Back at it/Happy New Year/Resolution

UPDATE::Rebekah is going to do this with me too. How fun is that!! This time around we're going to work on the same verse, but we might not necessarily do the same verse each time.

______________________________________________

Yup, I'm doing it again. Beth Moore's Scripture Memory Challenge, that is. This year I have 2 fabulous girlfriends that are going to do it too and maybe, just maybe we'll have a little girls weekend in Texas next January {me, Catherine, Melissa . . . and Beth . . . and thousands of other women}. Melissa already lives there, but it'll be a little miracle if Catherine and I can swing it somehow to join the party. Plus, who doesn't want to leave Minnesota and head for Texas in January? . . . heaven, I tell you! The goal is to memorize 2 verses of Scripture each month for all of 2011. That's 24 verses. I did it in 2009 and I think I can do it again!

Usually I'm not one for new year's resolutions. Yes, most years I think to myself that I want to drop a few pounds, be a better wife, exercise more regularly, etc. But I don't normally make intentional resolutions and plans to actually do those things. Anyway, since Beth Moore was challenging women to Scripture memory again this year, I knew I wanted to join her once again. It was a wonderful discipline for me in 2009 and I'm looking forward to doing it again in 2011. If you don't know Beth Moore, I'm so sorry!! You really should do something about that . . . she is one of my favorite people {I even met her once . . . and she hugged me. Although I'm pretty sure she doesn't remember} and I am so thankful for her! She is an author, speaker and teacher who writes Bible studies {mainly} for women. I think I've done 8 or 9 of her studies and have learned so much from her. Anyway, again this year, Beth's challenge is to memorize 2 scriptures a month for the whole year. So, knowing that I'm the kind of person who needs a little external motivation and who is also motivated by accountability and my need to be responsible and follow through on things I've committed to, I decided that I'm in; I'm gonna do it! So, it seemed only natural to, once again, add this journey and resolution of mine to the blog. Feel free to join me {and thousands of others} if you want, I think it's a wonderful, worthwhile goal for 2011, but you'll be gettin' no pressure from me. If you do decided you want to do this too, I would love to know it. It's nice to know that others are with ya in stuff like this. Anyway, the plan is that you can memorize whichever 24 scriptures you would like, and ones that would be especially meaningful and helpful to your personal life. So, here is the first scripture that I'm going to memorize in 2011:

By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13.35, NKJV)

If you want in, that's great! If so, you can "register" the fact that you are taking part in it on Beth's blog. That's where you can log your verses each month and just generally be encouraged by all the other people resolving to do something so beneficial along with you. Blessings on you!

The plan is to start the new scripture on the 1st and 15th of each month. So, keep your eye out for my verses twice each month. Ready, set, go!!