Bible Memory Verses 2025

We are at the end of another year and it is time for me to share the Bible verses that I memorized through my church involvement this year. Once again I developed tunes to help me memorize these verses every month. 

[Click here to hear the verses from 2024.]

My favorite tune from this year is the one for June that I made to go with Ecclesiastes 12:10-14. I like it the best because it has a place at the end where you have to change registers. It is a fun little section to sing.

My least favorite tunes are from April and October. I just couldn't come up with nice melodies. The tunes worked to get me to memorize the verses, but they were disjointed and I didn't care for them too much.

My favorite verses from this year are from August: Romans 4:1-5. Justification by faith. So sweet to my ears! "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Amen!

 Maybe my tunes can help others. Keep in mind I have never had any voice lessons. I may  slip off key, miss high notes, not use the right projection techniques, etc.... Also, I only had a cell phone to record these with in my garage. So there's that.

January/February 2025

Matthew 5:1-11

[1] And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
[2] And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
[3] Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
[4] Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
[5] Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
[6] Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
[7] Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
[8] Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
[9] Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
[10] Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
[11] Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

March 2025

Matthew 5:12-16

[12] Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

[13] Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

[14] Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

[15] Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

[16] Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

April 2025

John 6:25-29

25] And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?

[26] Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

[27] Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

[28] Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

[29] Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

May 2025

Psalm 119:19-24

[9] Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

[10] With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
[11] Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
[12] Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.
[13] With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.

June 2025

Ecc. 12:10-14

[10] The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

[11] The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

[12] And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

[13] Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

[14] For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

July 2025

Titus 1:7-11

[7] For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;

[8] But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;

[9] Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

[10] For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

[11] Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.

August 2025

Romas 4:1-5

[1] What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

[2] For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

[3] For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

[4] Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

[5] But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

September 2025

Genesis 50:17-22

[17] So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.

[18] And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.

[19] And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?

[20] But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

[21] Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

October 2025

Proverbs 11:27-31

[27] He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him.

[28] He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.

[29] He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.

[30] The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

[31] Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.

November 2025

Philippians 3:17-21

[17] Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

[18] (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

[19] Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

[20] For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

[21] Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

December 2025

Proverbs 25:9:13

[9] Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another:

[10] Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away.

[11] A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.

[12] As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.

[13] As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters.

To Everything A Season

 Do you need some sunshine today? We have had a cloudy day in the sky but these little packages of sunshine made up for the lack of real sunshine.

The red tips of the peonies are starting to unfurl! They look so promising. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

 To every thing there is a season, 

and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; 

a time to plant, 

and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; 

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; 

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, 

and a time to gather stones together; 

a time to embrace, 

and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; 

a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

 A time to rend, and a time to sew; 

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; 

a time of war, and a time of peace.

Moon Setting And Sun Rising

 

Last week the moon was full. One morning I saw the moon setting it looked so amazing. The picture doesn't even come close to showing how pretty it was. 

At the same time the sun was beginning to rise.

It was a memorable experience. On one side of road to the western horizon the moon was setting and on the other side of the road to the eastern horizon the sun was coming up.

I imagine that the timing of the sunrise this time of year made this possible. I don't think it happens every full moon.

I like to use the site Date and Time to look up sunrise and sunset times. They have some other handy tools and astronomical information on that site.

Psalms 19:1

The heavens declare the glory of God;

 and the firmament sheweth 

his handywork.

A Lesson From The Carpenter Bee

 I observed a carpenter bee. It flew close to the lumber where it's burrow was. It's front legs were extended, ready to grasp the hole. It's body was stretching, trying to reach. 

Bump. 

It banged into the piece of wood, bounced off, and was thrown back a few inches. It's wings were still buzzing. Steadying itself, it approached the lumber again. Legs extended, body stretching, wings buzzing. 

Bump. 

Again, it banged into the wood, was thrown back and had to steady itself. It made a third approach.

Bump. 

A fourth approach. 

Bump. 

The bee flew several feet away to reorient itself.........

I didn't stick around any longer to observe. I had seen enough. I have seen this scenario with carpenter bees many times. If I didn't know any better, I'd think that carpenter bees weren't meant to live in wood as their natural role in creation. Many times I look at creation and can see how specialized each creature is to achieve its natural mission in life. Not so with the carpenter bee. And I took this lesson:

When what is natural doesn't come naturally, just keep trying.

