4 Reasons Scripture Memory is Absolutely Critical to Your Walk with Christ

What if I were to tell you that I have a friend who has memorized Psalm 119--the longest chapter in the Bible with 176 verses?

          What if I were to tell you that that same friend has memorized the book of Ephesians?

          And the books of 1 Peter, 1 & 2 Timothy, Philippians, Colossians, Obadiah, Jonah, and Nahum.

          Not to mention the first fifteen chapters of John and the first ten chapters of Romans.
          I don't even have time to list out all that she's memorized.

          And what if I were to tell you that THIS SAME FRIEND is with us today on the blog to talk about why Scripture memory is important?

          If anyone knows anything about memorization, it’s her.

          Let me present my friend Dani to you. She just turned eighteen and lives in Alaska. She is also the founder of A Hoe In My Hand—a wonderful magazine for girls. I just received it today and loved it!

          I have long been wanting to write a post about memorizing verses because it has absolutely changed my life and has been huge in my walk with Christ.

          So I am thrilled to share an interview I held with Dani that will help you understand why Scripture memory is CRITICAL for you, and she even shared her tips and tricks for how she has memorized so much of the Bible before finishing high school in this post.

          Let’s get started then, shall we?

Glad to have you on Morning Glory, Dani! So glad to have the opportunity to pick your brain about Scripture memory. I have a big question for you: When we can just google any verse, why does it matter that we memorize them?

          “I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11) Not “googled it on my smartphone”, but “hidden it in my heart.” And that helps us not sin! How great is that?

1. Memorizing Scripture puts it directly into your head. 

          When you’ve been memorizing a passage, it will play through your head, influence your actions. It will be something you’re actively dwelling on. Psalm 1 says that the man who meditates on God’s law is blessed, but you can’t meditate on it if you don’t know it.

          “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8) When God’s word is there in your head, when it is on a live feed in your mind, you won’t be nearly as likely to act against it! It will always be there, strengthening the prompting of the Holy Spirit on your conscience!

2. Scripture is POWERFUL

          The word of the Lord is proven (Psalm 18:30). You can always trust it. It is the instruction manual for all things that pertain to life and godliness. It is given that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17).

          “For the word of God is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) Scripture is POWERFUL. There is no greater weapon you can wield against the attacks of Satan. (Ephesians 6:17) The voice that created the world, breathed the breath of life into man, and healed the sickness and sins of many also wove the beautiful tapestry of words that we call the Bible. Only those words have the power to break the chains of sin and death. When you memorize them, they are in you, and you can pour them out to those around you!

3. The Word of God should be our treasure

          David, the man after God’s own heart, loved the Word of the Lord, meditated on His law. Also, the writer of Psalm 119 loved the Word of God, and Psalm 119 illustrates that vividly. Just go and read the whole thing attentively. It is a love song about the Word of God! Shouldn’t we all desire to ‘be after God’s own heart’? Shouldn’t we all love Scripture in that way? When you love someone or something, you will have their every detail memorized. How much more should we treasure and memorize the Word of God?

4. Scripture is eternal

          “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will be no means pass away.” (Matthew 24:35) Scripture is the only thing given to us on this earth that will be enduring. Treasure it up, put your effort into it – everything else will be worthless in the end.

          When you have scripture memorized, it will always be there for you to use, while Google might not always be. I often think about the persecuted Christians both in the past and present who didn’t have the written Word directly available to them, but had huge portions memorized, and so were still comforted through the Scriptures, able to share the light of the gospel with those around them, and still growing through the nurture of His Word. That benefit was one that was pointed out to me by my Sunday School teacher back when I was 10 years old, and it has stuck!

          “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” (Psalm 12:6) 
          God’s Words are so much better than any other words we could have in our minds! Why would you even want something else there?

Dani is an Alaskan MK who loves the Lord with all her heart. A large part of her childhood has been spent competitively memorizing Scripture through the National Bible Bee. She has seen the immense blessing of the Lord in her life through it, and wants to share that blessing with others in whatever way possible. In her spare time, she does school, learns languages, and practices piano, violin, viola, or various other instruments. She also heads up a team of girls that publish A Hoe In My Hand magazine.

 

          Thanks so much for your wonderful words of wisdom, Dani! I think you can tell that her mind is full of Scripture by just how many verses she referenced! Check this post for tips and tricks for HOW to memorize the Word of God. And don't forget to check out A Hoe in My Hand!

Until then, let's chat girls! Do you memorize Scripture? Why do you memorize? What have been the greatest benefits of Scripture memory? Share in the comments!

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11 Things Every Preteen Needs to Hear

A while back we had an awesome chat time on Instagram. The question was, “If you could give one piece of advice to a twelve-year-old girl as she is entering her teen years, what would you say?”

