Have you used the last week or so to reflect on 2011? To be honest, looking ahead is much easier for me than reflecting, so I've forced myself into some discipline and thought about 2011.
- God strengthened my heart for leadership. He's drawn me deeper into considering the heart of leading, the task of leading, the difficulties of leading, the rewards of leading, and worship through leading. He challenged me to step it up and not coast in leadership. Ps 78:72 And David shepherded them with integrity of heart. With skillful hands he led them.
- 2011 was a good year for communication and intimacy with my family. As my kids get older our relationships only strengthen. Yes, they are wanting more independence, but Chad and I are diligent in communicating with them that their own desire of independence in life and thought does not have to mean independence in relationship. Our conversations deepen, our desire to explore truth together increases, and our heart to take on adventure together grows. I love my family more and more and more. Proverbs 18:2 A fool finds no pleasure in understanding, but delights in airing his own opinions.
- God challenged Second Mile in some giant ways that I hope to continue to process. Through the book of James, the Spirit convicted us like never before to take care of people in distress, to move beyond culture, comfortability, and politics and do something to bring relief to humanity through the power of Jesus. It is a slow process to say the least. But He asked us to trust Him and jump, so as a church, we are training ourselves to believe Him. Hosea 10:12 Sow for yourselves righteousness. Reap the fruit of His unfailing love. Break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek the Lord until He comes and showers His righteousness upon you.
I'll leave the list there for now. I truly hope you will take time to reflect on what God has done for you this year. Sharpen your discipline of remembering. It will lead to gratitude, to worship, and to deeper faith in Him.
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One of the main reasons this quote is true is because of Moxie Memorizers. Thank you for the accountability. I haven't memorized scripture so consistently since college. In looking through my memory pack of the new scripture I took in this year, my heart beats a little faster. When you posted your scripture twice a month, my heart felt so full. Thank you! Thanks for sticking with it. Thanks for jumping back in when you missed a month or two. Thanks for believing that God will change your life through the power of His word!
I'm starting this year with a prayer. I have to laugh a little because I've been reading this passage so much over the last week that I have it roughly memorized. It's good. I'm praying this for me, for you, for my family, and for my church. When I read a basic commentary of this passage, the first statement was "a prayer for the expansion of Christ's kingdom." Yes, please! I'm praying this for me, for you, for my family, for my church, and for the nations.
Psalm 67
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make His face shine upon us,
selah
2 That your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
3 May the peoples praise you, O God;
May all the peoples praise you.
4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples justly
and guide the nations of the earth.
selah
5 May the peoples praise you, O God;
May all the peoples praise you.
6 Then the land will yield its harvest,
and God, our God, will bless us.
7 God will bless us,
and all the ends of the earth will fear Him.
Isn't it beautiful, and hopeful, and encouraging? This is my prayer for the coming year.
What about you? What passage you are memorizing? Are you continuing something you've already started?
Here is my challenge/encouragement to those of you who started out with us last year, but didn't finish:
It's time to pick it back up. Stop making excuses. Your life may be hard, but it isn't too hard for you to avoid meditating on His word. Quite the opposite, actually. His word in your heart is a lamp for you feet! Your life may be busy, but if it's too busy to practice spiritual disciplines then it's too busy. It may be really difficult for you to memorize things. But, suck it up! You can take in two verses every month. If you keep saying, "I can't" then you are already defeated. At the very least, start saying, "I'll try." If you started out last year, but just fizzled out, then ask the Spirit of God to empower you with the fruit of the Spirit which includes self-control. Sometimes discipline does include "just going through the motions." But, let me assure you that our God is big enough and His word is powerful enough to transform your life even if your heart isn't totally present. That's when discipline gets down to the nitty-gritty of its definition: doing something even when you don't want to, will-power, staying the course.
If you are new to Moxie Memorizers, welcome! If you would like some help, please read this post and this post. It will help you get started. Also, feel free to email me if you would like some more tips and/or encouragement.
Again, I'm so thankful for all of you! Ok, ladies and gentlemen (any guys brave enough to join us this year?), post your verses!
31 important comments so far. What are your thoughts?
To remind us that we cannot fathom the greatest of Jesus...
John 21:25 NIV
Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.
Carol
Is 61:1, NIV
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because theLord has annointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.
Just started Breaking Free by Beth Moore.
Deuteronomy 32:39 (NASB)-
"See now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal, and there is no one who can deliver from My hand."
I'm going to start this year by reflecting on the verses I memorized last year. I really want to take each one in and ponder how God has proven himself worthy and true. His word is living and active and I don't want to just stash away the verses I memorized. I want to take this time to praise him for his faithfulness. I can't tell you how many times over the past year he has shown me more of his character and shown me how worthy he is. I'm really looking forward to more scripture being written on my heart this year. I love you all!
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,
11 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.
Isaiah 55:10-11
Malachi 3:3 (ESV)
"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord."
