Week 33: A Kernel of Wheat Falls to the Ground

Day:  230          Verses Memorized:  566          Working On:  John 12

The John Squad
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My Progress:
This week I reviewed every previous chapter and was pleasantly surprised at how easily I could recite each one after only a short time of practice.  However, I officially declare myself "Chapter Sixphobic."  At any rate, because God has super-motivated me lately and my review went well, I decided to go ahead and start memorizing Chapter 12.  So I'm pretty good with the first 30 verses and plan to finish that this week.  This is the longest chapter left, so after this week, they should start to go rather quickly (I hope).  However, while they are shorter in length, I believe they will be more difficult emotionally.  But we'll just take one verse at a time. 

Some Thoughts:
I have many favorite verses from this chapter already and I'm only halfway through.  First of all, the coolest thing about this chapter comes in the first verse, "six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived..."  Now, I had just spent a week memorizing how Lazarus died.  It took me extra time to get down the parts where the mourners are comforting Mary and Martha.  Large crowds were gathering to weep at the loss of Lazarus.  Then this week, I decided to skim over Chapter 12 to see what was ahead and the first thing I read, "...where Lazarus lived"!  God just continues to show me how He can transform anything:  water to wine, blindness to sight, sin to righteousness, and death to life.

My next favorite verse of this chapter, "and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume."  I love this story of how Mary pours perfume on Jesus' feet.  And I love how John adds this detail about how the house was filled with its fragrance.  Just another beautiful picture of love that John adds to his Gospel that never ceases to overwhelm me.

This is an amazing chapter.  Jesus is preparing for his death and nobody understands what's going on.  He is entering Jerusalem but receiving half-hearted, thrill-seeking praise rather than true commitment.  I know the Father was always with Him, but I often wonder if He felt alone.  Crowds upon crowds of people, but nobody truly believing in Him.  Twelve devoted disciples, but none of them really understanding Him. 

Jesus sure had a way of painting pictures with His words.  "Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.  But if it dies, it produces many seeds." 

It makes me sad to read, "now my heart is troubled".  How dare I ever take His sacrifice for granted.
 

Week 32: Lazarus, come out!

Day:  223          Verses Memorized:  536          Working On:  Review 1-11

The John Squad

Please click here to chart your own progress - even though I'm the only one still doing this

 

My Progress:

Chapter 11 is done!  I am astonished that I was able to memorize this entire 57 verse chapter in one week.  I worked intensely the past several days and am proud of this accomplishment.  Initially, I had been intimidated by this chapter because it is rather long with a lot of dialogue, so I was thrilled when it all came very easily to me.  It was definitely a God-thing.  Once again, I am going to commit myself to a week of review.  I am going to resist the temptation to peek at Chapter 12 and will spend significant time this week reviewing previous chapters.  I really mean it.  That's what I'm going to do.  For real.  Review time.

 

 

 

Some Thoughts:

I love Jesus.  He just gets more and more amazing as I memorize each chapter.  His power and authority over life, death, and everything in between is something my mind is just unable to grasp. I can't imagine being there that day, watching a dead man walk out of his tomb. The joy of that reunion must have been remarkable.  My absolute favorite verse of this chapter:  "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."  11:44.  I guess the reason I like it so much is because I know that I was dead to sin and lying in my tomb.  Then came Jesus, my knight in shining armor, calling me out.  He freed me from death, removed my grave clothes, clothed me in His righteousness and gave me life.  (As I proofread this paragraph, I see a lot of "Christian-ese" and realize that many, including myself, have probably said words similar to these zillions of times.  But for me, this time, it's vastly different.  I have a connection with my Savior now that is unparalleled to any relationship I've had in the past.  Each word and verse takes on new significance as He reveals Himself to me in deeper and more meaningful ways.  He has truly opened my eyes after living in blindness.  What a wonderful Savior.)

I'm sad that as I move on to Chapter 12, I have reached the end of Jesus' public ministry and am standing at the beginning of the passion.  I am really not looking forward to memorizing the next several chapters, but I know that God still has a lot of learning and growing in store for me.  I know that He wants me to do this and I will continue in obedience and pray that He will keep guiding me as I go along.

This Thanksgiving I have more to be thankful for than ever before.

