One of the best ways to grow spiritually is to memorize Scripture. 

The Lord encouraged His people in Deuteronomy 11:18-20, Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

This was followed by a promise:  So that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth. (v. 21)

God wants us to enjoy a long a prosperous life.  Knowing and following His Word are key means to achieving this.

In his book, Faith Set Free, Pastor Will Davis Jr. shares the following tips for Scripture memorization:

1.     Use flash cards.  Write down the verse in an index card and go over it until you’ve memorized it.  I really like something I saw Mario Fernandez (one of the pastors at our church) do:  He laminates a set of small flash cards with different Bible verses; he punches a hole on one end of each card and then holds them together with a key ring.  This allows him to carry along his Bible verses and work on memorizing them whenever he has some spare time.

2.     Write them out.  “Pick two or three verses you want to learn each week, then write them out every day,” says Pastor Davis, “before the week is over, you’ll be able to write them from memory.”

3.     Sing them.  Pastor Davis suggests making up tunes or using tunes we already know to sing passages of Scripture.  I have to confess, I’d feel silly doing this, but that might work for you!  (And you’d probably sound much better.)

4.     Post them.  This tip is actually not in the book, but it’s worked great for my family.  I copy a Bible verse in an index card and “post” it on my refrigerator – one of the most popular and visible places in my home.  Some people post their memory verses on their desk, computer, or bathroom mirror.  Just make sure to change your cards on a regular basis. 

5.     Learn them with a friend.  Pastor Davis suggests finding a friend that would commit to learning a weekly Bible verse with you.  You could agree to call or e-mail each other to recite your weekly memory verse.  Something I did (that I need to get back into) is read our weekly verse to my family before thanking God for our dinner.  Back when my kids were little, I would have them repeat this verse back to me.  They would participate enthusiastically, but now they’re too cool for that.  I guess the trick is to adjust this practice to your family’s growing needs.

I hope these tips will encourage you to pursue the practice of Scripture memorization, so that — like Job — you may say, I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread. (Job 23:12)

Ana

http://anastinescorner.blogspot.com/

Wow… that’s all I can say about the sermon this weekend.

I love the way Jack taught about Worship not being “Worship” until I am the sacrifice!

It’s so true that we all worship something. Sometimes we think it’s God that we are worshiping but who really sits on the throne of your heart? This was a question that lingered in my mind after service yesterday.

These past few months my mind has felt like a battle ground. I came across an area in my life that I had a hard time letting go of. This was a part of my life that I knew deep in my heart the Lord wanted me to place on the altar. Like Abraham I could not understand why God would ask me to give up something that meant so much to me. I also tried to reason with God and figure it out. But the more I tried the more I became confused!

So I went around the mountain over and over again until I finally threw my hands up and surrendered this thing to God. I realized it was an area of my life that God wanted me to release so He could give me more. He wanted to fill this void in my heart that I was allowing this IDOL to fill. Yes I say IDOL because that’s what it became. It was something that took my thoughts, feelings, and emotions away from the things of God!

I love the way Jack said that “Worship allows us to see ourselves clearly”. God wants all of our heart, He knows the desires of our heart and He promise that if we seek first His kingdom that He will give us the desires of our heart but this will be according to His perfect Will not ours!

We need stop trying to earn Gods grace and stop trying to live our lives the way we think we are suppose to live. We were created to worship Him and as long as we do just that He will do the rest! It’s when we Worship and draw near to God that we discover His plan and His purpose for our lives.

I want to leave you with these awesome words that Jack spoke into my heart on Sunday… “Stop focusing on rebuking the DARKNESS submit to God and the darkness will flee.” When we submit our full hearts to God holding nothing back our hearts and minds become more and more like the God we Worship!

Romans 12:1

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Love

Eva

The weekend of August 22-23, Pastor Brian started a new series on leadership. If you missed that weekend service for some reason, I want to encourage you to either get the CD or listen online by clicking here.

