Hey, Everybody!
I am writing to you on Sunday afternoon since this post needs to go up first thing Monday morning and I am typing away on my laptop from Jackson and Annabeth’s room in our home. It’s the room where Keith and I get the best internet hookup. I like it anyway because it is filled with expressions of the only two kids on the earth I love as much as the two that I birthed. From Annabeth’s twin bed where I’m sitting, I can see a pink and green doll house, a blue and yellow race track, a dark green, fairly-convincing rubber lizard, a kids’ brightly colored exercise bike, a cardboard playhouse and a cardboard castle. It’s full on here in this room and, boy, has it had a work out in the last week.
Keith and I are blessed out of our minds to do lots of life with our grandkids because they only live about 20 minutes from our front door. Delightfully, their voices often reverberate off of these walls and their sweet feet are slap-happy on these wooden floors on a regular basis. We get to have sleepovers on occasions through out the year but once every summer Keith and I have them for the better part of a week and let their darling parents get some time together all by themselves. This last week was that segment of time – Camp Bibby we call it – for the summer of 2013. We kissed them goodbye on Friday night after a good, solid 5-day dose of them. I hate to admit to a small lump in my throat when they drove off with Amanda and Curtis, although I needed a nap in the worst way. Grin. It may be of some encouragement to you mothers of young children that, on Day 1, I did not shower until 3:00 PM. Yes, I do indeed remember what it was like to be a busy young mom whose life is not her own and when I forget, my two sweeties help me remember. Good grief, I would not trade them for anything in this world.
We do not have the time or space here for all the new quotes that have been added to my repertoire in the last week. Jackson and Annabeth are each hilarious, even when they don’t mean to be, so I try to have a pen nearby at all times. Annabeth announced to me on Friday afternoon that, when she grows up, she most definitely does NOT want to have a baby. “Why not?” I asked. “Because you have to go to the hospital,” she replied. And I thought to myself, whoa baby, that’s not all you have to do. As my mama always said, you also have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Translation: you think you’re going to die but, ordinarily, you do not, although at times your husband could be in considerable harm’s way if he spouts another word. Of course, I kept these thoughts to myself.
Annabeth paused for just a moment then spoke back up. “I just want a chihuahua and a cat.”
And that was that.
Jackson asked me how old I was while he was here because I recently had a birthday. He’s asked me that kind of thing before and it always ends up following the trail of whether or not I will still be his Bibby when he is in college. Curtis’s grandmother died a couple of years ago and I think he’s got it in his seven year-old head that grandmothers are tenuous creatures, here today, gone tomorrow. So, I said to him, “You know, Jackson, both your grandmothers are actually pretty young to have a grandkid as old as you. Because we all started so early, I think you can probably assume we’ll be around a while and see you grow up.” He sat on that a few moments then said, “Bibby, that makes you a rookie grandma. Do you know what a rookie is, Bibby?” Ah, yes, I do, Mister. I was a rookie mom with your mommy and a rookie grandma with you and I cannot think of two people on the planet through whom I’d rather be cast into those auspicious, busy, and often humbling roles.
I guess you’re wondering what all of this has to do with our Scripture memory. Well, I am getting to that right now. We have a daily verse at Camp Bibby and Psalm 32:9 out of the New Century Bible was our verse for Day 3 and the immediate favorite and clear winner for the fastest memorization. I taught the whole verse to Annabeth and Jackson but we only memorized part of it. Perhaps you will see why Jackson all but claimed it as his life verse. Kids totally love this kind of thing:
“Don’t be like a…donkey.” Psalm 32:9a
It made them almost as happy as talking about bathroom sounds. If I heard this verse once out of their mouths since Wednesday, I heard it 50 times. They could tell you what it means, too. I’ll stick the phrase back in the wider Scripture segment so that you’ll know what it means, too:
8      The LORD says, “I will make you wise and show you where to go. I will guide you and watch over you.
9      So don’t be like a horse or donkey, that doesn’t understand. They must be led with bits and reins,
or they will not come near you.”
Jackson would tell you that it means that God doesn’t want to have to tie us all up, or sit on us, or be all hard on us to get us to come to Him and to walk in His gracious and good will for our lives. He doesn’t want to have to make us obey Him so He can bless us. His deep desire is that we’d want to go with Him because we know that He is always for us, always leading us to triumph, always trustworthy, always right, and forever wanting to crown us with love and compassion and lead us away from bondage and such unnecessary harm.
I know it’s basic. But my mind’s been on the basics this last week with a seven year-old and a four year-old either one foot from me or on my person. I guess the question I’m throwing out on the table this week is this: Why do we continue to fight God and lash about in His grasp like He’s a big Taker instead of a Giver? What is it we think He’s trying to rob us of? To whom have we compared Him so that we’ve assumed we cannot trust Him?
Don’t be so stubborn, the psalmist is saying. Cooperate and go with God some place beautiful. Some place almost magical.
Revel in the two preceding verses in the same psalm (32), this time from the NIV:
6Â Therefore let all the faithful pray to You
while You may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
will not reach them.
