Been mourning Zach’s 1 year birthday coming up on Tuesday. Oh how this year went by so fast. sniff, sniff.

It’s only Sunday, and I already feel a little anxiety and busy this week with birthday fun on Tuesday and then a small gathering on Saturday. I’m figuring I need every ounce of kiddo nap/sleep time for planning and prep, as hospitality does not sit atop my spiritual gifts.

So, while I knew I needed to follow through on the big challenge post this week, I thought I might put it off one more week, instead writing a quick post with a new verse for the kiddos.

After all, I had big plans tonight to compile a slideshow of pictures from Zach’s first year of life.

That is, until I was hit by the message tonight during church.
My time and what to do with it was the treasure I’d been guarding.
Ouch.

So while I don’t have it all figured out, I’m being obedient and issuing the challenge tonight nevertheless.

No way to be close to God without knowing His word.
No way to be a good telescope as Judy called it (vs. a microscope which is inwardly-focused) without knowing His word.

And that cute little verse about hiding His word in our heart in Psalm 119:11? Yeah, it ain’t just for the kids.

It is for us, so that we can live out Deuteronomy 6:5-9 with them…

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

On your heart, impressing, talking, tying, binding, and writing. This is serious stuff.

Ok, you psyched up? Ready to ‘Just Deu it?’ as my friend Millye would say?

Judy said she memorized Romans 6, 7, and 8.
Yep, the chapters, the whole chapters.
But, she also said it took her 3 years.

I’m not asking for a 3 year commitment. Or 3 whole chapters.
I’m only asking for 1. Romans 6.
It sounds like a lot, I know.

BUT, how many songs do you know all the words to, eh?
This is better than any of those songs. It’s the living, breathing word of God. How cool is that?

Grab your bible or just click here to Read Romans 6. It’s pretty short and don’t you just love how it’s conversational and ends some sentences with a question?
; )

Not convinced?
Know what happened when I was driving home from church still wrestling with giving up the time tonight to work on that slideshow?
In my mind, I was honestly trying to justify working on it, and my busy, busy thoughts were immediately ramrodded with this:

What shall we say then, shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!

Read it aloud again: “What shall we say then, shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!”
That’s Romans 6:1
Hah! You just memorized the first verse, and the start of the second.
So, you’re already on your way!

I don’t know how we’re going to do it, but we can do it together. Remember, we’re better together. : )

For now, keep practicing verse 1 and add in verse 2. Those two flow so nicely. They are easy peasy.
Might help to print it out and put on your nightstand to practice before you fall asleep and while you get dressed in the morning.

Speaking of getting dressed, that’s a clue to the next post and verse.

In the mean time, don’t think about it or justify it away, “Just Deu it!” – by Sundee McDonald

This entry was posted on Monday, August 16th, 2010 at 10:51 am and is filed under Building Blocks . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.