Let me just say, that I couldn’t take notes fast enough.  Brian was speaking truth after truth about much more than leadership.  It was really about living a life of obedience.

One truth stood out above the rest:  Saying yes always involves a very big no.

How I have learned that in my own life, and STILL need to learn it in some areas.  For example, saying yes to reading God’s Word often involves saying no to novel.  Saying yes to healthy eating means saying no to that extra piece of pizza.  

 Not only is this truth good for spiritual discipline, but it’s a healthy truth for finding balance in my life. I would like to just say yes to every good thing.  But I only have so much time, so much energy and so much money.  

Every time I say yes to an opportunity, I have to say no to something else.  If I keep trying to do it all, I’ll drive myself (and those around me) crazy. 

I said yes to home schooling my daughter Cathrine.  And I’m having to say no to a number of things in order to fit it in to our schedule.  My no is Facebook.  I just don’t have the time to check it. 

In the coming month, many women will be stepping in to a position of leadership in a small group.  These women have said yes to serving God by serving other women.  My guess is that each one is having to say no to a lot.  No to the fear that no one will show up.  No to the insecurity that she doesn’t know enough.  No to the extra time she had on Saturday morning or Wednesday night.  That’s just one group of women who are saying yes and making sacrifices.  There are many more.

Even though saying yes means saying no to something, I have found that God blesses a “yes heart.”  It is my prayer that every woman who says yes to God at VCNP has her cup of blessings filled to overflowing. 

In His Love,

Glynnis Whitwer

www.GlynnisWhitwer.com

How does one “wait on the Lord”?

Isaiah 40:31 says that, those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (NKJV)

Years ago, I heard this woman over the radio share how she got up every morning, sat on her sofa, closed her eyes, quieted her heart, and – as she sat very still – she waited for God to speak to her.

She sounded to me like such a godly inspiration!  However, I had to be honest with myself and accept the fact that her morning experiences would never work for someone like me.  Really, comatose as I am every morning, sitting on a warm and cozy couch and closing my eyes would only make me snore.  As far as I recall, I have never successfully quieted my heart or mind by sitting down attempting to be still.

Even if I managed to stay awake, my mind would drift from the Lord and his goodness to my unfinished grocery list or the next project that needs tackling or whether or not my son’s appointment was this afternoon or the next.

Definitely not a very productive, quiet bonding time with Jesus.

I have friends I greatly admire, who can sit through an hour-long meeting without moving a muscle.  They appear calm and relaxed and focused.  When I find myself wondering what would that be like, I cringe remembering I need to be paying attention to what’s being said instead of gaping at people.  It’s very sad.

So what did the Psalmist mean by being “still before the LORD and wait[ing] patiently for him” (Psalm 37:7, NIV)?  Does that mean that un-still, extremely impatient gals like me are basically doomed?

Fear not my fellow ADHD-ers!

As I shared with you before, I do get up every morning and I do eventually manage to slow down the ol’ mind and sit on my comfy recliner to spend quality time with God.  Sometimes I even close my eyes without drifting into beautiful places where George Clooney or a much younger Paul Newman tell me I am the one, and I flutter my long and dense eye lashes and tell them, “Oh, stop it!”  And you say, in you dreams, girl!  And I say, exactly.  So… where was I?

Oh, yes!  How do I wait?  To me, the simple act of honoring the Lord by prioritizing my devotional is an act of waiting.  I’d much rather jump out of bed and dive directly into my to-do list (those are figures of speech, it’d be more precise to say, “drag myself out of bed” and after a shower and a cup of coffee or two” engage in my daily chores” but I’m still dreaming.)

One of the many things I love about Christianity is that it is so practical.  I can do practical.  I can get up in the mornings to take the time to pray and read my Bible.  I can force myself to do this before doing anything else.  And, for me, that is as still and as patient as it’s going to get.  But God knows that in my heart I am seeking to honor Him.

