My Current Bible Study

Last year I set some Bible reading and study goals that I failed to meet. I set my expectations too high. So this January I thought long and hard about what realistic Bible related goals I could set that would be achievable. About the same time I listened to Kris Emerson's podcast, Excel Still More, about setting yearly, big picture goals and then breaking them down by month, week, and even day. I took his advice, and here is what I came up with.

Big Picture, 2020 Goals:

• Listen to the chronological Bible on an app on my phone--the entire Bible in 2020.
• Copy the books of Proverbs, Luke, and Acts
• Keep up with my Bible study readings and assignments for the three Bible classes I attend at our church. Our ladies are studying a book on prayer by Edwin Crozier; we are studying the books of Luke and Acts, one chapter per week on Sunday nights, and on Wednesday nights we began with an overview study of the book of Proverbs, and now we are in a chapter by chapter study of the book of Jeremiah. 
• I also read a Psalm (or part of a Psalm) each day to prepare my mind for prayer. 

Monthly Goals:

• I divided the chronological daily Bible readings (audio) into 28 day months. I actually began this program the last 10 days of December to give myself some cushion in 2020. I knew that there would be some days that for whatever reason I would miss listening. When that happened, I didn't want to get too behind. I also listen to more than one day's readings when I have extra time for that same reason. So far I am on track. In the front of my planner I listed the readings I would need to complete each month in order to finish by December 31. I check off each month's readings as I complete them. When do I listen? Usually I listen in the mornings while I am dressing for the day, tidying my bathroom, making my bed, etc. These readings typically take 15-20 minutes.
• I counted the number of chapters in Proverbs, Luke, and Acts, divided them by 12, and made another checklist in my planner. For example, in March, I was supposed to complete copying through Proverbs 30, if I remember correctly. Now that I have started copying Luke, and I see how long some of the chapters are, I realize that I should have looked at the lengths of the chapters before dividing the total by 12. I will need to copy more each day while I'm in Luke than I did when I was in Proverbs. That's ok, I will make this adjustment in my weekly goals.

Weekly and Daily Goals:

• At the beginning of each week I look at where I am in relation to the month's assignments for listening and copying and make adjustments as needed. This morning I realized that I will have to copy 2 pages each day rather than one in order to stay on track. If I know that I may not have time one day to copy as much or to double up on my listening, I do extra on another day. Reassessing where I am once a week is keeping me from getting behind or discouraged.
• I make sure that I have my Bible class chapters read and studied prior to each class's meeting. I usually divide these reading/studying assignments into more than one day depending on the chapter's length.

In all, I try to spend 45 minutes to one hour each day in Bible reading, studying, copying, and listening. It's not all in one block, and some days are shorter.

I'm already thinking ahead to 2021 and different goals and studies I would like to do. 

My hope in sharing my current plan is to encourage you to make your own Bible reading/studying plan or to continue in what you are doing. Time spent in God's Word is always beneficial. There are so many ways to read and study; the important thing is to just do something, no matter how small. 

Here is a picture of one of the books I am copying Scripture in. I have been copying Scripture for a few years now, but until January, I used a variety of journals and notebooks--nothing matched. I found these books (they are sold on Amazon and in Christian book stores) and I love them! I wish I had begun copying in them. I bought the ones for Proverbs, Luke, and Acts. They look so nice! They are actually called Journibles. 

I May Be Back

Well. It's been a long, long time since I blogged.

I have heard on social media more than once that blogging is dead. That podcasts are the new thing now, and many people just don't read blogs anymore. True. I listen to a few podcasts myself, and I don't read blogs like I used to. However part of that is because of the stage of life I am in, and part of that is because many of the bloggers I used to follow are no longer blogging!

But I miss my blogging community, and I miss writing. I like getting my thoughts down on "paper", and I like sharing a little bit of my life and hopefully some encouragement to my readers.

So here goes. Again. I am going to try to jump back in.

Here is some of what has been going on in my life:

• Julie and Big Sam moved back to Mississippi (from Romania).
• Julie and Big Sam had a baby in August!  A precious baby girl named Mae.
• I am a grandmother! I love being a grandmother so much!
• It is difficult being a grandmother, a mother to a married daughter 9.5 hours away, a mother to a college sophomore 12 hours away, and a homeschooling mother to a 12 and 14 year old. (Plus Julie who now lives only 15 minutes away! :) All of those roles together have been quite the task. But I love being a wife/mother/grandmother most of all. Even when it's hard.
• Olivia and Brian have visited us twice--once in July and once over Labor Day weekend. I love having my children come home.
• I hosted Clay's college cross county team for an overnight stay last week. All 18 of them. It was delightful!
• Jimmy and I were able to travel and watch Clay's college end of season conference meet and also Leah and Sam's national meet over the last several days.
• I have basically quit running. :( I sometimes meet Leanna once a week or so for a 4-6 mile run, but that's it. I am not sure how or why I lost my motivation to run, but it's gone. And I am working on getting my motivation back. I ran/walked 1.5 miles this morning. I have set a goal of 10 miles this week.  For the first time in probably 10 years, I am not running the St. Jude Half Marathon (I ran the full marathon back in 2011, and I skipped 2014 to run a full marathon the next weekend). I signed up for the 10K instead. Now I am sad that I will be getting in the line to pick up the 10K bib instead of the half or full marathon bib! That may motivate me to get back into running! (Not that there is any shame in running the 5K or 10K, it's just that for so long I was running 2-3 half marathons a year, and now.......nothing.)
• I am still doing CrossFit once or twice a week. Our class meets three times a week, but going twice is always my weekly goal. 
• I am beginning to work on my Christmas Holidays plans. That makes me happy! This is the topic I will probably blog about first.....as I get my thoughts and plans together I will share them.
• I have read several good books over the last several months.
• I stated an inductive Bible study. I have found a new groove in my personal Bible study that is working well in my life right now.
• I love my church family. 
• I love my best friends, Lynn and Leanna.
• I love my family. 
• I am so thankful for all of my blessings. 

