So close, yet still out of reach - still waiting

This has been an interesting last year. Many things have happened and I had much going on. About a year ago, I committed to several different things. One was a year long job, another was finishing college (among other smaller commitments).

I think that the timing on these things are very interesting. Each of these things will be ending within the next month to two months.

As to college, I am 12 credits away from finishing. I am taking two classes that will end in June. And then I have a math class that I need to finish up and science DSST test that I need to take. 4 courses. 10 weeks. And then I have the summer stretching out in front of me...

I have big plans and big goals. There are many things that I want to do this summer. I want to minister to people, I want to be politically involved, I want a job, I want..., I want..., I want...

Yet with all my wants, hopes, goals, and plans, I know the most important thing is to follow God's will. I want to wait on Him and His plans. While I know I must continue to live my life, I must make goals and plan things out, I know God has a plan laid out. I am trusting Him in this situation. I truly believe He has big plans for me this summer, and this coming year. I have no idea what they are and they may not seem "big" to anyone else, but I know God is writing the story. I just pray that in living my daily life, that my life glorifies God (1 Cor. 10:31) and that I live out 1 Thess. 5:16-18.

In the mean time, I am waiting. (I love the lyrics of this song).

Matthew 5:1-20

Today's review... Matthew 5:1-20

Check out this link for more info: http://musingsmadebymandy.blogspot.com/2012/03/memorizing-sermon-on-mount.html

I am working on the italic part below.

Matthew 5

The Beatitudes

 ¹ Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them, saying:    ³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
   for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
   for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
   for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
   for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
   for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
   for they will be called sons of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
   ¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light

    ¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.    ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

The Fulfillment of the Law

    ¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. ¹⁹ Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:1-16

Here is what I am reviewing today...Beatitudes and Salt and Light.

For more information on what I am doing, check below:
http://musingsmadebymandy.blogspot.com/2012/03/memorizing-sermon-on-mount.html

The Beatitudes

 ¹ Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them, saying:    ³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
   for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
   for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
   for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
   for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
   for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
   for they will be called sons of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
   ¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light

    ¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.    ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Memorizing The Sermon on the Mount

Well, I have taken a long break from memorizing scripture...And I am ready to get back into it. I really feel memorizing chunks of scripture helps me to understand the Bible and God's Words.

While I made it through most of the chapter 5 of Matthew, the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, I am going to have to start over a little bit for review purposes.

So I will start again with the Beatitudes. I hope to post each day the verse I am working on. For a while, I will be reviewing, so I will be taking bigger chunks to work on each day. After I get to the place that I stopped, I will just be doing one verse a day.

My inspiration for memorizing whole chapters and books of the Bible comes from Janet Pope. I heard her a few years ago on Revive our Hearts and it was very inspiring. You can listen to her here. I then read her book, which I am now reading again, His Word in My Heart by Janet Pope. I was then able to interview her on JOY Blog and learn more about her, By Faith - Janet Pope. I hope this is inspiring to you. Please join in memorizing! Here is another JOY Blog article that I wrote about Bible Memorization. Please check out the link that I have put in this paragraph!

Here is the first part:

Matthew 5:1-12

¹ Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them, saying:
   ³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
   for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
   for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
   for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
   for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
   for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
   for they will be called sons of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
   ¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

By Faith

How are you living by faith, like the people of Hebrews 11?

I recently posted this video on JOY Blog!

Give Thanks - two for one! 11/15-16/11

I give thanks for the little one that will get to wear this outfit and bib soon! This week, I became an auntie again for the 11th time!!! I give thanks for God blessing of this baby. And I am thankful for the health of this little one!

Psalm 127:3

English Standard Version (ESV)

 ³Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
    the fruit of the womb a reward. 

 

Matthew 19:14
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

John 1:12

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

 

This verse reminds me that we all have the opportunity to be called children of God and God loves us! I pray this child will grow to love God and have a personal relationship with Him!

 

 

Yay!!! I am an auntie again!!!! (Just had to say that!)

Give Thanks - 11/14/11

I give thanks for warm water and a warm house. Sometimes, many times, we take these kinds of things for granted. But we need to remember to be thankful for the small everyday things!!!

Colossians 1:3
[ Thanksgiving and Prayer ] We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.

What are you thankful for???

Give Thanks - 11/13/11

Yesterday, Nov. 13, I was thankful for a sermon that spoke to my heart! The sermon was based on a chapter in John. John 12:12-25. The pastor talked about how we have a hard life as Christians, but he also talked about how God will reward us.

