Verse 13

(I actually found this verse and wrote this June 26th... I just couldn't wait until the 1st!!!)

Don't y'all just love how the Holy Spirit is so personal and so faithful to speak to us through Scripture? I'm doing a study workbook that I picked up at Lifeway at the beginning of the summer called The Living Room Series - Ruth: Loss, Love, & Legacy by Kelly Minter. I had heard of her through Beth Moore's blog and another study called No Other Gods (which I fully intend to do at some point...). However, this one pretty much jumped off the shelf at me and I am completely confident that the Lord was guiding me to select it because He had a good work to do in me through it... It's one of those that seems to hit me exactly where I need it every single time I sit down with it. The part I love most about that is that I tend to be a little inconsistent, and yet it's all still perfectly timed. For example, there are some weeks when I spend time working on it each day. There are others, like the most recent, when for one reason or another, I seem to put it off for a few days. I've reached the part where Ruth goes to the threshing floor at Naomi's direction. This week I just wasn't feeling up for it. I didn't want to read about Ruth making a bold move and how Boaz responded... I wasn't interested in the love story. And yet, this morning, I made myself jump back into it... You know what? At least for today's lesson, it wasn't at all what I expected. It was about how Ruth had to take off her mourning garments and let go of her past in order to prepare herself for the next thing God was doing in her life. Yikes. Hit me right between the eyes. So all that to say, that's where my newest verse is coming from. It was included in my study today, and it was just what I know I need right now. I know that in isolation from the rest of the passage, it's a bit out of context - but I really just feel like the Lord knew I needed it. I love the power in the promise at the end... To make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert is like making something out of nothing. Sometimes I feel like that is what God is going to have to do in my life. Yet it's no coincidence that we love and serve a God who specializes in doing that very thing. :)

Jamey - Morris, AL

"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

Isaiah 43:18-19 (ESV)

Verse 12

Just as I thought, my last "verse" was not so much a success with memorization. However, that could be because my index card spiral spent a lot of time in my purse and not a lot of time in front of my face. Why didn't anyone tell me that 5 grad school summer classes would be a lot of work???

Oh wait.

And just to add to my lacking effort, I'm not even going to type this week's encouragement. I'm going to copy and paste it directly from Beth Moore's Scripture memory blog from this morning... I'm thinking that's okay though. She probably has better things to say than I do anyway! :)

Hear bells and whistles and lots of music, maybe even a few beginning bars of the Hallelujah chorus: YOU MADE IT EXACTLY HALFWAY!!!! You are officially over the hump after you get this entry behind you.
Way to go, Sisters. Way to go! It’s a pretty good feeling, isn’t it? Don’t think for a second that the enemy didn’t try to steal away your focus and commitment. If you made it this far, you fought with him and won. This is a big victory. Celebrate it with your very faithful God.

My new verse is definitely needed by my spirit these days...
Jamey - Morris, AL
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Romans 15:13 NIV

Verse 11

Yikes... Only 4 comments on the Verse 10 post. Isn't it ironic how Scripture memory seemed like a daunting task for some of us, and yet one of the greater challenges has been the busy-ness of our schedules and the difficulty in remembering to just log on to the blog! You know, some of these weeks have been easier than others. There have been months where I just "got it" a little more than other months. I'm glad that my heavenly Father's love for me is not conditional on my performance or my memory... He is not more pleased with me on a day when I remember to post my verse without the need for a gentle reminder from a friend.

And I'm thankful that He is understanding that my newest selection may be more for meditation than memorization!

Jamey - Morris, AL
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldy passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works."
Titus 2:11-14 (ESV)

Love y'all! :)

Verse 10

Jamey - Morris, AL
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."
2 Corinthians 9:8 (ESV)

Verse 9

My new verse is in response to the tragedy and devastation all around us here in Alabama...


Jamey - Morris, AL
"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."
Revelation 21:4 (ESV)

Also, I just made a list of all the lovely ladies who have commented in our community. We definitely don't have as many now as in the very beginning. I'm going to try to reach out to the ones who haven't been participating lately, but I also want to recognize the ones who have been most consistent:
Charli
Twana
Megan
Jenny
Angela

I just want you to know that I am praising the Lord today for your faithfulness and I know He is doing a good work in all of us through His word! :)

Verse 8

It's the middle of April, and we're on verse 8 out of 24... Doesn't that mean the year is 1/3 over already? WOW.

I'm still loving this process even though it's been full of ups and downs over these four months. Some weeks, I'm dedicated and disciplined and can't get enough of the Word. Some weeks, I'm distracted.

I'm glad God is faithful even when we're not...

You know what else? Last week, my roommate and I chose the same verse... (Actually, they weren't exactly the same, but they overlapped. Close enough.) Isn't that awesome?!?! I love knowing that my life doesn't happen by coincidence. :)

Jamey - Morris, AL
"Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way."
Ecclesiastes 8:5 (ESV)

Verse 7

Failure!

I chose my newest verse earlier this week, but the post totally slipped my mind until tonight... I'm sorry friends! :)

Jamey - Morris, AL
"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in him.'"
Lamentations 3:21-24