The inspiration behind my inspiration.....

As you may remember, I was inspired to learn scripture through reading Ann Voskamp's blog...

 However, do you want to read the story of how SHE was inspired to learn Colossians?  It's such a challenge, reading of the heritage that has come of the scripture memorisation that came before....  read it, and be refreshed in your own commitment to memorise the scriptures.

Keep on keeping on.

Freedom to memorise the Bible

I found this article whilst on my internet travels.  It is all about scripture memorisation in persecuted countries and how important it is.  Please read it - your heart will be challenged, and you will realise what a precious thing it is to freely have the scriptures.

In order to receive a Bible in one Christian fellowship in Vietnam, where scriptures are few and far between, the criteria for receiving a Bible was.....to flawlessly recite PSALM 119!  And you thought Philippians was a challenge?!

I know I cannot flawlessly recite the verses I am learning, so far.  I am still stumbling and struggling for perfection.

 Are we too comfortable with our freedoms, and take for granted the precious book we hold in our hands?  We know we can pick it up and read it whenever we want, so we don't take the time to truly hide the words in our hearts.  I really  have found that having them learnt well brings them to my mind with more readiness.

Remember your persecuted Brothers and Sisters in Christ in your prayers.  And, be thankful for waht you have, whilst diligently learning the words of scripture...we don't know when we may not have God's Word so readily to hand.

are you all hanging in there?....

hi folks!

I am sorry things went quiet for a few weeks!  I had been on holiday ("vacation" for you American's!), and since I came back I have had a grumpy, teething 1 year old and then a special weekend of services at our Church.  I was doing a lot of baking, and providing hospitality for a lot of people (ie 25 for dinner on the Saturday, before the service!).

So, I have been here, busily learning, but not blogging!

How are things going?  Are you getting those verses learnt - and learnt well?  I have to confess, that I have struggled with the last couple of weeks.  As I add more new verses, I seem to find it difficult to remember "what comes next", although I could tell you the verses "not joined together", so to speak! I seem to need far too much prompting to remember which verse comes next!  But, it's coming on - I'm getting better.  Improvement in little steps is better than no improvement.  And, the more I repeat it, the better I will learn it.

I have had little helps from various children, as well as Robert keeping me on track too.

Please share how you are doing!  Let us know how you are being blessed and encouraged by the scripture we have learned so far.

Praying for you all.

Summer reading with Good Morning Girls

I mentioned in one of my earlier posts about how the Lord used my Good Morning Girls group to challenge me about memorising the scriptures.

Today, they have just started their summer reading session.  It will based around the book by Sally Clarkson "The Ministry of Motherhood".  You can read a review of it here.  Sally Clarkson is a woman with a real heart for the Lord, and for encouraging ladies in their role of motherhood.  I am really looking forward to reading this book with my group.  It's not too late to sign up with a group.  If you go to the forum on here you can find others looking for a group, or if you know others who would be interested, then you can start your own!  The book is available from many online retailers.  They also have a daily scripture to read and study, if you would rather do that.  Or, you can carry on with a study of your own, but just have a group to be accountable to.

This week is just the week to introduce yourself to your group, so they haven't started reading the book yet.

I know how much it has blessed my heart and life by having an accountability group for my devotions.  I am sure it would be a blessing for you too!

Wednesday in the Word

So sorry this is a bit late going out, but I am in "holiday mode"!

"For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; 

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"   Philippians 1:5-6 

I have taken great encouragement from verse 6.  Christ is doing a work in my life.  It's a good work.  There are so many days where I feel that I have let the Lord down - I don't do what I should do - I don't speak to others the way I should  - I don't have the right attitudes.  But, do you know what?  God is working in my life!  HE began that work, the day that I trusted in Him as my Saviour.  HE will continue to work in my life - day by day - hour by hour - moment by moment.  No matter how I seem to fail, He is still working.  Like a potter moulding a piece of clay - there may be multiple re-mouldings, and corrections of flaws, but there is a good work in progress! He won't give up on me - cast me off as a failure, or not worth the effort.  The work will continue until I am perfected in Christ in glory.

I am so thankful to the Lord for the work that He is doing, and particularly from the encouragement of learning His Word. 

So, will you share with us what you have learnt this week?  Looking forward to hearing from you - don't forget you can just share in the comment section below.

A wonderful example

Last week I had the give-away for the Journible.  These books promote the concept of writing out God's Word for yourself, just as they had to do in the days before they had the Scripture's in print.  The discipline of writing it out helps to cement it in out minds.


On the topic of memorising and writing, I came across this excerpt, here.

Learning from the Persecuted

The persecuted Christians place much importance on heart knowledge of the Scripture. Our dear friend Sabina Wurmbrand told us that before she was arrested in Romania she was very poor. But while in prison she became very rich.

This was because as a pastor's wife she was not well off with this world's goods. However, she was rich in the only currency that mattered in prison - the Word of God. And because she had stored up such spiritual treasures through Bible memorisation, Sabina Wurmbrand was able to make fellow prisoners rich in the Word of God.

The persecuted Churches of Eastern Europe placed a high priority on Scripture memorisation. Many congregations had corporately memorised the entire Bible. So at any given service the pastor could call upon some member to recite from memory any chapters of those books of the Bible which he had been assigned to memorise.

Some Christians had wrapped a spare Bible in a plastic bag and buried it in anticipation of later confiscation. Often I came across families engaged in writing out the whole Bible by hand. When Bibles were very scarce precious copies were rotated amongst members of the congregation. Many families then used their night to copy as much of the Bible as possible - by hand. Most Christians had memorised a wide selection of hymns and chapters of the Bible.

(Learn more about Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand here )

I wonder, if the Pastor's of our Churches called upon US to recite scripture, in the Western world, would we be able to do it??

And the winner is.....

........ VICKI!

You are the winner of the Journible!

If you could contact me with your address, then I will get it sent to you ASAP!!

I hope that folks have been inspired to get one for themselves.  I will certainly be buying myself one!

Trust you are all getting on well with your memorisation - please feel free to share how things are going!