Sword Drill Challenge: 10x10x2

Welcome to Week 3!!

Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp for my feet, 

a light on my path.

Going with something new this week guys...

   I'm calling it the 10x10x2, 

                                              but the idea comes via Pinterest.

METHOD:

Let's just dive right into it, shall we?  

Now I'd never tried this approach, but it all seems pretty simple...

Here's the deal....

READ the verse 10 times

SPEAK the verse 10 times

WRITE the verse 2 times

Like I said, pretty simple, right?!  ..That's the whole shebang!

10 Read 
            10 Speak 
                           2 Write...every day this week, if we can!

Now let's go do!!

So, which method has worked the best for you so far?  
Got a verse you would you like to try next?  

Drop me a line and let me know!!

Missed a week?  Here's the rest of the series:

Week 1: Visualization  

Week 2:  Jesus Wept

Sword Drill Challenge: Week 2- Jesus wept..

So here we are on Week Two...

John 11:35

Jesus Wept.

How'd everyone do with one of the shortest verses in the Bible?  

I'm hoping it served as a decent confidence booster for you all and 

has helped to drive you deeper in your motivation to nourish yourself with more!!

A quick heads up that we'll be revisiting last week's verse in the next post, just to see how well we're all retaining it!!  If you haven't already been doing so, try and recap Ephesians 6:14-17 at least once a day...
...while you're showering,
                                  brushing your teeth,
                                                           when nature calls...whatever!

The point is just to do it!  

I haven't remembered it with 100% accuracy, but I'm getting there!

So I just want to say a little about John 11:35...If you haven't already, take a sec to read or revisit the story of Lazarus, from which this verse comes from.

The whole thing to me is really quite beautiful.  Jesus knew the whole time that he would be raising Lazarus from the dead..He knew it before He even got to their town, and yet, He is so deeply moved with compassion for these people and their breaking hearts that it breaks his own.  It's just so beautiful to me and speaks so much to my own heart about my own life.  Never will He leave us; never will He forsake us...He loves us, He feels our pain, our anguish, our loss and our sorrows, and He is right there with us...ALWAYS...even when we can't feel Him.

I just love this verse and this story...He used this time to show God's glory, to help the people back then to see the truth, but do you realize too that He also used this to reach out to us in the present day?!  He knew back then that this would one day fill my heart and provide me solace and love and the strength to carry on...and He knew back then that this story would one day come to you and your life and your heart to let you know that
                    you're not alone...
                                            you never are...
                                                                    you never will be...
...even when it may seem otherwise.

Such power in this verse...

Such power in this humble, glorious verse!!

Sword Drill Challenge:Week 2

JOHN 11:35

Jesus wept.

Starting this week's challenge a day later than intended, but somehow I don't think you'll need all week to remember this one...and, since it's so short, let's just be crazy and go sans memorization strategy!

You might be wondering,
                                   "What's the point of even picking such a short verse anyways?"
                                                                                         
Well, even a single morsel is still food, right?
It still builds,
              it still nourishes and strengthens..
                                                ...it still adds to that armor we learned about last week!

And too, I'm a big believer in building the ol' confidence through tiny affirmations...
My daily to-do list itself is sprinkled with things that are done in a flash, just so I can cross them off my list and feel that sense of accomplishment!  For me, it  fuels the fire and gets me pumped for the more enduring tasks!! 

Consider this week that fuel for your fire...but don't let it's humble length fool you!

This verse is profoundly packed with meaning, and reassurance, and tender love...

Tune in tomorrow to find out how...

'Til then Soldiers!

Missed a week?  Here's the rest of the series:
Week 1: Visualization  

Because You're Never Too Old For Mom...

Image by Gabriella Fabbri via FreeImages

I'm not gonna lie, I still want my Mom like all the time!  She's my best friend, my confidante, and my straight shooter who tells it like it is when no one else dares to.  She's fun, she's crazy energetic, and her optimism and enthusiasm for life is equally matched by her loyalty, faith, and ferociously hard-work ethic.  Bottom line, you want this woman in your corner!!