One of my favorite things that Pastor John Piper said was, "It is hard to be a Christian, but hard does not equal joylessness". We can have and find joy in the midst of a hard life. It means we do not have to be "woe is me, life is hard". Instead we can find joy in our relationship with Christ and what He is doing in our lives.

To listen to the sermon, click here!

Again, I am thankful that God used this sermon to tough my heart. Please take the time to listen to it!



Philippians 1:3
I thank my God every time I remember you.

Give Thanks - 11/12/11

I give thanks for the 4, yes FOUR, college credits I earned yesterday!!! I was able to earn them through FEMA Independent Study Courses.

My college will accept some of these courses as college credit. I am not sure if other colleges do, but it may be worth checking into if you need electives.

So the 4 credits yesterday brings me a total of 9 credits earned through FEMA.

Credits still needed: 24

Earned credits that count towards my degree: 96

Yay!!!

I am thankful I am one step closer to my goal!


Psalm 42:4
These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.

Give Thanks - 11/11/11

Today, I give thanks to all the people who have served, fought for, and ultimately gave their lives for our country, Veterans.

This is a song for them!

Thank you, veterans, for serving!!!

I found this picture on Facebook:

Jonah 2:9
(Verses 1-2 for context. ¹ From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. ² He said:)
But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD.”

Give Thanks - 11/10/11

I realized something yesterday. Up until now, I have been giving thanks for tangible things, for the most part. Things we can touch, feel, and see.

Today I give thanks for laughter, joy, and love! I give thanks for God's grace and forgiveness. I give thanks for seconded chances. I give thanks for faith.

I give thanks for life!

Revelation 4:8-9 (NIV1984)

⁸ Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
   “Holy, holy, holy
   is the Lord God Almighty,
   who was, and is, and is to come.”
 ⁹ Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever.

Give Thanks - 11/9/11

I am thankful for Sticky Notes!!!!

They are fun, useful, fun, handy, fun, etc...

1 Chronicles 29:13
Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

Give Thanks - 11/8/11

I am giving thanks for the internet. I use it almost everyday for school, communication, and research. The last two days I did not have access to it on my computer. I realized that I use it a lot for things, especially my school.

Here is a song to remind us to "give thanks"

 

1 Thessalonians 5:18
give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Give Thanks - 11/4/11

I am thankful that I was able to go shopping with my mom and my little sister!!! It was a fun time. Even did some Christmas shopping. It was a fun day!

1 Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Give Thanks - 11/2/11

I give thanks for many things today!

I give thanks for:

The CD I won on the radio!

For silly things!

For the grade I got on one of my final papers!

Chatting with friends!

Being able to have fun!

Celebrating!

Having JOY!

One of my favorite new songs!!!

This is a beautiful song...we must praise God always!!! It is all about Him.

I am thankful I can Praise HIM!


1 Chronicles 29:13
Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

GIve Thanks - 11/1/11

I give thanks for...

Friends

I have many friends. Some are older than me, some are younger than me, some are my age. Some are from this group or that group. They are all from different walks of life and they all teach me different things. I am privileged to friends in my family and to have friends become a part of my family. Some of these people may not even call me their friend, but I am glad I can call them my friend! 

My greatest friend of all is Jesus. He laid down his life for me, and for you.

John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

I am thankful for all my friends and that Jesus, my friend, loved me enough to lay down His life.

1 Chronicles 16:34
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Give Thanks - 10/31/11

I give thanks for "abnormality". I am thankful for people that do not just go along with culture, but are making a difference. More importantly, they are living for Christ, and they are doing so boldly! I am giving thanks for people doing hard things, pushing past normal, and living in a way that make people see God's light shining through them!


Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Give Thanks - 10/30/11

I am giving thanks today for the ability and freedom to worship in a Church! We are able to come together as the family of God and worship Him. We can enter into His presence.


Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name! (Psalm 100:4 ESV)

Give Thanks - 10/29/11

I am giving thanks to my Father for a great concert by Rebecca St. James and For King and Country that I got to go to. Both were great! Check out their music. You can get their music on iTunes.

I am also thankful that I got to spend time with my Mom. It was a great being able to spend time with her.

I am also thankful to the radio station that I won the tickets on. Thank you for the Tickets!!!

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High; (Psalm 92:1 ESV)

Give thanks - 10/28/11

I am giving thanks for liberty! I am thankful for the liberty that I have in my country and I am thankful for the liberty I have through Jesus!

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57 ESV)