( I type this as my niece and nephew from Reno are swimming in the pool. I can hear them singing......and I really want to go join them! Usually I read over for grammar errors before posting it....but this time.....you get to give me grace!!!!)....
Years ago at a Mops meeting , our speaker spoke about the prayer lives of moms of little ones. Although at the time I was in a Bible Study and was finding time to get that done (sometimes staying up the night before it was due!) ............................my life had lacked a "prayer time". The speaker encouraged each of us to think of something we did every day, and align that to a moment of prayer. (.....finding a place and time...and staying.... accountable to it!) I remember that morning well, and how I really wanted to make a commitment to a prayer time. I knew that each morning I awoke , I headed straight to the bathroom . So, I figured that I could kneel on the floor at our porcelain bathtub and take a minute or two to pray every morning. While I grew in my prayer life I struggled with the consistency. The years we lived in that house, I had some very sweet times of prayer on my knees in that tiny little bathroom.
Through the years, I have waxed and wained in this morning prayer practice , but my heart has always desired to make that prayer time in the mornings a priority.
Several years ago I had a man at our church make Mark a kneeling bench. We kept it in our walk in closet. Sometimes it had clothes hanging on it. Sometimes it had knees on it. Not too long ago He decided to take that kneeling bench to his office at work. Once again.....I had to find a new place. Start over again. This summer our walk in closet got a good summer cleaning and I had created a special place for a morning prayer time. Again, some sweet times in the "closet", sometimes it was for just a few minutes and sometimes it was longer.
Enter the week we started back to school and homeschool. ( We are just finishing up our second week back to school!) How can just a few minutes in a "prayer closet" get pushed out of the schedule so easily? Ugg!
So I come back to it again. A "start-over". Life is full of them for us as women isn't it?
I love the fact that God doesn't get tired of me coming back to a "practice".....over and over. It's just important that I come back to it. Here's my awesome verse for this month.
" Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead., I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14 ( NIV)
I don't have it all together in the prayer arena. But I keep striving. As it says in the message version...." By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward---to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back! " Same goal of prayer. Just a new beginning. Pressing on. As you leave your verse in the comment section maybe you can share what you need to "press on".....in your life. Love and prayers to you my friends as you "Press On", with your 8th verse!!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Scripture Memory Verse # 7
Hi Friends,
Some of you know, that we just lost a dear friend of ours this past week. He was only 57 years old. Our family flew back to Iowa to attend the funeral/ celebration of life services. While we were there, I was blessed for an afternoon to spend time with my friend, Marilyn....a brand new widow. As we shared a meal together , one of the things we talked about was how people lovingly say things to try to help, comfort, etc. While I know it is our sincere desire to say the right thing to comfort or love a hurting person, sometimes, .....we TOTALLY miss the mark! (There is a category for when we miss the mark , it's called , "stupid things people say".) It is hard for some of us (me included)..... not to "chatter about" when we are with someone facing such painful , life altering events. Watching someone hurt so much....is so hard.
A while back I was meeting with one of our scripture sisters for coffee and she said,...............
"share my verse with your friend."
That was a beautiful reminder for me. Sometimes my silence is needed. Sometimes one word. But I don't think that the truth of Gods Word can ever "miss the mark."
How do you go through your life and suddenly lose your husband? I can not imagine. What would I want to hear in that situation? I can not imagine...and really...I don't have a clue. I am slowly learning that the truth of Gods Word is just that .... truth.
I have chosen the verse my friend encouraged me to share , for the verse I want to learn this month .
Isaiah 41:13
" Because I, your God, have a firm grip on you and I'm not letting go. I'm telling you, don't panic. I'm right here to help you. " ( the message Bible)
Again, when I am at a loss for words, HIS WORD is a perfect choice. When I think I'd love to give a suggestion or advice to anyone.....HIS WORD is really the best suggestion or advice anyone could recieve. There is healing,....... wisdom,......... power,......... restoration,........hope, ...... and new life, in HIS WORD.
Our verses are not just for us. They are to share with others. To remind others of some of the amazing promises of our amazing God. We can share HIS words with a fellow brother and sister. A reminder again for us to not just keep our verse we've learned to ourselves......but to .....share it with others. Have a blessed month learning .....and sharing your verses!
Some of you know, that we just lost a dear friend of ours this past week. He was only 57 years old. Our family flew back to Iowa to attend the funeral/ celebration of life services. While we were there, I was blessed for an afternoon to spend time with my friend, Marilyn....a brand new widow. As we shared a meal together , one of the things we talked about was how people lovingly say things to try to help, comfort, etc. While I know it is our sincere desire to say the right thing to comfort or love a hurting person, sometimes, .....we TOTALLY miss the mark! (There is a category for when we miss the mark , it's called , "stupid things people say".) It is hard for some of us (me included)..... not to "chatter about" when we are with someone facing such painful , life altering events. Watching someone hurt so much....is so hard.