With that said, there are definite times in my life when I need that woman ASAP...and after my recent match in the ring this week with a small bout of food poisoning, I couldn't help but think of those moments when I've needed her most.

Here are just a few:

When I've had a bad day.  I really don't know how she does it, but she always knows exactly what to say and when to say it.  I can't think of even one time when I've gone to her with my troubles and I haven't walked away feeling better.  

When I'm sick.  There's nothing like aching bones and a fever to make you want that tender-loving care of Mom, but there's nothing that makes you appreciate what you had as a kid more than when you have that fever and aching body as a mom.  No longer are you able to pamper yourself like you once did or even lie on the couch for longer than a heartbeat!  Not when you've got a diaper that needs changing, hungry kids, and laundry multiplying by the second!  Time to rally, folks!  Time to rally while realizing how good you really had it back then...how did we not see that as kids?!

When my heart has been broken.  Oh yes, in my years, I've suffered many a broken heart.  My mom has given advice, she's listened, she's cried right along with me, and she's taken me out for a nice glass of red...My saddest times with others, in many ways, gave root to some of my sweetest memories with her! 

The weeks following the births of each of my children.  Exhausted, elated, confused, delightful, moody, confident, uncertain, and of course, totally sleep deprived.  Us mothers have felt all of this and more...but, no matter where the roller coaster has taken me, my mom has always had my back!  Provider of meals, and my ticket to much needed rest and showers, there is nothing my mom wouldn't do to help make the transition of a new addition to the family even just a little bit smoother. 

The delivery room.  Yup, for both of my kids, she was in there!  For me, this is not the time for earning Bravery Badges for non-medicated deliveries (though I applaud all who do...& who don't!)...or for bravado about how it was all done whilst knitting a quilt during contractions to pass the time...  I'm not going to sugar coat it.  "I want my Mom, and I want her now!", is what I said then and it's what'd I'd say again if God chose to bless us with another!  She knows when to speak, what to say, and how to say it...I don't know how she knows but I promise you, she does!  Oh, and the doctors?  They don't stand an evasive chance when she's around!  She gets to the bottom of all things and  charms the socks off of even the most severely bedside mannered!  Seriously, you may want to consider her if you're going into labor soon!

In all my triumphs and losses, my highs and lows...whether life is overwhelmingly exciting or painfully dull, I'm just always going to want my Mom.  Because no matter how old I may get, that little girl inside of me is there, reaching out a hand to her and needing her, much the same way my  little one reaches her hand out to me and needs me now.

Sword Drill Challenge: Week One COMPLETE!

Ephesians 6:14-17

"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

Well, as much as I would have liked to have kept that promise of a speedy return from my previous post, that pesky food poisoning decided that I would not!  I'm back now though...and happily so, I might add!!

So how'd everyone do so far?  That whole "fitting the feet" part threw me for a loop a little, I admit it, but then I looked at it this way:

So much peace comes from the promise of Heaven for all that believe in Christ and ask for His salvation....that peace is so incredibly powerful...so incredibly refreshing...
How could I not feel ready ...
                  ...How could I not say,

                                                      "Bring it on!"

                       when I've got such a powerful and promising peace such as that?!

After that realization hit, I was able to more or less "live" that last part of the verse rather than memorize it!

So where are we now...

...two days left...

                        ...two verses left!

Ephesians 6:16-17

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

METHOD:
Still going with the whole visualization angle, so here goes...

"In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith..."  So now I've got the belt, the breastplate and the ready feet.  I see the shield of faith, pick it up, and wonder, "What's this for?"...totally my lead-in for the next part...

"...with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one."  

YIKES!!  I mean, seriously...YIKES!  

Are you imagining these arrows flying your way?  (Which, by the way, they DO each and every day...sometimes even before your feet ever make it out of bed!)
I don't know about anybody else, but
                                       I want my shield of faith SUPER-SIZED, please! 
 Thankfully, God is wanting to increase our faith always...if we would just ask and believe (Matthew 21:22).

