What Is Good: Discovering Lent

This year, my year of studying what it means to be inscribed, is bringing me to my knees. I didn't know what I was getting into when God laid that word on my heart a few months ago. He amazes me, the way He's tying things together - from Bible studies to scripture memory to my reading list - and bringing my one word for 2014 in a direction I never expected. 

Recently I shared how and why I'm memorizing Isaiah 55 with Hide His Word. I've read the chapter before, but when you're really studying something, you see it in a whole new light. A few weeks ago, verse 2 just reached out and grabbed me. I can't get it out of my mind.

Isaiah 55:2 "Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance."

Ouch. That verse describes me a little too well. How many times do I spend "wages for what does not satisfy"? How often do I chase after things that really don't mater, when I should be chasing after God? How much time do I waste every single day, when I could focus on the important things?

I can apply this verse to so many areas of my life: literal food (my eating habits, exercise, how I care for my body - a temple of the Holy Spirit); spiritual food (time with God, Bible study, prayer); daily food (how I spend my time and energy every day). When I look at it that way, Isaiah 55:2 really hurts.

All of this has brought on some major soul searching, and it's led me to something totally foreign to this evangelical girl - this year, for the first time, I'm observing Lent. Maybe not in the strict sense if the word. I'm didn't receive ashes and I'm not fasting anything, but I'm spending the weeks leading up to Easter focusing more on my relationship with Christ and doing an online study of Kris Camely's book Holey, Wholly, Holy. I'd heard wonderful things about this book. When the study was announced, I knew it was just what I need, and it fits perfectly with my one word.

On Ash Wednesday, I dove in - and within minutes, I was in tears. One thing God is showing me repeatedly throughout this year is that being inscribed isn't about some warm, fuzzy feeling. It's not about how I feel or what I think. In fact, the only aspect of "me" that's involved is realizing that I am nothing apart from Christ. I'm inscribed because of my sin, because I am helpless and lost and desperately in need of a Savior.

(Photo courtesy of Free Foto)

Jesus inscribed me on His hands, giving me everything - and I owe Him so much more in return. It's humbling. Honestly, it's made me realize how selfish I really am. He gave so very much, and I give so little in return. I make so many excuses.

I'm now in week two of my Lent study, and it's putting me on my face before God. I asked Him to reveal my sins to me. He's answering, and it hurts. I'm seeing myself as I really am. It's ugly. But God is also showing me the depth of His grace...my ugly, dark, broken heart, covered and cleansed by His unending grace.

That I May Know You

My husband and I love watching the show "Hotel Impossible." It's a reality show where the host - an expert in managing hotels - goes to failing hotels and resorts to help them make their business better. Many times, the owners are on the brink of filing bankruptcy, and the show is their last hope for survival.

On pretty much every episode, the host asks the owner, "Have you ever run a hotel before? Have you worked in a hotel before?" Almost every time, the answer is "No." The owners have stayed at hotels, they've dreamed of running a hotel, but they have no knowledge of how to do it. They know nothing about the business, and it sets them up for failure.

So many times, Christians do the exact same thing. We know about God, but we have no real experiences with God.

We don't take the time to know God, and it sets us up for failure.

It's not enough to just know about God. It's not enough to casually mention Him from time to time, but do nothing. We can't show up at church on Sunday morning, then ignore Him the rest of the week and expect to live out a strong faith every day. If we are truly following Christ, we want to know His Word, His commands, His ways - and we want to follow Him.

God tells us, over and over again, that He wants us to know Him. He longs for a relationship with us. He wants to bless us. Psalm 71:3 says that God is "a rock of habitation to which I may continually come." He is always there, waiting for us to come to Him. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - the God whose spoken word created all that is and set the earth into motion - longs to have a relationship with us.

That's my motivation for morning time with God. Are there days I'd rather sleep late, stay comfortable in my warm bed and skip my time with God? Yes. Are there days I mess up and miss my time? Absolutely. But I strive every day to get up early and spend time with God, because more than anything, I want to know Him. I'm not perfect, and I never will be, but my prayer is that as I spend time with Him, I will know His ways - and most of all, that I will know Him.

A Celebration Giveaway

February was an amazing month for me. My dream of being a published author came true when my first short story was published in Splickety Love magazine. This month, I decided to have a little celebration giveaway.

