Sarah was one of the first people to pop into my brain when I decided to do these awesome guest posts. She has embraced scripture memory in fantastic ways and I'm so glad you all get to hear about some of her journey!
Sarah is kind, merciful, creative, skillful, artistic, musical, beautiful, compassionate, and much much more. When I first met Sarah, I struggled a little with my own insecurity because she was so fashionable and didn't really talk which I perceived was her extreme sophistication. Well, she is, in fact, very fashionable. And, when you first meet her she doesn't talk a lot because she's observing, taking in information, and a little on the shy side. Her genuine humility encourages and challenges me. Sarah is in a season of deep spiritual growth and it has been my pleasure to see how pliable she is in God's hands. He is molding her into a deep woman of faith who desires to lead out and be used by him in great ways!
To admire some of Sarah's creativity, please check out her creative blog. To read more of her heart, please check out this blog. I'm sure you will enjoy both of her spots on the internet. Did I mention she's in a band? I could go on and on. She's just cool.
I want to address two things today.
I'm going to start with the practical:
"How I figured this whole memorizing thing out" side of it-
and end with the:
"This is how it's affected my heart" side of it.
Memorizing scripture has come to mean so much to me over the last year and a half.
When Angel first posted the idea for Moxie Memorizers last January-
I didn't really know what to think of it.
I wasn't expecting to be able to memorize anything.
I thought I'd tried it in the past and failed miserably.
I'm not good at memorizing, period.
I can't remember specifics and I just didn't think it would happen.
But I thought it would be challenging...
And I needed a challenge!
Well...
I was wrong about the memorizing thing.
I can memorize scripture.
And over time, I realized I could memorize a lot of it!
If I can do it, you can do it...
Trust me.
I haven't always kept up with memorizing them within the two week time-
And I didn't always have them very memorized...
But I did keep up with picking a bi-monthly verse.
And in time-
(honestly, probably after the first year)
I finally figured out how to be consistent with it.
_____________________________
When I look back on the verses I chose, I recall the times God has spoken truth to me and seen me through my circumstances:
Because I knew the challenge would mean some discipline I started there:
"For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteous by those who are trained by it. Therefore, lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather healed." -Hebrews 12:11-13
When I lost my job and felt like an unemployed failure, I sought hope in these verses:
"And I am convinced that nothing can separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today or our worries about tomorrow--not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below--indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." -Romans 8:37-39
"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those who he has redeemed from trouble." -Psalm 107:1-2
"I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God." -Isaiah 41:9-10
When I was blessed with a job, I will never forget how joyful that time was:
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
"therefore I will hope in him."
-Lamentations 3:22-24
Over and over,
In the times I've learned about
love, fear, freedom, honesty, justice, hope, worship, stress, peace, accountability...
I can recall how God worked in my heart through scripture.
One of the best journals I could ever have, really.
I have seen how impactful it is to have God's word hidden in your heart...
And I fully intent to keep storing it up.
_____________________________
Right now, I feel like I'm in the middle of learning a lot...
A LOT.
And in the midst of all this stuff I'm learning I sometimes feel like I'm drowning in it.
So, here's my second verse for July:
"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. -Philippians 1:6 NLT
Thanks, Sarah!
Friends, as you post your verse today (or later for many of you) please pray for Sarah. Ask God to continue to open her heart to His great love, to great and unsearchable things that she does not yet know, and any other specific prayer the Spirit lays on your heart for her.
Thanks for continuing to come back twice a month to share what you are memorizing. It is such a great tool of encouragement to many of us. Please type out all the words so we can read each verse along with you.
My verse is John 14:26 ESV
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to remembrance all that I have said to you.
My verse is John 14:26 ESV
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to remembrance all that I have said to you.
8 important comments so far. What are your thoughts?
Sarah, thank you so much for sharing! I agree with Angel, you are a treasure and it has been so great seeing all the growth you and Andrew have experienced over the last few years.
I'm working on Ephesians 1:3-4 this time around.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.
Thanks for sharing your heart! I love ya girl!
I'll be working on this:
Isaiah 61: 1-3
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim 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,
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
Thanks, Sarah!
My verse for this time:
"Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love."
-Jonah 2:8
I am in a season of letting God really identify the things I have treated as idols, and letting him root out those things. It is good, poignant, and sharp to realize that our decision to place things before God in our lives, however subconscious, still causes us to lose out on so much more that God has for us. He is our steadfast love and our deepest fulfillment, let's not trade Him in!
Sarah, you are a treasure! Thank you for communicating your new love for memorizing and inspiring us to keep going.
That being said, I have been so lame this summer. I have not been consistent. But I have not forgotten! I check the blog twice a month, but this time I am going to post that I will be reviewing and working on the last verse I posted and be ready for the beginning of August. This part is for accountability, right?
Thank you friends (especially Sarah and Angel)!
Yay, I'm glad that you're brave enough to share this, Sarah! I definitely agree that in the past year you have grown spiritually SO MUCh that I'm jealous.
I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world.
John 16:33 (The Message)
I've felt an extraordinary amount of turmoil in my life recently, making even simple tasks mentally and physically exhausting. I am convinced that I am being deliberately discouraged in light of recent decisions and preparations. But, when I quiet my mind I do catch glimpses of encouragement, and it's those things that I hold on to.
A few days late, but feeling good about getting back in the swing of things. Thank you Sarah for sharing, and thank you Angel for the guest post idea, it is encouraging to hear from everyone.
For the past few months I have been terrible at reviewing and memorizing. For that matter I have not been getting in the word very much at all. Since I have started up again, I have begun to feel what I felt as a freshman in college overwhelmed by the beauty and truth of his word and craving to be in it more. The children's song "the more you read your Bible you will grow grow grow, the less you read your Bible you will shrink shrink shrink" has been running through my mind and the truth of that simple song. All of that to say I have had a hard time choosing a verse for the second half of this month since there are so many good ones out there.
I'm going to fill in some verses around some already memorized passages with...
1 John 2:17
And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever
Glad to be back on board!
Sara, thanks so much for sharing! I love how honest you are about where you were and where you now are- its encouraging that you're real about it :) Also, thanks for encouraging us to keep working at it- I definitely needed that.
I am dropping down to one verse for a while- for some reason, i am having a really really hard time retaining two.
2 corinthians 6:10
as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
I'm just loving these guest posts! Sarah, thank you for sharing your heart and experience. It truly does encourage me. I look forward to hearing more about what you are learning as you are able to sort it all out. I will be praying those things over you that Angel mentioned. I love you and appreciate you!
My verse is adding to the last one I posted.
Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
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