Wanna Join Me?

A dear friend of mine, Sarah, has teamed up with Katie Ferrell of Dashing Dish for a 30 day Fit SPIRIT challenge and I’m taking it!  Wanna join me?

It’s easy-peasy and uber rewarding – what’s not to love?

The challenge will be based on the SOAP method of bible reading.  SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer.

From Sarah:

Using SOAP as your guide to bible reading is a powerful way to make the Word of God come alive in your everyday life. It is especially helpful if you’re new to studying Gods word and need a place to start!

Before you begin, I highly recommend getting out a good old fashioned pen and paper to write out your SOAP. I promise you it will have infinitely more power than simply reading through the steps! And, as always before spending time in God’s word, I recommend praying! Ask Him to reveal himself to YOU on a personal level and to give you clear discernment to recognize His voice!

How does it work?

 
1.) Scripture: To begin you choose a scripture. We have provided a daily scripture calendar to guide you, but don’t feel limited by these suggestions. Let the Holy Spirit guide you if there is a verse He has for you each day! First, read the scripture verse. Because it’s kept short you can really study the verse. I would suggest re-reading it, using bible study apps to read it in several translations, look up the meaning of words to really gain understanding of their meaning. This is your time to really understand the verse.

 
2.) Observation: What did you observe about the scripture that struck you. This can be one sentence or a whole book.

 
3.) Application: How can you apply the observation so that it affects your life today? What is God revealing to you? How can you make His word alive and applicable through that scripture verse today?

 
4.) Prayer: Write out a prayer to God based on what you just learned and ask him to help you apply this truth in your life.

 

There’s a downloadable calendar with pre-selected Scriptures you can use but don’t be afraid to the let the Holy Spirit be your guide; just get in the Word!

You can find out more about Sarah’s heart and the group challenge here:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/483359068472251/

Who’s in??  Let me know!  Get out your journals and a good pen and let’s get more spiritually fit together!

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See Ya Later, Alligator

Today is the last day of 2013 and I’m not all that excited to see it go.  It’s been a year of more mountain tops than valleys, so it’s not like I’m just dying to rush it out and ring something else in.

Time just keeps ticking and ticking and ticking on by – where did 2013 go?!  Days with my Wrexy seem shorter and my kids keep growing up without permission!  While it is such a joy to see the little adults they are becoming, I don’t want to miss a single day with any of them.  I want to take it slow and press it all into the wrinkles in my brain so I don’t forget these days.  My life with my little family is significantly more blessed than I ever could’ve imagine for myself.  Who am I that He would bestow such merciful blessings on me?

Highlights of 2013

We were blessed with a sweet baby boy (on tax day – he’s redeeming it!)…

Isn't the the cutest?!  He was about 5 hours old here...
Isn’t he the cutest?! He was about 5 hours old here…

Sawyer turned 3 and got to celebrate with a host of family and friends…

She requested a cat party so cat party we had!
She requested a cat party so cat party we had!

We got to go on a vacation to Denver and make lots of memories as a family…

At the Children's Museum - one of many fun stops!
At the Children’s Museum – one of many fun stops!

Sawyer got to show her first goat…

She's a natural!
She’s a natural!

We celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary by bowling as a family…

Wryder slept and the rest of us had fun!
Wryder slept and the rest of us had fun!

We traveled to Kansas to witness one of our best friends’ wedding…

Wrexy and Adam...
Wrexy and Adam…

I got to act out my obedience to the Lord and start this blog…

It's been SUCH a blessing!
It’s been SUCH a blessing!

Sawyer got to be in our neighbor’s wedding…

Dancing with the groom!
Dancing with the groom!

We got to spend time with the majority of the Phipps family at a cousin’s wedding…

Just missing a few!
Just missing a few!

Add all of that to everyday blessings plus visits from family and friends…

PicMonkey Collage
Love these people!

2013 was good!

Where did it go?  It went by in family dinners, road trips and snuggle sessions…in Cubbies meetings, sale barns and swimming pools…in weddings and pony rides and birthday parties and midnight feedings and suppers in the kitchen and jumps on the trampoline…those everyday moments that make up minutes and hours and days and weeks and months and years and LIFE.  I sit here sentimental, cherishing each one…

but I shall embrace 2014 just the same.

You are good and do only good; teach me your decrees.

The Lord has been so good to us…and we pray…

…let 2014 be more about You and less about us.

…let 2014 be more full of grace and love and mercy and kindness and self-discipline and joy and less of their oppositions.

…let 2014 be more about Your will and less about ours.

…let 2014 be about YOU.  And only YOU.

Happy new year to you and yours!