10 Ways to Study God's Word

Here it is....my first list of 10 Things to celebrate 10 years of blogging.

I have studied my Bible several different ways in my life. Different stages of life lend themselves to different methods of Bible study. The important thing is that you spend time in God's Word. Spiritual food is as important for our sustenance as physical food is.

"...that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord."

Deuteronomy 8:3

Choosing when to study God's Word is not always easy, but it needs to be top priority. I prefer mornings, after I have prepared Jimmy's lunch for the day. I sometimes read my Bible on my iPad at night, and when I had nursing babies, I kept a Bible handy to read while feeding them. 

So once you have figured out when is the best time for you to study your Bible and pray, here are 10 ideas for you. 

1. Just read the Word. Have a plan for covering a specific portion or all of the Bible. You can find a plan for just about any Bible reading online. I have done the B90 a few times. This is when you read through the entire Bible in 90 days. Reading through the entire Bible in one year is a popular plan, and that I what I am currently doing using The Daily Bible. You may plan to read through one of the Gospels repeatedly in one month, or an Old Testament book, or really anything you choose. But reading large portions of Scripture to get an overview of a time period or topic is beneficial. 

2.  Take notes while reading the Word. Some ideas include making an outline of each chapter you read, listing things you learn while reading, writing down questions you have about a passage, or recording items to apply to your daily life.

3. Copy Scripture. This is something I began doing a few years ago. I really like doing this. I began with one of the Epistles, Colossians, I think. I have copied over half of the New Testament, and I am currently copying John because our preacher is teaching a series of lessons from the book of John this year. I typically set my timer for 10 minutes while copying, and that usually allows me to complete one page of copying in my journal. I sometimes combine copying Scripture with #2--I will outline the chapter after I have finished copying it. I used to use erasable pens while copying so I could correct any mistakes I made, but now I am using a fine point Sharpie pen.

4.  Topical Study.  Using a concordance, you can read and study verses pertaining to a particular topic. While this is a good method, you need to be careful that you don't pull verses completely out of context and somehow misconstrue their meaning. It is helpful to read the verses before and after the ones your concordance references so you can make sure you understand how the verse applies to the topic you are studying. 

5.  Study using a workbook. When I am preparing for an adult Bible class or our Ladies' Bible class we usually use some type of workbook. 

6. Study to prepare for a class you are teaching. If you have ever taught any kind of Bible class, whether for adults, teens, or children, you know that lots of Bible study is required in order to adequately prepare. This totally counts as Bible study! 

7. Read Scripture to your children. Whether you home school your children and Bible reading and study is part of your school, or not, reading Scripture and studying God's Word is important. Choose a reading plan that fits with your family's schedule and be consistent with it. Bedtime Bible reading (stories for younger children and reading from the Bible itself for older ones), mealtime Bible reading, beginning the day reading, or anytime you choose, all work great! While reading to your children, they will inevitable have questions, and this allows all of you to search for answers and grow spiritually.

8. Devotional type books. While I would not let a devotional book alone be my only spiritual food for the day, every single day, many of them offer short, encouraging messages that when supplemented with further Bible reading, studying, or copying can provide a timely message for you to ponder. 

9.  Study a particular person in the Bible. Many lessons can be learned from the real people of the Bible--the good ones and the bad ones.

10. Choosing a group of Scriptures to pray. The Psalms lend themselves to this. Really many passages can be read and offered as a prayer to God. 

I hope this list of 10 Ways to Study God's Word as been beneficial to you.

Does My Life Reflect My Values?

As I was reading chapter two of More Hours in My Day by Emilie Barnes, I made many notes regarding a statement she made concerning values. Barnes suggested that we examine our values, change them as needed, and make sure our foundation is built on the Word of God.  During this season where I am setting and trying to keep new goals for the new year,  I felt I needed to consider my goals. Were they reflecting my values? What exactly are my values?

I think to answer the question to yourself, "What are my values?" you need to look at where you spend your time and resources. Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." We may say and think our values are certain things, but our day-to-day lives, our time and resources spent will actually reflect what our true values are.

The source for our values should come from God's Word. How will I know what God values if I do not read and study His Word? If I value serving God with my life, how do I do that? If Jesus is truly the Lord of my life, and I value eternal life, does my life show that? If I value being a godly wife and a loving, serving mother, where do I find my examples?

For me, the answer to all those questions are found in my daily time reading and studying my Bible and spending time in prayer. Then I must examine my daily life--the time and resources I spend each day, and see if my life aligns with what I say I value.

I truly value being a wife, mother, and homemaker. I take these roles seriously, and I have spent the last 26 years trying to better myself in these areas. Passages such as Titus 2:2-5, 1 Corinthians 13, and the book of James are full of instruction on how to put these values into practice. In Titus 2 it says to love your husband, love your children. If I need more information on how to love them (or anyone for that matter), I can read and put into practice 1 Corinthians 13. If I need encouragement because of trials I am going through, or advice on controlling my tongue, and I read and apply James 1.

I truly believe that the Scriptures hold the answer to any problem we may have. It is up to us to make God's Word a treasure to us. As we read it and do what it says, our lives will reflect what God values.

Spiritual and Fitness Goals for 2018

I have finally set my 2018 spiritual and fitness goals for 2018. They are subject to tweaking, but here they are for now.