It was the carpenter bee's persistence that I could learn. In the past I have felt that my natural role didn't come naturally to me. I wanted to quit and resist doing the difficult thing. But, no, sometimes what is natural doesn't come naturally, and it takes time and practice and tenacity to achieve your natural role in life. Maybe, you can take this lesson and apply it to specific scenarios in your life. Sometimes what is natural doesn't come naturally. Just keep at it. Do hard things.

Galatians 6:9 

And let us not be weary in well doing: 

for in due season we shall reap, 

if we faint not.

If You Tarry Till You're Better.......

The phrase, "If you tarry till you're better, you will never come at all," is found in the song, I Will Arise And Go To Jesus. This song is a favorite of mine from my childhood. The tune has a mournful, tantalizing quality, and the rhythm is hypnotic. This phrase, "If you tarry till you're better, you will very come at all," really hits home with me. I remember singing this as a child and thinking, "that's me. I am waiting to get better at doing what is right before I go to Jesus for redemption. I can't bring him all this mess that is me. I have to at least try. Or show him that I am making at effort. Show him that I am ready to be a Christian and live like a Christian." 

Now, the phrase hits home with me because I know people, people who I love and care about, who won't come to Jesus because they are waiting to be/do better. When I hear the last words of the verse, the thought just makes me cry, "If you tarry till you're better, you will never come at all."

Oh my friend, please don't tarry! "All the fitness he requireth, is to feel your need of him." If you know that you need a savior, run to Jesus. He will embrace you in his arms. Salvation is easy. So easy. Jesus did all the work. Rely on him and him alone. You can't wait until you are better. You will never be better. You will never be worthy. You will never be good enough to pay your way or even, at the very least, show him that you are trying. He just wants you to trust him. He paid it all. Believe that he is who he says he is. Believe that He is the Messiah. The Savior. Your Savior. Believe that his death, burial, and resurrection was/is for you. That's it. Please don't tarry.

Revelation 22:17 

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. 

And let him that heareth say, Come. 

And let him that is athirst come. 

And whosoever will, let him 

take the water of life freely.

Matthew 11:28 

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, 

and I will give you rest. 

Romans 10:9 

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, 

and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, 

thou shalt be saved.

Romans 6:23 

For the wages of sin is death; 

but the gift of God is eternal life 

through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

1 Corinthians 15:3+4

For I delivered unto you 

first of all that which I also received, 

how that Christ died for our sins 

according to the scriptures;

And that he was buried, 

and that he rose again the third day 

according to the scriptures:

Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,

Weak and wounded, sick and sore

Jesus ready stands to save you,

Full of pity, love and pow'r.

I will arise and go to Jesus,

He will embrace me in His arms

In the arms of my dear Savior,

Oh, there are ten thousand charms.

Come, ye weary, heavy-laden,

Lost and ruined by the fall

If you tarry till you're better,

You will never come at all.

I will arise and go to Jesus,

He will embrace me in His arms

In the arms of my dear Savior,

Oh, there are ten thousand charms.

Let not conscience make you linger,

Nor of fitness fondly dream

All the fitness He requireth

Is to feel your need of Him.

I will arise and go to Jesus,

He will embrace me in His arms

In the arms of my dear Savior,

Oh, there are ten thousand charms.

I Finished Reading The Bible Aloud!

 

I have committed to reading the Bible aloud to my children. I don't always get finished in a year. I just want to encourage you all not to quit if you don't hit your goal. Keep going. We didn't finish reading the Bible before New Year's Day this time. That doesn't bother me. We kept going and finished in February. 