And that, my friends, is how I wait. 

How do you wait on the Lord?  I’m dying to hear.

Curious,

Ana

Psalm 5:3, In the morning, oh Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. (NIV)

Most days, I wake up around the same time.  Most days, I have a to-do list a mile long.  Most days, I battle the urge to jump out of bed and tackle this list, ASAP… but I know better.

A sweet voice whispers in my ear, nudging me out of bed, down the stairs and onto my living room recliner, for a meeting with my Creator.  The inclination to rush through my prayer requests so that I can move on with my day intensifies… but I know better.

On good days, I take deep breaths, pace the living room floor, and beg, “Lord, please calm down this crazy mind of mine!  I need You.  I know better than to start my day without Your touch.  Please teach me to wait on You.”

On the not-so-good ones, I just pace the living room floor and begin the sprint down my prayer list.  Mercifully, it doesn’t take long for the Holy Spirit to capture my heart and mind and to take me to a place where, enthralled by His love, I forget all about life’s rushes.

This act of obedience and submission is what I call “a tithe of my time.” When you tithe, you give back a small percentage of the total amount God blesses you with.  When you tithe your income, you trust Him to bless the remainder percentage so that is enough to fulfill your financial obligations.

In the same manner, when I have enough sense to start my day dedicating a small portion of it to spend it solely with God – what I call my devotional – I am trusting Him to bless the remainder hours of the day so that I can get done whatever needs to.

The beauty of this spiritual mini-battle I face every morning is two-fold.  On one hand, the more I experience God’s presence the easier it gets to overcome my selfish, hardheaded ways and my tendencies to skip my devotional.  On the other, the more I see the difference this investment of my time makes on the rest of my day –and on my attitude – the more I am compelled to “re-invest” the following morning.

Praying is not hard for someone like me, who’s enjoyed a relationship with God since her youth.  I pray all the time!  The deal with someone like me, a doer plagued by impatience and impulsiveness, is that it is very hard not to treat her morning devotionals like another item in her to-do list.

It is hard for girls like me to wait upon the Lord.  But girls like me, who understand the difference those early encounters make in their lives, know better.

Is it hard for you to slow down and wait?  If so, tell us about it!  We at Vineyard Women love to hear your insights.

Yesterday, Pastor Brian taught us about the importance of belonging to a church.  Wrapped inside that great message, was a challenge to me.  And it had to do with planning spiritual growth.

I love to plan.  I plan my menus for the week.  I plan my day.  As a family, we plan our vacations.  My husband even puts our trips on a spreadsheet.  I know that would freak out the spontaneous travellers, but it works for us.  As much as I enjoy planning, I never thought about planning my spiritual growth until yesterday. 

The Bible verse Pastor Brian read was Hebrews 6:1a.  It says, “Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity” (NAS). 

Brian asked if we knew anyone who had been a Christian for 5, 10, 15, or even 20 years who wasn’t very spiritually mature.   While I might have been able to think of someone else, my mind immediately went to those areas in my own life that I wish were different.  I can easily list a handful of spiritual fruit that is still unripe on the vine.  And I can see how  I haven’t applied as much consistent effort and planning to those areas of my personality, as I have to my to-do list.  

Today, I’d like to invite some conversation on the blog about this concept.  I’d like you to share one or two ways you have planned your spiritual growth.  Or maybe you have a habit or practice that helps you grow spiritually.  Please post a comment on the blog so we can all learn.

As an incentive, I’ll be giving away a book called ”His Princess Bride” by Sheri Rose Shepherd.  This is a beautiful little hardcover book filled encouraging words of love from Jesus to His bride.  On Wednesday at 5 p.m. I’ll randomly select someone who posted to win the book.  Please make sure you include your email address in the post so I can contact you.

As an editor of a magazine, I get lots of free books.  This is just the first of many we’ll be giving away. 

Have a great week in Christ!

In His Love,

Glynnis

www.GlynnisWhitwer.com