Spiritual

• Read the Daily Bible.  This is a NIV Bible divided into daily readings--you will read the entire Bible in one year. It is also arranged chronologically with thoughts and commentaries scattered throughout. I began on January 1, and so far, so good. Jimmy began reading his again, and this is either is 2nd or 3rd time through.
• Read verses pertaining to worry, anxiety, and fear. I am using a concordance feature on my Bible app to locate verses on these subjects. I am copying them in a new journal that Sam gave me for Christmas.
• Continue to list five things each day I am grateful for in a journal. (I began doing this 21 years ago.)
• Do a better job at memorizing the Bible verses I assign to the children each week. Their memory is so much better than mine. I am making a copy of each week's verse for myself so I can drill the verses more than just at the kitchen table.

Fitness

I have been unsure of what exactly my fitness goals should be at this point beyond exercising on a regular basis. I have somewhat floundered the last three years. Ever since I finished the Rocket City Marathon in December 2014, I have not had a significant running or fitness-related goal. I have half-heartedly trained and run a few half marathons, but I have done nothing consistently. Jimmy challenged me to running at least 2 miles every day. I considered that, but it the end I modified that goal. Here is what I have come up with:

• Run at least 2 miles 5 days a week. Last week was my first week, and I ran 6 days for a total of 19 miles. In years past that would have been not a big deal, but for me right now, it was quite an accomplishment. 
• Beginning this week run at least 20 miles per week. I will excuse myself from the 5 days a week and the 20 mile minimum when we are out of town for an extended period of time.
• Start going to CrossFit again and attend class twice a week unless I am out of town. CrossFit is another fitness area I have been inconsistent in over the last year. I quit completely for a few months after a shoulder injury, but went back because I missed my friends (and coach) in the class so much! I stopped going for the month of December because, well. December! I am debating on taking off this month since I am trying to train for a half-marathon January 27. I will decide in the next few days, but I am definitely going back twice a week in after my race. My sweet coach, MC, is so willing to modify the workouts for me and my shoulder! I love being with the other ladies, so I am going to give it another try!

I have not chosen a word for 2018. I have too many words! LOL! I just finished listening to the Big Boo Cast's latest podcast, and I love Melanie's word for 2018--NO!

P.S. I set up my Instagram, but so far I have no idea what I am doing!

Happy Holidays

I'm going to just jump right in and try reviving my blog.

The last several days have been WONDERFUL. First of all, Clay came home from college on December 14. Secondly, Julie and Big Sam arrived at 9:30 AM December 18 after driving all night long from Chicago (where they flew to from Romania). Thirdly, Olivia and Brian arrived on December 20. FUN TIMES.

Julie and Big Sam have to fly home on January 2. They are leaving our houses around 6:00 AM that morning.
Olivia and Brian are leaving January 4.
Clay will leave for college on January 8.

While I am super sad that everyone has to leave, I am overjoyed that they were all here at the same time for so long! The best Christmas present ever! My days have been full of cooking, washing dishes, doing laundry, and trying to keep on top of the stuff every where....but it has been my joy to do so. I am so happy!

Jimmy gave me a Roomba for Christmas, and I love that thing! I am running it every day. I am amazed at the dirt, pet hair, and dust that it picks up. I hope I don't break it with overuse!

I plan to leave my Christmas decorations up until after Olivia and Julie leave. We have had our live tree in our den since Thanksgiving weekend! I normally have everything down and packed up by this time, but I am letting the girls enjoy it all while they are here. I do plan to take down the Christmas stuff before Clay leaves because I need his help! Plus we are beginning school again as soon as he leaves, and I need a clean, holiday-free house to get in the school frame of mind.

I have been working on my 2018 Erin Condren planner. The planners are actually on sale for 20% off right now if you are interested. I love my EC planner! This is my 4th year to have one. I ordered mine for 2018 back in September when they were on sale then, and Lynn ordered hers at the same time too. Guess what? We got the same exact planner! With all the choices and color combinations, what are the odds of us choosing the very same one? Last year we got the same design, but in different colors. I guess great minds think alike!

I have been making lists of many areas in which I want to improve myself in 2018. I love to make goals, resolutions, lists, etc. I have also spent some time reading a few blogs with ideas for simplifying life, meal planning, homemaking, etc. I am always trying to grow.
I have also been prayerfully considering my spiritual goals for 2018. I haven't pondered or chosen a key word for 2018, but I think I have decided what my focus during my Bible reading and study will be for 2018----worry/fear/anxiety. Now that my two girls are married and live far, far away, and Clay is at college, I struggle with those things. I plan (with the Lord's help) to get a grip in this area this year.  Or at least to make some positive progress.

One goal I am setting is to blog more regularly. I haven't set a specific goal in this area, but I am purposing to get back into writing more.

I'll be back soon with all kinds of goals, lists, and hopefully some motivation!

Well. Hello

I am still alive over here in Mississippi!

I am still trying to figure out how to be a mama to children near and far. As most of you know, Julie and Big Sam live in Romania (over 5000 miles away and an 8 hour time difference), and Olivia and Brian live in Indiana (9 hours away), and Clay is a freshman in college in Tampa (12 hours away). Leah and Sam are sill here with us! Yay!

But things have not slowed down like I thought they would. I have lost all my drivers, and that has made a huge difference! I am back to driving them to piano lessons, XC practice, CrossFit, and art. It's fine, but it has been an adjustment. Leah won't have her driver's license for 3 years, so I will be the mom taxi for a while.  We have also traveled a lot over the last couple of months, so that keeps me behind at home as well. (But the trips have been wonderful!)

Our days are full of homeschool (around 4-5 hours a day) and outside activities. I am also drowning in housework and laundry.....I am still working on the best system for cleaning my house. Actually, if I could just find a consistent block of time to clean I could do it. The trick is finding the time! I will blog about my homemaking struggles in the near future, because I am all out of ideas!