I definitely fizzled out last year but am determined to stick to memorizing this year. The Holy Spirit is stirring in me like never before, and I want to be sure not to drown Him out!
"Then he said to them, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.'"
-Luke 12:15 (NIV)
happy new year, angel!
xo
Satisfy me in the morning God with your unfailing love so that I may sing for joy and be glad all the days of my life.
psalm 90:14
kelly
Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears! All the nations gather together, and the peoples assemble. Who among them can declare this, and show us the former things? Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right, and let them hear and say, It is true.
Isaiah 43:8-9
Thank you for encouraging and leading us Angel!
I'm beginning the new year by memorizing Psalm 23. As I reflected on the last year, this Psalm has been particularly meaningful and I don't want to lose or forget what God has done for me.
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters." Psalm 23:1-2
I decided last night that my word for the year will be Surrender (in for a tough year, huh?). So my verses for the year will be John 12:25-26. It may take me more than 2 weeks to get this one down because I'm going to also try to catch up on the ones I've lost from last year. We'll see how much I get done.
John 12:25-26 ESV
Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
I was so excited to start a new year of memorizing, and then forgot to post! I'm continuing on with Isaiah 40, but this verse is easy, so I'm adding another (not from Isaiah) to begin the year with.
Isaiah 40:25
"To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One.
2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ.
I want to take part in this starting this year :) I am really excited!
"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness. I will build you up again" Jeremiah 31: 3-4
Excited for another year of memorizing with you awesome ladies :)
Starting the year with this one:
John 8:12 (ESV)
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
- Jen
I started last year off well, but wasn't consistent as the year went by as I found myself letting life circumstances distract me from instilling the disciple of memorizing as I should. New years are for new beginnings so here I go.
Isaiah 40:28-29
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives atrwntb to the weary, and increases the power of the weak.
Psalm 71:8
My mouth is filled with your praise and with your glory all the day. (ESV)
I will be spending time working on verses from last year that I don't have down as well as I should as well.
Looking forward to a new year of memorizing the truth of His Word!
---Tia
Eph. 3:20-21 (NIV)
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
-Amanda
ok, i am back now, to join y'all for memorization!
starting here:
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
love psalm 67, such a strength.
love you, thanks for this! xo
Here i go....
Deuteronomy 6:5
You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
All things must sprout from this. Particularly the passions driving my actions this year. And i suppose all the rest that follow. :)
glad to have the accountability. memorizing is a discipline i've been putting off. committing gives me the willies, but here i go.
love you ladies,
laura
my goodness, how do i miss these posts??? well, i love what you wrote above. i feel challenged to practice remembering over last year. i too want to just push ahead and not stop to recall. but it's a good discipline. and also, reading through the other comments gives me so many other good ones I want to learn! right now, i'm working on a passage in 2 Tim 3...
v.12-13
"In fact, anyone who wants to live a Godly live in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived."
Happy New Year!
This is EXACTLY what I needed. I've been trying to find a good way to memorize! God is so good!
Psalm 27:4 NIV84
One thing I ask of the Lord,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
I've been reviewing my year's worth of verses, too, and I think I want to go through them all each week to make sure I don't loose them!
My new one is a story - and a description of the kind of faith I want.
Luke 7:6-10
When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9 When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.
Sorry, I'm a little late posting!
Another verse inspired by what Chad talked about on Sunday and that I "just so happened" to read last night :)
"But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." -John 3:21 NIV
A little late in posting too, but thankful for the verse that came to my heart.
I am reminded that each day I must choose whom I will serve, this world, myself or my Lord. I pray this verse will help me to daily remember that choice before me and to choose Him.
Joshua 24:15
But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
I'm up for the challenge! Here's my first in honor of Josie's Bday.
Romans 4:17
As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed that the God who gives life to the dead and calls forth the things that are not, as though they were.
Im desperate for more of Jesus and his word...i need all of you!As I am expecting my little Amelia and loving on my twins,I cant help but worry about being the mom that God wants me to be, and the wife he wants me to be! I know that I will be extremely busy but know that God will give me rest. I look forward to learning with all of you.
~Laura from Yuma;)
I am way behind in posting but for the first couple of weeks I'm going to be working on Titus 2:7-8. It is so applicable to what I feel like God is asking me to focus on this year.
"Show yourself in all respect to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us."
Ok here we go.
As I have loved Nicky, so she must love others. All men will know that she is my disciple if she loves others.
John 13:34-35
~Nicky
So I forgot to post my verse, but here it is/was...
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. - James 1:27.
Ah! I am VERY late with my post, keep forgetting to put it up! I am focusing on wisdom right now. wisdom that is honoring and glorifying to Jesus, rid of any self ambition and pride. My prayer is that of Solomons; an understanding mind and discernment for truth.
Proverbs 2:3-5 If you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find knowledge of God.
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