2012 Scripture Memory Verse 9

Hopefully, summer break will have some moments of peace amidst the {almost} certain busyness.  Our family tries to have a sabbath each week~no school, no work, only what builds us up and encourages us as a family {and that looks different from week to week}.  Only we don't refer to the day as a sabbath, we call it our family day {it was much easier for our boys to understand when we began this discipline} and it falls on a Friday because that's what works for us.  We surely are not perfect and don't always get it right, but it sure feels good when we take time to step back and enjoy the blessings God has given us.

I hadn't planned on sharing that when I hopped on here tonight, but thoughts of summer don't usually sound all peaceful and slow to me.  Perhaps it's because we're not but two summers removed from 10 years of youth ministry and a whole lot happened in the summer.  Now our boys are in baseball and a whole lot still happens in the summer.  Needless to say, "summer break" isn't always too much of a break, but it can be very good if we take time to take breaks :)

Alright, now that I've almost confused myself (and hopefully haven't left you too dumbfounded), I'll move on to the purpose of this post...the next memory verse for the year!  I'm going to continue in 1 Corinthians, adding the next few verses:

Audrey, Ohio
1Corinthians 1:22-24  ESV
"For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." {emphasis mine}

Thank You, Jesus, that we do not have to rely on our own power and our own wisdom, for they are far too frail.  Thank You for filling those who follow You with Your Holy Spirit and transforming us with Your glorious power and wisdom!!!

May you seek an intimate relationship with your Creator as you enjoy some moments with and in His creation over these next weeks ~ He if faithful to respond to the hearts of His children!

2012 Scripture Memory Verse 8

I am loving what our church is learning from Romans 12 ~ what discipleship looks like, what sacrifice means (you couldn't just sacrifice half an animal...we can't just offer God half of ourselves), the fact that we are constantly either transforming more and more into Christ-likeness or conforming more and more into the image of the world.  God truly is wise and His ways truly are better ~ I so wish we could grasp this truth and not have to find out the hard way.

I'm choosing to begin a passage from 1 Corinthians (in segments) that sounds profound to me every time I read it, so here goes:

Audrey, Ohio
1 Corinthians 1:20-21  ESV
"Where is the one who is wise?  Where is the scribe?  Where is the debater of this age?  Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe."

The things this world holds dear don't amount to anything in the end, but praise God, He uses the "foolish" of the world (who are willing to open their mouths to speak His Truth) to save those willing to hear and follow!  May we walk forward in His Truth.

2012 Scripture Memory Verse 7

Whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy!

Several months ago, I found this particular phrasing of James 1:2 quite profound.  I was familiar with the verse, but it was spoken in a new way.  I cannot remember if I read this in a Bible translation (I couldn't find it any translation when I looked later), if it was someone else's paraphrase, or if this is how God formed the words in my head as I read it, but I love the gentle reminder that trouble doesn't have to be earth-shattering--we can choose to see it through a different light.

I don't know about you, but I know I have difficulty getting my feelings to change when they're negative. Like when I ask our boys to do something and it becomes a battle and I get frustrated.  It's hard for me to say, "It's alright.  Let's just move on," and mean it.  Sometimes I do say something like that and although I'm not feeling it, my actions eventually change my attitude.

A few years back, while still in youth ministry, my husband came to a profound realization:  If we expect that bad things may happen, we're not quite so surprised when they do and we can deal with them in a healthier way.  I'm NOT saying we should live in fear that bad things will "certainly" happen to us.  It worked out like this...We leave for a youth trip with 50 high schoolers, so we prep ourselves by saying, "You know what, someone may get hurt, a couple may break up, one (or more) of our kids may choose to break our rules, BUT we'll deal with each scenario as it comes and we'll still have a great trip!"  It was more of an attitude shift--instead of allowing one or two incidents to ruin our trip in our own minds, we were choosing to enjoy the trip, even with its hiccups.

Many of us can look around and see how we are facing trials of various kinds (and to various degrees).  May we choose joy in each trial and allow ourselves to be teachable as each scenario allows us to learn something more about our God, His children and ourselves.