There have been times when my life has been jumbled up and it took me two years to read through the whole Bible. That's fine. I am in this for the long game. I don't understand everything in the Bible. I believe that the Bible, as God's word, has supernatural effects. I keep reading it and hoping to absorb it's contents, looking to the Holy Spirit for help. I don't believe I can explain everything to my children that I read to them from the Bible. I don't want them to have the illusion that I have all the answers. God can help them understand the Bible and figure out what to believe. I'd rather my children have the actual Bible read to them than teach them a Bible curriculum or catechism. These tools all have to be tested against the Bible. The way I see it, testing these tools against the Bible is an extra step. I prefer to start and end my spiritual instruction to my children with the Bible and the Bible alone. The Bible is the standard. I want them to come away with a love for the stability that the truth offers. The Bible is true. They can count on it for the rest of their lives to remain, unchanged, because God who gave it will remain, unchanged, forever. 

They will come to challenges in their lives. They will come to circumstances that make them question everything they thought they knew to be so. I know I did. And what kept me from going off the deep end? God's Holy word. Even when I wasn't sure that God was real or that he was who I had thought he was. Even when my certainty of eternity was ripped from me and I was left in the deepest most hopeless despair. All that I had known was true turned out to not be true. Even when I thought God hated me and I really didn't want to read what he 'supposedly' said. I was in turmoil and sharp emotional pain. I wanted to feel safe again. I opened my Bible and read to myself. It didn't matter where I read. It could be anywhere in the Bible. My storms inside would calm. I felt comfort. I felt familiarity. I felt that constancy that I needed. I could count on the surety of the Bible. At the time I couldn't count on the wonderful things I read there to be written for me. I wasn't willing to believe it and risk being wrong again. The Word of God kept me from going off the deep end, though. (Eventually, I came back to God the right way. I didn't have a great quantity of faith, but I placed it all on Christ. It was a simple faith. But, that is all that is necessary. What a sweet relief poured over my soul!)

All that to say, if my children come to a place in their lives that they need something to anchor to because their whole world is upsidedown, I want the Bible to be that anchor for them. Reading it aloud to them in these formative years can build that foundation, I hope. The Words of God are powerful in supernatural ways. I can't comprehend how, but the Words of God change people. They carry with them the power of the Holy Ghost. I feel that this (reading the Bible aloud) is the most important thing that I can do for my children. 

In closing, I am leaving you some verses that popped in my mind over the course of writing this post.

Word shall not return void

(Isaiah 55:11)

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: 

it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, 

and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Words shall not pass away

(Matthew 24:35) 

Heaven and earth shall pass away, 

but my words shall not pass away.

Wisdom for the asking 

(James 1:5) 

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God,

 that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; 

and it shall be given him.

Unction of the Holy Ghost

(1 John 2:20) 

But ye have an unction from the Holy One, 

and ye know all things.

Need not man

(1 John 2:27) 
But the anointing which ye have received of him

 abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: 

but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, 

and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you,

 ye shall abide in him.

Peace be still

(Mark 4:39) 

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, 

and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. 

And the wind ceased,

 and there was a great calm.

Faith comes by hearing the word 

(Romans 10:17) 

So then faith cometh by hearing, 

and hearing by the word of God.

Powerful two edged sword

(Hebrews 4:12) 

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, 

and sharper than any twoedged sword, 

piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, 

and of the joints and marrow, 

and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

My words are Spirit

(John 6:63) 

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: 

the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, 

and they are life. 

Have I Found The Key To Laundry?

 

Am I so presumptuous to claim that I have found the key to the looming task that is LAUNDRY? Du...Du....Dah... (Dramatic music)

Perhaps not everyone loathes laundry as much as I do. (as much as I did) I used to say many times a week, "I hate laundry. I hate folding clothes!" 

It dawned on me in back in December that chanting, "I hate laundry. I hate folding clothes!" probably wasn't a healthy habit. I was reenforcing and entrenching a pathway of thinking that was unhelpful to me. The more I said it the more it became true.

My Grandma told a story of how that when she was a little girl she hated Ox Tail Soup. She had the poor judgment to say out loud how much she hated Ox Tail Soup when it was served to her one supper time. Her Daddy said, "There are staving children around the world who would be happy to eat Ox Tail Soup." She had a smart alec retort: "Well then send it to them!" Her Daddy made her say, "I love Ox Tail Soup." every time she took a bite. And every time Ox Tail Soup was served she had to say, "I love Ox Tail Soup." And Ox Tail Soup became her favorite soup. Right up to old age she said Ox Tail Soup was one of her favorites.

