Memory Verses #1

Therefore, As God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  Colossians 3:12-13

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.  1 John 3:18

These are the two memory verses I am tackling for 2011.  Pretty good ones, I'd say.  A dear friend of mine, J, and I are learning them together.  J always challenges me to grown, learn and dig deeper.  What's amazing about her is she is not judgemental in any way.  If I show up next week and do not have them memorized, J won't judge me.  She may razz me, actually I know she will.  But she will never judge.  She will question me about why I didn't memorize them… digging to help uncover what lies beneath the excuses I use.  Her questions would only be to help me grow and to problem solve why I could not or did not get them committed to memory.  How could you not love a friend like that?

We both have a running list of verses we would like to memorize.  I cam e with my list and J had hers.  My list was focused on ones that help me live my daily life; kind of reminders for living a Godly life.  Her list was more biblical truths or the basics of the bible.  God's truth.  I thought the differences in our list was very interesting.  She suggested learning some of the verses that are basic biblical truth, such as "For God so loved the work, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).  She said you want to know those so if all the entire bibles in the world were taken away, I would still have the basics of my faith.  I never thought of memorizing verses that way.  I like the idea that the truths will be "deep-rooted" in me.  That is a faith challenge few could ignore.  Yes… my friend rocks!

And I think some of the ladies from our GNO group might join us in memorizing verses this year as well.  We read though the bible last year, so why not memorize verses together too.  J thought is could be the "ticket" to allow us to attend the monthly GNO… no verse memorized = no entrance!  How is that for accountability?  Everyone would be able to attend of course, we are not that hard core, but the pressure just might keep me accountable.

So I will posting my memory verses as I tackle them as a record of what ones I have done.  This will a place for me ponder that I have memorized, why the verse was important to me or J and what I have learned.

Maybe my slogan for 2011 should be "Will Memorize for Wine!"  LOL