We are having a revival (AKA Gospel Meeting) at our church congregation this week. Our speaker is Paul Sheehan, and he is fantastic! He is motivating, convicting, and infectious! If you are interested in hearing the Word of God presented in a simple and inspiring way, you can listen to his sermons from our church's website or download the podcasts. Our regular preacher, Trey Haskett, has all his sermons on the podcast too, and they are excellent as well.
Here is the link.

One more thing.....do any of you call your kids by the wrong name? Like every.single.time. you try to say their name? I cannot call anyone by the right name, and it is starting to irritate Leah and Sam. I understand. I would not want to be called by my sibling's name all day long, but I don't know how to stop. Any suggestions?

I hope to check in again soon!

Memorizing Scripture

Since most of you are starting a new school year, I though this might be a good time to share my memorizing Scripture system. While I use this system for learning Bible verses, it could be used for anything you wanted your kids (or yourself) to learn.

I am going to share the link to the last time I blogged about my Scripture memory box. It has very detailed instructions on how to set up your own memory box.

I mentioned in this blog post that I copied all the Scriptures that Olivia had learned into a journal and gave it to her when she started college. I also did that for Julie and Clay, and as you can imagine, Clay's journal had many more verses than his sisters since he has been home four more years since Olivia left for college!

Here is the link:
Scripture Memory Box

I hope this encourages you to either begin learning Scripture with your children or to
continue hiding God's Word in your heart.

15 Minutes Again

Yesterday, blogging for 15 minutes proved to be successful for me, so I'm doing it again!

Jimmy was given The Daily Bible by one of the elders in our church a few years ago. In January of 2016 he began reading it, and he liked it so much that he started it again on January 1 of this year. Around the beginning of February I decided that I would like to read this Bible too, so I ordered one. Initially I wanted to double or triple my daily readings and catch up to the correct calendar date, but after a couple of weeks of this I realized that I would not catch up anytime soon. So, I decided to just skip to the actual day's reading and just read from there. Perfect!  Now Jimmy and I are reading the same passage each day, and we can discuss it if we want. Leanna also purchased this Bible and began reading on the current day, so we can discuss it too while we are running if we like. Clay has this Bible, and I plan to buy one for Leah to begin reading January 1, 2018.  I don't think Sam is ready for this amount of daily Bible reading yet, but I will probably go ahead and get him a copy of this Bible so he can begin when he is ready. He currently reads one chapter of his Bible each day.

Olivia and Julie are both graduating on April 28. Olivia will be receiving her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, and Julie will be receiving her Associate's degree in English. One ceremony is at 3:00, and the other one is at 7:30. Clay will be graduating high school on May 9. Lots of graduations, weddings, showers, and parties going on around here!  We are also squeezing in a short family (just the 7 of us) vacation to the Rocky Mountains before the weddings.

I recently finished a book called The Year of Living Danishly. It was fascinating! It is the one year memoir of a young woman and her husband living in Denmark while he worked for Lego. They are originally from England. I enjoyed reading about the culture and traditions of Denmark and how  Helen adjusted (or tried to adjust!). I have several books on my shelf just waiting for me to read! I also just finished The Westing Game (for my English class--our fun book for the year), and yesterday was also our last class for the school year. So now I will have more time to read for pleasure.

Oops! I just checked my timer because I thought surely it had been more than 15 minutes. Yes. It has been 20 minutes! I accidentally set my time for 1 hour, 15 minutes, not just 15 minutes!

Have a great day!

A Few More Goals

How is your new year going? Have you set any goals? Are you keeping them so far?

I decided how I was going to cover my gospels reading each month. I plan to divide each gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) into 6 readings, and read one gospel each week. So this week I am reading 5 chapters of Matthew each morning and on the sixth day I will read 3 chapters.

I set a running goal for 2017. I want to run a total of 1000 miles this year. That is an average of 20 miles each week. Until last year had little difficulty reaching this goal since I was training for marathons or at least keeping a consistent long run. I ran only 699 miles in 2016. I have run 10 miles so far this week! I also decided to record my miles on Daily Mile again. If you are on Daily Mile please ask me to be your friend!

I am still working on my reading list. I am currently reading the play Our Town in preparation for the English class I teach. We are also reading Huckleberry Finn later this semester, and I have not read that before. I did read Our Town in high school, I think.

My homemaking goals for 2017 are to keep up with my weekly housecleaning chores and to tackle a few major projects throughout the year. In January I plan to completely clean out my closets and drawers--all my clothes, using the Konmari method. I have divided my house into four zones, and I aspire to clean each zone each week--one zone per day. Other major projects I have include a big clean-out and reorganization of Sam's room, helping Jimmy clean out his workshop, and deep cleaning the entire house (ceiling fans, baseboards, light fixtures, windows, etc.)

I think that's all my goals for now!

Ringing in the New Year

Happy New Year!

I spent several hours yesterday making plans for 2017 and transferring information to my new Erin Condren planner. (Love those planners so much!). I used cute stickers and wrote all my family's birthdays, Jimmy's days off, and vacations and such for the entire year. Next, I started on my 2017 goals. I began with prayer and looking through my Bible for verses to inspire me this year. I also chose my word for the year:

JOYFUL

I jotted down verses that would help me be joyful and also to be mindful in my service to the Lord and my relationship with Him. My original list included nineteen verses, mostly from Matthew, but I chose one more to have an even number of twenty. I copied the references of the verses in the back of my planner, but I plan to also write them throughout the planner. I want to read these verses on a regular basis and also memorize them this year. Hopefully I can blog about them as well. 