So these arrows are coming at me...
                                            ...I'm behind my shield of faith...
...What about my head?

..."Take the helmet of salvation..."  You might be wondering, if you're behind that super-sized shield of faith, and you're walking in that faith that keeps you protected, won't that keep the arrows from getting through?  As each of you has likely experienced in your own lives, all Satan needs is a moment...the teeniest of cracks or breaches...and he's in.  He'll take whatever he can get to poison our minds, our thoughts, our emotions...

Our faith is imperfect...
                                               ...we NEED that helmet!!
The helmet keeps our minds in Christ, reminds us who we are in Him, helps us to see the truth from lies...the clarity from the smoke and mirrors...so we can rise above!!!
                                           
                                             WE-NEED-THE-HELMET!!

Okay, we're fully guarded now...so what do we do, just hide behind the shield 'til it's over?  Not at all, my friends...if we did that, we'd be waiting an awfully long time!  Not only does God provide us with protection, but He provides us with the Power too:  "...and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

...and it's that very same sword of the Spirit we are strengthening in this challenge!!

So there you have it!!  Week one's visualization tactic now comes to a close! Hopefully my descriptive up there will help you to remember these verses as well!

Did you try a different method?  If so, tell me about! I'm planning on trying a new memorization style each week and would love to give yours a go!

'Til then, Soldiers!!

Sword Drill Challenge-Visualization Week

On account of a little bout with food poisoning, I'll keep this super short & to the point!

Just wanted to check in and see how everyone's coming along with this week's verse!  I, for one, can say that the first part was easy with the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness, but those shoes of peace have been more difficult!  Anyways, I think I've got it now!

I'll be back tomorrow for the second half of this week's Scripture!  

Until then, here's hoping my stomach settles just as peacefully as my little girl did in my arms tonight!! 

Sword Drill Challenge: Visualization

Ephesians 6:14-17

"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

So I know I picked a bit of a challenge coming right out of the gate here...at least for me, I find it's length to be a bit daunting...but I really felt like this was the one.

I mean, after all, it's what the whole purpose of memorizing Scripture is all about:  strengthening ourselves for Christ, deepening our relationship with our Father, getting to that place of peace and steadiness despite what the storm around us tries to dictate...we've got to have our wits about us, and these verses speak to just that!

THE METHOD:
Under my Wisdom Grace and Chickens Board in Pinterest, I've got a few memorization tactics pinned that I'll be trying over the next couple weeks...feel free to check them out to see if one works best for you! 

For this week, though, I'll be trying my own method.  I'm a huge visual person, and visualizing these verses seems like it'd be a perfect fit what with you pretty much just needing to visualize putting the armor on like you would clothing.

For the next couple days, I'm going to focus on Ephesians 6:14-15:

 "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace."

I'll just break it on down:

"Stand firm then..."  I'm picturing myself standing at attention, feet firmly planted...

...then on goes the first piece..."...with the belt of truth buckled around your waist..."

"...with the breastplate of righteousness in place..."  this is NOT an item in my closet, lol, but I can still see it shining, magnificent, and full of grace, since we do not deserve the honor of these gifts but only receive them through Christ. I can picture myself wearing it with enthusiasm, head held high.

"... and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace."   I'm a runner, and I know how fitted and perfect I like my shoes and how amazing my runs feel when I've got them just right...I imagine it's like this except infinitely far greater!! 

What I'm noticing about each of these articles of armor so far, is that each of them give the impression of being adhered tightly to your person:  "belt of truth buckled", "breastplate of righteousness in place", "feet fitted"...Even the description of firmly standing... everything is snug, solid, in place...like He is surrounding us wholly...completely...in every way...It's just so beautiful, I think!  

So for the next couple days, why don't you give it a try....  

                                              Imagine getting dressed for battle 

...because whether we realize it or not, 

                                                        whether we leave the house or not, 

                                              ...we do battle each and every day!   

