Verse 22

We are down to the last three verses, ladies!  I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and that the holidays give you some extra time to spend in His Word.  :)

James 1:17 NIV
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Verse 21

I'm copying Allison's verse. Mary's obedience is unbelievable.  I love how she basically says, "Whatever you say, God."  Hopefully memorizing her words will help them to become my words, too.  :)

Luke 1:38 ESV
And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her."

Verse 20

This time I'm going with a verse that's been on my list for a while, but I keep avoiding it.  Maybe because I don't want to be reminded of my sin?  Eesh.

Ephesians 4:29 NIV
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Verse 19

I was looking back over my last few verses and realized that I don't have them committed to memory yet.  So, as I remind myself, let me encourage you, too: don't neglect God's Word in this upcoming busy holiday season.  You are on verse 19 out of 24!  What an accomplishment!  Don't give up! Press on, friends!

Today's sermon was on Ecclesiastes.  [It was really interesting.  You can watch it here if you're interested.] A lot of the book is about how everything here on earth is pointless (my loose translation).  BUT we can rise about the seeming insignificance of all the day-to-day stuff.  At the end of the book the author gives us the key for living our lives down here:
Ecclesiastes 12:13 NIV
"Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind."

Verse 18

Oh my!  It's 7:30pm, but I made it!
My new verse is II Corinthians 4:17
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

Verse 17

Ezekiel 36:26 NIV
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

Another translation says, "I will remove your stubborn hearts and give you obedient hearts".

This verse makes it sound like a one-time transaction, but I think it feels more like a daily battle.  My heart keeps wanting to dry up, to become hard and impermeable.  Only the work of the Holy Spirit can make this rock-heart turn to flesh, to soften up and love the people around me like Christ did.

Verse 16

Ephesians 2:10  NIV
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

A friend recently wrote a blog post containing this verse.  She used a translation that used the word "masterpiece" instead of "workmanship".  It really stuck out to me that God made me with intention and purpose.  I'm not just another human on the assembly line of creation, but I'm one of His masterpieces, and he has good works ready and waiting for me (and you, too!).

Verse 15

I Corinthians 8:1-3 (God's Word Translation)
Now, concerning food offered to false gods: We know that we all have knowledge.  Knowledge makes people arrogant, but love builds them up.  Those who think they know something still have a lot to learn.  But if they love God, they are known by God.

There is a lot to learn from this chapter of the Bible.  It is primarily about food that had been sacrificed to idols and about how Christians treated each other over the matter.  I chose these particular verses and translation, though, as a reminder about pride.  For those times when I think I have things figured out, I want to remember that I "still have a lot to learn" and that my priority should be loving God.

Verse 14

Do you always memorize your verse in the same translation?  I usually memorize in NIV or ESV, but as I'm studying and meditating on my verse I love to read it in lots of different translations.  It's amazing how many different nuances and meanings you can get from the same verse just by changing one word or one piece of punctuation.

My verse for this time is II Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Verse 13

This morning I was listening to a Christian book while I ran.  The author was talking about how as parents we have to learn to listen to our children, and as believers we have to learn to listen to God.  He said people are always asking how to discern God's will in major life decisions, and part of the answer is to practice listening to Him in the everyday decisions.
I don't take the time to listen to God in the daily things.  I simply rely on my own knowledge and common sense.  While those things are gifts that God has given me to use, I also want to remember that I have the Holy Spirit to guide me.  I want to practice listening to God and knowing His will daily.

Romans 12:2 (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.


On a side note, earlier today there was a devastating typhoon in Saipan.  A friend from college is living there with her husband and two small children.  They are safe, but lost their home and most belongings.  She says there is no electricity and water on the island.  Please pray for their safety, immediate needs, and peace.

Verse 12

This is verse 12 out of 24!  You're halfway there! I'm going to take a shorter verse this time and try to spend a lot of time in review.
Last time Allison's verse stood out to me, so I copied it: "Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him."  So this week I'm going to add on the next verse:
Proverbs 30:6 (ESV) "Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar."

Verse 11

I'm copying Allison's verse.  :)

Proverbs 30:5 NIV
Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

Verse 10

Next week our family will be hosting a VBS-type event at our house.  With our community at church, we've been praying about how to make a lasting impact with the kids and their families.  One of the things we've focused on is trying to have conversations that move deeper than sports and weather.  I already struggle with small talk, so the idea of moving beyond that makes me nervous.  If you think of me in the next two weeks, please pray for grace and wisdom and words from the Holy Spirit.

My verse for the next two weeks is I Peter 3:15
"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect..."

Verse 9

Oops.  It looks like a lot of us missed last time.  Hopefully you were still working on a verse, but just forgot to post it.  :)  Either way, it's a new month now!
I'm going to stay in Colossians for one more verse.  It's a short one, but a big message!

