Memory Verse #20

OK, this year is just flying by...and the fact that we're up to NUMBER 20 out of 24 MEMORY VERSES is just one more sign that this year is coming to an end soon!  And that means we're just that much closer to the Siesta Scripture Memory Team Celebration!  I can't wait!  My sister & I had so much fun in January 2010 when we got to go to the first SSMT Celebration!

And it's really not too late if you have PROCRASTINATED and haven't gotten all of your memory verses posted.  Beth Moore even suggested memorizing a chapter (or two) of PSALMS that would add up to 24 verses.  When I was in graduate school in Memphis, I was a part of a Bible study group at Bellevue Baptist, and we all memorized PSALM 139.  I never thought I could memorize an entire chapter before, but I did!  And it wasn't that difficult!  And guess what?  It's exactly 24 verses!  Just a suggestion.  Until this day, it is still my favorite PSALM!  So full of God's promises...

Psalm 139

    For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

 ¹ O LORD, you have searched me 
   and you know me. 
² You know when I sit and when I rise; 
   you perceive my thoughts from afar. 
³ You discern my going out and my lying down; 
   you are familiar with all my ways. 
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue 
   you know it completely, O LORD.

 ⁵ You hem me in—behind and before; 
   you have laid your hand upon me. 
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, 
   too lofty for me to attain.

 ⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit? 
   Where can I flee from your presence? 
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there; 
   if I make my bed in the depths,^[a] you are there. 
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn, 
   if I settle on the far side of the sea, 
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me, 
   your right hand will hold me fast.

 ¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me 
   and the light become night around me,” 
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you; 
   the night will shine like the day, 
   for darkness is as light to you.

 ¹³ For you created my inmost being; 
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 
   your works are wonderful, 
   I know that full well. 
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you 
   when I was made in the secret place. 
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 
 ¹⁶ your eyes saw my unformed body. 
All the days ordained for me 
   were written in your book 
   before one of them came to be.

 ¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! 
   How vast is the sum of them! 
¹⁸ Were I to count them, 
   they would outnumber the grains of sand. 
When I awake, 
   I am still with you.

 ¹⁹ If only you would slay the wicked, O God! 
   Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! 
²⁰ They speak of you with evil intent; 
   your adversaries misuse your name. 
²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, 
   and abhor those who rise up against you? 
²² I have nothing but hatred for them; 
   I count them my enemies.

 ²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart; 
   test me and know my anxious thoughts. 
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me, 
   and lead me in the way everlasting.

Now to my verse for this time... I decided to use Beth Moore's suggestion from last time.  It's a great verse to keep in my prayers on a daily basis (maybe even an hourly basis some days). :)

"I continually look to the Lord for help, 

for He will free my feet from the enemy’s net.” 

Psalm 25:15 (The NET Bible)

Boy Scout Popcorn Sales

Please watch this 1 minute video of our son. He needs your support to go to Boy Scout camp. Thank you! After viewing it, feel free to visit www.trails-end.com Under "You are supporting _____" click change and enter Evan's code: 17713603 so he will be credited with the sale. Incredibly the profit is 70%. Thank you!

My Talented Husband

A few weeks ago, my multi-talented husband decided to turn his old clarinet (the one he played in middle school) into a lamp.  He's been talking about doing this for years, and he finally took the time to do it.  He looked around town at the different flea markets and discount stores to find the perfect base for the lamp.  He was excited to find this marble ashtray for only $9...he just turned it upside down & drilled a hole in the middle of it!  A much better use for the marble than an ashtray, I'd say!  He then purchased a light kit at Lowe's & constructed the lamp.  He only blew the breaker once before he got it to work properly!  I'm so proud of him!  He's quite creative!

First Day of School

We had a little photo session to ring in the new school year.  Yes, I'm quite late posting them, but I don't want to forget them.  Do you know how difficult it is to get MY two boys to get a good looking picture at the SAME time?  But they did have a lot of fun together!

I Made Homemade Hummus!

Last week, I decided to try something new...I made homemade hummus!  I've bought hummus before and thought it tasted pretty good.  Then, when I was visiting with my friend, Deena, she told me how she made homemade hummus!  That sounded interesting.

Soon after that, I found a post on Life As Mom with a homemade hummus recipe. She linked to this recipe, so I tried it last week!

And YUMMY!  I really liked it warm too!

And now I have something to add to my Christmas list...a FOOD PROCESSOR!  I managed to get it all mashed up in the blender but it took FOREVER!

Those Eyes

I told you yesterday about the recent Burmese Fellowship we had at our church. While the adults thoroughly enjoyed the evening, the children did get a little restless after awhile.  There were so many adorable children , but I must admit that I'm a little partial to this one. 

And after a while, he started asking me to take his picture.

Such a poser...and he knew it!  After every picture, 

he would say, "Let me see!  Let me see!"

I don't know how he's learned to raise one eyebrow at a time!

But it sure makes us smile! 

Burmese Fellowship

A few weeks ago, we had a fellowship at our church with a special group of people.  Recently, many refugees from Burma (now called Myanmar) moved to Center, and they have started meeting as a congregation at the chapel in our church on Sunday afternoons.  Some of them have started coming to our Sunday school & church services.  While some of them understand English & speak it fairly well, some do not.  But you can still sense that we all serve the same wonderful God!  Many of them sang special songs for us (in their native language, of course).  We had a great time listening to them sing & watching them worship in such a sincere way.  And we truly enjoyed trying their food & I think they enjoyed trying ours too. :)

Here are some of the children singing.  

They were definitely the highlight of the evening!

The smallest two children were only 2 & 3 years old...

and they knew the words & sang with such heart!

These are some other groups singing for us...

We had quite a crowd!

I loved how they wore some of their native clothing.

This man gave his testimony about how he recently became

a Christian after being a Buddhist for most of his life.

The Burmese asked some of our people to get up and

sing for them.

We look forward to our next fellowship together.

Memory Verse #19

As I've been reading through Psalms this month, I found that Psalm 86 was a wonderful Psalm...every verse is a promise  from God.  I may have to work on memorizing the entire chapter, but for now I'm choosing verse 7...

"In the day of my trouble I will call to You, for You will answer me."  - Psalm 86:7 (NIV)

It's still not to late to join the Siesta Scripture Memory Team for the celebration in January!  Click here for more details!