7Â You are my hiding place;
You will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Surround sound. Oh, if our spiritual ears could only be opened for a few glorious minutes, what a musical score we’d hear all around us. To go with Jesus is to go the way of deliverance. The way of music. The way of symphonies. The way of ascent amid mighty rising waters. So, I’m going with Jackson in my memory work this round:
Beth, Houston. So don’t be like a horse or donkey, that doesn’t understand. They must be led with bits and reins, or they will not come near you. Psalm 32:9 NCV
So, what’s yours?
You are loved around here, Sister. We are honored to serve you.
Tags: Scripture Memory 2013
“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”
Isaiah 1:17 (NIV)
Don’t be proud at all. Be completely gentle. Be patient. Put up with one another in love. (Ephesians 4:2 NIRV)
Dana Nance
Blue Ridge, TX
I love you, O Lord, my strength.
Psalm 18:1 NIV
Kristi, Piedmont,Al,
Habakkuk 2:3
For still the vision awaits its appointed time;it hastens to the end-it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. NIV
Michele, Edmond,Ok
“who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works” Titus 2:14 ESV
Pam Hamilton, OH
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Janet Long Clinton, MO
Exodus 14:14(ESV)
The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.
Erika from McKinney, “These commandments that I give today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ” Det. 6:6-7 NIV
Temple, TX
Colossians 4:2 NIV
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”
Amy
King, NC
Psalm 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will direct your paths.
Sharon, McKinney, TX
John 15:5 NIV
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Psalm 46:10
Be still and know that I AM God.
Marsha – Lee’s Summit, MO
Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him. Isaiah 30:18 NKJ
Heather
Little Rock, AR
He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. (Psalms 103:4 NLT)
Shirley from Rickwall, TX
Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love.
—Psalm 48:9
Sharpsburg, Ga.
Psalm 138:3 NET
“When I cried out for help, you answered me. You made me bold and energized me.”
Cathy Blount Monroe, GA
Psalm 32:7 NIV
You are my hiding place; you will protec me from trouble an surround me with songs of deliverance.
Martha from Corpus Chriti, Tx
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
1 Thes.5:12 NIV
Kim from Mansfield, TX Colossians 2:7 NLT Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
Nancy Mulford, Lee’s Summit, MO
“Let all you do be done with love.” I Corinthians 16:14 NKJV
Jo Ann, Philadelphia. “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13 (NASB)
Kim, Colonial Heights, VA
“The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”
Psalm 23:1, NIV
Debbie, NC
I had Camp Debbie this week for.Grandchildren, ages6 and 11. The 6 year old was rubbing my arm and ask me how old I was and then he says “is your skin going to fall off like a snake”. I did roll my eyes, so there, I know where they get it.
“delight yourself in Me, for I am the deepest Desire of your heart”
psalm 37:4
Karen Houston , Eph 5:2
Live a life of love, Just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. NIV
Cindy Largo, Florida
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. Isaiah 55:11 NIV
Molly, Gainesville, GA
“I will extol You, my God, O King, amd I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised and His greatness is unsearchable.”
Psalm 145:1-3 NASB
Ephesians 2:4 NIV
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ…
Cindy, living in Cochem, Germany: The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. Isaiah 32:17 (NIV)
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12 NET
Anne, Frisco, TX. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last- and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. John 15:16 NIV
Conyers, GA
James 2:13 KJV
For He shall have judgement without mercy, that shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgement.
Julie, Honolulu
Psalm 138:8 NKJV
The Lord will perfect that which concerns me, Your mercy, Oh Lord, endures forever, forsake not the works of thy hand.
Peggy from Homer, IL
James 1:22 NIV
Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what is says.
Heather King, Gloucester, VA:
“Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up” Proverbs 12:25 NLT
Christy, Jonesboro, AR
Isaiah 30:18 NIV- Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!
Leslie G-Warner Robins, Ga
Lamentations 3:21-23 Good News
Yet hope returns when I remember this one thing: The Lord’s unfailing love and mercy still continue, Fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise.
Tarah, Camdenton, MO
“For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.”
Psalms 57:10 (NIV)
Lisa M, Davidsville, PA
When I cried out for help, you answered me.
You made me bold and energized me.
Psalm 138:3 NET
Deanna, Frisco – Galatians 5:1 (NIV)
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Hebrews 33:20,21
20 We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. 21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name. NKJV
tonia booker-meridian, idaho
holman christian standard
Psalm 46: 5
God is within her
she will not be toppled
God will help her
when the morning dawns
Gina, Bolivar, MO
“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Micah 6:8 (NIV)
Pat S., Lago Vista, TX
“Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”
Luke 1:45 NIV
Dayna Vaczi, Overland Park, KS
This is the first of 3 installments of II Tim 2:22-24. I’m starting with verse 22.
Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. II Timothy 2:22 (NIV)
1 John 4:16 So we have com to know and to believe the love that God has for us.
GOD IS LOVE and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. ESV
Carmen, Summersville, WV “For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.” Colossians 1:16 NIV
Angela, Shelbyville, IN
Exodus 13:18 (ESV)
But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle.
Diane, Longmont, CO
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Phil 4:7 NIV
Mary Anne, Osler, Canada
1 Timothy 1:12 (AMP)
I give thanks to Him Who has granted me the needed strength and made me able for this, Christ Jesus our Lord, because He has judged and counted me faithful and trustworthy, appointing me to this stewardship of the ministry.
Jess R. Katy, TX
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. -Romans 12:18