Happy New Year! Scripture memory verse 1!

Happy New Year blog friends!

I love this day that ushers in a new year, a new month, and a new decade. New beginnings! Gotta love 'em!

For those of you that have been reading my blog for awhile, you know that one of my focuses in 2009 was on scripture memory. I joined my "Scripture Mama" Beth Moore via her blog community at Living Proof Ministries last year two times a month to post the scripture passages I worked on memorizing. I'm not sure if Mama Beth is going to continue this in a blog format again this year, but I loved it so much that I have determined to do so. It really made a huge impact on me last year - got me deeper into God's word and enabled me opportunities to use the scriptures that I memorized in very tangible ways.

So, I'm going to follow the same format that we were instructed to do last year. It worked very well and works even better to have friends doing it together for accountability purposes! Care to join me? Here's how it's going to work...

1. Go to your local Walmart, Walgreens, Target or something similar and pick up a spiral bound index card set (like in the picture below). They really are inexpensive, and will help to keep your scriptures organized all in one place.



2. On the 1st and 15th of each month, we'll be choosing a verse from scripture to memorize. It can be as short or as long as you'd like, but I would encourage you to choose something challenging and yet not so challenging that you set yourself up for failure from the get-go. These need to be scriptures that you've never committed to memory before. They don't have to be ones you've never heard just ones you've never memorized. Some of the ones that I chose last year were ones I've heard my whole but never took the time to memorize. If you're struggling with choosing a scripture, then I invite you to memorize the same one that I'm doing. I certainly don't mind sharing!

3. Then, write your scripture, book and verse(s), and Bible translation on one of your index cards. Carry that spiral around with you everywhere - car, work, bathroom, whatever it takes to write that verse on your heart.

4. After writing it down, come back here and post a comment and include the same things in the verse above...the actual Biblical reference with book and verse(s) as well as your first name, city and state. That's it! It's simply a way to hold each of us accountable. We'll do this each month on the 1st and 15th, and you'll be amazed at how God uses this discipline in your life!

Now...I realize that with this being New Year's Day, you may not have time or desire to rush right out and buy a spiral notebook. That's okay. Just try to do so as soon as possible. For today, you can just write the verse down on a piece of paper and transfer to your spiral later. Just start!

Some of you may happen upon this blog post after January 1 and still wish to be included. OF COURSE you may still join us. This is not a selective community. The more the merrier, and if I happen to be the only one posting on the 1st and 15th - I'm still going to do it. However, the more public I make this - the more accountable I'm going to be.

Lastly - tell all your friends to stop by! I'd love to see this scripture community grow. It's one of my passions! I honestly don't care if they don't want to read a single one of my blog posts, but I'd be tickled pink to have them join us these two days a month!

So...are you going to join me? What's holding you back? Here we go...

My first scripture passage of the month (and year) is coming from my absolutely favorite New Testament book of the Bible - James! I've really thought a lot about the fact that I use the faith word rather loosely. Yes, I have faith about this or I have faith about that...blah blah blah. The real question is this - am I putting feet to my faith or is it all talk? That's where this verse comes in.

James 2:17 (NLT)
So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

Ouch! James gave us some pretty tough words to chew on, and I especially love the New Living Translation of this verse.

Another tool for you to use if you'd like to examine different translations of a verse to help you decide which to use is BibleGateway.com. I love that website!

So...are you in? Are you going to walk this scripture memorization journey with me in 2010? Ready to get spiritually healthier? Jump aboard! Let's embark!