Here are my focus verses of Scripture for 2017:

• Matthew 5:16
• Matthew 6:21
• Matthew 6:33
• Matthew 7:21
• Matthew 11:28-29
• Matthew 16:24
• Matthew 22:37-39
• Matthew 23:11-12
• Matthew 25:40
• Matthew 26:41
• Mark 4:19
• Luke 6:45
• Luke 10:41-42
• Galatians 5:22-23
• James 1:2-5
• 1 Peter 3:4
• 1 John 5:3
• Psalm 46:10
• Isaiah 30:15

I have made my tentative Bible reading and study plans for 2017. I want to do the Bible in 90 days at some point, but not right away. I also plan to finish copying Galatians, and copy the other books of the New Testament that I have not copied yet. Another goal I just decided on today is to read all four Gospels once a month. I don't know my method for this yet, because I just made this goal about two hours ago.....may one gospel each week?

Julie and I both mapped our Happiness Project goals for each month. Here are my themes for each month:

• January:  possessions
• February:  health
• March:  books and blog
• April:  service
• May:  pleasure (hobbies, fun outings, etc.)
• June:  homemaking
• July:  homeschool
• August:  mothering
• September:  friendship
• October:  marriage
• November:  eternity
• December:  family

This all sounds great, but the reality is I will probably live the theme of WEDDINGS from April until the end of July....because guess what???  Olivia is engaged to me married too!  So I have two weddings to prepare and plan for....seven weeks apart!

June 3:  Julie and Sam

July 22:  Olivia and Brian

The last category I brainstormed ideas for is books. I haven't made my long range plan yet, but I always have a list of books that I want to read. I am reading a few books right now, but I want to create a booklist for 2017. I will share that when I complete it. 

Olivia, Julie, Sam, and Brian are all here for another week, and we are enjoying them all so much. My house is full, and of course so is my heart.

Oh. I am going to restart the book club (Better Than Before). If you are participating, continue to read the first chapter on distinctions. I will post about that chapter Monday, May 9.

Happy 2017!

Encouraging Words

Earlier this morning as I was looking through my Bible for verses to share with someone who is going through a difficult time--words of encouragement--I realized that I should share these on this blog.  Some of you may have friends or family members that could use some encouragement.  Maybe even you need encouragement yourself.

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear…"Psalms 46:1

"Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."

Psalm 55:22

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."

Galatians 6:9

"Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You. When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

Psalm 61:1

"In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us."

Psalm 62:7-8

"Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."

Hebrews 13:15

"But I will hope continually, and will praise you more and more. My mouth shall tell of your righteousness and your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits."

Psalm 71:14-15

"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul."

Psalm 94:19

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

James 1:2-4

"But my eyes are upon You, O God the Lord; in You I take refuge."

Psalm 141:8

"The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and save them."

Psalm 145:18-19

2,672

I filled up my most recent Gratitude Journal yesterday.  I began it on March 18, 2012, and I wrote on the last line yesterday, November 18, 2014.  2 years and 8 months.  I aim to record 5 things each day that I am thankful for, but if you do the math, you will see that I missed some days here and there.  But still.  2,672 blessings are a lot. I wish I numbered my entries from the beginning…..I started listing five things I am thankful for each day over 18 years ago. These blessings are recorded in plain spiral bound notebooks, pretty journals, and also on loose leaf paper in various binders.

I just started a book called Climb Happiness Hill by Alan Bryan.  My friend, Joe, lent it to me, saying that he was pretty sure it was out of print.  I did a little bit of googling, and I found it!  I am taking good care of his copy, but I plan to order my own in the next couple of days.  I am not even through the first chapter, but I can already tell that this will be a book that I read and reread.  The author presents "Rules for Happy Living", and there are 15 in all.  The first rule is one that we all know:

Count your blessings, not your troubles.

Keeping a gratitude journal is one way to do that.  Also, as you go about your day, whenever stress, doubts, complaints, etc., creep into your thinking (and will eventually come out of your mouth!), purpose to count some of your blessings instead.  I began trying this yesterday.  What a challenge.  I was surprised at how many negative thoughts and internal murmurings ran through my brain.  As much as I remembered to, I would stop myself and quickly think of a positive spin on that negative thought.

I plan to continue this challenge today.  Wouldn't that be a good habit to develop?  To purpose to replace all negative thinking with positive instead.  To express thankfulness in each and every situation.  We are commanded to do that, you know.

"in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

1 Thessalonians 5:18

That pretty much sums it up…..in everything give thanks.

I began a new gratitude journal today.  It is a pretty one that my girls gave me for my birthday.  I had been saving it for this purpose.

So what about you?  Can you purpose to count your blessings, not your troubles today?  Can you recored your blessings in a notebook?

The Big Picture

In my personal Bible study time, I have been copying the book of Hebrews.  My routine is to set my timer for ten minutes, read the chapter I am copying and then start copying, beginning where I left off the previous day.  When I have finished copying an entire chapter, I make an outline of the chapter.  Sometimes while I am reading and copying, thoughts will come to my mind that I want to write down.  Or maybe I want to take some notes to help me better understand what I am reading and copying.  Today was like that.

I am currently copying Hebrews chapter 11.  The chapter that lists person after person who exhibited great faith in God.  The Hebrew writer is reminding his readers of these people of great faith to encourage them. I believe that we can receive encouragement from these examples as well.

What is faith?  Hebrews 11:1 answers that question for us.  "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  Many of us memorized this passage of Scripture as children, but do we stop and think about what it means?  I can't see God, but I believe in Him.  I can't see Jesus, but I believe that He died for my sins.  I believe that the Bible is full of evidence of the existence of God and His love for mankind.  My faith gives me hope of an eternal reward after my life on this earth is over.

