that I have posted on Beth Moore's blog for the Siesta Scripture Memory Team.

Jan 1  - Psalm 23
Jan 15- 2Corinthians 5:17
Feb 1 - Galatians 2:20
Feb 15- Psalm 121
Mar 1  - 2Timothy 3:16
Mar 15- Joshua 1:8
Apr  1-  Romans 14:17
Apr 15- Haggai 1:5-7
May 1 - Romans 12:1
May 15- John 14:21
 Jun 1  - John 15:7

hmmm I have some work to do!


About Memory Monday
I originally found Memory Monday with Joanne at The Simple Wife.  The idea is to memorize a verse during the week and come back to her blog on Mondays to comment about it.  That's it, nothing fancy, just simply an encouragement and reminder to memorize scripture for yourself.  Please join in Memory Monday as a way to be blessed by hiding God's Word in your heart. And also join me in prayer for Joanne as she continues to recover from the stroke she had in January.


About Siesta Scripture Memory Team
This is another program to encourage us to memorize scripture and is hosted by Beth Moore over on her blog  Living Proof Ministries Blog.  This program is set up so that each person who wants to join the Siesta Scripture Memory Team will memorize two verses a month for all of 2011 and post a comment on the LPM blog on the 1st and the 15th of the month.  If you do that all year you get to attend a Celebration with her and the SSMT next January!  I so want to do that, don't you?

Memory Monday - John 14:21

Last week I was working on memorizing...
John 14:21
Those who obey my commandments are the ones who love me and because they love me, my Father will loves them, and I will love them and I will reveal myself to each one of them.

hmmm, needs a bit of work!  This verse gives us direction - quite simply it is all about obeying His commandments. We live our lives obeying Him, it is how we show our love for Him. 


This week's verse is the next in the topical list I have been following and will also be my March 1 verse for the Siesta Scripture Memory Team.
LIVE THE NEW LIFE - The Word
2Timothy 3:16 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.


About Memory Monday
I originally found Memory Monday with Joanne at The Simple Wife.  The idea is to memorize a verse during the week and come back to her blog on Mondays to comment about it.  That's it, nothing fancy, just simply an encouragement and reminder to memorizing scripture for yourself.  Anyway, I had been away from blogging for quite sometime and when I got back into it one of the first blogs I checked in on was Joanne's.  That was the day after she suffered a major stroke. Please join in Memory Monday as a way to be blessed by hiding God's Word in your heart. And also join me in prayer for Joanne.


About Siesta Scripture Memory Team
This is another program to encourage us to memorize scripture and is hosted by Beth Moore over on her blog  Living Proof Ministries Blog.  This program is set up so that each person on the Siesta Scripture Memory Team will memorize two verses a month and post a comment on the LPM blog on the 1st and the 15th of the month.  If you do that all year you get to attend a Celebration next January!  I so want to do that, don't you?

Memory Monday - Psalm 121

In the Stepping Up Bible study that I am currently doing we were asked to memorize Psalm 121, a couple verses at a time.  But I am being the type of student that sits at the front of the class and bounces with my hand up in the air eagerly hoping the teacher will call on me to answer the question. haha

Seriously, I tried to only memorize a couple verses at a time, but it went quickly and I managed to memorize the whole thing.  I have been walking alot this last week!  Let's see how I did...

Psalm 121
I raise my eyes towards the mountains, where will my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to slip, your Protector will not slumber.
Indeed, the Protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep.
The LORD will protects you.  The LORD will be is a shelter right by your side.
The sun will not strike you by day, or the moon by night.
The LORD will protect you from all harm.  The LORD He will protects your life.
The LORD will protect your coming and going, both now and forever.

A few problems, but I am thrilled that I have this Psalm memorized! 

As I was reflecting on it one morning I was wondering what my mountain is, what do I need the most help with.  It was suddenly very clear - I don't need to get into all of that because if you are reading this then I want you to reflect on what your mountains are. 

But I will say this - most often when I have seen a mountain, it is not a lonely solitary mountain, it has lots of mountain friends - some are smaller and some are much, much bigger.  I have a whole mountain range to work through on my journey to grow and get closer to God.  But how wonderful and comforting it is that He will guide me every single step of the way, He will protect me through all of it!

This Psalm was my selection for the Feb 15 Siesta's memory verse.

This week I am back to my Topical List and will be memorizing the next verse...
Live the New Life - Obedience to Christ
John 14:21 Those who obey my commandments are the ones who love me.  And because they love me, my Father will love them, and I will love them. And I will reveal myself to each one of them. (NLT)
About Memory Monday
I originally found Memory Monday with Joanne at The Simple Wife.  The idea is to memorize a verse during the week and come back to her blog on Mondays to comment about it.  That's it, nothing fancy, just simply an encouragement and reminder to memorizing scripture for yourself.  Anyway, I had been away from blogging for quite sometime and when I got back into it one of the first blogs I checked in on was Joanne's.  That was the day after she suffered a major stroke. Please join in Memory Monday as a way to be blessed by hiding God's Word in your heart. And also join me in prayer for Joanne.