The responses were so good, I’ve decided to share them here.

About Self-Worth, Beauty, Insecurity

“Your self-worth isn’t a thermometer, it doesn’t go up and down based on your accomplishments or the approval of others. Truly know that your worth is in Christ because you are His perfect creation. Don’t fret; He has a perfect plan for you.”

“Don’t waste your time on drama and trying to please everyone.”

“God made you just the way you need to be.”

“Value yourself as a child of God.”

About Boys

“When crushes develop, don’t chase after the guy. When girls chase boys, they don’t get what they want. Instead, the guy needs to be the initiator and the girl is the responder. Don’t rush into a relationship. Wait on God’s timing and wait until you’re old enough.”

About God

“Put your focus entirely on the Lord. Strive to serve Him in every area of your life. Don’t look to clothes, boys, friends, etc. for your happiness. Jesus is the only thing that will bring you true lasting joy!”

“Keep God in mind throughout your day 24/7. Talk to Him like He’s your best friend, because He is! Read your Bible every day, morning and night. It’s better to read a little bit and make sure you fully understand it than to read a lot but not understand anything. Whatever trials you go through—persecution, friendships, boys, culture, body image, self-esteem, everything—understand that none of it matters. Live with an eternal perspective and live for the Lord.”

About Authority

“At this point in your life, I know it’s a struggle to relate to your mom, or any authority, but if you use these years right and submit to their authority in the future you’re going to have a deeper relationship with that person. The knowledge they have can be critical to helping you use these preteen years for their optimal benefit. Besides your relationship with God, the most important relationship right now is the relationship you have with your mom. She is the biggest tool to help you conquer the teen years ahead.”

About Habits/Routine

“Live each day like there’s no tomorrow. Don’t waste your time wishing you were older. You’ll be there soon enough! Live with abandon!”

“Live like Jesus loves you!”

“Develop habits of self-discipline. Learn to walk by the Spirit and not gratify the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). This can be applied to even getting up in the morning.Time management and discipline are surprisingly crucial to my walk with Christ because if my time management is poor or my self-discipline is poor, then what suffers is my time with the Lord.” 

What advice would you give to a preteen? What was the most helpful thing you heard as a preteen? What was your favorite piece of advice in this post? Share in the comments!

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7 Tips for Writing, Releasing, and Publishing Your Book | Regal Hearts

Today we have a guest post from Livy Jarmusch who we interviewed recently. She is releasing another book in the form of several episodes, called Regal Hearts, and they are getting great reviews!

          As part of the celebration, Livy has given us an inside peak at her writing, releasing, and publishing journey!

-By Livy Jarmusch

          A creative spirit is a blessing from Heaven. (Really, it is.)

          Although, I will be the first to admit, that there are days when it feels like a curse.

          Walking around this tattered planet with so many words, visions, characters, and lands, locked up inside your belly can make you feel like an over-due pregnant lady. The only problem, is that you've been pregnant for years. The visions that you've seen in your heart, and the characters that you've chatted with over tea in your brain, are so vividly real to you.

          At first, the idea of writing a book is exciting and whimsical. Words rush out of your soul like a waterfall, tumbling onto the pages, and you're ecstatic to release what you've been dreaming of for so long! The first twenty-five or fifty pages are like bliss.

          This is going to be a best-seller! You squeal to nobody but yourself, This world needs my story! This is the most brilliant idea since Pride and Prejudice! If only Jane Austin could see me now! She would be so proud!

          But then, the hardships hit. Everything freezes up, your brain is in a total fog, and you feel like jumping ship. "This is the worst idea ever!" You scream, ready to throw your story through the paper-shredder.  "How could I possibly be any LESS original than this?! I stink! I am never going to be a successful writer!"

          We've all been there. The inner critics raise their voices, and spew their ugly words into your mind. The nasty mud-slingers try to make you think that your story is a complete waste of time. You can't write, you'll never be good enough, nobody cares what you have to say...

          Lies. Lies. Lies.

          Over the past year, God has taken me on a journey. A journey that took me from a muddy pit of lies, and into the glorious freedom of the liberty of Christ. He has freed me, and He has freed my pen!

          So now I’d like to share several tips and things that I’ve learned along the way! So here we go, my top 7 Writing, Releasing and Publishing Tips! 

1. Turn off Your Inner Critic, and Forget the Rules

          There’s nothing that kills creative writing faster than our inner critic. You know, that voice which spits out lies which say, “You’re not a good writer, you’re never going to be, you’ll always struggle with writer’s block, nobody will ever like what you write…” those voices have to be shut down.

When you sit down at your computer and begin crafting your tale, pray first, and ask the Lord to help you ignore the lies! Truth is, you are a writer. Just the fact that you have the desire to write, and are actually sitting down and attempting to make it happen, speaks volumes about the gift inside of you!