Audrey, Ohio
James 1:2-4  ESV
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

2012 Scripture Memory Verse 6

I am sticking with my original goal and working on Hebrews 12:15 out of the ESV.
"See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;"

May your mind continue to be amazed at God's holy words as you purposely plant them there!

2012 Scripture Memory Verse 5

God is teaching me more about living with grace...especially with my boys, so these verses will be my focus for the next few weeks...not sure whether I'll get it down in two weeks, or if I'll just focus on verse 14 this time and then work on verse 15 beginning April 15th, but I wanted to print the verses together to have better clarity.


Audrey, Ohio
Hebrews 12:14-15  ESV
Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.  See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;


May we extend grace to everyone~acquaintances, friends and especially family.

2012 Scripture Memory Verse 4

I started a post with pictures of the Valentine's cookies {from one MONTH ago!} and will hopefully get that up over the weekend, but for now we are working on planting our 4th scripture in our hearts!!

I know I'm not the only one who has trouble controlling her tongue; after all, James (ch. 3) teaches of the incredible power our tongues possess over our whole bodies.  And although God and I have done some work in this area before, I feel a need for a fresh work.  Over the last few weeks my words with my boys have been less than encouraging on several occasions.  There have been plenty of times where I've felt God speaking to my heart, calling me to patience and gentleness through His strength, and I've obeyed and a war is avoided.  But there have also been plenty of times when I've felt that same call and I've trumped it with my own fleshly desires of being right and being in charge and being respected.  Thankfully those times are growing fewer, but they trouble my heart so much and take so much more time to mend.  I've found I can stand my ground in patience, peace, and gentleness if I lean on Him and His strength, rather than my own.  Often my words fail me, and I have to ask God to help me out, so I chose a verse to remind me to be gracious in my speech.

Audrey, Ohio
Colossians 4:6  ESV
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.


A couple other scriptures that are helpful in taming our tongue:

 Psalm 139:4  TNIV
Before a word is on my tongue
You, LORD, know it completely.


 Proverbs 21:23  NLT
Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut and you will stay out of trouble.

Continue to cultivate the words of life you are planting down deep in your soul~God's Word will never return to Him empty, but will accomplish His good purposes in your life!!

2012 Scripture Memory Verse 3

Do you ever feel like you're in the dark sometimes?  Like you'd really like to know the reasons behind certain events, but they remain elusive?  We studied Joseph's life in church recently and I was reminded once again that it's not our job to know everything {nor our privilege}.  BUT, some things are revealed to us and the verse I've chosen to memorize now will be a great reminder to me of that.

Audrey, Ohio
Deuteronomy 29:29  ESV
The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Keep pressing on~His Word brings so much peace into our hearts!

2012 Scripture Memory Verse 2

I so hope you are already seeing fruit from hiding God's Word in your heart. I am overwhelmed again this morning at the profound way God's Word never grows stale or stagnant ~ it is always ready to teach us something new or remind us of a truth we once learned but need to learn again, or perhaps is the encouragement we need for the moment we are in.

We have just finished studying some lessons from the life of Joseph {at church} and the suggested memory verse is what I'm taking in this time around. Here it is:

Audrey, Ohio Genesis 50:20 ESV (version) As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

May your eyes be open to see God's blessings today!

PS-You can choose your own verse to memorize, or join me in memorizing Genesis 50:20 if it resonates with you. You need only to work on memorizing your choice, though, and not those of anyone else :) We'll continue to choose a scripture on the 1st and 15th of each month throughout 2012 ~ feel free to invite friends and family to join us; they can begin right where we're at with no need to catch-up. Using index cards in a spiral is a great way to keep your memory verses all in one place and makes it handy to carry them with you so you can be meditating/thinking upon them while you are away from home.

Scripture Memory for 2012, anyone???

January was a month to review my memory verses and really be sure I had them since I knew I'd be saying them to a siesta at the Siesta Scripture Memory Team Celebration {aka SSMTC} on January 21st.

Then along comes February...there is no event to encourage memorization of Scriptures at the end of this year, however I cannot believe I made it through the last three years on my own strength. My word, it has been a ride!

