On Mondays I share just a quick word - usually something I have jotted down from my recent readings - to ponder as you face your week head-on. Monday musings, if you will. This word is for mommas, or anyone who is unsure they have what it takes to spiritually influence another.
Each week I join the Five Minute Friday community and write for 5 minutes flat on the one-word prompt given for that week. Lots of fun and a little scary to be so vulnerable. This week's word: Share. Back when the world was larger, when it took days or weeks - not seconds - for a letter to travel from one side of the country to another, four men in the mid-west followed the news of the Korean War and felt the coming of an inevitable military draft. None of them knew each other, but as boys who grew up in fields as far as the eye can see, they all had a common plan: join the Navy because it seemed like their best chance to ever see the ocean. (Remember, the world was much larger back then.) So joined the Navy they did.
And somewhere out on the west coast, or on a ship on the Pacific Ocean... these four young men became friends. And their wives, all sailor's wives misplaced from the mid-west and California dreamin' while their men were at sea, became friends, too. And they shared - ships, apartments, joys and losses. They honorably discharged. They went home. They continued to share. They met roughly 60 years ago, and today I'm part of the third generation - of four generations - of friends as close as family. So many stories they share - we all share - because of those friendships that started back when the world was larger. One week back to blogging and I've already lost my rhythm. This wasn't necessarily a "resolution" for me, but realizing I'm already a bit behind reminds me of what a friend shared in church a few weeks ago - by now most people have already broken their New Year's resolution. Thankfully she shared this statistic in the context that while we break our own promises - even ones made to ourselves - God never breaks His promises. Which is why they're worth memorizing. Which is why I'm writing about this here and now. It should be stated that I am not very good at memorizing scripture and I'm not writing this as an expert. Oh no. I'm writing this to say, "yeah, me too. Let's try again?" Here's what has worked for me so far: 1. Music I think the argument for the power of music in memorizing and meditation (i.e. getting something stuck in your head) can be built in three words: Let it go. Seriously, who in North America doesn't know at lease some of the lyrics to that song? Music is a powerful tool. My kids love music. See where I'm going with this? In a desperate attempt to find some decent music my kids can listen to but doesn't make me crazy I found Seeds Family Worship. God bless them all. They do a great job using scripture as their only lyrics to tunes that I can live with (and live with I do, because my kids love music). Their albums include a variety of themes, such as faith, courage, praise, purity, purpose, and more. We currently have these two albums in our library: Seeds of Praise Vol. 3 Seeds of Courage Vol. 1 You can listen to the full songs and full albums right from their website's music store (just select "listen now" from any of their albums). Free is cool, but if you can spare the cash, this is definitely a ministry worth supporting. When you order a physical CD from them, you get two copies of each CD - one for you and one to share. How cool is that? This is such an effective way to memorize scripture that I started doing it on accident. 2. Visual Appeal Now that I have shared with you that I actually enjoy some "kids tunes" I might as well embarrass myself some more by telling you I'm a tad shallow and chose my current memorization challenge on visual appeal. I'm a huge Ann Voskamp fan, and she has a wonderful selection of freebies available on her website here: A Holy Experience Free Tools Library. There are several different memorization packs available to download and print for free. Easy breezy and beautiful. 3. Accountability My most successful endeavors have been the ones where I had an accountability partner -- scripture memorization is no exception. For me there is nothing that will push me more than really truly wanting to see someone else succeed. Honestly, I'm currently lacking a "memorization partner," and I know this will be the difference between success and failure in this area of my life this year. So, tell me, have you memorized scripture? What techniques work for you? ============================================== Bonus material: If you have a little extra time, here is a short video (less than 4 minutes) where John Piper makes 8 compelling arguments for the value of memorizing scripture. The content is excellent if you don't mind some good ol' fashioned preaching. |
About
I'm a blog-at-home mom who writes because my sanity depends on it. I'm a Jesus-lover, family gal, coffee addict, recovering hoarder in a small New England town that bears a suspiciously close resemblance to "Stars Hallow" (and if you know where that is, we're friends already!). I am working towards simple living, one step at a time.
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