Persevere

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:24-25, NIV

Oh, how I love encouragement!  I love to receive encouragement, and I love to give encouragement. Hebrews 10:25 is my SSMT memory verse for the first half of November.  (It should be verse 21 of the year, but unfortunately I missed the second verse in September and October.  But it's ok.  I will have 22 verses that I have meditated on throughout 2011 and most of which I have memorized... some are new verses to me and some I am using to refresh myself.) 

Encouragement is a necessity in this life.  Hard times come... a hectic schedule, a difficult job, losing someone you love (through death or just a broken relationship), sickness, etc.  The list could go on and on.  But, through faith, we know that a wonderful day is coming... "the Day".  We cannot lose sight of this fact.  This Day should impact how we live each day of our lives.  This Day should encourage us to work through whatever hardships must come because we know that the light to the darkness is coming.  This Day should also encourage us to encourage those around us, our fellow believers as well as others in our life.  We need the encouragement of each other to push us to excel and make the best of what we are given.  Otherwise, it is far too easy for us to fall and make decisions that hurt not only us but those we have come in contact with throughout our lives as well.  May each of us be an encouragement to everyone we come in contact with today.  The simplest form of encouragement:  a smile! 

On your part...

Hello October!  I love fall... great weather and fun holidays & events...


Today is the first which means it's time for a new verse.  It should be verse 19, but I missed/skipped verse 18 on September 15th.  But I'm getting back on board with this verse...
If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.
Romans 12:18 (HCSB)


To me, this verse is a great reminder and encouragement of how we are supposed to live with and treat others... despite what they say/do.  I can only control me, and I am responsible for me!


Today was also a great day... I was blessed to watch my niece in a beauty pageant, enjoy a baby shower for a dear friend, eat lunch with family and friends, make a dress (with help from my mom, of course), eat dinner at my parents' house, and even be productive on school work.  It was a full day!


I'll try to post pictures soon.  But I'm sure y'all have noticed that it takes a little bit of time for me to post... let alone pictures.  Hope y'all enjoy fall!  I'll try to be back soon...  :)

Time

Time... such a precious thing... 
I don't seem to have enough of it.  But it keeps going and it's time for the next verse... 
Proverbs 16:24 (HCSB)
Pleasant words are a honeycomb: sweet to the taste and health to the body.
I just realized this encouraging verse the other day courtesy of a friend.  I hope it encourages you as well!

Truth

It's a new month which means it's time for a new verse.

Jeremiah 31:33 (ESV)

But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Now, I learned this verse years ago in Bible Drill.  However, I was reminded of the importance and significance of this verse in our Life Group yesterday.  Let me share some of our discussion...
God is creating a new covenant with His people.  He's taking away the old one.  The new covenant is basically the story of Jesus.  The new covenant introduced a personal relationship with God which was made possible through Jesus' life and death.  And it's our responsibility to "maintain" this covenant.

Well, that's all I've got for now.  I promise pictures and more blogging are coming soon!

Until next time,
Enjoy each day you have!

Update

Here's an update on my summer list...
- spend time with family and friends... build relationships... (check :))
- go to niece & nephews ball games
- plan, decorate, and help with VBS
- go on trips (been on a few :), one more to go)
- work out and get in better shape 
(this has been put on pause, I will resume next week =D)
- swim and maybe get a tan 
(haven't been lately :( but I am a lil darker, courtesy of a burn...)
- organize the file cabinet... papers have been stacking up for months...
- make a painting for guest bath... "splish, splash, taking a bath"...
- create & complete wedding photo album
- plan for classes next year (in progress!)
- save pictures to computer/disk... create photo albums (?)
- make some new crafts and/or foods... gotta find some ideas...
(These past two weeks some of the eats I've made are a Flag Cake, Tye-Dye Cupcakes, Potato Skins, Shrimp Parmesan Pasta, homemade peach ice cream... Yum!  I'll post pics when I get them to my comp)
- read books (Radical, Crazy Love, Don't Waste Your Life, Remarkable Women of the Bible, Love and Respect, First Love, Christ Centered Life, My Utmost for His Highest, Mathematics for Every Student (started this one), Why Didn't I Learn This in College, and more may be added)


So as you can see, there is still much to do.  But you probably also realize (like I do) that I am running out of time.  But it's ok.  I'll get done what I can and I'll tackle these other items some other time.  They're not summer only items.  Well, most of them are not.  I just usually have more time in the summer.  


