Scripture Memory

For years I have absolutely LOVED Beth Moore! She is inspiring and challenging. When she teaches difficult concepts they instantly become elementary (a testament of what a great teacher she really is!) Any way, she has always been someone I've looked up to but I just recently discovered she has a blog for her ministry. How in the world have I missed this gem! She and her team challenge and encourage me with EVERY post. And bonus, I LOVE that she constantly reinforces the need to be involved in a local church.

Back to my point, I noticed Beth (from here on out we are going to pretend like Beth and I are best friends. We do after all go way back, whether or not she realizes it.) So, Beth apparently does this Siesta Scripture Memory Challenge every year - You pick a verse every two weeks and commit to memorizing it. She has a blog post on the 1st and 14th of each month where you can share your verse and translation you are using.

Now when I think of memory verses, obviously VBS is one of the first things that comes to mind. But probably one of the most meaningful and first memories I have where I really learned scriptures was at Crosspoint (a summer camp) probably 1995 or '96. Our group leader promised to dye his hair a crazy color if  so many of us learned every memory verse that week - and we did. To this day, I still remember the jist of those verses. Maybe not word for word but definitely the heart of the verses all because I was motivated to have some college kid dye his hair purple.

I've had other seasons since when I really focus on scripture memory, but honestly, it has been too long since the last time I put forth real effort. So, I'm joining in on Beth's scripture memory team. I would love for some of you (who reads this thing anyway?) to join me! If you want to be official go here http://blog.lproof.org/2013/01/2013-siesta-scripture-memory-team-verse-1.html and join. It's ok that your joining late. Don't feel like you have to catch up. I don't want this to become some legalistic thing to add to my "good christian checklist" Bleh! None of that.

Jesus used the Word when he was faced with temptation. The Bible clearly says that His word will not return void. So imagine what it would look like if we stood together and learned 26 verses. How would our prayer life be different? How would our bad days be different? How would our thoughts and emotions change? What would our marriages look like? It fires me up just thinking about it! So if you've read ALL this, I totally give you permission to ask me how I'm doing in this area, as long as you promise to show me grace - deal? I want His word buried deep.

So, here are my first two verses - Yes I did feel the need to catch up BUT I chose two verses that I mostly knew but tend to flip the words around and I never remember where they are located! I am also the type person that will write something I've already done onto my to-do list just so I can have the satisfaction of marking it off!

ok, verse #1

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things  Phil 4:8 NIV

verse #2
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7 NLT

If you decide this is something you are interested in doing, would you let me know? I would love to walk this out with some other people I actually know!

Lane's first football game

Hubs and his family are BIG Ole Miss fans, so as soon as it was announced they would be at the bowl game in Birmingham we knew we would be there!

I was a little unsure if Lane would enjoy himself. He isn't the biggest fan of large crowds or really loud noises and it was really cold! For a while he looked like a deer in headlights, but once he warmed up - he had a blast!

 

 

 

 

Do you know who you are?

I noticed this blog in the drafts. Most of what is below was written way back in August 2011...better late than never, right?


Labels are everywhere. People are constantly labeled, whether good or bad. Sometime the label is true, sometimes it are completely false. Regardless of who you are we all carry many different labels.

Mom. Wife. daughter. short. tall. skinny. fat. intelligent. funny. lazy.

Most people find it easier to accept the negative labels over the positive - I know I do. For me, one of the hardest label to accept is leader. I have been in leadership positions most of my life. Whether it has been a swim coach for the younger kids, officer in clubs in school, or various leadership positions in church.

About a year ago, I was in a meeting at church and we were asked to repeat this phrase: "I am a leader who develops leaders as we build the body of Christ." That was the hardest sentence to repeat. Who am I to lead other leaders! My mind filled with thoughts like, "I'm not spiritually mature enough . I'm not old enough. Do I even know what I am doing?? How in the world do I lead leaders?"

Lately the Lord has really been showing me the error in my thinking. The focus should not be on me at all.On my own, I am a complete mess -  It's Christ in me that allows me to lead such an amazing group in my church.

When I tell God that daily I mess up, I can't lead He says because of Christ's sacrifice I am the righteousness of God.

When I remind God I feel the need to hyperventilate at the thought of talking to a group of people (adults are scary!), He reminds me that he has not given me a spirit of fear but of power and love.

So, do you know who you are? Have you let past mistakes, fears, or the world define you or have you accepted who the Creator says you are? Not sure?? Here is what God says about YOU:

You are a daughter(or son) of the Most High God.


You are God's workmanship, fearfully and wonderfully made.


You are a co-heir of Christ qualified to share in His inheritance


You are loved with an everlasting love.


You have the mind of Christ.


You are holy and without blame before Him


You are accepted and free from condemnation


You are called, chosen and faithful


You are more than a conqueror


You are the light of the world, the salt of the earth, the beloved of God


You are overtaken with blessing and complete in Him


You are strong in the Lord, dead to sin, and set free by truth


You are forgiven of all your sins and washed in Christ’s blood


You are being changed into His image


You are an ambassador for Christ

1/2 truths and warm fuzzies

Well, according to this little blog absolutely nothing has happened in our family since August 2011! Yikes! So, here I go attempting the blog again. I really want to blog. I LOVE looking back at videos of the kids and remembering how little they were! But more importantly I feel like the Lord keeps bringing the blog back up. I've reminded him that I am TERRIBLE at keeping up with it (anyone else try to reason with God because clearly He hasn't thought an idea all the way out?)

I've been thinking about why it is so hard to keep blogging consistently (other than my need to edit and edit each post). I think it boils down to 1/2 truths. In the past I have NEVER blogged about tantrums or any of those parenting moments that leave me in a sweaty mess wondering why in the world the Lord thought I was capable of stewarding these precious children! I tend to only capture their precious, angelic moments. So we go through these rougher seasons and I get out of the habit of blogging.

Now I can already hear people saying " Why in the world would you want to blog about your kids temper tantrums!" Well, I don't want to! Just like I don't want my kids to actually misbehave in the first place...But I would love to remember what we did with Lane when He was going through some of the stages Bethany is currently going through. I don't know who, if anyone, reads what I write but I know it encourages me sometimes to know that other families aren't picture perfect either. Someone told me (or more likely I read it on pinterest) recently that the reason we are often so discouraged in our own situations is because we are comparing our behind the scenes to other peoples highlight reels. It's SO true! Every family has quirks, issues, strengths and weaknesses. If I'm going to blog, then I need to be authentic otherwise why waste my time with only warm fuzzies. 

So, I'm going to keep blogging about the kids, but I'm going to blog about other things too. It might be about something the Lord is teaching me or my new favorite pinterest recipe. Hopefully, it will be fairly consistent too.