new memory verse

I'm adding a new verse to my brain and heart. This one I'm sure is one of those I learned as a kid for a grade and then quickly forgot.

Joshua 1:9 KJB
"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

As I promised, here is where I am in my less-than -One Year Bible-challenge:
March 17

Here is a link to the passages for March 17th:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%2026:1-51;luke%202:36-52;psalm%2060:1-12;proverbs%2011:15&version=NKJV


Here's a link to the OneYearBible online:
http://oneyearbibleonline.com/index.html

A meme I created from reading OneYearBible

 

Numbers 17:12 KJV
"And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish."

(Photo from Disney/Pixar's "The Incredibles")

Memory Verses and Accountability

 

As I previously mentioned, I'm trying to re-commit scripture to memory.

 

Here we go:

 

Philippians 4:8 (KJV)

"Finally, brethren,

whatsoever things are TRUE,

whatsoever things are HONEST,

whatsoever things are JUST,

whatsoever things are PURE,

whatsoever things are LOVELY,

whatsoever things are of GOOD REPORT;

if there be any VIRTUE,

and if there be any PRAISE,

THINK ON THESE THINGS."

 



My inspiration: a Dayspring school folder that I own. They have it as a free desktop background too, http://ecards.dayspring.com/freestuff/Whatever/

 



1Corinthians 1:18 (Amplified)

"For the STORY AND MESSAGE OF THE CROSS is sheer absurdity and folly to those who are perishing and on their way to perdition,

but to us who are being saved it is THE [MANIFESTATION OF] THE POWER OF GOD."

 

(In the Amplified Bible, brackets [ ] signal words that were added for clarification but are not in the original text.)

 

 

• For accountability purposes:
• My less than One Year Bible reading challenge:
• I'm currently REALLY behind.
• March 9th's reading.

 

Sorry

Dear reader,

Sorry that it's been so long since I've blogged (although I think the only ones who actually ever read my blog are my parents). A lot has happened since I last posted. I'm now a graduate student attempting to get a masters degree in materials engineering.
( to learn more about my field of study: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Materials_science )

It's been a complete overhaul of my life. I've discovered a few things about my self along the way. I won't bore you with the details, but I've felt that I've been not growing as a Christian lately. This stagnant living has taken many of my fellow believers captive all around the world and is a very dangerous place in which to be. To combat this, I have decided to fall back on the basics.
Step #1:  scripture memory. Some of these verses being memorized are new favorites while most, unfortunately, are ones that I learned long ago and forgot the moment I had to recite them for a grade.

I may not have time right now in graduate school to blog, but I would like to share the verses with you all that I'm attempting to commit wholly and holy to my brain and heart.
Feel free to suggest your favorite verses.

On another note, my New Years Resolution this year was to finally read the Bible in one year. I'm using an old One Year Bible that I've had since I was a kid. As any New Years Resolution goes, when February came... well, you know. So I decided to make it a New Years Resolution CHALLENGE! I'm challenging myself to read the whole Bible in LESS than a year. So far... I'm REALLY behind.
So along with my scripture memory verses, I would like to post where I am in my One Year Bible for accountability purposes.

This may not be what I originally planned for this blog, but please bear with me as I try to catch up... in more ways than one.

Sincerely,
Bethany

( the Bible I've had since I was little: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15411787-the-precious-moments-one-year-bible )

The Dandelion Princess

“The Dandelion Princess” by Bethany C. Brooks

 

Once upon a time there was a lovely Princess named Aster. Princes from all over asked for her hand in marriage, but her answer was always the same. She gave every one of them a task, a quest of sorts. Whoever could bring her a bouquet of dandelions with all the seed intact, could marry her. Spring came and so did many princes from all over would try to carry a dandelion bouquet to her, but all failed. A slight breeze would always foil their quest. Some princes would try a second time, yet they still failed, while others found ways to cheat but were banished for their tricks. Seasons changed and winter arrived, and there were no more dandelion. The kingdom lay in wait to discover if anyone would try again next spring, but when the world turned green again everyone found that the word of this quest had only multiplied over the calm of the previous winter. Years past and this quest seemed quite impossible. Slowly the numbers of princes that attempted to carry the dandelions dwindled until there were no more, save one. His name was Patrick and he was known for his patience. He tried and tried. Every day he would journey to her castle with a bouquet but never made it before a seed drift away from the others. For years he was on the quest for Princess Aster's hand. Some said that with each passing season his heart grew stronger for her. What Prince Patrick did not know was that the princess heard word of this prince and the years he spent carrying dandelions.