I experienced something similar with eating tomatoes. When I was a girl I hated tomatoes. They made my stomach turn. When that slimy gel surrounding the seeds in a tomato hit my tongue it made me gag and want to puke. They were acidic gross little fruits not meant for human consumption in my opinion. When I was 10 I decided that I was too old to be a picky eater anymore. I made a resolution to like tomatoes. My rule for myself was that every time tomatoes were available I would take one on my plate and eat it. Cherry tomatoes in salads and vegetable trays, sliced tomatoes on sandwiches and just as a side I now took every opportunity to eat. Before long I got accustomed to the texture and flavor and eventually learned to like tomatoes. Today I love tomatoes!

These stories testify that you can change your feelings towards things. Your mind is in control of your feelings. 

The Psalms show this too. How often does the psalmist say, 

"I will rejoice," 

"I will praise," 

"I will declare," 

"I will not fear," 

"I will offer," 

"I will sing," 

"I will arise," 

"I will be glad," 

"I will give thanks," 

"I will trust,"

"I will hope,"

.......?

There is no mention of being filled with joy prior to the declaration, "I will rejoice." The goodness of God is the only fact that precedes this rejoicing, or gladness, or praise, or trust, or hope. No feelings are mentioned, only a declaration of an action that the psalmist will take: 

"I will rejoice."

"I will praise."

"I will declare."

"I will not fear."

"I will offer."

"I will sing."

"I will arise."

"I will be glad."

"I will give thanks."

"I will trust."

"I will hope."

I was in the midst of a smoldering depression one time when I read Psalm 28:7

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him."

And I thought, "I can't rejoice." "I can't praise." This verse is not for me now.

Then I read Psalm 70:4

"Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified."

I began to realize the ball was in my court. It was up to me to rejoice. It was up to me to change my feelings. One of the key factors to changing your feelings, based on these and other verses, seems to be changing your words.

Now we are getting back around to the laundry topic...... My feelings towards laundry needed to change. To rephrase that, I needed to change my feelings towards my job of laundry. I decided to start with the words coming out of my mouth. I made two rules: 1) no saying, "I hate laundry," and 2) everytime I fold a piece of laundry I would say, "I love folding (insert child's name) pants." "I love folding so and so's shirts." And so on and so forth.

Everytime I say, "I love folding Mr. In The Mid-west's t-shirts," or, "I love folding the baby's onesies," my heart warms a little. A surge of satisfaction with my own work wells up inside of me. I hear my family members names and I am reminded of how much I love each of them. I am forced to recognize what a rich life I am blessed to be living. Slowly, I am learning to like folding laundry. Forbidding spoken complaints and instead requiring spoken gratitude has led my feelings. I am changing my mind by changing my language. And that is the key to laundry for me. I have been able to conquer the laundry mountain and keep it in check since implementing this technique. This is a huge victory for me! Perhaps you will be intrigued to give this method a try in any areas that you are struggling to overcome.

Proverbs 15:23
A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth:
 and a word spoken in due season, 
how good is it! 

Praise!

 Hebrews 13:15
By him therefore let us offer 
the sacrifice of praise to God continually, 
that is, the fruit of our lips 
giving thanks to his name.

This phrase stood out to me, "sacrifice of praise." Praising God is a New Testament sacrifice. Does that not give so much more purpose and meaning to singing hymns of praise?

I love music and I love to sing. In some ways I have wondered if I should feel any kind of guilt for the attention I receive for really putting my all into the singing service at Church. It does stroke my ego to hear compliments and that can lead to a pride problem. So I had this moral dilemma on my hands. Should I hold back so that I don't draw attention? 

This verse set me free. I am bringing a sacrifice to God with my singing. It is for the Lord and I am going to offer him by best. I sing whole heartedly with gusto and joy! 

Ecclesiastes 9:10a  

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do,

 do it with thy might;

Have you ever wanted to offer something really special to the Lord? Look no further! If you have a voice, you can offer the Lord a sacrifice; the sacrifice of praise. 