A while back I was meeting with one of our scripture sisters for coffee and she said,...............
"share my verse with your friend."
That was a beautiful reminder for me. Sometimes my silence is needed. Sometimes one word. But I don't think that the truth of Gods Word can ever "miss the mark."
How do you go through your life and suddenly lose your husband? I can not imagine. What would I want to hear in that situation? I can not imagine...and really...I don't have a clue. I am slowly learning that the truth of Gods Word is just that .... truth.
I have chosen the verse my friend encouraged me to share , for the verse I want to learn this month .
Isaiah 41:13
" Because I, your God, have a firm grip on you and I'm not letting go. I'm telling you, don't panic. I'm right here to help you. " ( the message Bible)
Again, when I am at a loss for words, HIS WORD is a perfect choice. When I think I'd love to give a suggestion or advice to anyone.....HIS WORD is really the best suggestion or advice anyone could recieve. There is healing,....... wisdom,......... power,......... restoration,........hope, ...... and new life, in HIS WORD.
Our verses are not just for us. They are to share with others. To remind others of some of the amazing promises of our amazing God. We can share HIS words with a fellow brother and sister. A reminder again for us to not just keep our verse we've learned to ourselves......but to .....share it with others. Have a blessed month learning .....and sharing your verses!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
JULY Scripture Memory Verse
While our family was on vacation in the Midwest, I decided to take the month of June off from doing "Scripture Sisters". I never wrote a memory verse out on 3.5 card. I wasn't rehearsing it in the car with Emily. Or looking at it on my kitchen counter regularly. Or saturating my mind with memorizing it. And something else happened too. The scriptures were not in the forefront of my mind.
Vacations have a way of letting you "leave your worries behind"! But when our plane landed on the LAX runway from our trip home .....I instantly felt the weight of some of those "at home" burdens. I was back home in reality. I came home to stacks of mail I needed to go through. In the days that followed, we began to have things "break". New bills started to mount and slowly I could feel the "female panicker" coming out in me. I was letting the worry, and fret, and dread, fill the "empty spaces of my mind." (Yep, there are actually empty spaces up there.) I really don't mean to live this way. It's not like I set out every morning saying...."how about you worry your pretty little head off today on all of these issues"! I can read The word in the morning, read a devotional, have a prayer time, or sing an awesome praise song that fills my heart . Then 20 minutes later when I am doing dishes or whatnot, there I am with my empty brain......filling it with "non-scriptural things"! It just happens.
But here's what I am learning about myself. When I am learning verses.....it really helps me focus on The Lord . It encourages me to trust in HIM. I make a concerted effort to play those scriptures over and over in my mind ( then they end up living in my heart and playing out more consistently in my daily life.) I have been memorizing scripture since January and it has brought a beautiful new way of living to my life.
I want to be trusting in The Lord. There are so many promises in HIS word I want to know....and memorize. There are so many beautiful scriptures I'd rather replace in my mind and heart.....than the life sucking (don't ya just hate that word!) , worry and fret I am so prone to do. It was a good eye opener for me. "Barby better get back to memorizing scripture!"
So , I have the sweetest verse I am going to memorize for July. I actually heard it just about every Sunday when I was young. Our Pastor quoted The King James verse regularly.
Isaiah 26:3 King James Version
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."
Whether I am the only one on this blog, or there are several of you who join me, I will be here every month committed to memorizing ..."life giving" scripture. Oh Lord let us be women whose minds are "stayed on thee"! I know you will be blessed this month as you keep your memory verse in your mind and heart. ( I'll leave the first comment. Remember to follow the same format . And I'd love to hear why the verse is special to you!) Love you!
Vacations have a way of letting you "leave your worries behind"! But when our plane landed on the LAX runway from our trip home .....I instantly felt the weight of some of those "at home" burdens. I was back home in reality. I came home to stacks of mail I needed to go through. In the days that followed, we began to have things "break". New bills started to mount and slowly I could feel the "female panicker" coming out in me. I was letting the worry, and fret, and dread, fill the "empty spaces of my mind." (Yep, there are actually empty spaces up there.) I really don't mean to live this way. It's not like I set out every morning saying...."how about you worry your pretty little head off today on all of these issues"! I can read The word in the morning, read a devotional, have a prayer time, or sing an awesome praise song that fills my heart . Then 20 minutes later when I am doing dishes or whatnot, there I am with my empty brain......filling it with "non-scriptural things"! It just happens.
