6 Month Review

Six months have come and six months have gone. While I am not on my original schedule, I have to look where I've come. I've been able to memorize

James
1 Peter 1-4 (can't remember if I did ch 5 or not)
2 Peter 1
Psalms 1-6,16,19,23,24

It's been like driving a car--sometimes I'm in first gear, sometimes fifth, and sometimes I just stop, but I'm still on the journey. The nice thing is that I've slowed down a bit and am engaging more and more from the heart and the spirit. This is what I want in the first place so it's been a good thing. It just might not work into my plan to memorize the Psalms and the New Testament in 10 years but I'm Ok with that.

I do feel changed, and surprisingly in ways that I wasn't expecting. I thought change would be a choice from the study of Scriptures, but it's actually happened as the overflow, not on deliberation on my part.

For example when I memorized the book of James, I was surprised at how much of it deals with the poor. I thought it was great but I went on to memorize other chapters from other books. A few months later I realized that out of nowhere I had really developed a heart and a burden for the poor. I've been yearning to be more generous and reading more and more about ministries to the poor. I was thinking one day where that came from when I realized I think it came from memorizing James. That move of my heart for the poor welled up out of the overflow of the Scriptures. I didn't work for it, try to develop it, make it happen, or made my emotions dive into it, it was just one day there. Cool.

I also have had Scriptures come to my mind when I am thinking of things throughout the day. For example what I spoke about the other day that "the sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods." I've also had the Scripture in Peter that says "he who loves his life and would see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit." My tongue and a good life go hand in hand. This one has come back to me often.

So all in all it's been good. I don't know where I'll end up over the next 6 months but I'm glad with where things have gone so far. The Lord has been good to me. Then again, every good thing I have comes from him (Ps 19)--another verse that keeps popping in my head. :)