SO, I will begin my 4th year of memorizing God's Word~I would LOVE for YOU to join me!! I'm going to follow the method I've used over the last few years with Beth Moore's blog ~ I'll sign in on the 1st and 15th of each month with my verse, its location and translation and you can leave your verse {of your own choosing} in the same manner as a comment.

Obviously, I'm a little late for the 1st of February, but the verse I chose came from the teaching Beth brought at the SSMTC. We learned so much through 2 John and were challenged to memorize verse 8. Since I don't want to lose any spiritual ground that I've fought to gain, I find it so appropriate!

Here's mine:

Audrey, Ohio
2 John 8 ESV
Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.

So 2012, bring it on, but know we'll be ready with our sword {of the Spirit~the Word of God} in the right hand and our shield {of faith-Ephesians 6:16-17} in the left!

2011 Re-Cap...2012 Resuscitation

This here space has been long neglected and although the reasons are good, I'm hoping to resuscitate my little corner of the blogging world.

Before I can move forward though, I feel like I need to finish what I started. I finished my commitment of memorizing Scripture with hundreds of other siestas through Beth Moore's Living Proof Ministries blog. Many of us got together in Houston, Texas, over January 20-21, to celebrate this accomplishment that only God's strength and enlarging of our mental faculties made possible. While I failed to post my verses I was working on here, I did post them on Beth's blog {that was one of the requirements of the challenge}. But to have a record of what the Lord enabled my mind to dwell many, many minutes on, here are the remainders:

May 15 ~ 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."

June 1 ~ Acts 3:19-20 TNIV "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that He may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you--even Jesus."



June 15 ~ Ephesians 1:4 HCSB "For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight."

July 1 ~ Ephesians 1:7-8 HCSB "We have redemption in Him through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding."

July 15 ~ Ephesians 1:11-12 HCSB "We have also received an inheritance in Him, predestined according to the purpose of the One who works out everything in agreement with the decision of His will, so that we who had already put our hope in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory."

August 1 ~ Ephesians 1:17-19 HCSB "I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the perception of your mind may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength."



August 15 ~ Psalm 103:13-14 NLT "The LORD is like a father to His children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him. For He knows how weak we are; He remembers we are only dust."1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT "This is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him."

September 1 ~ Exodus 14:14 TNIV "The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

September 15 ~ Deuteronomy 23:14 NIV "The LORD your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that He will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you."

October 1 & 15 ~ Isaiah 55:6-11 TNIV "Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and He will have mercy on them, and to our God, for He will freely pardon. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My Word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent It."



November 1 ~ Matthew 13:11-12 TNIV "{Jesus} replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Those who have will be given more, and they will have an abundance. As for those who do not have, even what they have will be taken from them.""

November 15 & December 1 ~ Hebrews 10:19-25 TNIV "Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

December 15 ~ John 6:67-69 TNIV "You do not want to leave, too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that You are the Holy One of God."

May we press on, learning and doing the Word of God, and may He find us faithful!

Scripture Memory {Post} Catch-up!

I'm not sure why I've had such an avoidance to the computer the last several months, but I haven't had much time to hop on here, either. I've still been posting my verses on the Living Proof blog, but am quite behind here, so here they are:

March 1

Then (Jesus) opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
Luke 24:45 TNIV

March 15/April 1/April 15

You have searched me, LORD,
and You know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
You perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
You are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
You, LORD, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
and You lay Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Where can I flee from Your Presence?
If I go up to the heavens, You are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, You are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there Your hand will guide me,
Your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me."
even the darkness will not be dark to You;
the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You.
For You created my inmost being;
You knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from You
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
Your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in Your
book before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are Your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them, they would outnumber the
grains of sand-when I awake, I am still with You....
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:1-18, 23-24 TNIV

May 1

Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.
2 Corinthians 8:11-12 TNIV

May you be spending time with your Creator, drinking from His thirst-quenching waters!