One spring when he was ever so close to reaching her castle with a bouquet, he saw someone far up the road approaching his direction. It was the princess coming to meet him. He knew it was her by the crown on her head and the smile on her face. He was speechless, for she was more beautiful than the stories told. There was something in her smile that instantly made him realize that he loved her. It was her joy, and it was contagious. Before he could stop himself he found himself laughing and she joined in the revelry of the moment. When they were somewhat able to stifle their giggles, and still neither having said a word, he handed her the bouquet of puffs. She took them in one hand and his arm in the other. They walked arm-in-arm until they reached the castle. She led him not inside, but through a corridor. Before they reached the end of this hall, the prince noticed that it looked as if it had snowed at the other side of this corridor, but to his surprise, it was a garden full of dandelion puffs. When they had reached the middle of this white garden, the princess looked at him and all at once began to shake the bouquet around them. Up until this point the prince had no idea why dandelions were the princess’s favorite flower. Now he understood, because they were standing in a cloud of dandelion seeds. It was magical, and the joy on the princess’s face told the prince everything he needed to know and most importantly, that he wanted to be right here for the rest of his life. He bent to one knee and spoke for the first time since they met along the road. He said, “Will you marry me, my love?” At exactly this moment the princess’s joy burst out of her, and she leaped into his arms and softly said through tears of joy, “Gladly.”

And they lived very happy long lives, and their kingdoms, as well as all the neighboring realms, lived in peace for one hundred years. Their children passed down the legacy of the dandelion, and their children passed it down until it became a legend. Like most legends it was tucked away and forgotten. Today the dandelion is seen as a weed because it so easily spreads, but the truth is that the love between Princess Aster and Prince Patrick still resides in the dandelion puffs today and it can’t help but spread its joy.

 

The End

"Hope Will Lead Us On"

My favorite band, BarlowGirl, announced recently that they are retiring. Here is their farewell song. It's about being told by God that something new is in store for your life and leaving what you are currently doing (having a band) and trusting Him that a new door will open.

"Rise up again
Shake off the shadows
Unlock the doors
And let hope live once more
Because up from the ashes
A fire is woken
Because those who are broken,
Are becoming the chosen

So lift up your eyes
Because we're not forgotten
And hope will lead us on

Our hearts come alive
With every moment
Become the flame
That shows us the way
So sing out your freedom
Sing it out loud
Because though we are broken
We're becoming the chosen

So lift up your eyes
Because we're not forgotten
And hope will lead us on

Oh we pray for the dawn
And we reach for the morning
And hope will lead us on

Oh the day will come
As we press on
When the battle's won

So lift up your eyes
Because we're not forgotten
And hope will lead us on

Oh we pray for the dawn
And we reach for the morning
And hope will lead us on"

(Written and Recorded by BarlowGirl ~ ©Word Entertainment )


PS- Here's BarlowGirl's farewell note:
http://www.barlowgirl.com/blog/barlowgirl/letter-us-you

song "My God's Enough" by BarlowGirl (+personal verse)

"Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I, even I, will sing to the LORD, I will sing; I will praise the LORD, the God of Isreal in song." (Judges 5:3 NIV)

• Psalm 73 (My God's Enough)
•  
• I've had enough of living life for only me
• And reaching just for the things that keep destroying me
• So sick of envying the lives of so many I see
• Somehow believing that they have what I need
•  
• My God's enough for me
• This world has nothing I need
• In this whole life I've seen My God's enough, enough for me
•  
• I can't explain why I suffer though I live for You
• Those who deny You they have it better than I do
• Cover my eyes now so that my heart can finally see
• That in the end only You mean anything
• Who have I in heaven but You
• Nothing I desire but You
• My heart may fail but not You
• You are mine forever

Written and Recorded by BarlowGirl ~ ©Word Entertainment