Colossians 1:17  NIV
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Verse 8

My youngest child's sleeping habits have been unpredictable the past few weeks.  Between ear infections, teething, and a stomach bug, I can't plan a time when I know I can read my Bible alone.  I've been so thankful for my index cards of verses to sneak in a few minutes here and there.

I'm finishing my passage from last time.
Colossians 6:8  NIV
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of the this world rather than on Christ.

Verse 7

May 1st!  Are you excited about green things and warmer weather?  Praise God for giving us His beautiful creation to enjoy.  I hope you get to take your Bible outside in the next few weeks.

I'm going to split my next scripture into two parts.  This week I'm doing Colossians 2:6-7, then I'll add verse 8 next time.
Colossians 2:6-7, NIV
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Verse 6

My verse is Psalm 68:19 NIV "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens."
I chose this one because I don't often have any big, overwhelming issues in my life.  But my burdens are oh so very "daily".  Every day, every hour, every five minutes, there are more dishes to wash, whining to bear, and a toddler who is stealing silverware from the drawer, licking it, and putting in back in.  This verse is going to be my mantra this week to remind me that God cares about those little things, that He wants to help me if I'll let him, and that I can praise Him in it all.

Verse 5

I'm doing another verse from Philippians this week:
Philippians 1:6 ESV
"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

I'm looking forward to reading your verses, too!  I hope that you'll have a little extra time this week to spend with the Lord, preparing to celebrate His resurrection on Easter!

Verse 4

Sorry I'm a little late today!  I bet you were all sitting at your computers, tapping your fingers, waiting for me - weren't you?  I'm glad I waited until after church today to post though, because I'm going to use a verse from the sermon.
Last summer I had the privilege of hearing Pastor Mark Sallade preach.  In his sermon he said something along the lines of "talk to yourself instead of listening to yourself".  It was a good lesson to me to speak truth to myself instead of listening to negative self-talk.  Our pastor today brought up the same point and used Psalm 42:5 as an example where the psalmist had to preach to myself.  So that's going to be my verse this time.

Psalm 42:5 NIV
Why, my soul, are you downcast?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Verse 3

I will admit, I'm still stumbling over my last verse a little bit.  But since my son memorizes Bible verses as homework for school, I told him that I'd practice my verse when he practices his.  I think he's looking forward to quizzing me.  :)

I'm choosing a verse from Philippians because that's what our church is studying right now.  There are so many verses in Philippians that I love, but this week I'm going with 3:8.

Philippians 3:8 NIV
What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ...

Verse 2

So, how did the first verse go?  Is it solidly locked away in your mind and heart?  Make sure you keep reviewing the old one(s) as we move forward.
Maybe I'm just a sucker for peer pressure, but knowing that there were 20 other women out there memorizing with me gave me great encouragement.  :)
Also, several of you told me your reason for the verse you chose.  If you feel comfortable sharing that in your comment, please feel free!

My verse this time is 2 Corinthians 10:5  NIV "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

I chose this verse because when I let my mind wander and worry, I forget that my life is in God's hands.  I hope this verse will remind me to keep my imagination in check by "taking captive every thought".

Here We Go! - Verse 1

I'm so excited that you have chosen to memorize Scripture with me!  A little bit of encouragement and accountability makes a huge difference in accomplishing a goal.

If you haven’t done so already, please read the instructions from the post on January 14. It will tell you everything you need to know.

Just a quick refresher: sometime today, post the Scripture passage you have chosen by leaving a comment below. Be sure your comment includes the following details:

First name, verse, reference, and version.

Remember you don't need to be a superhero. Use a verse you already know or find a very simple, short verse.  Maybe choose a verse that has a song to go with it. This helps make the challenge not feel overwhelming. Remember what Beth said in her instructions: "it's a marathon, not a sprint!" Another time you might want to have more of a challenge and memorize a multi-verse passage. It's completely up to you!

Be sure to handwrite the verse in your spiral notebook of index cards to help engrave it on your mind. 

If you are the kind of person who likes to underline, highlight, or otherwise mark in your Bible, I thought it was neat last year to underline and date each verse as I memorized it. Now it's fun when I'm reading the Bible to come across verses I memorized last year. I stop and make sure I can still say them so that they stay in my long-term memory.

Finally, either follow this blog, add it to your RSS feed, or just mark on your calendar so that you remember to come back on the 1st and 15th of every month.  (And please give me grace for when I inevitably forget to post on time.)  :)  Thanks for participating!  I'm praying that we all know God more through His Word.