But here's what I am learning about myself. When I am learning verses.....it really helps me focus on The Lord . It encourages me to trust in HIM. I make a concerted effort to play those scriptures over and over in my mind ( then they end up living in my heart and playing out more consistently in my daily life.) I have been memorizing scripture since January and it has brought a beautiful new way of living to my life.
I want to be trusting in The Lord. There are so many promises in HIS word I want to know....and memorize. There are so many beautiful scriptures I'd rather replace in my mind and heart.....than the life sucking (don't ya just hate that word!) , worry and fret I am so prone to do. It was a good eye opener for me. "Barby better get back to memorizing scripture!"
So , I have the sweetest verse I am going to memorize for July. I actually heard it just about every Sunday when I was young. Our Pastor quoted The King James verse regularly.
Isaiah 26:3 King James Version
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."
Whether I am the only one on this blog, or there are several of you who join me, I will be here every month committed to memorizing ..."life giving" scripture. Oh Lord let us be women whose minds are "stayed on thee"! I know you will be blessed this month as you keep your memory verse in your mind and heart. ( I'll leave the first comment. Remember to follow the same format . And I'd love to hear why the verse is special to you!) Love you!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Scripture Memory Verse # 5
I was at a graduation party this past weekend talking to a dear friend of mine. We were talking about her daughters upcoming wedding and all of the joy that day will bring. In the midst of the joy though there is something sad. Several years ago, my friends mother developed a rapidly progressing dementia at an early age (she's only in her early 60's) , and now, she no longer recognizes anyone. She won't be able to attend her own grand-daughter's wedding and of course this will be hard on my friend on that special day. As we talked, my friend shared how she wants to fight against being sad and concentrate on the joy of the brides wedding. Suddenly one of my verses popped into my head. ( "Always be joyful, keep on praying....") As I shared it with her, she said, " Oh please text me that verse....I want it to be my verse on my daughters wedding day!" That is not the first time that has happened to me. What about you? We are planting into our lives His Word, and it is so powerful. In an instant, He can prompt our hearts and minds with the very verse needed for the occasion. Sometimes it's for our own and sometimes it's to share with and encourage others. It encourages me, gives me strength, helps me re-align my day towards Him, brings hope, helps me live a godly life, be a better witness for him, .....then that multiplies when I share it with others. I pray that you are blessed as you commit these verses to memory. It really is "The Number 1 multi-purpose Tool Ever!"..... To God be all the praise! ( Oh, and the "grumpies" went away....and I stayed away from the basil! I am still applying the verse about discipline and trucking away on eating healthy!)
Here is my verse #5
Here is my verse #5
Isaiah 55:11
" .......so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
Have a wonderful next two weeks learning your verse!
Have a wonderful next two weeks learning your verse!
Monday, May 2, 2011
SCRIPTURE MEMORY VERSE #4
I am on a diet. The first day I was grumpy and my head hurt. The next days I carefully measured out the limited foods I could have and tried to enjoyed the thrill of embarking on a new diet adventure. Then came the day I mistakenly put "basil" (instead of sweet basil) on my salad. I literally cringed as I ate the whole thing. It's amazing what you will eat when you are sooo hungry! Day 4 , I temporarily went off of the diet for just one meal, so I could enjoy a D..E...L...I...C...I...O...U...S "Ladies Royal Tea" , I'd been invited to for lunch. The next day I went straight back on it and had to sit at lunch (with some wonderful long time friends, who'd surprised us by coming to our church service) sipping iced tea, cause I didn't have time to go home and get my "diet food". Would you believe I actually had to give up the ice-cream Sunday ( WITH WHIPPED CREAM AND CHOCOLATE SAUCE!!!) the waiters brought me to celebrate my belated birthday??? Today I have a teeny , tiny headache and need to go shopping for more of the ingredients that are in my diet so I can survive the week. This coming Saturday Mark and I will attend a wedding, complete with a fancy schmancy reception with all the DREAMY CAKE AND FOOD one longs to eat in a day! But I will stick to my strict diet.
By now I am almost a little embarrassed as I review the previous paragraph , looking at all of the Capital lettered words. You'd think I like food a little bit! Ha ha! Being on a diet is really, really hard for me. For the most part it's not pleasant. There are always special occasions coming up ( like every Wednesday my hair comes out to my liking, or every time one of my girls says "mom I passed the Math Test", or every Friday when I think to myself, "I've exercised 5 days straight....time to reward myself with a frappachino!") Food just comes in handy for so much more than fueling my body.
