Psalm 121

I lift my eyes toward the mountains.
Where will my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to slip;
your Protector will not slumber.
Indeed, the Protector of Israel
does not slumber or sleep.
The LORD protects you;
the LORD is a shelter right by your side.
The sun will not strike you by day
or the moon by night.
The LORD will protect you from all harm;
He will protect your life.
The LORD will protect your coming
and going
both now and forever.

Psalm 145:17-18

"The LORD is righteous in all His ways,

Gracious in all His works.

The LORD is near to all who call upon Him,

To all who call upon Him in truth."

~Psalm 145:17-18

The truth of God is that He is always righteous and always gracious.

The truth of God is that He is always faithful.

The truth of God is He is Truth.

Isaiah 40:21-31

As i had mentioned earlier, Rachel and i have been trying to decide on another passage of Scripture to pore over and memorize in the next few days. I was leaning toward something in Isaiah but hadn't said anything to Rachel yet. So when she suggested Isaiah 40:21-31 i knew it was meant to be.

Isaiah always has been one of my most favorite books of the Bible. Like Psalms, Isaiah is filled with so much wisdom and imagery. It is a book i would love to study more closely and know better. That is one of the many neat things about the Bible, every book offers so much and if we will only take the time to read a little at a time we are all the better for it.

Where the past two passages we have learned recently were 6 verses a piece, this passage from Isaiah is 11 verses-almost twice as long as previous passages! It may take me twice as long but that is okay. It is time well spent and it is always so fascinating to see how God uses it and illustrates it in my life.

And now i give you, Isaiah 30:21-31:

"Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

Has it not been told you from the beginning?

Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,

And its inhabitant are like grasshoppers,

Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,

And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

He brings princes to nothing;

He makes the judges of the earth useless.

Scarcely shall they be planted,

Scarcely shall they be sown,

Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth,

When He will also blow on them,

And they will wither,

And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.

'To whom then will you liken Me,

Or to whom shall I be equal?' says the Holy One.

Lift your eyes on high,

And see who has created these things,

Who brings out their host by number;

He calls them by name,

By the greatness of His might

And the strength of His power;

Not one is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob,

And speak, O Israel:

'My way is hidden from the Lord,

The Creator of the ends of the earth,

Neither faints nor is weary.

His understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the weak,

And to those who give have no might He increases strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary ,

And the young men shall utterly fall,

But those who wait on the Lord

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up on wings like eagles,

They shall run away and not be weary,

They shall walk away and not faint."

The Path

“He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Psalm23:3

Where this path will lead i do not know but as long as You guide me i know where it will lead. To the City where the streets are made of gold and i will finally see Your face. Until then i will seek Your hand and in Your presence find the strength to walk the path ahead.

In our Hearts

"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.

Whatever he does prospers."

Psalm 1:3

The whole family was involved with Vacation Bible School last week and it was such a busy week that i really didn't get the chance to share the progress Rachel and i made in memorizing Psalm 1.

Well, we did it! All of Psalm 1 is hidden in both of our hearts.

I am thinking about buying Rachel a journal to write our Scriptures in. I have one of my own and it helps me to memorize so we will see how it works for her.

Another thing that helps me when memorizing Scripture is visualization. For example, in Psalm 1, verse 3 really stands out in my mind. I can just see the tree and the streams of flowing water. I have done a rough sketch on paper to get the picture i want to eventually paint. For my post today i tried to find a photograph in my own collection to use in illustrating the verse but i could find nothing. This gives me a sense of urgency in making a painting the picture in my head. I hope to have something soon to share here.

So what is next for Rachel and me? It looks like we are staying in the book of Psalms. This time it will be Psalm 23, another passage that is rich with imagery!

Please keep in touch and join us as we hide God's Word in our hearts!

Rachel's Request

Rachel asked me tonight if i would memorize Psalm 1 with her. She has been working at memorization for quite some time now but this is the first time she has tried to memorize a whole chapter.
I have memorized Scripture in the past but have not been as comitted as i would like to be or as i know i should be. I have been praying that God would help me get motivated once again. Rachel's request is, to me, an answer to prayer.
Together Rachel and i will read and review, share and encourage as we hide God's Word in our hearts. We will hold each other accountable. The memories we make together will be priceless and i hope it is something we will continue to do in the years to come. I am also very interested in the various methods we employ to maximize the learning experience. Perhaps i will even share those methods here to help others wanting to memorize Scripture!
In closing tonight i would like to share Psalm 1. It always helps me to write it (or type it) as i visualize it.

Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on His law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement,
nor sinners in th assembly of the righteous.

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the wicked will perish.

Anyone who cares to join Rachel and me feel free to jump right in with us! And if you have any ideas to share that help you memorize Scripture we would love to hear from you.

Write From the Heart

Watching the fog roll in tonight with the children made me think of the mental fog that has been clouding my view for much too long. For months now i have been overwhelmed by events that have taken place in my life, busy with demands on my time(most of these demands are self-imposed, by the way) and confused by all my crazy conflicting emotions. It is no coincidence that i have not journaled consistently in months. Journaling is a very important part of my life. It is my prayer time. When i try to get down on my knees and speak my prayers i am so easily distracted and soon give up but when i get by myself for awhile and start writing my prayers, the words flow and it is not a monologue. As i write i am also listening. I truly feel God's presence as i journal. Many times i will fill several pages before i am done. Regardless of how i feel when i start to write i always feel at peace by the time i am done. It reminds me so much of the Psalms. I have always appreciated how the psalmist may have started out frustrated,depressed or angry but by the end of the Psalm he is singing God's praises. How beautiful! And how much like my own life i want that to be. To know that whatever i am facing in life i can take it to my Heavenly Father and He will hear me,love me and fill me with His peace. The situation may not go away and i may not have any answers but the One who does know gives me just what i need to stand firm. Back to the fog, after thinking these things over in my head, i dug up my journal and pen,closed myself inside my bedroom and started writing. It was kind of slow at first but i just poured my heart out to God and told Him of my anxieties and how i felt lonely,like giving up. With that out of my head and down on paper, God lifted the fog that has hindered me for so long. Hallejuah! Three pages later, as i finished writing, i made a promise to God not to let myself become so lost in thought that i feel i am drowning before i write again. Since writing is prayer for me i commit to do it everyday and more than just once a day. However He leads me i will write.

Why i Journal

Though i have always loved to write it has only been in the last four years that i have journaled consistently. During this time i have filled three journals and i am presently working on my fourth. I have also started a seperate journal for my family's homeschooling journey. The reasons i enjoy journaling are numerous but i will share a few with you. One reason is because i write much better than i speak. I may not always be able to orally express what i am feeling but give me a pen and paper and i can tell you in writing. Even if i am not so sure of how i am feeling or why i feel the way i do if i try to write it seems to make more sense and usually by the time i am done i do feel better. When i have trouble praying vocally i start writing my prayers. It helps me to focus. Another neat thing about journaling is that it usually ends in praise and thanksgiving! That is why i often refer to my journals as "my psalms". Journaling gets my creative juices flowing as well. Sometimes i even draw in my journal. It was through journaling that i was inspired to start blogging. One more reason i love to journal is because i am leaving a legacy for my children. It is my hope that when they read my writings someday they may learn more about me and maybe even learn from my experiences. Rachel has already started writing on her own and it makes me glad that she is realizing at her young age the importance and joy of journaling.

Let me tell you About my Children

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward." Psalm 127:3 Sooner or later it was bound to happen. As i have already stated and many of you already know, i am a Mama. And now the Mama in me is coming out! You have heard enough about me. Now let me tell you about my children! Yes, there are four of them and three of them are boys. Rachel is the oldest and the only girl but don't pity her, she can handle herself nicely. She is a tomboy, you see, and so proud of it! Brogan (far right) is the oldest boy who loves "Indiana Jones" and wants to be an archealogist one day. Reece (far left) is our middle man and resident commedian with a very contagious laugh. Sawyer(middle) is the "baby boy". You can see in the picture he is no baby and he isn't even the smallest but he is the youngest so that distinction is still his. He is also the one who is most likely to turn out like "Tom Sawyer". Little did we know that when we named him he would be so much like the character himself. Each child is so special and a gift from God. As they grow each day i learn a little more about their strengths and talents. They share their dreams and fears with me and i want to hear it all, to encourage them the best i can. My biggest hope for each of them is that they will be comitted Christians, bold in their faith. Jeremy and i want them to be better and stronger than we have been in our faith so we are as honest as we can be about our failures and weaknesses. We try to show them God's love so they know that nothing will change our love for them but more importantly that God's love for them is unchanging and eternal. I think they are learning quite well. For the gift of children i am grateful. Thank You, Father!