Deb:  "For the word of God is alive and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

Hebrews 4:12, NIV

The Details

A few years ago, a friend included me in her challenge to memorize scripture.  She used a format that she had done in the past with a Beth Moore study.  I'm going to stick with that format, so this is a copy of Beth's guidelines:
1. On the 1st and 15th of every month, you will find a post where I will ask for your memory verse and give you mine. This will begin February 1. You are committing to 24 Scriptures in 12 months. In previous years, I’ve found this to be a very doable pace. If you do much more, you’ll tend to fall behind and not retain. If you do much less, the impact is negligible. You really can do this. So many of you will surprise yourselves with what you’re capable of doing in the power of the Spirit. Yes, it takes work but it’s tremendously fulfilling and the results are nearly immeasurable. Look at it this way: you’re going to be meditating on something: unforgiveness, toxic memories, misery, lust, greed, dissatisfaction, jealousy, competition. Choose Scripture! Christ Himself said as a man thinks, so is he. He also said His words are spirit and life. This is work worth doing, Sweet Thing. Never – NOT ONCE – have I ever known anyone to get to the end of a Scripture memory commitment and say that it didn’t make any real difference. Not a single time.

2.You are to enter the verse you’ve chosen to memorize for that two-week period within twenty-four hours of the post going up. I’ve been asked many times if it’s okay if you’re late supplying your verse and, yes, of course it is, but try to avoid doing it often. The people who make it to the very end of the year are overwhelmingly those who stay up with it month to month. Please know up front that one of the important parts of this process is the exercise of self discipline. This culture is mass producing wimpy narcissists. Year-long commitments like these that require punctuality and focused energy push back on that degenerating trend. All that to say, please don’t drop out if you get behind. I just want you to know that this will be much more successful if you treat it as a real, live commitment you are willing to work hard to keep.

3. When you clock in with your verse those two times a month, include your name, the verse, and the translation (i.e. NIV, NASB, the Message, etc.) Feel free to also add a brief comment about how the challenge is going for you.

4. As often as possible, choose a verse that means something to you in your present season or circumstance. This is the reason why we don’t all memorize the same Scripture. We’re not all going through the same things. The more you let God lead you to verses that direct you or edify your soul in your present circumstances, the more He will renew your mind toward your challenges. This is a huge part of 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 where we’re told to demolish strongholds and take our thoughts captive to Christ. If you don’t have a verse on your mind or you’re drawing a blank when the 1st or 15th rolls around, you are welcome to share mine. I will always include it in the post. You might also look at a few of the comments and see if one of theirs resonates with you. I say this next part with a grin: try to refrain from memorizing Scriptures that you think your spouse or your children need to learn. Memorize what you need to learn. That means do your best to avoid jotting your verse on a sticky note and planting it on your bathroom mirror where your man can see it and repent of his sins. He probably won’t because he’s got your game. I bet you can guess how I know that.

5. I strongly recommend that you stick with only one verse to memorize each time. (This is just a recommendation and not a rule. You’re free to do whatever works for you.) Keep it simple and meaningful. (If I were addressing you live, I’d have you repeat that sentence back to me so just go ahead and say it out loud in order to nail it down. That sentence could be your best friend through this process.) If you do too many verses or get too complicated, you will soon be overwhelmed and want to drop out. Better to do 24 simpler verses over a 12 month period of time than a chapter over the first month then quit. We want this to be a discipline we practice for the rest of our lives. Think marathon. Not sprint.

6. Either shortly before or after making your entry each 1st and 15th in the blog comment, write the verse by hand in your own spiral notebook of index cards. (Again, that’s a recommendation and not a rule. I’ve discovered that there’s something about writing it with your own hand and picturing it later in your own handwriting that helps it sink into your memory bank. I’m not entirely sure why. Index card spiral notebooks can be found at Walgreens, CVS, etc.) Take that spiral with you everywhere you go. Read it and read it and read it and read it. Do mental gymnastics with it. Flip that baby over and over. Many women have told me along the way that they’re not good at memorization and I truly understand that. I also beg to offer two responses: First, that may change. Give the Holy Spirit a chance to do something brand new with you. Second, even if you don’t get your verses down word for word, you are still meditating on them as you read and reread them. You still, thereby, accomplish one of the most important goals: captivating the mind to Christ. You just can’t lose on this one. Either way, it has a powerful effect.

This is Deb again:   At the end of the year, the ladies on Beth's blog who have been faithful all year in memorizing the verses meet in Houston to have a Scripture Memory celebration. We'll see how it goes, but I thought it would be fun to try to do something like that as well (but in Akron, not Houston). In order to participate in the celebration here are Beth's requirements (slightly altered by me):

* Clock in with your name and verse at least 21 out of 24 times. (But please make your goal 24 out of 24!) Let me reiterate that you can be late with your entry on a 1st or 15th of any month but, by the end of the year, there has to be a record in the comment sections of you signing in at least 21 out of 24 times on a post. Make sense?

* Bring your spiral notebook to the celebration. That’s your ticket in.

* Be prepared to share one or two of your verses with the group (or we'll do small groups if there are a lot of us).  

So, if you'd like to join the challenge, come back on February 1st!