Friday, January 01, 2010

Mega Memory Month Begins

A lot has changed since January 2009, but I'm excited that one of the ways I'm ringing in the new year is the same as last year: Mega Memory Month!

Ann Kroeker is once again hosting this blog carnival/memorization challenge--a wonderful way to link up with others and reap the benefits of public accountability and mutual encouragement as you hide God's Word in your heart.

Memorizing extended passages of Scripture has been a hugely valuable discipline for me. It is so helpful to have God's Word running through my mind during the day and ready on my tongue to provide "a word fitly spoken" and build others up.

This time around, I've decided that "mega" for me means tackling a whole book. I've memorized chapters of Scripture before, but never one entire book, so I'd like to try that. I've chosen Ephesians, for several reasons:
  • It's one of my favorite books, packed with glorious gospel declarations.
  • I'm already familiar with many of the verses, which should give me a boost in a daunting project like this.
  • David Powlison says in Seeing with New Eyes: "You will not go wrong if you plunge into Paul's letter to the Ephesians. Master it. Be mastered by it. ...The Bible is vast and deep, and human life is diverse and perplexing. But in a pinch you could do all counseling from Ephesians. It's all there: the big picture that organizes a myriad details." Quite an endorsement!
Of course, there's no way I could memorize all six chapters of Ephesians in 31 days. I have a good memory, but not THAT good! I'm simply hoping that Mega Memory Month will provide a jumpstart on the project. Using my verse-a-day method, my goal is to work through Ephesians 1:1-2:10 this month, and then I'll spend the next several months committing the rest of Ephesians to memory.

I hope you'll join me. Just pick something to memorize--try something "mega" (challenge yourself based on what you’ve done in the past). If you're new to memorizing, don't be intimidated; just start small. As Ann has said, "Nobody is judging how well we complete this month-long memory project--it simply provides public accountability. Don’t let the word 'mega' discourage you from participating. Participate even if your selection is modest."

I'll be checking in, Lord willing, every Monday this month to share my progress and encourage you to persevere. Then on the 31st, we'll have a little celebration of what we've hidden in our hearts. Head over to Ann's blog to officially sign-up, and check out the following links for inspiration and tips:

3 comments:

Kristin said...

I am joining you in this!! I am going to be memorizing the Psalms of Ascent, though like you, just getting started this month, not planning on finishing.

Question: How do I get the MMM button on my page ?

zz said...

I need grace to want to do this. Please pray.

Linda said...

The book of Ephesians. Wow. May God bless your awesome goal!

I'm memorizing Psalm 139 with my kids along with a favorite poem.