At dawn's first light, over sink full of dishes, all breathless on the treadmill...
We're hooked.
Oh, we're feeling our limitations too... but there's no turning back.
But really, it's not five verses a day we're hooked on. Or three.
It's the constant preoccupation with the Word.
Truth be told, we're all over the place. Some are straining their limits to the breaking point, and are still a bit behind. Likely some of you are too. I've just got one word for you:
Whatever you do, don't stop.
In this quest, there is only one reason for regret:
Losing a golden opportunity to grow.
In the end the most blessed will be the ones who could barely manage 2 verses a day at the start, but who stuck with it anyway. Why, I personally know a girl whose mind became so thirsty for the Word (through relentless memorization) that she could finally nail down a chapter a day.
Try God.
If this were really about counting verses like dollars in the bank, we should never have started.
We need more than minds full of the Word.
Let this be a heart project.
Then we're all winners.
P.s. I've promised the audio of the book of Acts to whoever needed it-- Now easier than ever. Right click this link and click "download linked file" or "save link as." You get the whole thing. :)
Amen and Amen! I'm hooked too...I love the constant preoccupation as you put it with the word. All the empty moments filled with Acts. Taking my shower, driving in the car, dusting the house... listening, reciting...constantly immersed in His words. I love it when I'm doing some odd job and I suddenly realize that my mind has been reciting the verses without me even thinking about it. How true the promise, "thou wilt keep him in perfect peace who's mind is stayed on thee."
ReplyDeleteAmen!! Sometimes I have felt discouraged in the past when I have felt like I am the only one who is serious about scripture memorisation. On the most part though, I have continued to memorise. Off to do some more memorisation... :)
DeleteThanks for the encouragement...I'm pressing on; and, yes, NO turning back! I must win this eternal prize...posses it. Off to memorizing! :D By the way, I've found that listening to Acts, but especially typing each verse on a "sticky note" until it is word perfect before moving onto the next text are some of the best tools for memorization that I've used, yet.
ReplyDeleteAmen! Thanks for the reminder Sean. And thanks also for inviting others to join you in this memorization challenge! It's encouraged me to begin memorizing more again. :)
ReplyDeleteWe are enjoying it. Some are much faster than others...
ReplyDeleteSome, like the twins have three verses down pat, complete with actions. Others like Christina, can rattle up to 16 verses. I'm in the middle. We recite out loud so whether or not they want to, the twins are so exposed they are very familiar with the verse when they get to it and it's not so hard.
Seems to me, there was a typing program online that kids were using to help memorize verses, but I can't find it. Anyone know of it?
I've been using www.memverse.com. Hope that helps!
DeleteThere are two that I've found: www.scripturetyper.com, and memverse.com. I've used Scripture Typer for longer, and it's also got an iPhone/iPod app, which is nice (if you have one of those fancy things!) But I've come to the conclusion that MemVerse is easier if you want to say the verse while you type it, and it doesn't have ads to distract you while you type, which Scripture typer does. Scripture Typer times your words per minute as you go, and has two options for memorizing: every other word, or no words at all. MemVerse will either show you the verse, or give you first-letter-of-the-word mnemonics. I prefer having first-letter mnemonics, because for me every other word gives a little too many hints, and no words is hard when you're trying to memorize. Over all, I tend to prefer MemVerse, but both programs are good, and I've been using a mix between the two.
DeleteThanks for that, Araya! Scripture Typer looks great! I think my little sister will really appreciate this too. :) She's been wanting something for touch typing, and this will help her with that and memorizing Acts!
DeleteThank you! This was exactly what I was looking for!
DeleteWHAAAAATTTTT?!!!!!!! A chapter a day?!! =O Yikes...that's some extreme memorization! As for me, I got so into it that I couldn't stop once I got to review day. I finished chapter 1 today! :D PTL! I figure I'd best get ahead while I can, because there are sure to be days when I'm unable to do as much. I love coming here and reading everyone's posts - it's such an encouragement to know we're all in this together! :D
ReplyDeleteI'm loving this too. It was such a good feeling to be 'immersed' in it while I was doing the dishes yesterday. I didn't get to memorize the rest of the chapter yet today, but I'm looking forward to doing it, if necessary while doing the dishes again.
ReplyDeleteI originally thought that this was going to be a very long, drawn-out memorization plan. Was I ever wrong! It is brilliant. With the reviews in between days, it's so realistic, and yet we've almost already done the first chapter. So-o-o-o-o-o excited about this! :D
And yep, though they haven't said so on here, two of my friends are doing it too.
That's great that two of your friends are doing it, too! I have had one more friend say that she is doing it! :)
DeleteThank you,Sean for the encouragement! "there is only one reason for regret: Losing a golden opportunity to grow."
ReplyDeleteThis post is just what I needed!
Thank you sooo much!!!
Let this be a heart project. Then we're all winners. Exactly!
ReplyDeleteThank you Sean! Your post was in perfect timing for me.
ReplyDeleteThough Satan will try to discourage us all from memorizing Acts, we have to pray for strength to be winners, to let this be a heart project. Keep pressing forward! :)
I decided that I should say something after all this time. At first i wasn't going to tell anyone what i was doing ( just incase I stopped and let everyone down). But I couldn't help it. Its just like when something is just so good you can't hold it in. I am working on spreading the word. More than anything, it is encouraging to have Gods word constantly be in my mind. Also, I am finding following the cross references along the way very beneficial to understanding the whole story. It gets me deeper in the word, and is teaching me lots! Thanks for the help, resources and giving the challenge.
ReplyDeleteAww, that's so wonderful that you are doing it too. I'd kind of thought it was too late to spread the word along now, but if you are, than maybe I can keep passing the word along too.
DeleteI love how you describe it, so accurate! ("Its just like when something is just so good you can't hold it in.")
Anybody have any tips on how to remember all those names of places mentioned in Acts 2:9-11? I have wracked my brain and can't come up with anything!
ReplyDelete