Memory Monday: Winter Peace

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." John 14:27

Blogging Along 2009

I will join the many out there who choose to reflect on the past year in bloggoland...I find it interesting that taking the first blog of each month throughout the year actually gives an interesting collage of my posts...varied and otherwise...

January-
Thanks for your patience...

February
Memory Monday...Review Cop Out

March
Memory Monday...Finally...Isaiah 41:9-10

April
Wordless Wednesday of the past...
May
Foodie Friday...

June
Winners of the Golden Scoop...

July
Didja miss me? I'm back....

August
Saturday...ONE WORD!

September
Tube Tuesday: Bless the Lord!

October
Caffeinated Randomness: Septober...argh!

November
Evangelistic Opportunity...not just a fairy tale!

December
Eating...full of Jesus?

I'm working on a resolutions post...and reading through the past year has been helpful...in the melancholy and the excitement it stirs up inside me! It's been a wonderful and blessed year...for sure!

Marriage Monday: Husband Christmas Interview...

I got back from the Thankmas break and realized that it was Marriage Monday. Usually, I post MM on my MomE blog but had already posted...so I perused the other posts...realized there was a bit of Christmas theme to the interviews...took some questions from others...and here is the result...

Me: Describe your ideal Christmas.
Loverbrains: I'd spend it with our family at home. We'd watch the kids unwrap and play with their gifts. We'd read the Christmas story together.

(I'd just started this while making dinner. He graciously followed me into the kitchen to listen to my questions.)

Me: What's your favorite Christmas cookie and why?
Loverbrains: *Big Grin* Molasses Mary V. Cookies...because they taste really good!!

(We just got back from my Mom's where she had a whole passel of these cookies made with black strap molasses so they were really good this year! Made us regular Baptists (due to their laxative effect and our being baptists)...hahaha!)

Me: What is your fondest Christmas memory?
Loverbrains: The first Christmas we were married. LOL...wink wink...squeeze squeeze!!

(Our anniversary is Dec. 21st...we had a great newlywed Christmas that year!!)

Me: Share your thoughts about exchanging gifts.
Loverbrains: *Best loud laugh* They'd be unwrapped...it's a combination of frugality, utility and laziness. HAHA! Just kidding!!

(Truth is he tried to argue this with his mother when he was in high school. Thankfully, she won or ignored him...cuz he still wraps presents.)

Me: How do you think our expectations differ at Christmas?
Loverbrains: I think we have the same main objective...to teach our children more about Jesus Christ. You do more decorating, etc. and I tend to want to relax more...but I like it all!

(I love my man...what a great responsible provider. He's a Godly leader in our home, a caring diaper changing daddy, and a warm and gentle husband! I'm blessed...so blessed!)

Memory Monday: Hummmm...

Proverbs 31:26, "She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue."

As I meditated on this during the week...I realized that, for me, this means saying ALOT less. I've put a little hummm in my speech too. It makes me put my lips together and think before correcting or speaking or saying anything... I soooo want to be a Proverbs 31 Mom, and Wife and Friend!

Memory Monday: Choose carefully...

"The rod and reproof give wisdom, But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother." Proverbs 29:15

I chose this verse two weeks ago for Memory Monday. I think Satan thought it was funny and is poking my children to make them behave wildly. HA! Seriously though, it is interesting how when you commit to things that will be great for your Christian walk and growth...the oddest things start to happen. I'm an incredibly obsessively early person...and now suddenly I can't get out the door on time. I'm usually prepared overly for appts. of every kind...and now I forget the activity bag and my sweet boobahs are having public meltdowns. Ahh! I guess I'll just figure I'm doing something right...and keep pushing along. Looking for His daily sufficient grace!

Memory Monday with the Kiddos!

"Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving." Col. 4:2
Wahoo...no mistakes. I'm on a roll! I even got the kids saying their verse! Sweet girl can say the whole thing without stopping but she won't on video...so I humor her. He just likes to be included! We've been keeping our verses in a tiny basket on the kitchen table and every time we sit down there (which is a lot with either meals or crafts) we practice our verse. I gave them two weeks on theirs...cuz it's new and all!

Memory Monday: Whatever you do....

Col. 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Oooooo....look they're matchy again! Yeah, no mistakes again! I've been giving the kids a verse too...and we practice them at lunchtime. It's really working well. I'm going to try to video them with their verse for next week! It's so cute to hear them say their version of Corinthians 5:7!
COLOSSIANS 3:17
"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Monday: Cool, Calm and collected...and Cquoteable...

One of my fast becoming favorite bloggers, Critty Joy...does a quoteable post now and then...I had to join the fun somehow...so I thought about my Memory Monday verse..and my love for alliteration...calm, cool, collected, and Cquoteable...hehehe!

Proverbs 17:27, "She who restrains her words has knowledge, And she who has a cool spirit is a woman of understanding."

Whoohoo...no mistakes!

Yes, I changed it to feminine form for myself...Here's the original! Proverbs 17:27, "He who restrains his words has knowledge, And he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding."NASV

Happy Memory Monday!!