          What you’re writing is not horrible. It’s just practice!           Everyone looks back at their first few stories and wishes they could throw them away, but that’s a good thing…it means that you’re growing! And the more you write, the better you will get…I promise!

          Your time at the computer is a time to be creative. Not a time to be critical. The purpose of your first draft is to daydream and have a total blast with it! Editing comes later.           Don’t allow yourself to edit while you’re working on your first draft! Just have fun, and go with whatever comes. You can make changes later. Stay focused on the fun, creative side of things, and it will be way more enjoyable, and your story will flow much easier! For your first draft, there are not any rules. Embrace the wild freedom of the first draft, and just go for it!

2. Set Realistic Goals for Yourself

          I think we can all agree on something as writers. Finishing stories can be really, really hard! It’s easy to begin, bursting out of the starting gate in a fury of excitement, but after a while the inspiration seems to evaporate, writers block kicks in, and writing feels like nothing more than an uphill battle of WORK.

          As much fun as writing is, it also requires a lot of endurance and stick-to-it-ness! The temptation to give up can be oh-so-real. But setting goals for yourself, and keeping yourself on a track that is moving forward, is something I’d recommend to every writer! Because, the only way to get better is to keep writing. I’ve found that the more often you write, the more you’re able to exercise your writing skills, and the better you get!

          So what’s a realistic goal for you? Writing 10 pages a month? 5 pages a week? My personal goal is 5 pages a day. Sometimes I make it, and sometimes I don’t, depending on my schedule, but aiming for 5 pages a day keeps me accountable and requires that I have to keep moving forward! I would definitely recommend that you choose a good goal for yourself, and work at it! (And don’t forget to celebrate each accomplishment with a little reward! Chocolate, a good movie, or a long walk are all nice incentives!)

 3. Be Your Reader’s Eyes

          Before writing a scene, I like to visualize everything about it. I like to imagine that I’m watching a TV show unfold, and try to be as clear in my mind as possible about what each character looks like, feels like, and what’s happening around them. Even if I don’t describe every little detail, I like to at least know for myself.

          For example, if the scene is happening in a green meadow, I like to Google images of green meadows, just so I can get a clear image in my mind before I try to write. It’s important to remember that our readers are blind. They have never stepped inside your mind, and they don’t know a thing about your characters or this world you’re building…so you have to be their eyes. You have to hold their hand, and guide them into this imaginary world by using clear, descriptive words. One of my favorite, classical authors is Laura Ingles Wilder. She was a great writer, because she grew up describing everything to her blind sister Mary. She was her eyes, and she had learned how to describe everything in a way that made sense to someone who couldn’t see what Laura saw. That’s what we get to do as writers!

          So take Laura’s advice, and practice being the eyes for your blind readers.

4. Get Some Feedback!

          Before making your book available for the entire world to see, it’s a good idea to ask some friends and family (or if you’re a blogger, your readers!) to take a peek at your work, and offer their feedback! I have found this so amazingly helpful! It also helps those who read your book for free ahead of time to get excited about it, and possibly even recommend it to friends once it’s published! This is also the time to ask for reviews. If you decide to publish your book with Amazon’s self-publishing platform, reviews are super important and it’s never too early to start asking for reviews! Just make sure that when you ask, you request that they be completely honest. It’s not fair to ask a bunch of friends and family to line up and sing your praises. If someone doesn’t like your book, they are free to share that on Amazon. You want real reviews, so ask those who are reading to be completely honest! Amazon has rules against false reviews and if they are suspicious, they can remove your book from their website without warning.

5. Begin Planning Your Cover

          Your cover is super important. It’s the first thing potential readers will see when they come to your page! People really do judge a book by its cover, that’s why you want it to appear professional! For my first book, Beauty Boys and Ball Gowns, I used Amazon’s free Cover Creator, and even though it turned out okay, I still feel like it looks a little bit…eh, self-publishly. Which wasn’t a huge deal for the first book.

          But for my second, I really wanted it to sparkle and grab the reader’s attention! So, I decided to hire someone to work on the cover art. Graphic designers can also be crazy expensive, so if this is only your first or second book and don’t have several hundred dollars set away for your project, I’d recommend Fiver.com. There are many graphic designers willing to do a great job, for only $5! Each designer is different, so you want to read their reviews and make sure you’re getting a good one, but I was totally impressed with what my designer did for the cover of Secrets of Royalty! I explained my vision to her, and she made it happen! My jaw dropped, because the cover looked exactly like what I wanted it to in my mind! So yay, Fiver.com!  