...imagine how you'll stand as each piece is fitted over you ("Stand firm then...")

                           ...imagine the belt of truth as it buckles around your waist...

...and the heaviness and assurance that comes from the breastplate of righteousness 

                                            (a gift to all who are saved and believe)....

...imagine the best pair of shoes you've ever worn.... 

How do you feel?  

                       Honored?  

                                    Grateful?  

Humbled and overwhelmed by this power He equips each of us with through His armor?  

                              All of this is available to us through the power of His Word...

...Quite frankly, I'm not sure anymore why I ever took so long to start memorizing it!

Keep me posted over these next few days!  Let me know if you tried this visualization method and what worked for you!!  I'd love to know!

5-Week Sword Drill Challenge

Early on in my education, I was enrolled at a Christian school.  Despite its humble size, it still carries a power-punch of childhood memories for me.  

One such memory was the Sword Drills we use to have.  We'd hold our Bibles up above our heads, waiting for the teacher to shout out a Bible verse, then we'd race to see who could find the passage the fastest.

To say I loved those drills would be putting it mildly, and while I'm pretty sure the teacher explained why it was called "Sword Drill" in the first place, the reasoning behind it all never really clicked until I was grown..

Ephesians 4:6-12 tells us to 

"...be strong in The Lord and his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, 

you may be able to stand your ground, 

and after you have done everything, 

to stand.

* emphasis mine

I don't know about you guys, but I want that armor on me ALL-THE-TIME!!!
... I want to be able to stand...

...to remember that, when I'm at odds with my husband or anyone else for that matter, 

there's something deeper going on here...

My struggle isn't with him or whoever else, it's with Satan...and he's trying his best to get in and divide and conquer...

Well I, for one, am tired of it! 

 I'm tired of forgetting who the fight is really between...
                                     ...I'm tired of forgetting I'm wearing that armor. 

I mean man, think about it...if we really looked more through those truthful eyes of knowledge and saw, in the midst of these moments, that we were actually battling against the spiritual forces of evil and not our loved ones, how many of us would do a little less crafting of witty comebacks and defending of selfish pride and a little more diving (with gratitude) into that suit of armor?!   

So, without further ado, the Scripture I'm looking to memorize this week:

Ephesians 6:14-17

"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."  

* emphasis mine

Ahhh, there it is the "sword of the Spirit"...that connection back to Sword Drills in school. The deeper our knowledge of His word, the more powerful and effective our sword...and the stronger a soldier we can each be for Christ. 

I gotta tell you, I'm extremely excited to be starting up this series!!  I know that Scripture up there is looking a little long, but I really believe that God will do great things with our efforts...!

Here's how I plan to do this:

One Scripture to memorize each week..
  

Every Sunday will be the Scripture intro (usually late night once the kids are in bed & I'm happily sitting down!).  

The remainder of the week will be devoted to memorization strategies and techniques that I'm trying and how they are working out for me.  
I would really love to hear from you..let me know if you have any tips to share, input on the next weeks' verses, etc etc.... 

'Til tomorrow, Soldiers!

Going All-Natural & Homemade

It's swiftly approaching 1:30 in the morning, and a loaf of freshly baked bread has just come out of the oven...

Ummm...awkward timing on that one, wouldn't you say?  At least around here, everyone else is fast FAST asleep...(and I swear I'm not jealous!)

Really, I could blame this whole "going natural & homemade" kick on that first set of cloth diapers I bought back at the beginning of the year.  After all, that is the catalyst that brought me to here anyhow!

Actually, no...the catalyst...the true catalyst would be when our home went from a double to a single income back in September.  My husband and I both agreed that we wanted me to be home with the kids each day.  It's something I've always wanted to do and am so overwhelmed with gratitude for.  With this switch, however, we are finding ourselves face-to-face with a feisty challenger commonly known as The Budget.  We have been doing just fine with keeping within the realms of our budget, but with our income taking such a drastic cut, I've started to look for cuts where cuts can be made.