The part of the verse that says, "the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." makes me think of the many instances that the firstfruits were offered to the Lord in the Old Testament.

Exodus 23:19a

The first of the firstfruits of thy land 

thou shalt bring into the house of 

 the LORD thy God. 

Proverbs 3:9

Honour the LORD with thy substance, 

and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

Giving thanks is the fruit of our lips. Let us offer to God the firstfruits. In the morning why not let the first thing I say be praise to the Lord? I can wake up with a song on my lips. 

I just want to encourage you all to praise the Lord. We know He is worthy!

Not only is He our Creator and Sustainor, He is our Saviour! He is God Almighty holding the Universe in His hand and yet He cares for us and loved us enough to die in our place! 

I have a home in Heaven and that right there should keep me singing as the days go by. Amen!

Scarlet Thread

 

Joshua 2:18+19

Behold, when we come into the land,

thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: 

and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee.

And it shall be, that whosoever 

shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.

Looking at this Gladiolus I kept thinking of the scarlet thread from the Bible story about the spies. That scarlet thread saved Rahab's life and the lives of her family members. 

We can be saved by a "scarlet thread," too. The blood of Jesus is our scarlet thread. His blood will attone for our sins. If we place our faith in Him, He covers us in His own righteousness.

His blood will protect our soul from judgement. Hell is the judgement we deserve because of our sins. When Jesus's blood is applied to our account we are shielded from this judgement.

Dear Reader, have you trusted Jesus as your Saviour? Do you believe His blood is sufficient to save your soul? If you have never before trusted Jesus as your Saviour, please do today! 

He will save you. He said, "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

Trusting Jesus is easy. Easy as taking a drink of water.

Easy as walking through a door. Jesus said,

"I am the door: by me if any man enter in,

 he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, 

and find pasture."
John10:9 

Easy as eating a piece of bread. Jesus said,

"I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

John 6:51

Jesus did all the work for your salvation. He offers you eternal life as a gift. Who pays for a gift? The giver does all the paying. If the recipient has to pay for the gift it ceases to be a gift. Not only does the Bible describe salvation as a gift, it describes it as a free gift, just to emphasize the fact that He paid the price and we pay nothing. Nada. Nothing. Zilch.

Romans 5:18 

Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Jesus offers mankind eternal life, but He doesn't force anyone to take this gift. The individual must receive it or reject it. Do you receive this gift? Do you believe the record of God?

He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself:

 he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; 

because he believeth not the record 

that God gave of his Son.

And this is the record, that God hath given to us

 eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

1 John 5:10+11

If you don't believe Him you are calling God a liar. God says that Jesus sacrificed His perfect blood to attone for your sins. Do you believe Him, or not?

Jesus died for everyone and that includes you! 

1 Timothy 4:10

 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

I will leave you with this one last thought:

God loves you so much that he'd rather die than see you go to Hell.................

And he proved it on the cross.

Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the

 Lord Jesus, 

and shalt believe in thine heart

 that God hath raised him from the dead,

 thou shalt be saved.

Beautiful Flowers!

 

These beautiful flowers made up a bouquet that I put together a few weeks ago. 

I love being able to have fresh flowers to beautify our home! I was not always so, though. As a teenager I thought pretty things were just a vanity. I considered growing flowers a waste of soil that would be much better utilized for growing vegetables: food for people to eat. I had a very practical mindset. Putting effort into being pretty was a frivolous waste of time and resources.

I grew up. I learned to appreciate beautiful things. I realized there is value in beauty. God made beautiful flowers, and sunsets, and rainbows and mountain ranges. He made them beautiful for more than practical reasons. Imagine if he made all the flowers the same color. They would work. They would attract pollinator insects. They would be able to develop seeds and reproduce. The flowers could have been all the same. But God showed us that He values beauty and variety.  

Ecclesiastes 7:29 

Lo, this only have I found, 

that God hath made man upright; 

but they have sought out many inventions. 

Luke 12:27  

Consider the lilies how they grow:

 they toil not, they spin not; 

and yet I say unto you, 

that Solomon in all his glory 

was not arrayed like one of these. 

Cook With Me!