I am not a disciplined person by nature. I love to refer to myself as a girl with a "free-spirit". While that may serve me well in many areas of my life, in the eating healthy area , it does not. I REALLY need discipline. I have struggled with this most of my adult life. So, today for my scripture memory verse I have chosen a most appropriate verse from His word to help me out here. It comes from Hebrews 12:11 "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Let me tell you that for the 3 weeks I will be on this "jump-start" diet, it will not seem pleasant....and for Barby Schwarz....it is "painful" to give up some of these comfort foods . (Seriously, why even bother going to the wedding if you can't enjoy the cake at the reception?!) But then I read the rest of the verse....." it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it", and I want that. I'm in. I'm in for some righteousness and peace. I long for the Lord to help me conquer this struggle in my life.
I will be praying for each of you as you work on your verse this next two weeks. I hope that your heart has been so blessed by the verses you've been working on so far. I'm overwhelmed at times, at how profoundly and timely The Lord brings my verses to my mind and works them out in my heart in various situations . God is soooo good to us. Be blessed, as you "ingest" one more verse to have in your heart to live your life for HIM.
By now I am almost a little embarrassed as I review the previous paragraph , looking at all of the Capital lettered words. You'd think I like food a little bit! Ha ha! Being on a diet is really, really hard for me. For the most part it's not pleasant. There are always special occasions coming up ( like every Wednesday my hair comes out to my liking, or every time one of my girls says "mom I passed the Math Test", or every Friday when I think to myself, "I've exercised 5 days straight....time to reward myself with a frappachino!") Food just comes in handy for so much more than fueling my body.
I am not a disciplined person by nature. I love to refer to myself as a girl with a "free-spirit". While that may serve me well in many areas of my life, in the eating healthy area , it does not. I REALLY need discipline. I have struggled with this most of my adult life. So, today for my scripture memory verse I have chosen a most appropriate verse from His word to help me out here. It comes from Hebrews 12:11 "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Let me tell you that for the 3 weeks I will be on this "jump-start" diet, it will not seem pleasant....and for Barby Schwarz....it is "painful" to give up some of these comfort foods . (Seriously, why even bother going to the wedding if you can't enjoy the cake at the reception?!) But then I read the rest of the verse....." it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it", and I want that. I'm in. I'm in for some righteousness and peace. I long for the Lord to help me conquer this struggle in my life.
I will be praying for each of you as you work on your verse this next two weeks. I hope that your heart has been so blessed by the verses you've been working on so far. I'm overwhelmed at times, at how profoundly and timely The Lord brings my verses to my mind and works them out in my heart in various situations . God is soooo good to us. Be blessed, as you "ingest" one more verse to have in your heart to live your life for HIM.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Scripture Verse # 3
So how did you all do on your 2nd verse? Can you believe how fast the time goes by before it's time to choose another? This last verse of mine was harder for me to memorize. But I know why it was. I never wrote it out on 3 x 5 cards! Those cards really help me! I have had a couple of you ask me if there are some good suggestions to memorizing so I thought I'd just give a couple!
1. I write my verse out on 3x5 cards and put in prominent places I will be ( ie, car, kitchen, desk at work etc. )
2. I put my verse in my "notes" application on my iphone. If I am ever sitting idol somewhere (and I don't mean at a stop light!)....I can get on my notes and the verse is right there for me to keep rehearsing.
3. Write your verse out on the mirror in your bedroom or bathroom with a wipe off pen! ( don't worry , it will come off! ... this is actually Emily's method)
I hope these are helpful suggestions! OK, so we are on to now our 3rd verse!
I want to share something with you guys. I had a really hard night one night last week. As I laid my head on my pillow, I started to cry a little. I started to pray... and then I know the Lord brought my scripture verses to my mind. I began to pray my scriptures, personalizing them. It was so beautitul. They fit the situation I was so deeply sad about... so perfectly. And I started crying more only this time it was not sad tears. "Lord, would I be memorizing all of these scriptures....if this situation were not in my life?" I was so thankful that I had those verses in my mind and heart. When my mind starts to go to those places "what if this never changes" etc. I can discipline myself to remember to think of God's Word and the Scriptures that I am memorizing. God's very word! So powerful. So from my Fathers heart! So what I need! I would imagine the same is true for you too.
My verse for this week is from one of my wonderful friends Jan. She shared this verse on her very first post. I love this woman like a sister and like a mom. So I actually call her my "Mom-ster!" Over 8 years ago, she suddenly lost her beloved husband. If you go back to the first memory verse post, you will see her verse entry, and why she chose it. She is such a testimony to a woman who lives for and trusts in the Lord completely. (And by the way... so are you Nancy!) These two widowed woman... I have so much awe and respect for. I love watching what verses you two will choose! ........