The first, and most obvious, of these cuts was the diapers...I mean seriously, $30 each month for something my daughter plans to fill with poop and pee?  I couldn't take it anymore and finally bought our last box around mid-December.  Let me tell you, BEST decision I ever made, in regards to making that turn away from products I can actually do myself.  A post for another day, but I love, love, LOVE her cloth diapers!!  Only change I would make is having put my lady in these sooner...like from birth...straight from the womb and into one of these puppies...that's what I would've done!

Anyways, that transition to cloth pretty much started a landslide over here for us...every ticket item in our house I've wound up circling like prey and have one-by-one eliminated from our household purchases.  I'm really looking forward to doing up that post about everything I've changed in our household, but like I said, it's 1:30 in the morning for crying out loud!  Girl's gotta sleep sometime...right?  I mean, seriously, right?!  Because, sometimes I feel like I never get to have my hand at that!!

I will quickly say though, that this freshly baked bread is my latest "going natural & homemade" endeavor.  Last week at the grocery store, I realized that I had to put items back from the cart,  and the bread didn't make the final cut.  We all ate peanut butter sandwiches on homemade tortillas for the first portion of our week (not a best sell for my son with his classmates, but hey, if he's hungry enough, that boy'll find a way to eat it!).  Now for the 2nd half of the week, we have our fresh baked bread (yes, I will continue to use the entire phrase of "fresh baked" bread, because for crying out loud...as mentioned, it's 1:30 and I feel I've earned this small, insignificant right!)....

So here it is, folks....

I think it came out pretty stellar for my first time around...

Next time I'll plan ahead for the whole "dough rising" experience (Who knew it all took that long!  Well, I'm sure many knew, but I did not!)

Until next time, folks!

Catching up, Pigtails, and a Challenge!

What a whirlwind of a few weeks it's been over here in the Chicken Coup!

May I happily say that the children's book I've been working on for months now is finally complete!

A big WOOOHOOOOO on that one!!!  

Mind you, there are changes I already see to make, but for the first round of submissions, I've got to say that I am definitely pleased, incredibly excited, and a little crazy with the "Refresh" button in my email Inbox. Waiting for a reply is enough to make even the most stable go a little crazy...I can't be the only one who's endured the agony of the "Refresh"!!

In the midst of all this waiting, I've definitely kept myself occupied:

The kids are an obvious, but I will insert cute painting picture here:

....and my attempt at pigtails here:

...this was way harder than one might think!  

It took a great deal of "running on my knees" coordination to get that get-up going, so I'm pretty proud.

(Note that I do take pics of my Pops as well, but as anyone who knows me would tell you, I tend toward the "don't show the face/who 'dat?!" type pics of my kids, and I don't have any of those handy at the moment...you'll get use to it!)

Anyways, I've also hit up a MAJOR reorganization bit on Pinterest.  No joke, it took me hours to do, but I've finally got it up and running in a way I think works pretty sweetly!  Check it out, and let me know what you think!

But my biggest reason for being here tonight...

...I've decided to come up with a Challenge all of my own!  

I see these challenges all the time out there on beloved Google+, and I've decided to give it a go myself...

Details to come, but I am planning on a Bible Verse Challenge.
                               I've gotta be honest...this is not my strong-suit...memorization gets put to the wayside more than I'd care to acknowledge, but I also know how incredibly important it is in my walk with God, SO...

I'm aiming at March 16th for the start date...!

Nothing crazy here...
we won't be memorizing entire Books or anything...just a little something to get the ball rolling for me (& hopefully you!) in this department.  I'll be doing this no matter what, but I tell ya, I sure would love the company!

So, what I'd like to know is,

WHO'S WITH ME?

  Is this something you've felt God calling you to do too?  

A step you've been meaning to take but just never seemed to?

Let me know if you're in...and don't forget to tell your friends too!  The more the merrier!!

Details to follow soon...........!!!