 

This is a random day in my life post. Here is how it went:

I heated up leftover oatmeal for breakfast at 9am. This morning I served it with diced bananas, cinnamon and a hunk of butter.

I start our school day with "Church Practice" at 10am. The baby usually falls asleep for his morning nap sometime within the hour.

Baby's morning nap gives me an opportunity to work in the kitchen, usually. 

This morning's To Do List:

Make Muffins

Start Pizza Dough

Shred Mozzarella

Make Pizza Sauce

Can you guess my dinner plan? :)

I made the muffins. Someone had given me this baby food puree. I have used it to make muffins and they turn out fine. I just replace the bananas in my Extra Banana, Banana Bread with the puree. (Recipe)

I started the pizza dough. (Recipe)

The baby woke up.

Well, looks like my To Do List 

was a little ambitious. :)

I fried some eggs.

Eggs and muffins for lunch.

I taught the first grader and the kindergartener their school. Or, finished them up, rather.

Quiet time from 2-4pm.

I let the house go and did some reading.

The baby didn't fall asleep again until 4pm.

Back to the To Do List!

The boys wanted to help shred the cheese. I did the bulk of the shredding and then cut two chunks for each of them to have a piece to shred.

You can see some school leftovers still on the table and an onion I am about to dice up for pizza sauce.

I let the children each make their own individual pizzas after I finished the sauce. It was pretty easy this night because our only topping was cheese.

The oven was preheating and caused the smoke detector to go off.......waking the baby. I still had yet to prepare a pizza for Mr. In the Mid-west.

Ggggggrrr! I hate smoke detectors. :/

I said a prayer for patience. 

I had been up tight and pretty edgy most of the day. I had tried adjusting my attitude, but it wasn't until I prayed out loud for patience that it came. 

You know, there really is power in the blood. Funny, that is one of our "Church Practice" songs for this week. 

"Would you be free from your passion and pride?
 There's power in the blood! Power in the blood!
 Come for a cleansing to Calvary's tide; 
There's wonderful power in the blood."

The pizzas turned out great!

We finished dinner and got ourselves ready to go to mid-week service at Church.

That was my day.

Maybe tomorrow I can catch up on the house work 

that I have been letting pile up. :)

Hebrews 6:12 
That ye be not slothful, but followers of them 

who through faith and patience 

inherit the promises.

Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah

 

Psalms 18:31+32
For who is God save the LORD? 
or who is a rock save our God?
It is God that girdeth me with strength, 
and maketh my way perfect.

Here is a very regal rendition of this great hymn. 

It has the majestic organ accompaniment 

along with a full bodied choir. 

I don't know about you, but,

sometimes this style of music hits 

the right spot in my soul.

Paper Crafting

I believe everyone needs to make time for a creative outlet. It doesn't have to be a lot of time, either. Just 15 minutes can be refreshing. You can try writing, art, sewing, calligraphy, wood burning, cooking, building a model, scrapbooking, embroidery, playing an instrument, ect.......

I rotate through several creative endeavors. Recently I spent some time with my watercolors. I made several pieces of art for birthday cards and the like.

I also have been doing a little paper crafting with stamps. 

A few months ago Mr. In The Mid-west called me on the phone. He was at a thrift store and found some Stamp'n Up stamps. He wanted to know if I used stamps. 

"Yes, I have a handful of stamps and I use them. If there are some nice stamps for a good price I would be happy to have them!" I replied.

He bought them all! Now I have 8 gallon size ziplock bags full of Stamp'n Up stamp collections. Yay!

I have used a few to make some birthday cards.

Is having a creative outlet important to you? What do you do with your creative energy?

Rejoice!

 Rejoice in the Lord alway: 

and again I say, 

Rejoice.

Philippians 4:4

And how can I help but rejoice

When on Christ and His sacrifice 

I let my mind linger?

When I recall my desperate condition!

How, in the most absolute degree, 

I was beyond any hope of gaining Heaven.

When my thoughts wander through memories

Of days in my past,

In which, the only motivation of living

Was to keep out of Hell one more moment.

What darkness!

What despair!

And then,

The glorious light of Jesus' love shines in!