Memory Verse #4

To me, winter seems like it should be a slow time of year. I don't know, perhaps the fact that all of nature slows down...trees grow more slowly, bears hibernate, plants are no longer blooming. This winter has not felt slow. At all. On one hand it's nice because I don't feel like the snow and cold is dragging on. {I've really enjoyed the beauty of our winter weather!} But on the other hand, our weeks are filling up at a feverish pace and just when we get one "really busy" week past us and think the next one will be slower, we find out that the next week has just as much awaiting us. Nevertheless, we can only manage one day at a time. And I am really trying to do that~just focus on what needs to be done today...by breakfast...by lunch...by dinner...by bedtime. Our faithful God continues to guide and things are getting done. Perhaps not on my lightning speed timetable, but we haven't starved and bills haven't been late.

My verse for this season does not mirror the busyness of it, but it calms my spirit. Two of the things I pray for God to grow in me most often are wisdom and discernment. May I grow more in these ways...

"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and not hypocritical."
James 3:17 The NET Bible

February 1st Scripture Memory

After studying Beth Moore's "When Godly People do Ungodly Things" with two of my closest girlfriends last summer, I knew this was a verse I would commit to memory, I just didn't know when. I believe it is critical that we remember...once we or someone else has fallen, our Creator God wants us to run back to Him, not hide from Him. He works marvels with the disgusting stuff we choose to bring into the light. The enemy can no longer hold us hostage by our sin when we give it to our Father and choose to believe His words of truth instead. He is right there waiting for you.

I Samuel 12:20-25 TNIV
“Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of His great Name the LORD will not reject His people, because the LORD was pleased to make you His own. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.”

Join me for an adventure!!

Two years ago I accepted a challenge that has radically changed my life! Beth Moore needed an accountability partner for 2009 to memorize scripture with and she chose her blog community of 'siestas.' Anyone was welcome to participate and it was a blast. I can't tell you how much I've learned and how many times the LORD brings a scripture to mind at just the right time~to encourage me or someone else. We celebrated keeping our commitment of memorizing 24 scriptures (2 per month) in January 2010 with worship, teaching, fun and the awesome power of hearing nothing but God's Word rising from 500 lips as we recited our verses to one another. WOW!!!
I knew if I laid scripture memory down for a time it would be easy for me to walk away from it altogether, so I've continued the practice of meditating on and memorizing 2 passaged a month for 2010. Well, the challenge is back! It's 2011 and the siestas are keeping one another accountable on Beth's Living Proof blog once more. Please join us!! We will celebrate the victory of this year together in January 2012 and I would love for you to be with us!
On that note, I've been quite late in posting my second December scripture, so here it is:

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 TNIV
"Hear O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates."

I knew much of these verses, but had never commit them to memory. Each time I read/say them, two words light up in my brain, "DON'T FORGET!" How many times do we fail to remember? Oh, how I pray we won't forget~for the sake of our children and our children's children.

And for January 1st...because, though many times we may forget, we ARE in a war~

Revelation 17:14 NLT
"Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because He is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And His called and chosen and faithful ones will be with Him."

May we live in victory through the power of His Spirit and bring much honor and glory to Him. He is worthy!

Scripture Memory Catch-Up

The last few months have been a time of learning--new roads, new area, new friends, LOTS of new names and faces. It's different here. Not better. Not worse. Just different. Our pace of life is different and, I pray, will slow down in just a few weeks. It's hard to realize, yet again, that I am not superwoman, or even supermom. I can't do all the things I think I should be able to do. And God is helping me see that He didn't make me to do all those things, either. Anyway, I thought I'd share the verses I've been working on over the last 6 weeks.

In light of election time, this is what I chose for November 1:

1 Peter 2:13-17 TNIV
Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of the foolish. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God's slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love your fellow believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
(emphasis mine)

I found this next verse months ago and tucked it in with 'verses I'd like to memorize.' November 15 felt like the right time.

Micah 7:18-19 TNIV
Who is a God like You, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

He doesn't have to. He could dust His hands and be finished with us. But He loves us and He's just waiting to separate us from the ick we've got all over us.