Why do we have faith?  We must have faith to please God.  "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."  (Hebrews 11:6)  This verse led me to ponder "diligently seek Him".  I am always encouraging my children to be diligent.  Be diligent in their schoolwork.  Be diligent in their Bible reading.  Be diligent in their chores.

What is diligence?  Several definitions that I found for diligence include:  careful or persistent work or effort; marked by painstaking effort; earnest and persistent application to an undertaking; steady effort; attentive care; heedfulness. 
If I am to diligently seek God, then it will be an ongoing effort.  I will have to exercise my faith daily.  I have to keep in mind the big picture of life, and not get bogged down in the day to day trials and things of really no eternal importance.  However, my reactions to the routine and mundane as well as the crises of life are of eternal importance.  I must remember that to please God I must have faith, and I also must diligently seek Him.  

My lesson learned from Abraham's faith.  Hebrews 11:17-19 says, "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, 'In Isaac your seed shall be called,' concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead,  from which he also received him in a figurative sense."  Abraham had faith in God.  Even after God had told him that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and that the world would be blessed through him, he still obeyed God's command to sacrifice his only son, Isaac.  He had faith that God would make it all work out.  He concluded that God would bring Isaac back from the dead. If you are familiar with this account, you know that at the last minute God stopped Abraham from sacrificing his son, and provided a ram for sacrifice instead.  Abraham had proved his faithfulness, obeying God even when His commands were difficult or maybe even hard to understand. 

That is the lesson for me.  Having faith to diligently study God's Word, to believe it, to apply it, to obey it.  To keep my mind on the big picture of life.  To remember that I have a hope of a reward in heaven.  To remember not to stress over the unimportant areas of daily life, but to strive to diligently serve God in all things.  To have faith.

Faith.
fully believing
fully trusting
fully obeying
fully denying self

"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.  For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland." (Hebrews 11:13-14)

We are pilgrims on this earth.  We seek a homeland.  Hebrews says that these men and women from the past declared plainly that they sought a homeland…..they understood the big picture.  May we all diligently seek an eternal homeland.

Scripture Memory Box

I first blogged about my Scripture memory box about three or four years ago.  We are still using the box, and it has proved to be a successful tool for Scripture memorization for our family.

I found directions for making my box by conducting an online search.  At first I had my verses and card stock dividers inside a little plastic basket, but later I purchased a filing box, some 4 x 6 printable index cards, and tabbed dividers.  I used to print the Bible verses onto the card stock (which is perforated into four 4 x 6 cards), but now I just print the verse out on regular paper using a small font, and then I tape them onto the index cards.

Each week I choose and print out a new Bible verse for us to learn.  I alternate short verses with long passages which we learn 2-3 verses at a time.  Some of the longer passages my children have learned include Psalm 103, Psalm 91, Psalm 1, the Beatitudes, and Proverbs 31:10-31.  I print two copies of the week's verse:  one on regular sized paper to hang on the window beside our kitchen table and one smaller copy for the Scripture memory box.

We recite the verse 5 times each morning as we begin our Bible study time.  Since the verse hangs beside our kitchen table, it is is plain view to be read throughout the day.  On Fridays, the children copy the verse into their Bible memory notebook, which is just an inexpensive spiral bound notebook.  When my children were younger, I copied the verses for them.

When Olivia went to college last fall, I presented her with a journal that I had copied inside every single verse that she had memorized since she was in kindergarten. It took me a couple of months to copy all of those Scriptures!  I wanted her to have a copy of the verses that she had hidden in her heart for 13 years--and I wanted her to be able to review them from time to time so that she would not forget them.

Ok.  Here is the procedure for setting up your own Scripture memory box.  If my directions are not clear, then you can Google instructions.

Supplies Needed:
1 filing box (mine holds 4 x 6 inch index cards)
1 set of blank tabbed dividers (you need 39-41 total)
4 x 6 inch index cards

Procedure:

1. Choose verses for you and your children to memorize.  
2. Copy the verses you already have learned onto the index cards, one per card.  You can print onto the cards, print the verses on paper and then tape them on the cards, or just hand write them onto the cards.
3. Label the tabbed dividers in this manner: 1-31, Daily, Even, Odd, and the days of the week--either Monday-Friday or you can include Saturday and Sunday too if you plan to drill on those days.  I just drill the Scriptures on Monday-Friday.
4. Place the card with the Scripture that you are learning this week behind the Daily tab.
5. Put last week's Scripture behind the Even tab.
6. Place any other Scriptures that you have learned behind the Odd tab and the days of the week tabs.  If you have even more Scriptures already learned, begin placing them behind the days of the months tabs. (1-31).  For Daily, Even, Odd, and the Days of the Week tabs, just put one care per tab. 
7. Each week create a new card for that week's Scripture.  Place the new card behind the Daily tab, and then move each card one tab back, until you get through the Friday tab.  Then take the card that is behind Friday, and put in behind the next blank numbered tab.  When all 31 tabs have a card behind them, begin putting the cards behind 1, 2, 3, etc. again.  Just keep distributing the cards evenly as the years go by.  

Daily Drilling:

Pick a time of day that is convenient for you, and drill your Scriptures daily.  Each day you will practice the Scriptures behind the following tabs:  Daily, Even or Odd (depending on whether the date is an even number or an odd number), the day of the week it is (Monday-Friday), and then the date (1-31) of the day.  So, you will be reciting at least 4 Scriptures a day when your box gets full.  As you learn more and more verses, you will have more cards behind the numbered tabs.  

This system really works.

My children can recall over 100 Bible passages--some short and some fairly long-- with very little prompting, just by using this simple system day in and day out.  I am so glad that I took the time to create my Scripture memory box a few years ago.  It takes me less than five minutes once a week to type up the week's memory verse, tape one copy to the window and the other smaller copy on an index card and put it in the box.  Then I take about 10 seconds and move the cards one tab back, and then we are ready to go!  It's really that simple.

Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

Psalm 119:11

Where Has January Gone?

I can't believe that it's already January 16.  The month is halfway over.

I had grand plans to list all kinds of goals and resolutions and even choose a focus word for 2014.  And then I was going to blog all about it.  Honestly, I haven't listed one single thing!  I have thought about what I would like to focus on for 2014 (and really for the rest of my life!), but I have not put any thoughts on paper.

Where has January gone?
The first week of January, Olivia was still home from college, so my only plans were to enjoy her company and get the house back in order from Christmas.  I actually did that in one day--13 hours on December 26 I worked and worked until you would never even know that we had celebrated Christmas in this house!  Of course I had lots of help from my hard-working children.

The second week in January Olivia, Julie, and I all had the flu!  I also took Olivia to the airport so she could fly back to school.  I attempted to do some school that week, but since I was sick I didn't accomplish much.

And now it is the 3rd week in January.
I began school in full force at 8:00 on Tuesday morning.  I reviewed our school schedule from the fall, and I tweaked it a little bit.

We are now all meeting at the kitchen table at 8:00 each morning for our Bible lesson.  (Previously we were meeting at 9:00, with the plan that anyone up and ready should work on schoolwork independently until 9:00.  This gave me time to get my marathon training in before the Bible lesson.)

At 8:30, I move to the schoolroom and sit between Leah and Sam.  Julie and Clay work wherever they wish, and I am available to check and/or help with their schoolwork as needed.  I move back and forth between Leah and Sam, and we continue in this manner until about 10:30 or 11:00.

Next, I read Sonlight books to Leah and Sam.

Next, I review any math problems that Clay needs help with and critique his writing assignments as needed.

We break for lunch, and then I do science with Leah and Sam and also finish up any necessary tutoring with Julie and Clay.

The rest of my afternoons consist of laundry, housework, running errands, other chores, and cooking supper.

This new routine has served us well this week.  I think we have found our groove in our school day, and hopefully this success will continue.

Focuses in 2014
In Joshua's farewell address to the Israelites, he reminds them of all that God has done for them and how God has fulfilled every promise He made to their forefathers.  He also admonishes them to remain faithful and obedient, or God's anger will burn against them, and they will reap dire consequences.  Two verses in Joshua 23 stood out to me when I read this last week.

"But you are to cling to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day."  Joshua 23:8

and

"So take diligent heed to yourselves to love the Lord your God."  Joshua 23:11

These two verses don't directly relate to the two words that I want to focus on for 2014, but then again, they do.

My words are UNSELFISHNESS and SIMPLIFY.

Brother Earl, one of the elders in our congregation, frequently says that Jesus was the most unselfish person that ever lived.  That is so true.  Being selfish is something that I need to work on.  Not in the sense of "That's my plate!  You can't eat off it!" But more in the sense of looking out for the needs of others before my own.  Again, it really is not so obvious…I don't buy a bunch of clothes for myself and then have no money left to buy new shoes for my child who has outgrown his…my selfishness shows up more in my personal daily agenda…I have my own selfish goals, and sometimes they keep me from living a life of unselfishness.  A life of putting the needs of my husband and children above my to-do list--even though the to-do list contains really good things.  Is any of this making sense?  Anyway, I think I need to work on developing the quality of unselfishness in all areas of my life.

Simplify.  Another thing I really want to work on.  As in spending less time planning every detail of my life and more time actually living it.  I need to try to not make things so complicated.  This will be a work in progress as I ponder what all I want to simplify.  I just know that my life has felt cluttered lately, but not necessarily with things.

About the verses--in order to live a life pleasing to the Lord our God (no matter what my focus words are for this year or any other year), I will need to cling to the Lord and take diligent heed to love my Lord.  How do I plan to do this?  By immersing myself in God's Word and diligently loving Him.  I will learn how to be unselfish by reading His Word, and I hope to actually practice unselfishness and simpleness by loving God.  Loving God by obeying His Word.

More On Copying Scripture

I have had a few people ask me questions about my Scripture copying.  It's nothing fancy!  I took a few pictures of my journal, and hopefully these pictures will explain what I am doing.

This is the left hand side of the journal.  After copying an entire chapter (and this usually takes more than one day), I create an outline of the chapter.  I am using a Bible that I call a "clean copy".  It has no  previous markings or underlinings by me, but I am marking and underlining as I read.  Also, it has no "headings"--those paragraph or chapter summary statements that are sometimes inserted in certain Bibles.  The Bible that I am using for copying Scripture is a New King James version that I bought from Lifeway a while back.

This is the right hand side page of the journal.  On this side, I do the actual copying.  I copy about one page per day.  That is one page in my journal, not one page in my Bible.

This is another left hand side page (a different page than the outline page).  Normally each chapter of takes me 2-3 pages of my journal to copy.  I use the first facing left hand page to do the outline.  I use the remaining facing left hand pages to take notes or right down my thoughts.

Here is a picture of the journal--both pages in view.

Left hand side:  outline

Right hand side:  the chapter, copied.

Ok.  Did that clear it all up?

If you have more questions, please leave me a comment.  I will be happy to answer them!