I LOVE the verse I'm doing this next two weeks. I LOVE the verse I did the past two weeks (Remember I shared I wanted to use it as a prayer for my girls?)... I LOVE the verses I've done since January before we started with Scripture Sisters together. Hmm, there is a theme going on here... I am LOVING every verse I choose. Man God's Word... is so beautiful! K, sorry I got a little long winded... I will post my verse now. Dont forget to state why you've chosen your verse this time!
So, I am just thinking that if after you post your verse, why not share a testimony of how memorizing these scriptures are blessing you... we'd love for you to share! (I say we because we will all come back a little later this week and next and read them!) And I know we all will be blessed!
1. I write my verse out on 3x5 cards and put in prominent places I will be ( ie, car, kitchen, desk at work etc. )
2. I put my verse in my "notes" application on my iphone. If I am ever sitting idol somewhere (and I don't mean at a stop light!)....I can get on my notes and the verse is right there for me to keep rehearsing.
3. Write your verse out on the mirror in your bedroom or bathroom with a wipe off pen! ( don't worry , it will come off! ... this is actually Emily's method)
I hope these are helpful suggestions! OK, so we are on to now our 3rd verse!
I want to share something with you guys. I had a really hard night one night last week. As I laid my head on my pillow, I started to cry a little. I started to pray... and then I know the Lord brought my scripture verses to my mind. I began to pray my scriptures, personalizing them. It was so beautitul. They fit the situation I was so deeply sad about... so perfectly. And I started crying more only this time it was not sad tears. "Lord, would I be memorizing all of these scriptures....if this situation were not in my life?" I was so thankful that I had those verses in my mind and heart. When my mind starts to go to those places "what if this never changes" etc. I can discipline myself to remember to think of God's Word and the Scriptures that I am memorizing. God's very word! So powerful. So from my Fathers heart! So what I need! I would imagine the same is true for you too.
My verse for this week is from one of my wonderful friends Jan. She shared this verse on her very first post. I love this woman like a sister and like a mom. So I actually call her my "Mom-ster!" Over 8 years ago, she suddenly lost her beloved husband. If you go back to the first memory verse post, you will see her verse entry, and why she chose it. She is such a testimony to a woman who lives for and trusts in the Lord completely. (And by the way... so are you Nancy!) These two widowed woman... I have so much awe and respect for. I love watching what verses you two will choose! ........
I LOVE the verse I'm doing this next two weeks. I LOVE the verse I did the past two weeks (Remember I shared I wanted to use it as a prayer for my girls?)... I LOVE the verses I've done since January before we started with Scripture Sisters together. Hmm, there is a theme going on here... I am LOVING every verse I choose. Man God's Word... is so beautiful! K, sorry I got a little long winded... I will post my verse now. Dont forget to state why you've chosen your verse this time!
So, I am just thinking that if after you post your verse, why not share a testimony of how memorizing these scriptures are blessing you... we'd love for you to share! (I say we because we will all come back a little later this week and next and read them!) And I know we all will be blessed!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Scripture Verse #2
Well..........? How did your past few weeks go? I have loved reading the verses you choose and have heard from several of you that you have enjoyed reading one anothers too! I have been so excited about my verse #2 in the midst of learning my first. Has it been that way for you too!? As I've read the word of God these past few weeks.....I've just grown even more to love His Word! Verses jump out at me...touch me in ways like never before. Just like it says in Hebrews 4:12 "For the Word of God is living and active...." I'd love to hear from you all if you are experiencing the Word of God in new fresh ways as well. So here we go for verse 2. I have a wonderful verse I'd love to memorize as a prayer for my girls! As I said before I LOVE how we can pray the scriptures! Here's my verse....
Ephesians 1:17-18
"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the glorious Father may give (her) the spirit of wisdom and revelation so that (she) may know him better! I pray that the eyes of (her) heart would be enlightened in order that (she) may know the hope to which He has called (her)......"
Now it's your turn! I'll leave the first example under the comments....and you do the same! If we each learn a verse on the 1st and 15th of each month we will have learned 19 verses by the end of the year! Enjoy your next two weeks as you learn your verse and hide it in your heart!
Ephesians 1:17-18
"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the glorious Father may give (her) the spirit of wisdom and revelation so that (she) may know him better! I pray that the eyes of (her) heart would be enlightened in order that (she) may know the hope to which He has called (her)......"
Now it's your turn! I'll leave the first example under the comments....and you do the same! If we each learn a verse on the 1st and 15th of each month we will have learned 19 verses by the end of the year! Enjoy your next two weeks as you learn your verse and hide it in your heart!
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