About Siesta Scripture Memory Team
This is another program to encourage us to memorize scripture and is hosted by Beth Moore over on her blog  Living Proof Ministries Blog.  This program is set up so that each person on the Siesta Scripture Memory Team will memorize two verses a month and post a comment on the LPM blog on the 1st and the 15th of the month.  If you do that all year you get to attend a Celebration next January!  I so want to do that, don't you?

Memory Monday - Galatians 2:20

I have been working on Galatians 2:20 this past week.  I struggled with it at the beginning of the week, the wording just did not roll off my tongue easily.  But then I got my out my new spiral notebook

and wrote down Psalm 23 as my Jan 1 verse, 2Cor 5:17 as my Jan 15 verse, and Gal 2:20 as my Feb 1 verse.  It really is true how writing it out can help with remembering it.  It also helps to write it out with natural breaks, sort of like how you would say it.  Anyway, let's see if I got it...

Living the New Life - Christ the Center
Galatians 2:20
I myself no longer live
but Christ lives in me.
So I live my life in this earthly body
by trusting in the Son of God
who loved me and died gave himself for me!

Oops a couple minor problems.  Good thing I wrote them down in my cute little spiral so that I can take it with me on my walks.

Ok, so what does this verse mean?

I see it as not being alone.  Although I know I will have trials and I will struggle I am comforted with the knowledge that through it all Christ is with me.  When I am overwhelmed all I need to do is remember to put Christ at the center, to trust in Him.  When I do that I can walk through the trial with the peace He provides.

By the way, I did take my spiral with me on my walk this morning.  My walk almost didn't happen for a couple reasons and I was incredibly discouraged, but eventually I got going and the first thing I did was start from the beginning... (well the beginning of my memory verses that is)

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.  He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside the still waters. 

...and suddenly I was able to take a deep breath and enjoy my walk, to enjoy the coolness of the morning, the beauty of the fog, the amazement of how sound carries differently in the fog, to enjoy the birds singing their morning songs...

I was suddenly at peace and the discouragements I had felt moments before were gone.  So for me, this is just one reason why memorizing scripture is so important.  However, I did find myself wishing I had more verses hidden in my heart!  Three verses are not alot when you are walking more than a mile.  I need more to repeat...

So on to the next verse from the Topical List of scriptures to memorize.  The Series is still Live the New Life, but now the Topic is Obedience to Christ

Romans 12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? (NLT)

uggg...I just know this is going to be one of those big ol' kicks in the butt.  Need at least a week to meditate on this one, that's for sure!




About Memory Monday
I originally found Memory Monday with Joanne at The Simple Wife.  The idea is to memorize a verse during the week and come back to her blog on Mondays to comment about it.  That's it, nothing fancy, just simply an encouragement and reminder to memorizing scripture for yourself.  Anyway, I had been away from blogging for quite sometime and when I got back into it one of the first blogs I checked in on was Joanne's.  That was the day after she suffered a major stroke. Please join in Memory Monday as a way to be blessed by hiding God's Word in your heart. And also join me in prayer for Joanne.

About Siesta Scripture Memory Team
This is another program to encourage us to memorize scripture and is hosted by Beth Moore over on her blog  Living Proof Ministries Blog.  This program is set up so that each person on the Siesta Scripture Memory Team will memorize two verses a month and post a comment on the LPM blog on the 1st and the 15th of the month.  If you do that all year you get to attend a Celebration next January!  I so want to do that, don't you?

Memory Monday - 2Corinthians 5:17

Last week I found this Topical List of scriptures to memorize.  Love that it is all neatly laid out for me!   Anyway, the first verse was nice and short and easy to memorize (I hope - let's see)... Oh and this is also my Jan 15 verse for Beth Moore's 2011 Siesta Scripture Memory Team.

Christ the Center
2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation.  The old has gone, the new has come.

WooHoo!  Got it!  But what does that mean exactly?  What does it mean to be a new creation?

When we accept Christ into our lives we may not appear any different, but we are.  We are not at all like how we were.  It is not about being reformed or changed or improved, no it is much more than that - we are recreated!  It means that all of a sudden we are adopted into God's family and will spend eternity with Him!  And when we understand that and start to grow our relationship with Him through Jesus we want our lives to be reformed, changed, and improved!

This week I will be memorizing another verse that makes Christ the Center.

Galatians 2:20 I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.