The Latest

• Bible Study:  Some of you have asked for more details regarding my copying Scripture.  I took pictures of my journal, and I will share soon.  Also, I have begun listening to the Bible on CD in my car.  We have had these CDs for years, and I have never listened to them.  I really like them!  However, we are missing disc 8, so I am reading Leviticus 25-Numbers 10 before I can listen to the next CD.
• Running:  Last week's long run of 18 was so much better than the previous week's long run.  I drank a full cup of coffee, and I ate a little packet of that fruit in a pouch stuff--you know, they make baby food in these pouches--but this is not baby food, but just pureed fruit in a pouch.  I found it in the refrigerated organic section of Kroger.  Anyway, eating two of those plus drinking plenty of Gatorade and water resulted in a much better run.  Plus I ran with Heather for 13.5 miles of it, and we had a good visit.
• Homeschool:  We are just moving right along.  Doing school still takes me all day, and if we have any unplanned interruptions, I don't get everything done.  We are off tomorrow and Friday, and that will give us time to catch our breath.
• Olivia:  She came home for the weekend about 10 days ago, and she is coming home again today for Fall Break!  Yay!  We are all so excited!  She warned me that she has to bring home all of her books and do lots of studying/paper writing, but that's ok!  We are just so, so happy to have her here with us!  She set a PR in a 5K cross country race that she ran last week.  Her best time since she was 13!  She was so excited, and we all were too!
• In the Kitchen:  I stuck to my "serve the same meals over and over" routine for two weeks.  And then I wanted a change, so this week I have been serving all new recipes.  Most have been "not so good".  I am sure that my family is tiring of my culinary experiments, but really they are such good sports and eat whatever I prepare......and then get a bowl of oatmeal or cereal for dessert!  Ha!
• Preparing for Christmas:  Yes.  It's time.  I have done very little.  But, I plan to begin sharing a couple of tips/ideas a week.  This week's tip:  If you have been gathering gifts throughout the year, and they are not in one location, put them there.  I have a huge plastic bin with a lid that is my gift box.  Whenever I buy a present, I put it inside that box.  Now is the time to take inventory of your gift box.  You may surprise yourself with the items you have picked up this year.  
• Sewing:  I have bought all of the fabric and most of the other supplies for sewing small pillows and drainage bags for mastectomy patients.  I have two different places that I will donate these sets.  My goal is to have them ready to deliver by the end of October, since it's the pink month and all.  

I think that about sums everything up.  Life is crazy hectic around here.  Most days I feel like I am barely keeping my nose above the water.  (Like most of you feel too, I am sure!).

Here is the verse I repeat in my head on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6-7

Recent Bible Study

I shared with some friends over the summer that I had begun copying Scripture as part of my daily Bible study.  I am still doing that.  So far I have copied Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy.  I began Titus yesterday.  I did take a short break from copying when I began working in a topical Bible study book that I bought.  But after one lesson in that book, I got back to my copying.  For now, this is what I want to do.

Copying Scripture may not be for everyone.  But if it sounds beneficial to you, I encourage you to try it.  I have a pretty pink leather journal that I am using for this.  I also use a Frixion erasable pen, because inevitably, I make a mistake here and there.  I love those pens!  Staples sells them in black, red, and blue, but Amazon sells a multi-color pack (my favorite).

I try to copy the amount of Scripture that equals one page in my journal each day.  I write only on one side of each page, the right hand side of the book.  At the end of each chapter, I outline the chapter on the first blank left hand side page.  I use the other blank left hand side pages for copying (again) specific verses that I want to comment on.  I also make notes about certain verses on these blank left hand side pages.  Does that make sense?

I read the chapter in its entirety before I begin copying each day and also one more time when I finish copying the chapter.

As many of you know, I am also a fan of reading the Bible cover to cover.  Seeing and understanding the big picture of the entire Bible has innumerable benefits.  I am not reading it in 90 days this time, but I am reading whenever I have a spare minute, using my iPad.  I hope to finish this Bible reading by January or February.  During these Bible reading sessions, I do not take any notes or copy any Scriptures, I just read.

Whatever your Bible reading/studying plan is, I encourage you to just do it.

Just Checking In

• Homeschool:  We have completed 5 days of school since we began almost two weeks ago.  Jimmy was off a couple of days last week, and I have spent several days shopping and packing to get Olivia ready for college.  Even though we began school on August 5, I only budgeted 11 days of school for the month of August.  We have had and will continue to have a very busy month of August with Olivia going off to college, but I figured that doing 11 days of school in August would be better than beginning after Labor Day.  So we are getting our first lessons done, little by little.  That is one of the beauties of homeschool--we get to set our schedule!
• Running: Well, my goals for the Tupelo 14.2 Mile Race have changed from a time goal (8:30 pace) to the goal of finishing in time to get ready for teaching Sunday school--completely doable or I would not even sign up for this race.  It begins at 5:00 AM, and the finish line is 20 minutes away from my house.  My running has been sporadic the last month.  In fact, the long run is the only one I have been able to get in on some weeks!  I did run 3 times this week.
• Homemaking:  I am trying to keep up with the minimum housework and all of the laundry, but I have had no time for extra projects.  No sewing.  No cleaning out or organizing of closets or drawers. No trying of new recipes.  But it's ok!  It's just a season.  A season of doing the bare minimum and trying to keep a good attitude about it all.  I remind myself frequently, thanksgiving produces joy, and there is always plenty to be thankful for.
• Bible Study:  I am working on a surprise project for someone in my family. I will share when I am done.....I am still copying Scripture, about 1/2-1 chapter per day, and then outlining the chapter when I am done.  I also take notes while copying when I so desire.

All summer I have purposed to blog on a regular basis, but this summer has been a blur and has rapidly slipped away!  Hopefully, September will be calmer and I can get back to my regular blogging.  But, also in September I will begin training for my 5th marathon--St. Jude.  (When will I learn?) This month I have to decide whether or not I will accept the invitation to run the Boston Marathon again (next April) since I was unable to finish due to the bombings.  I am back and forth on what I want to do, but I am definitely leaning toward running it, and that being my last marathon for awhile!!

Have a great weekend everyone!