If you hadn't noticed yet, today is the 15th... 
which means it's time for my next memory verse and I think it is quite appropriate...


Matthew 6:34 (HCSB)
Therefore don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. 
Each day has enough trouble of its own.


Until next time,
Focus on today (each day), don't miss out on everything around you

#13

It's the second half of the year... Only 12 more verses for 2011. Here's verse 13:

Deuteronomy 6:5 (ESV)
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 

I want to encourage you to "stop and chew" on this verse. Really think about what the Lord was saying to the Israelites.

Halfway!

After this next verse, I will be halfway through the year for SSMT.  It’s hard to believe that twenty-eleven is going by so quickly.  Here’s my next verse:

Colossians 3:17 (HCSB)

And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

When we posted our verse this time, we were also asked to complete the following statement. 

Memorizing scripture has helped me…
to keep my focus on what is important and not let the “little things” bog me down.

I really needed this reflection.  I have been down a little here lately.  Of course, I think part of the problem is that I have been busy… running ragged… and it’s summer!  I have yet to understand how my time disappears.  It doesn’t feel like I waste it on insignificant things, but it also doesn’t feel like I’m being as productive/useful as I should be.  I need to make sure I keep my focus on the things that truly matter and that I am working toward those goals especially.

On a positive note, I have accomplished a few things on my summer to do list…

-     - go to niece & nephews ball games

-     - VBS

-     - work out… Insanity… enough said…

-     - swim… went three days in a row last week  

-     - started reading one of my books:  Mathematics for Every Student

-     - cook new food:  Baked Potato Soup = yum!

Until next time, 

Enjoy your summer!!

Sweet Summertime

Well, summer has begun!  Not officially... there's about 20 more days until it's official... 


Nonetheless, summer is here.  And it is a great relief.  Plus it brings excitement.  Excitement to accomplish all of my summer goals.  And today, my friends, I'm going to share with you some of the things on my list: 
- spend time with family and friends... build relationships...
- go to niece & nephews ball games
- plan, decorate, and help with VBS
- go on trips 
- work out and get in better shape
- swim and maybe get a tan 
- organize the file cabinet... papers have been stacking up for months...
- make a painting for guest bath... "splish, splash, taking a bath"...
- create & complete wedding photo album
- plan for classes next year
- save pictures to computer/disk... create photo albums (?)
- make some new crafts and/or foods... gotta find some ideas...
- read books (Radical, Crazy Love, Don't Waste Your Life, Remarkable Women of the Bible, Love and Respect, First Love, Christ Centered Life, My Utmost for His Highest, Mathematics for Every Student, Why Didn't I Learn This in College, and more may be added)


So as you can see, I do not want to be lazy and waste my summer away.  And don't worry -- I will share the results of these lovely items.  I shall relax, but I shall also be productive.  Life is too short and too sweet to waste. 


As I begin this list, I have a new verse to be memorizing...
1 Kings 3:9a (NIV)
So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. 


Until next time,
Live Your Life!! 

Busy, Busy...

Busy, busy... dreadfully busy...

When summer is here, I will enjoy it!  I must.  I am too tired/exhausted and have been for about the past month.  So I will try and enjoy this next month the best I can... but come summer then there will definitely be some changes so that I can live life "better"...

Now, today is May Day (May 1st) which means that it is time for SSMT verse 9.


Philippians 4:11b (HCSB)
... for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

Oh how this verse needs to be true in my life.  Feel free to hold me accountable.  :)
And I do hope to become better with blogging as I make some changes...
Please don't give up on me just yet.

Spring has sprung!

Hello spring!  You have come with such attitude...
crazy temperatures - sometimes it feels like summer and others it feels like winter; storms and strong winds which make it ridiculous (and occasionally dangerous) to be outside sometimes; beautiful sunshine; sports- baseball, softball, tennis, golf, spring football games, basketball championships; excitement for summer and the end of school; and so much more...

I'm glad spring is here, but I am getting anxious for summer.
Hopefully I won't wish spring away and miss all of its goodness though.

Well, I must get back to being productive...

Here's verse eight for twenty-eleven:
May you be made strong with all the strength which comes from His glorious power, so that you may be able to endure everything with patience.
Colossians 1:11

One-fourth

SSMT update:
Six verses down and only eighteen to go.