On to December 1st...I'ver heard this verse before, but while reading through 2 Timothy last week it struck me. Paul is giving Timothy instructions in being a minister of the Gospel, warning him about false teachers and sharing updates with Timothy about his own ministry. He loves Timothy as a father loves a son and urges him to come visit, then shares this:

2 Timothy 4:7-8 TNIV
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.
(emphasis mine)

That's what I want to be able to say at the end of my life. Not that I get a crown, although that will be wonderful. But that I have fought the good fight, finished the race and kept the faith. Death makes me think about heaven. I have no real ideas of what heaven will be like--anytime I've tried to imagine it, my imaginations can't measure up to how good I know it will be. But God will be there. Jesus will be there. I can't remember a day in my life when I haven't known Him and He'll be there. That's all that really matters.

15th Scripture Memory

While I allow Psalm 27 to perculate, I'll add this important reminder as well:

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

October...the first half

I seem to completely lose track of time when I see this screen, so between me trying to limit my opportunities for mysterious time disappearance and me just getting busy with daily stuff, I'm a bit late. I've continued working on Psalm 27 and have 10 of the 14 verses locked in. I truly hope you'll give scripture memory a go if you're reading this. I know it makes a difference. I have experienced the real benefits of being ready with scripture, as well as heard countless testimonies from dear friends. The enemy is constantly preparing attacks against us--God's Word is the sword we use to fight back. If we are not under attack, someone we know probably is and a scripture locked in our brain is an immeasurable help when they need encouragement and our Bible is not with us. Even in more calm times, God's Word is a great encouragement--once memorized, don't just set it aside, but continue to refresh your mind by reviewing those verses you've worked on. It's like sword practice...we sharpen our swords (our knowledge and understanding of God's Word) by memorizing, reviewing, muttering God's Word to ourselves, so that when the battle comes our swords are not rusty and too heavy for us. I don't know about you, but this is one warrior princess who wants to be ready.

Here's a bonus picture of our boys as knights just a few years ago:



Happy is he who knows how to use his sword!

15th Scripture Memory

Now that we're packed, moved and unpacked and I've had a little more time to work on my previous verses, I'm ready to start working on Psalm 27. I'll post the entire psalm, although I'm not attempting to get the whole thing in my head within 2 weeks! My goal is to be purposeful in working on memorizing and understanding the psalm and allowing God to cement it in my mind and heart. Here it is in today's new international version:

Psalm 27

Of David.

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.

3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.

4 One thing I ask from the LORD,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.

5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.

6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.

7 Hear my voice when I call, LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.

8 My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"
Your face, LORD, I will seek.

9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Savior.

10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.

11 Teach me your way, LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.

12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.

13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.

14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.


"I WILL SEE THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING."

We can see His goodness...are we looking? We have experienced and watched others experience much pain and sadness these past several months. Even amidst the pain, we can see the goodness of the LORD in His provision of comfort, strength, and grace to make it through one more day. May we look around and see the "goodness of the LORD."

1st Scripture Memory

Oh, my! These last several months have been wonderful...challenging...faith-building...overwhelming...and filled with God's faithfulness. I have needed every single scripture that I have been meditating on. God is so good.

I asked God to point me to the next scripture this morning, otherwise I would continue to solidify the ones I've recently been working on. I felt His peace. So for these next several days, I will review and read and speak these verses so I will be ready when I need them again (which will probably be VERY soon) for myself or a fellow sojourner.

15th Scripture Memory

Wow, I'm a little later than usual, but here goes...

Philippians 4:4-9 ESV

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me--practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."

We have been in a season of waiting and although God has now shown us the church we get the joy of ministering to/with and our new home (as well as a few other things), we are still waiting on our home to sell. Some days we need to remember to rejoice in the Lord, to not be anxious, to let God know what we're thinking and feeling and to be thankful for all He has already done and all He continues to do. I need to know that God's peace will guard my heart and mind when the enemy seeks to overwhelm me with all that needs to be done. I want to keep my chin up through this process and strengthen my trust in our faithful God that has never let us down. Not even once.

Continue Your work in me, Lord. I trust in Your timing