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.

Valentine Cookie Extravaganza

HOW 300 COOKIES CAME TO LIFE LOVE

dough was mixed...in several batches :)

then it was rolled, cut out, baked, iced

after being laid out on a table...

...they were ready to be given away!

We are so blessed to be lavishly loved by our God and then to be so loved by the people of RushChurch, where our family serves!  I wanted to give a gift to the church family we have the privilege of serving with and love so much and this was it!!

By the way, if you'd like the recipe, it's here, modified a bit from the allrecipe.com one:

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!!