This time I had trouble deciding on my next verse to memorize.  It was the end of Friday (April 1) by the time I finally decided.  It comes from a devotional that I had read the night before.  These words are quite interesting to me.  And I don't think that I had read them before the other night.  Now I'm going to share them with you.  Chew on this...

2 Corinthians 2:14-15 (HCSB)
But thanks be to God, who always puts us on display in Christ and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.  For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

Rejuvenated!

re-ju-ve-nate
to make (someone or something) look or feel younger, fresher, or more lively

I love when things are clean and organized.  It gives me a slight peace when everything "has a home".  Well, our second bedroom has been filled with boxes and all of the extra stuff since we moved.  It has been bothering me occasionally, to say the least.  So last weekend after the several snow days I decided it was time to tackle that room and all of that stuff.  Now I can finally say that it is cleaned up and mostly organized... only a few boxes remain in the closet.  It's so refreshing!

I also love the beautiful weather we've been having around here.  Now, it's definitely not our normal February weather, but it is quite nice after the snow and cold.  Of course, the cold will probably return before summer but I will enjoy the sun and warmth while it is here!

It's been a LONG week but I am thankful for the rejuvenation found in the different aspects of life...
Another good way to be rejuvenated- God's Word!  Here's my fourth scripture memory verse for 2011...

Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world.  Philippians 2:14-15 (HCSB)

Finally...

Finally... I am writing a new post.  Unfortunately life has been consistently busy, and I seem to stay exhausted.  It's almost depressing.  I'm used to not sleeping a lot, but I am not used to feeling exhausted this much.  Besides there is too much to do in order to get enough sleep each night so I'm not exhausted.

Anyway, today is February 1st which means it is time for verse 3 in Siestaville...
2 Corinthians 5:15
"And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised."

The other day I was contemplating what my next verse to memorize would be.  And then we had small groups the other night.  A great group of young ladies and women were discussing what it means to be missional.  We were reading and discussing a passage from 2 Corinthians 5, and then... one of the wise girls said that verse 15 looked like a good verse for us to daily focus on and live by.  It caught me off guard, but I was so excited and thankful for that insight.  I then encouraged each of us to focus on this verse each day this week and apply what we've learned/discussed from the other night.

Something to catch you up on... our cooking adventure...
cooking up new recipes, of course we make a few adaptations along the way...

Last week, we made oven-fried fish and mac & cheese 101.  The fish was delicious!  The mac & cheese was good, but we should have edited an overlooked ingredient.  The recipe called for a little nutmeg.  Ok, mix it in; it'll be fine.  Well, a little nutmeg goes a long way.  Needless to say, that pan of mac & cheese was a waste because we did to eat our first helping.  And my man loves mac & cheese.

                  

           




Well, this week's new dish was much welcomed, to say the least... chicken and dumplins!  First of all, I love chicken and dumplins.  It turned out delicious.  Unfortunately we started off with a rather different/weird recipe.  So in the middle we had to do some calling around and grocery shopping but the end result was worth it!  :)

I hope February brings some new adventures your way... just make sure you take time to rest along the way.  (Don't worry, I'm speaking to me as well... probably even more than to you...)

Verse 2

It's January 15th which means it's time to post the next verse I'm memorizing.  Here it is...


"If you do right, won't you be accepted? But if you do not do right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must master it."
Genesis 4:7, HCSB


This verse comes from the story of Cain and Abel.  They had given offerings to God.  God looked on favor of Abel's offering but not Cain's.  Cain was upset.  God approached Cain asking why he was upset and then reminding him that he would be accepted if he did what was right.  


Evidently Cain's offering was not a true offering/sacrifice to God.  He gave God an offering, yes; but Cain did not give God his best.  Unfortunately, I am guilty of putting other things before God and not giving Him my best as well.  May I take the warning of needing to master sin seriously...


Cain did not master the sin crouching at his door.  He became jealous of his brother which led to anger and even the murder of Abel.


As I memorize this verse, I hope that I am also able to remember the lesson and truth from this passage...

24 in 2011

One of the things I plan to do this year through my blog is join the Siesta Scripture Memory Team... memorizing 24 Bible verses in 2011.  So on the 1st and 15th of each month I am going to post the verse that I will be memorizing throughout those two weeks.
Here's the first one...

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
and all these things will be provided for you."
Matthew 6:33, HCSB

I am excited about this upcoming year, and my goal is to keep God first and follow wherever/however He may lead.  I want to truly submit and surrender my life each day.
It will be trying at times, I'm sure, but it is what I am called to do.  :)