What brightness!

What joy!

He loves me!

He died to wash my sins away!

He offered me eternal life as a free gift!

Free, free, free!

Free for the asking!

Just to take Him at His word.

Just to trust His promise,

"Whosoever will, 

Let him take of the water of life freely."

Friend, I hope you, too, are rejoicing in this wonderful truth. 

No one need remain in darkness and despair.

Jesus loves you, too.

He died to take your punishment.

And, He wants you to trust Him as your Saviour.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, 

He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, 

hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; 

but is passed from death unto life.

John 5:24

KJV Pew Bible Review|Holman Publishers Vs. Hendrickson Publishers

A couple years ago I came to the conclusion that I would like to use a hardcover pew Bible, as opposed to a leather bound study Bible. The Bible that I use gets beat up. My Bible is part of my everyday, less than pristine, life.

Stitched Signatures
The stitches are visible in the crack above.

Why A Pew Bible?

They are:

• Cheap

• Durable

• Bare Bones Scripture

• Easy to replace

Another thing that made me want to use a pew Bible is that they tend to be plain scripture without commentary and references.

I like this for two reasons:

1. I can come to my own understanding of what the Bible means without as many preconceived notions.

2. The Bible can be fewer pages from Genesis through Revelations. 

I have a Holman Publishers pew Bible that I have used for the past 31 months. It has served me well. It is showing signs of wear and has needed taping in a few areas inside the front and back cover. Mr. In The Mid-west just bought me a new Bible. My new one is from Hendrickson Publishers. I will do a little review and comparison between the two.

Hendrickson Publishers on the Left
Holman Publishers on the Right

Holman Publishers KJV Pew Bible

ISBN #978-1-5864-0942-5

Dimensions:

8"×5.5"×1.25"

Font style and size:

Construction:

Stitched Signatures ✓

Ribbon X

Number of pages from Genesis through Revelations:

1077

Special Features:

Words of Christ in red ✓

Salvation plan ✓

Paragraph delineation symbols ✓

Epistle of dedicatory X

Study helps X

Maps ✓ (2 maps)

Capitol letters and spellings in particular verses:

Gen. 1:2 Capitol S in Spirit ✓

Psalm 51:11 Capitol S in Spirit  X

John 6:63 Capitol S in Spirit  X

2 Tim. 3:17 throughly not thoroughly ✓

1 John 5:7 Capitol F, W, H,+G in Father, Word, and Holy Ghost ✓

1 John 5:8 Capitol S in Spirit  X

Hendrickson Publishers KJV Pew Bible 

ISBN # 978-1-59856-220-0

Dimensions:

8.75"×5.5"×1.125"

Font style and size:

Construction:

Stitched Signatures ✓

Ribbon X

Number of pages from Genesis through Revelations:

740

Special Features:

Words of Christ in red  X

Salvation plan  X

Paragraph delineation symbols ✓

Epistle of dedicatory  ✓

Study helps  ✓ (Key Bible Promises, Harmony of the Gospels, Miracles of the Old Testament, Miracles of the New Testament, Parables of the Old Testament, Old Testament Prophecies of the Passion, and Parables of the New Testament. Only 15 pages total)

Maps ✓ (3 maps)

Capitol letters and spellings in particular verses:

Gen. 1:2 Capitol S in Spirit ✓

Psalm 51:11 Capitol S in Spirit ✓

John 6:63 Capitol S in Spirit  X

1 Tim. 3:17 throughly not thoroughly ✓

1 John 5:7 Capitol F, W, H,+G in Father, Word, and Holy Ghost ✓

1 John 5:8 Capitol S in Spirit ✓

I really like the fact that both Bibles are constructed with stitched signatures. Stitched signatures are much more durable than glued in pages.

I find both fonts and size of the letters easy to read.

The thing that I am most excited about in my new (Hendrickson Publishers) Bible is that it is only 740 pages Genesis through Revelations. 

One feature that I think I will miss is the words of Christ in red that the Holman Publishers Bible features.

Have you considered using a pew Bible for your main Bible? 

Do you want to know any other details about these two Bibles that I compared?

Psalm 119:89

For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.