He said to the crowd, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It is going to rain,' and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It is going to be hot,' and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time? Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right?" (Luke 12:54-57, NIV).
I know that I speak frequently about this experience of memorizing scripture. It is such an amazing journey - I can't help but share it with others. For the first few months, memorizing came easily, which was quite a surprise. For about five months, memorizing was difficult and I wondered if I would be able to complete the goal. Most recently, I began to mentally pick up speed again. My new problem became reciting ALL the verses for the year in one sitting.
At the same time, I am currently teaching study skills courses and workshops for first-time college freshman. One of the tools I present to strengthen ones memory is "meaningful organization." This equals ordering items in such a way as to make the items more meaningful based on students' background knowledge. One morning while studying my memory verses, I began linking them in a different order (rather than the chronological order in which I had chosen each set of verses). There appears to be an underlying theme and progression in the verses. After completing the linking process, I tried reciting all 18 sets of verses. Within just a few days, I was able to recite all 18 verses one after another! What an awesome blessing!
The verses that the Lord has led me to memorize are so meaningful. They directly reflect my personal Spiritual journey in 2009. This year, and this journey, will certainly be considered one for my spiritual record book.
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