"I will give thanks to You with all my heart, I will sing praises to You before the gods." Ps.138:1

"I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to You before the gods." Ps. 138:1

Close but not quite. I can't believe I messed up the singing part! I wanted to memorize this because of a message our pastor did recently on putting God before any other idols. It has struck me lately that my attitude about various things is just as much an idol as any object. I feed those bad feelings, I choose them over God's ways, etc. I want to remember to give Him thanks and praise before any of the gods in my life. I want them to go away!

Join the gals over at The Simple Wife....here.

Yes, I'm happy today too...cuz tonight my sweet Loverbrains will be home....woohoooo!

Memory Monday--In my weakness HE is strong!!

2 Cor. 12:9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, and my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast even more gladly about my weaknesses, so that God's power may rest on me.

2 Cor. 12:9 "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."

My Pastor's wife sang this song on Sunday...and it goes sooo sooo well with this passage. It made me cry...and I'm not a public crier ya'll!

In My Weakness
by Mike Harland and Cary Schmidt 2000 (hear a clip here)

When living life for Jesus Christ becomes too hard a task,
When obedience means sacrifice that seems too much to ask;
That’s when I learn that my own strength isn’t really strength at all,
And I find rest in humbleness when I surrender all.

In my weakness He is strong;
In my need He leads me on.
When I come to the end of all I am,
And I place my trust in Him;
That’s when His strength begins –
In my weakness.

When failures in my human strength have weakened all my pride,
And ruined hopes in fallen dreams have crumbled me inside;
It’s then by grace I fin’lly see the strength of Jesus Christ,
His victory is real in me when weakness fills my life.

In my weakness He is strong;
In my need He leads me on.
When I come to the end of all I am,
And I place my trust in Him;
That’s when His strength begins –
In my weakness.

Memory Monday....S M I L E !

Proverbs 15:13, "A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken."
This makes me think of a saying I saw on someone's blog a long time ago...

IF YOU'RE IN CHRIST SOMEONE SHOULD INFORM YOUR FACE!

I've felt very convicted in this area lately...especially after reading my Dad's blog "R U Grumpy?"....here!

Have some tea...and Monday Memory...

Here's it goes....
Colossians 3:12-14,
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as our Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.


WOW...can you believe it?...I only messed up one word. I surprised even myself. I'm going to add verse 15 for next week. I'm so glad I decided to get back into Memory Mondays...I've missed it...and I need it!

Colossians 3:12-14,
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

Memory Monday...1 Cor. 15:58b...

"Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

I think I'll choose something from Galatians for next week...

Memory Monday-Isaiah 43:1

"Fear not for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine."

Isaiah 43:1

Word-Filled Wednesday...

Thought I'd try something new...and use my Memory Monday passages to create beautiful Word-Filled Wednesday posts with everyone else at 160acrewoods... Actually, I created this during the previous week...while working on the verse for Monday morning...it works for me!

Memory Monday...Phil. 1:9-11

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you will be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God."

Woohoo...no mistakes! Happy M & M ya'll!!!

Memory Monday...Eph. 6:10-18, Col. 4:2 and a fuzzy box!

To start out this week, I'd like to share my fuzzy memory box with ya'll. As you know, I enjoy the feel of things...the fabric of a journal, the weight of a good pen, and the fuzzy of a memory box. I have all my verse cards (for bible studies, book studies, and memory Monday...all color coordinated) inside. I haven't printed them out nicely like Joanne...hehehe..but ya never know...it could happen!

Here's me petting the box! Oooooo...sofffttt!

Eph. 6:10-17-NASB, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the ruler, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore, take up (I had 'put on') the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, take up the shield of faith with which (I had 'so that') you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18.(switched to NIV)(because I couldn't get the NASB to flow in my brains) And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

Col. 4:2 "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving."

Next week, Phil. 1:9-11.

Happy snowy Spring day....WHAT? Yup, snow folks...snow...icky icky!

Memory Monday...Never day die...

Okay, so I didn't get it done...and I'm refusing to give up and feel defeated...

and yet....I'm wanting to move on sooooo... in an effort to renew my zeal and
NEVER SAY DIE attitude....
I'm going to have the whole Eph. chunk and a new verse for next week...whataya think?

Can I do it???

Sure, sure I can!!!!

God is for me....who can be against me? RIGHT????

Memory Monday...Ephesians 6:10-17...

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace, in addition to these, put on the shield of faith so that you will be able to stand against the firey arrows of the evil one. And put on the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Checking from Biblegateway.com:

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
11Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
14Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,
15and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;
16in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Okay, as you can see I need to clean things up a bit...and I'll add 18 to complete this selection next week! Happy Monday ya'll!

Memory Monday--Ephesians 6:10-15

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore, take up (I had put on) the full armor of God so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm, therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace,"

Next week I add the rest! I'm glad I'm taking this slower and really doing well on the shorter pieces. Sometimes, I think I bite off more than I can chew! It is equally important to CHEW it! AMEN!!?