I am an AWANA child. I grew up learning and memorizing scripture as a rhythm of life. Our family time around the dinner table included fun ways to "hide 'em in your heart," and Steve Green was a staple in our home. But memorizing has never been easy for me. (It was such a big deal in college that I avoided a career on stage because I didn't trust my memory for words and lyrics.)
But this year I want to intentionally practice the art of memorization, specifically with the book of 1 John. By the time my birthday comes in February I aim to have the first chapter solid. On my mom's birthday I'll be halfway through chapter 3. And when Christmas comes around I hope to recite the entire book!
Would you consider joining me?
I'm rebooting my little podcast so that we can walk through this adventure together, and I have a schedule to keep us on track. (Click the file download button below for the schedules, and click the "Listen here" button to head over to the podcast.)
It should be simple! Reading through the whole book only takes 16 minutes, and we'll only work on one to three verses a week. Of course, you're welcome to hop in whenever it suites you, and ditch whenever needed. However, by announcing this plan to the world I've now created a handful of invisible accountability partners to keep me going!
By the end of the year we'll have read through 1 John 198 times... Can you imagine how TRANSFORMING that will be?!
Oh- just so you know, by the time you read this there will be 2 new episodes up on the podcast. The first one is an invitation to join me on this venture, and the second is the book read in full, so you (and I!) can use it in the future as we read and listen through each week. Here's the button to the podcast page:
I have so many ideas about resources and ways to memorize, and I am super excited to share them with you! Because when we put scripture in our hearts, it is there to stay. And if I ever lose my ability to hold onto the present, these words will remain, and they will give me hope for the future.
Want to join me? We're reading through 1 John (yes, ALL the way through) every day this week. It only takes 16 minutes. You've got this. It'll be great!