Thanks to some great friends, I've pulled together an amazing prize pack! One lucky winner will receive:

A one year digital subscription to Splickety Love magazine, including the premiere issue with my short story, "The Love She Never Had"

A digital copy of God's Daughter by Heather Day Gilbert

A digital copy of The Disappearing Key by Wendy Paine Miller

A digital copy of Elderberry Croft by Becky Doughty

If you love great Christian fiction, you will love this prize pack! The giveaway is open for one week. Just leave a comment to be entered - and check out several easy ways to earn more entries:

• Like Grace In Our Moments on Facebook
• Follow Grace In Our Moments on Twitter
• Tweet about the giveaway
• Follow Heather Gilbert, Wendy Paine Miller, and Becky Doughty on Facebook

Just click on the "leave a comment" button below to get started.

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How (and Why) I Memorize Scripture

Scripture memory has never been my strong point. I know it's important, but to be honest, I struggle with it. I've tried different methods. I signed up and started Hide His Word challenges, with varying amounts of success, but I've never totally finished one. This time, when I signed up for Isaiah 55, I determined to see it through.

I need God's Word hidden in my heart.

There are so many reasons to memorize Scripture:

1. To fight temptation
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He fought Satan with a powerful weapon that we have full access to - the Word of God. You may not always have your Bible, but if you've memorized Scripture, you're always armed and ready for battle.

2. To meditate on God's Word
When I have Scripture in front of me all day, I stay focused on it. It's always at the back of my mind. So many times I've seen the verses I'm learning in a new light - through a sermon, a Bible study, or a book - because it was on my mind, and I was able to add to it through different sources.

3. To share my faith with others
4. To encourage others
Again, we can't use the Word unless we know the Word.

As I've worked on memorizing scripture, I've found several great, simple resources to help me. My favorites, which I'm currently using to memorize Isaiah 55, are:

1. Verse cards: Every Sunday, I write the week's verse on index cards - one to carry with me in my purse, one to keep at home. I have no excuses for not studying if my verses are always with me.

2. First Letter cards: This is my favorite way to review! If I'm struggling with a verse, just seeing the first letter of the next word is usually enough to jog my memory.

3. Sticky notes: I don't do this every week, but if I'm really struggling with a verse, I'll write it on sticky notes and post them around the house - on the bathroom mirror, above the washing machine, and so forth.

4. Journaling: I start each day with my gratitude list in my journal, then I write out that week's verse and track how many times I review it.

5. Scripture Typer app: This is one of my favorite iPhone apps! Scripture Typer makes it so easy to study verses. It even provides reminders when it's time to review, so nothing slips through the cracks.

6. Lock screen: Using my favorite iPhone photo editing app (Rhonna Designs), I create a lock screen design with the the verse I'm working on. Any time I use my phone, I can easily review my verse.

What about you?

Does memorization come easily for you, or do you struggle with it?

What are your favorite memorization methods or tips? 

Leave a comment and share them - I'm always looking for new ideas!

Creating a Selah Space

You probably already have a "place" for your Bible study and prayer, a place where you daily meet with God. But do you have a "space" for it? Even if you have limited room, you can create a "Selah space" - a place to pause, listen, and reflect on God's Word each day.

1. Find a workable space.
What works is different for everyone. It depends on your home, yours and your family's schedules, and what makes you comfortable. Some people have an office area. Others like the kitchen table, so they can spread out their notebooks and study supplies. When my husband and I first got married, we lived in a huge 3,000 square foot parsonage and I used our double walk-in closet for my quiet time. Now we own our own (smaller) home, and I spend my mornings with God on our living room couch. I don't wake anyone up, it's comfy, and I have space to sprawl out and work.

2. Gather your supplies.
Get everything you need for your quiet time and put it all together. This can be anything from your Bible, journal, and pens, to a blanket and a candle. Whatever you need to be cozy and spend time with God, take it to your space. For me, it's my Bible, journal, Sharpie pens, colored pencils, sticky notes, and my favorite blanket.

3. Contain your supplies.
This doesn't have to be anything fancy. Grab a pretty basket or your favorite tote bag and stash your Bible, your favorite journal, your Bible reading plan, and whatever else you need. I found this beautiful little Paris trunk at Ross for $11.00. Since I'm kind of obsessed with Paris and it matched our living room decor, I bought it. It sits at the end of our couch. It's the perfect size for my Bible study stash, and I'm not digging for my Bible in the dark at 5:00 a.m.

4. Decorate.
Keep it simple. Throw a couple of decorative pillows on the couch. Put a candle out. Frame printables of your favorite verses. Take a few minutes to make your space your own.

