Memory Verses...

We, my family and I, have been setting some new goals for the upcoming months and year. The children and I have started working on memorizing a new verse everyday in homeschool. It is real neat how it has been getting easier and easier for them to memorize their verses. It's amazing how much their minds can retain. Some people may think that it would overload the mind to keep putting that much information in it. But it seems like the more we put into our minds, the more our minds seem to grow and the easier it is to remember.

The amazing part is I'm not just teaching the children just parts of verses, or even just verses. I am actually having them memorize whole Psalms and chapters. Right now we are memorizing Psalm 23. A few weeks ago, I had them memorize Psalm 117. They have that whole Psalm memorized. Of course, Psalm 117, is only 2 verses long, but they were happy about it. Last week, my son, Joshua, wanted to stand up at church and quote Psalm 117. So I told my husband and he announced a guest speaker and let Joshua come up and quote the Psalm. It was great hearing him quote it flawlessly.

We're not even using a "kids translation" that puts everything in simpler terms. I'm having them memorize it right out of the King James. I simply teach them new words and add them to their vocabulary. It's pretty amazing. We were talking about how many verses they could memorize and I told them that if they worked on it, they could even have the whole Bible memorized. That would be neat.

I also have them quoting their Bible verses before meals and before we pray at bedtime. This has been a good practice time for them. We'll first discuss which verse we are about to quote, and then after we quote the verse or verses, we have prayer. This has been real good. It gives them a chance to practice and then when they see their Dad after work, they are excited to share their verses with him. By the end of this week they will have the whole Psalm 23 memorized. Right now we know the first 4 verses and the sixth verse. Tomorrow, we will work on the fifth verse.

I also plan on trying to teach them some Hebrew. I'll need plenty of prayer on this one, since I'm still trying to learn it myself. But maybe as I'm teaching them, I'll learn more as well. I'll have to, in order to keep up with them. They learn things so quick. Who knows, one day they may start teaching me.

Psalm 117 "O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD [endureth] for ever. Praise ye the LORD."

The Finer Things of Life!

While living in this 40' travel trailer, I have learned so much about the finer things of life. Some people may think I am talking the things that we miss out on, not having a bigger house. But that's not what I'm talking about.

The finer things of life are really just what you make of them. Doing dishes by hand can be the finer way of life. I have a small double sink in the kitchen, so when the sink gets full, which only takes a couple of meals, I wash the dishes. There really aren't that many dishes to wash. And over time, I have even been able to get the dishes cleaner faster than I used to. I have learned to enjoy doing dishes!

I have also learned to appreciate hot water with good water pressure. When we first moved into this trailer, our water pressure was terrible. There was a valve that was broken in the line that would shut the water line off to the trailer. We would have to go outside and turn the water off. Then we would undo the hose and let the pressure out. Then we were able to put the hose back on and turn the water back on. Once my husband figured out that problem, we had good water pressure again. Now whenever something in the trailer breaks, we both smile as my husband reminds me, "At least we have good water pressure!"

I also appreciate air conditioning. Although we did pretty well, with only one decent air conditioner for a time. I found that around 4:00 p.m. or so there was a nice evening breeze that would pick up. I always enjoyed the evenings when the breeze would cool the house down. Now our house is cooler all day, since my husband fixed the other airconditioner. I told him he was going to be an expert handyman, by the time he gets done with this trailer.

I also enjoy sewing by hand. My daughter needed a dress lengthened. I do not allow her to wear dresses above her knees, but she really liked a special dress that was too short for her. So I took the shirt part of the dress off and let her keep it as a shirt. Then I bought her a longer shirt that would lengthen the skirt of the dress. I do not have a sewing machine but I was quite pleased with the fact that I was able to sew the skirt onto the shirt by hand. I was incredibly slow at first, but the farther I went, the faster I was becoming. I was so excited that I was able to make straight small stitches that looked nice. I had never tried that before.

I could go on and on, with the things I have learned to appreciate! But I'll save those for future blogs. For now I'll leave you with a couple of verses and a thought that I find quite fitting...

Philippians 4:11-14 "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

Hebrew 13:5-6 "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."

Can we fully learn to appreciate things the same, unless we do without for a time? I can be glad when we go through these "hard" times, because we have to depend on God to provide for us. When we do have more, I hope I will never forget the times when we had less, so that I will always remember to Praise the Lord!