Click SMC Intro (under Labels) to learn about the Scripture Memory Challenge - and then look for posts on 1st and 15th of each month!

Sunday, January 31, 2010

SMC #1

Hi y'all,

I am a day early...because with the snow on the ground I have some free time in the house...hehe I have determined that you can only wash so many clothes and dishes and dry the floor at the back door but so many times before you desperately need a distraction!

Ok...so it dawned on me while I was choosing my scripture for this post that this could be a bigger task than I intended! Last year there were times that I picked someone else's verse off the blog...and by going first I won't have that luxury! So God and I spent 45 minutes (yes I meant to type 45 minutes) debating over 4 verses. He won (as always) and I chose this one.

Mark 12:30 NIV
"Love the LORD your GOD with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."

The background for choosing this one is simple...I just finished reading Mark Batterson's book "Primal". I highly recommend it if your toes need to bleed...I can't stop the hemorrhaging and one night I even sat with my feet in the chair to try and protect them. The message of the book is souly based on this one scripture. And throughout it you are challenged as to whether you truly live life as though you love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And if that is not enough he challenges whether you love God in that order...heart first, soul second, mind third and strength last. He asks questions like: Do others see that you love God in those four ways? At the end of the day have you loved God with EVERYTHING you have? And very specifically since your heart goes first...does your heart break for the things that break the heart of God? I tell you the truth...I was ashamed at some of my answers. So this morning God told me to learn the verse and then apply it in my life. That committing it to memory was the first step in living it. So here we go! Feel free to use this one as your verse or pick another one.

One more thing...I forgot to tell you that you needed to get a spiral of some sort to keep your memory verses handy. If you get a small one you can carry it with you everywhere you go so that when you have downtime you can review them. I took a picture of a few examples. I am the Notecard Queen. So I use a $4 binder that holds pre-punched 3x5 notecards. That way I can mix them up when I am practicing. I like to shuffle mine like a deck of cards periodically to test myself. You can do whatever works well for you! And you can get anything you'd like...just make sure you keep them together.




I am so excited about this journey we are taking together!

So I'll shut up now...let's hear your verses! Name and verse and translation please!

Love you all!
Kristy

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Welcome and SMC Kick off

Welcome to the Wilson's Mills Baptist Church

Women's Ministry Blog!

This is where you will find random (and if you know me well...you know it might be RANDOM!) updates and announcements about Women's Ministry and WMU at WMBC.

To kick off the blog...I have an interesting challenge for you ladies this year...it's called a Scripture Memory Challenge (SMC) and I double dare you, no I TRIPLE DARE you to join me! I participated in a challenge last year on Beth Moore's blog and it blessed me more than I could have EVER imagined! Each month on the 1st and 15th we would log in with our scripture verses and learn them in the 2 weeks. So at the end of the year we had learned 24 scriptures! It was very challenging at times but exciting and rewarding. Well this year Beth opted not to continue the challenge. So I thought I could just continue on my own...but without the accountability of having to log in each time...I have failed!!! I have even forgotten 4 of my 24!!! I am so disappointed in myself. But instead of throwing a "pity me party"...I am issuing a challenge to YOU to participate this year with me!!! Let's hold each other accountable! Or if nothing else....y'all hold ME accountable! So on the 1st (or hopefully the night before) I will post "SMC ##" and open it for comments. I will give you a suggestion verse or you can use your own verse...please make this YOUR own! You will be more apt to stick it out if you are listening to God to pick your verses. But if you don't have anything burning to learn on the day...just use the one suggested. You do NOT have to be a WMBC lady to participate!!! So when you post please include your name (and church if not WMBC) so we can encourage one another throughout the process. Let me know if you have any specific questions regarding the challenge...we'll announce details for a special SMC celebration mid-year...so don't give up!


Also keep checking back for other misc updates throughout the month!


Have a great week...


Your Sister in Christ,

Kristy Gardner