Memorize
Memorizing is an interesting concept. I have several things to memorize right now, and my brain defiantly feels overloaded. It's gotten to the point where I bring a folder of material to memorize with me everywhere. Yesterday I was about to sit down to go over my speech one more time, and my little mind requested that we do anything but memorize, so I read a Pulliam book instead. It was like a treat to read instead of memorize.
Memorizing is mental weight lifting. You do the same thing, saying it out loud over and over again, and at some point you have to stop because you're about to die. When you hit your breaking point you set it down, and move on to something else, but a day later, it's much easier to do the exact same thing, and your breaking point comes later. It's an interesting concept.
At the moment I'm rememorizing my Right to Life speech, all the lines for my part in The King and I, our Bob Evan's menu abbreviations, and Matthew 5. The difference in all of these is interesting. My mind picks up the lines best, because it's a dialogue. The speech is different because I wrote it so every time I review it I feel compelled to be on the look out for improvement, so I am constantly marking up the work I'm memorizing and making it more difficult to recite for the next time. The menu is fairly easy because usually they are obvious like Homefries are H in the Homefries section, but then some are totally odd, and it gets a bit confusing. The Scriptures are my favorite but the most neglected. My brain doesn't tire so quickly when I memorize the Bible, and it's because it is energizing to recite the Word of God. "Men shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God." Sadly, I get my priorities mixed up, and I don't tackle my Scripture memory the way I should.
Alright, all this to say I should be working on other things, thanks for listening. What are you memorizing in the Bible right now? Have you worked on it today? You should, it's not healthy to starve yourself.
Spring Happy
This morning, heavy-laden with materials for my day at school, I am overwhelmed with the smell of spring. The snow is melting, and the air has a warm hopeful smell. What a wonderful season. Spring is full of hope and life. Spring is a time of melting away the bitter cold of winter and rejoicing in the growth evident everywhere. I'm glad that we have a spring every year. God is so good.
I want to learn
I want to learn
how to love when people are unlovable.
I want to learn
how to give when I feel empty inside.
I want to learn
how to hide God's Word in my heart.
I want to learn
how to seek first His Kingdom.
I want to learn
how to trust God with the people that I love, and that He loves more.
I want to learn
how to be a virtuous woman.
I want to learn
how to go without material things for Christ's Kingdom.
I want to learn
how to submit in my heart when I disagree with authority.
I want to learn
how to be patient instead of being irritable.
I want to learn
how to be gracious instead of being unkind.
I want to learn
how to pick up my cross daily and follow Him.
I want to learn
how to share the Gospel everyday.
I want to learn
how to turn the other cheek.
I want to learn
how to share my things with people who are ungrateful.
I want to learn
how to teach God's truth through History.
I want to learn
how to care about others before myself.
I want to learn
how to enjoy God.
I want to learn
how to abide in Jesus.
They called Him teacher for a reason.
For All You Girls...
You are beautiful. Not because of some lucky genes, but because you are saved. A regenerate heart is the most beautiful thing this world can sustain. Don't forget to praise the one who made you beautiful. Don't forget to adore the Man who died for you. It was no small thing. It took the blood of God Himself to make your beautiful. May He be praised.
You are lovely. Not because of some fortunate romantic relationship, but because you are loved by Love itself. God loves you. He cares more about your then you can fathom. He loved you, so that you could be lovely. He loved you so that you could love. Don't forget to love He who loved you first. Don't forget to love Him enough to follow His commandments, "If you love me, then keep my commandments."
You are honored. Not because you born into some royal family, but because He choose to honor you. He gave up His honor so that you may regain yours. Don't replace it with a cheap reputation. He has given you the title of Princess, "a daughter of the King". Remember to act like the honorable woman He has made you to be.
You are pure. Not because you have kept the law, but because He has. His righteous blood has washed your heart pure. Don't toss it away for momentary pleasure. Imagine your earthly Father's reaction if you were to confess to him some compromising of your purity. How much more does your heavenly Father desire your heart to be blameless before Him? How much more does He love you? How much more does He know about your motives and actions? Don't throw away the desire of Christ our Bridegroom. Right now our beauty is desired by Him (Ps. 45:10) but He will deny us if we deny His work, and live like girls of the world seeking "love" where it can’t be found.
You are noble. Not because of some great act that you have done, but because of His saving grace. You were lost, dead, completely blind. Yet because of His work you are found, because of his Life you are alive, and because of his power you are healed-you can see. Don't throw away the talent and the time He has given you. Do noble things for your Lord. No one else is worthy of your constant attendance. Give Him your heart and your zeal, and you will please Him. Someday He will say to you, "Well done My good, and faithful servant."
You are peaceful. Not because your have reasoned yourself to some point of sanity, but because His everlasting peace-which surpasses understanding- lives in you. Do not forget and become anxious. You would be acting like a pagan (Matt. 6:28) to worry. Rather, rest in Him. "Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you." Your Father in Heaven knows what you need, and He will supply it. Trust in Him, and abide in peace all the days of your life.
Now, against these things there is no law. Do not forget who you are in Christ. Do not forget what is yours by inheritance. Live for Him. Live in Him. Further your beauty, loveliness, purity, honor, nobility, and peace. Give Him your heart again today, and allow Him to work in and through you. For the greatness of His glory and honor.
"Seek first the Kingdom of God."
Amen.
Something Old, Something New,
Isn't it awesome that our God is the God who created the world? He is an eternal God. He has always been. He is the God of the first people who walked on this world. He is the God of great Kings, and defenseless widows. He is the God of men who lived for hundreds of years, and infants in the womb. He is the God of the sea, and the sky. He is the God of the earth and everything that lives upon it. He is God. Let us praise His worthy name.
Yet, He is somehow perfected through suffering. Jesus Christ is God-amen, but He is also Savior. He is the "Old" God that has been and always will be. He was born of a woman. He lived a perfect life in our place, complete obedience to the Father. He died cursed and hated in our place, for our sins. He saved His people, and He brought glory to His Father. His Father in turn has brought glory to Him.
What is it? Why should Jesus Christ the everliving God, die for us? We hated Him. He loved us. Let us fear the God of Heaven and earth. Let us fear the God who has the power to send souls to Hell forever. Let us fear the God who spoke and the world was brought into being. Let us fear this God who has saved our wretched souls. Let us fear Him will all our hearts. Perhaps if we were to have proper fear for God, then we'd be about His business.
We don't know when Jesus will come. He is coming. Let us not be lazy. Let us be ready for His return. It will be a fearful day. Many will say, "Lord, Lord," and He will say He never knew them. Let us be quick to love righteouness and abide in Jesus.
"And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assureance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of thsoe who through faith and patience inherit the promises." Hebrews 6:11-12