With a few minutes of prep time, you can create a quiet, welcoming place to meet with God. It's a perfect motivator for spending time with Him.

(And if you're looking for accountability in your quiet time, sign-ups for Hello Mornings are now open! You can join my CST Twitter group, Morning Grace, or find a group that meets your needs on the main page. Just create a free account and you're ready to find a group.)

Creating Time With God

We know we need time with God. We've heard it a thousand times: we can't give away what we don't have. We can't be the wife, mom, daughter, sister, employee, or woman we need to be if we don't first fill ourselves full of God.

But the things that create our great need for Him are the very things that make it hard to find time with Him.

Everything else in our lives clamors for our attention, and we push our time with God to the back of the list.

I struggled for years to find my niche when it came to Bible study and prayer. I tried groups and plans, books and online studies, detailed guides and unplanned time. I finally learned the truth: there is no "right way." My time with God has changed with the seasons of my life. Over the past twelve years, I've moved from stay at home mom to part-time working mom to full-time student, and now to working mom.

One thing I have learned is that no matter what your quiet time looks like, you have to have a plan! It doesn't have to be elaborate, but you do need a general idea of where you're headed. Here are a few simple ways to get started:

1. Create a space.
You don't have to set aside a whole room, but create a space where you meet with God daily. My space is our living room couch. It might be your kitchen table, or your deck, or even your car. Designate a space that is yours for meeting with God.

2. Gather your supplies.
If your time is limited, the last thing you want to do is waste time digging for your Bible, your notebook, or anything else you need for your time with God. Again, this doesn't have to be anything fancy. Grab a pretty basket or your favorite tote bag and stash your Bible, your favorite journal, your Bible reading plan, and whatever else you need. I found this adorable mini-chest at Ross for $11.00 - cute, cheap, and Paris themed. (I'm kind of obsessed with Paris, thanks to Sabrina and Les Miserables.)

3. Create a schedule.
There is no "one size fits all" schedule, but without some kind of plan, you will most likely find yourself aimlessly wandering through your time with God. Write out a simple list of the things you want to accomplish. For me, it's 1000 gifts (my gratitude list), scripture memory, Bible study, prayer and journaling.

4. Choose a Bible study.
There are SO many to choose from, but don't get overwhelmed. There are great free resources out there to help you get started. A few that I love are Hello Mornings/Quench Bible Studies, She Reads Truth, and YouVersion.

If you're serious about spending time with God, read Savoring Living Water by Katie Orr and Laura Williams. This book is amazing!

5. Make yourself accountable.
Find a friend or family member to hold you accountable for spending time with God. Or sign up for Hello Mornings. Not only does this amazing site provide Bible studies, but it provides a whole accountability program, bringing together women from all over the world. Sign ups for the next session start Monday, February 17. Check out one of the dozens of groups on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram - including my CST Twitter group, Morning Grace.

I won't promise you that you're going to be perfect. I won't promise it will always be easy. But I will promise you this: it's worth it. Make time for God in your life, and you'll be amazed at the difference He makes.

How I Journal

The past few weeks, I've shared my experiences with journaling, why I journal, and different types of journaling. I spent years trying different journaling styles, until I found the perfect blend that works for me. Today I'm giving you a sneak peak at my own journal.

My journal falls under the "smash book" category. It's a hodgepodge of quotes, lists, writing, and more.

 

I journaled about my "One Word" for 2014 and started an inspiration page - verses and quotes reflecting my word, "inscribed."

I take notes from my Bible study. This year, I'm reading through the Bible.

I keep lists of what I'm reading (or want to read), the music I can't get enough of, etc. because my journaling is so impacted by this.

You can break down my time with God and my journaling time this way:

1. What I'm thankful for (my 1000 Gifts list)

2. What I'm learning (Scriptures I'm memorizing)

3. What God is speaking to me (Notes from my Bible study, books I'm reading, things God spoke to me in my prayer time, etc.)

4. What I'm praying for (I have a separate section of my journal that I use as my prayer journal)

Journaling is such an important part of my time with God, but I want to point out one thing to watch out for - keep your focus on time with God. Journal as part of your time with God, not in place of it.

I have enjoyed sharing my journaling experience with you! If you'd like to learn more, follow me on Instagram @graceourmoments - you can follow from the icon in the sidebar. I share lots of journaling photos there and would love to connect with you!