This week I'm starting a book study with a group of girls over at Good Morning Girls. I did a book study on the book of James with them a couple of months ago and it was wonderful! I learned a lot and found that my morning quiet time went a whole lot smoother and purposeful each morning wtih a precise plan. If you're looking for a little more structure in your time with the Lord (to keep you focused or whatever), go check out the SOAP method they provide, it's really helped me to think more about scripture.
The book we're reading this time is Sally Clarkson's The Ministry of Motherhood. We begin the book next week but this week we're reading some verses to get our minds focused on family and what the Bible says about it.
The very first reading was Psalm 127:1--Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.
This verse makes me think back to my wedding day. My father-in-law, a very spiritual man, gave us this advice, "Always put Jesus first and everything else will fall in place." The seven years that we've been married have proven to have their ups & downs. We strive to put God first in everything that we do though. We don't miss church a lot because we know that we both need recharging. We seek out Christian opportunities and do what we can to be involved in church and we trust in God to provide where we can't. God has built our home. Yes, we love each other dearly. But we love God too and depend greatly on Him to build our family and watch over us.
Today's verse was Matthew 6:33 and it spoke volumes to me even though I've read it a million times. "Seek you first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you." There are certain things we do in our home that are without question. One of those things is, we pray. We pray over every meal and at bedtime of course, but we also pray a lot in between. And it's in those in between prayers...for a scraped knee, a need for patience in a moment of frustration, a need to be nicer to our baby sister/big brother....that we learn the most. (By we, I mean me and the kids.) My hope is that they learn to go to God with anything. And occasionally I know it's working when Eli asks to pray for someone in his class or for an animal.
Another thing we've just recently started is memorizing scripture. The kids have a verse each week from our nightly Bible study. If you would've asked me a month ago about Lu memorizing scripture, I would have probably laughed...she's 2, c'mon, she can't remember scripture. I have trouble remembering scripture. If this Bible study we're doing (more on that later) we repeat a verse every night for a week and we have Eli repeat it. Luci is NOT going to be outdone by her brother so she says it too. (Sometimes better!) And to hear scripture coming from the tiny mouths in their little-kid voices....warms my heart and soul.
I say all this to say that we're learning. More every day to seek Him first. Seek His ways first. Even though we're pressed for time. Our over committed. We're learning and trying and God knows we don't always succeed.....but I believe He wants our effort more than anything else.
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