6. Contact Your Fellow Blogging Friends

          One of my favorite things about the blogging world, is the community and support system built among fellow bloggers! For the most part, bloggers love to support one another! We enjoy swapping guest posts, doing interviews, and promoting other bloggers if we love their message! And so, I would really recommend the idea of having a Blog Tour! Now, this surely isn’t vital to self-publishing, but it might be a fun idea if you’re looking to spread the word about your book and reach a larger audience.

          You might be wondering, “What is a Blog Tour?” The basic idea is that instead of having a physical book tour, going from bookstore to bookstore (like many authors do), you’re traveling from blog to blog for a number of days in a row! You can ask bloggers if they’d like to be involved by either doing a review of your book, receiving a guest post from you, or doing an interview, etc. It helps get the word out about your book to new people, as well as draw attention to whoever’s blog you’ll be visiting that day.

7. Keep Going and Don’t Give UP! 

          As you can see, writing and publishing your book is not for the faint of heart! It takes a lot of time and energy and commitment on your end. But in my opinion, it’s totally worth it. I wish I could tell you that the process is a breeze, and you won’t run into any problems or reasons that might tempt you to throw in the towel...but that’s not true. The journey isn’t easy. But you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength! If He has called you to this, He will be faithful to help you every step of the way!

          No matter what happens, don’t be discouraged and don’t give up! After journeying through such a long process, the day that I finally released my first book, I was hoping that hundreds of copies would sell within the first week. When only a few were sold, I was kind of devastated. I had built up so much hope and expectation for that glorious release day, that instead of rejoicing over the fact that a handful of people were reading my words, I despised the day of small beginnings. But the Lord quickly got ahold of my heart and gave me a much needed attitude perspective. Instead of wrinkling my nose at the small, I lifted my hands in praise and said, “Thank You Lord! Thank You for every book sold! Thank you for each life being touched! This is amazing! Even if just one life is being touched and changed and affected in some way for Your glory…thank You! That is so, so humbling, and makes all of this worth it.”

          If you’re a writer, my question is: Are you willing to write for the one? Even if your book  just touches one person—wow! That is amazing! That is a victory worth celebrating! You will be eternally rewarded for that in heaven! So no matter what…don’t give up!

          Don't forget to head on over to Crown of Beauty Magazine or Amazon to start reading Regal Hearts!

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5 Benefits of Not Flirting

“I can’t stand to be around her,” My sister told me.

“Why?” I asked.

She clenched her hands, “Because she’s so…so… FLIRTY! It’s awkward every time a guy is there! It’s disgusting! I just don’t want to be around her.”

Have you ever felt this way?

When I was around eleven, I decided I would not flirt with anyone I wasn’t in a relationship with. If you want to know my reasons, see my recent Part 1 and Part 2 on why I decided not to flirt.

That’s what I did—I didn’t flirt. 

Have I regretted this choice? Absolutely not! Here are the ways that I benefited from that decision and why I recommend you make the same commitment. 
1. People treat me with respect and take me seriously.

2. I don’t view the guys around me as objects to be played with.

I see that they’re people with feelings, weaknesses, strengths, desires, etc. They don’t want their heart broken any more than I do.

When I stopped viewing guys as potential husbands, I started seeing them as real people whose sole purpose is not to make me happy but to glorify God.

3. I have deeper, closer relationships with the girls around me than I ever would have had I been a flirt.

When you flirt with guys, you make the girls around you competition. They won’t like it and you won’t be able to have a strong relationship with them. Especially if you’re flirting with her crush!

4. I know now that God created me to be satisfied in Him and He is the only One who can satisfy me.

Flirting is a tool to get us what we girls desire most right now—attention, affirmation, and affection. When we use flirting to get these things from guys, we are ignoring the One who promises to fulfill us. We also are chasing after a cheap cop-out of what God designed for us—true, lasting fulfillment in Christ. If we teach ourselves now to be satisfied in a guy, we will take that attitude with us into a relationship and into marriage. 
*Spoiler Alert!* Guys can’t satisfy you.

  5. My friendships with the guys around me are deeper and truer than if I’d been a flirt.

The flirty guys run off to find the flirty girls, and so I’ve been extremely blessed by the godly guys who hang around me instead of the flirty girls. Let me tell you: an honest friendship with a godly guy is something very valuable and definitely not something to be taken lightly.

6. Morning Glory. I can almost guarantee that I would never have started Morning Glory if I had been consumed with getting guy attention.

Why did I even start Morning Glory in the first place? Because I had grown so much in the years where I did not have guy attention. No attention forced me to go to God for my needs. As a result, I learned so much about Him and about life.

Ladies, God is far more satisfying than a few seconds of a cute guy’s attention.

I hope you will consider these things as you go throughout your teen years. What is the most important thing to you right now: honoring God or getting attention?

What are your thoughts on this issue? Do you agree or disagree? If you have decided not to flirt and have seen benefits, what have those benefits been? Share in the comments!

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