About Memory Monday
I originally found Memory Monday with Joanne at The Simple Wife.  I had been away from blogging for quite sometime and when I got back into it one of the first blogs I checked in on was Joanne's.  That was the day after she suffered a major stroke. Please join in Memory Monday as a way to be blessed by hiding God's Word in your heart. And also join me in prayer for Joanne.

Change of plans...

I had just finished posting my Memory Monday post and got on the phone to order our next Bible Study.  We will be doing Beth Moore's Stepping Up study.  I am already so excited!!!!  Please pray for me so that I can blog through the whole study!

Anyway, while I was thinking about Beth Moore I decided to check out her blog.  You will never guess what I found!  She does scripture memorization on her blog!  Can you believe it!  It is so fantastic I can hardly type properly I am so excited to have found it! 

Here is the post about the rules.  But basically you post what scripture you will be memorizing twice a month - on the 1st and the 15th.  That is 24 verses you will memorize for the year.  I am totally late for January, but that's okay I will be on top of it for the next posts.

Then there is a cute little spiral notebook you can order to write your verses in.  I already ordered mine!  If you participate all year then you can attend an event next January.  How fun would that be!

My original plan for Memory Monday this week was to memorize the Roman Road.  As much as I love the Roman Road, I have changed my mind on that.  But with all the thousands of verses in the Bible it can be overwhelming to know what to pick!  I am really not that good at coming up with stuff on my own - (which is why I love Beth Moore Bible studies) so I wondered if there was a Scripture Memory plan.  You know, kind of like a Bible Reading plan.  Googled it... Who knew that there were so many resources available - books even!  I totally need all help I can get.

Well, I found this link to a Topical memory system.  I like it because there are two verses for each topic and the topics, at least at first glance, appear to be foundational doctrine-type topics.  The list has 60 verses so I will continue with Memory Monday doing a verse a week.  Then I will link up with the siesta's on the 1st and 15th maybe with whatever verse I happen to be working on that week.

This week I will start with the first verse...

LIVE THE NEW LIFE - Christ the Center
2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (NIV)

Oh, and just a side note.  Usually for my Bible study posts I copy and paste scripture from http://www.blueletterbible.org/ but when I am using a verse for memorizing I will be typing the whole thing out.  I figure that way I will learn it better - kind of like writing it out.

This was also just to exciting to let sit for one day!  I had to link up with

 at Heavenly Homemakers Gratituesday.  Usually my Gratituesday posts are on my family blog, but today I was too grateful over here to ignore it!

I am grateful to have been led back to http://thesimplewife.typepad.com/the_simple_wife/ at just the time when sweet Joanne needed so much prayer.  I am grateful that she is starting to recover and am praising God for the healing she is receiving. 

I am grateful for Beth Moore and her amazing bible studies where I learn so much!  I am especially grateful for the precious ladies in our little Bible Study group, they truly inspire me!

I am grateful to have found Beth's Siesta Scripture Memory Team and a wonderful resource in the Topical Memory System to help me make memorizing scripture a priority in my life.

I would have to be blind not to see the Holy Spirit guiding me on this path.  Do you see it too?!

Memory Monday - Psalm 23

I originally found Memory Monday with Joanne at The Simple Wife.  I had been away from blogging for quite sometime and when I got back into it one of the first blogs I checked in on was Joanne's.  That was the day after she suffered a major stroke. Please join in Memory Monday as a way to be blessed by hiding God's Word in your heart. And also join me in prayer for Joanne.

For my very first Memory Monday I attempted to memorize Psalm 23.  I have wonderful memories of my Grandma praying this when she tucked me in whenever I had a sleepover.  When I came back to Memory Monday last week I tried to recite it but had a couple spots that were not perfect and so Psalm 23 is what I have been working on this past week.  Typed from memory, corrections are noted...

Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes to me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me down in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for You are with me.
Your rod and your staff they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil, my cups runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.


Well, not too bad - just a couple errors! 

In the first section, verses 1-3 describe the Lord as our shepherd.  When we obediently follow him we experience:
contentment - we have everything we need
safety - think of animals, if they are in a green pasture they will eat until they are full and then if they feel safe they will lie down. We are safe in the Lord's protection.
joy - imagine being thirsty and being led to a raging river, how frustating would that be to try to get a drink.  No, our Lord allows us to drink in the Word peacefully and be restored.

In the second section, we are assured of His presence.  No matter what we are facing we need not fear, He is guiding us through.

In the final section, the Lord is our host, providing the ultimate feast of goodness and mercy, protecting us from our enemies and bringing us into His house for eternity.

Psalm 23 is so rich and beautiful!

This week, my Memory Monday will be the Roman Road.  Not sure if I will make it through all the verses, but I am going to try...

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard.

Romans 5:8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 10:9 For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:13 For "Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."