 

 

 

 

Week 31: 10 Chapters and Counting

Day:  216          Verses Memorized:  479          Working On:  Beginning Ch. 11

The John Squad

Please click here to chart your own progress - even though I'm the only one still doing this

 

My Progress:
Ten Chapters down.  Oh yeah!  This experience has been somewhat of a rollercoaster.  Some days, I am thrilled with my achievement and give all the glory to God for allowing me to have this ability and opportunity to treasure His words.  Other days, I am completely overcome with frustration and disappointment.  The voice that started out in the beginning as a whisper is now frequently deafening as it screams constantly in the back of my mind, "pointless, you'll never remember all this, you've already forgotten so much, why bother with this..."  I get angry with myself when I begin to listen to this voice more and more.  I get angry with the enemy for putting stumbling blocks in my path.  And while it pains me deeply to say it, I sometimes get angry with God for not allowing it to be easier.  Nevertheless, I press onward and begin Chapter 11 this week.  I am incredibly intimidated by its length and amount of dialogue.  And as always, I need to spend more time reviewing previous chapters. 

 

Some Thoughts:
Chapter 10 is now right up there as one of my favorites.  Jesus is just so awesome in this chapter.  He talks about His amazing power but in the context of His unfailing love for us.  I love the part where He says, "The reason my father loves me is that I lay down my life - only to take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.  I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again."  I spent a long time meditating on those verses.

This chapter just makes it crystal clear that Jesus willingly chose to lay His life down for us.  He says twice in this chapter that He lays down His life for the sheep.  No matter how many times I practiced or recited these verses, I always had to pause and take a breath for a moment.  These are not words to be glossed over or said quickly for the sake of reviewing a chapter memorized.  These words are the foundation of everything in which I believe.  Jesus laid down His life for me. 

• I'm thankful that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.  (Ch. 1)
• I'm thankful that Jesus turns my lousy, tasteless water into sweet and wonderful wine.  (Ch. 2)
• I'm thankful that I will never perish but have everlasting life.  (Ch. 3)
• I'm thankful that He gives me living water so that I shall never be thirsty.  (Ch. 4)
• I'm thankful that He heals me at the pool even when I don't even know I'm broken.  (Ch. 5)
• I'm thankful that He provides me with bread of life so that my spirit will never hunger.  (Ch. 6)
• I'm thankful that He has sent the Holy Spirit to guide me through this life.  (Ch. 7)
• I'm thankful that He forgives my deepest sin and looks on me with love.  (Ch. 8)
• I'm thankful that He opens my blind eyes.  (Ch. 9)

And...

• I'm so thankful that He lays down His life for the sheep.  (Ch. 10)

Week 30: The Good Shepherd

Day:  209    Verses Memorized:  460    Working On:  Finalizing Ch. 10

The John Squad
Please click here to chart your own progress - even though I'm the only one still doing this
My Progress:
I was so hoping to finish Chapter 10 this week but I didn't quite make it there.  I am back on track after Hurricane Sandy and have been more consistent in studying each night.  There is one paragraph in this chapter that I am having a heck of a time memorizing, but I'm getting through it.  I thought Chapter 10 would go very quickly, so I'm a little frustrated that it took me this long to learn it.  Unfortunately, I allowed myself to glance through Chapter 11 and I am terrified as it is completely filled with dialogue.  Argh!

Some Thoughts:
I just love the image of the Good Shepherd.  I have raised all sorts of animals throughout my life, so I can definitely relate to the metaphor that Jesus is using.  I've never raised sheep, but we've had goats, chickens, and pigs.  The pig is freshest in my mind right now since we just butchered it last weekend.  Here are some thoughts about "Hammy" as I relate her to my own Christian walk.  (Now who else has a blog where they compare pig farming with spiritual growth!  ...Only here, folks!)

• First of all, we obtained the pig for a purpose.  We had a plan for it from the very beginning.
• We cared for the pig.  We knew what was best for her.
• We faithfully met the pig's needs whether she thanked us or not.
• When she kicked her water over ten times a day, we would refill it 11 times.
• When she got hot in the middle of summer, we made her a mudbath pool.
• It gave us joy to watch her grow and enjoy the environment we had made for her.
• When that stinking pig got out of the fence, we chased it all around the neighborhood to get her back where she belonged.  And even though she was pretty angry with us, she felt better once she got back inside the safety of her fence.

I've never raised sheep before, but I know from my Pastor's sermons a lot about them.  First of all, they're just so darn stupid and completely dependent upon the shepherd for everything.  They wander all over the place with no sense to the dangers around them.  It's easy to sit here and be a human being looking down on them.  I feel so "superior" to them.  It's a little harder to look at it the other way and realize that I am the sheep and Jesus is my shepherd.  Even when I think I know what I'm doing, I'm really wandering aimlessly.  And even though I feel like I'm in control of things, it's really God who is providing for me.

I'm so thankful for His patience and how He watches over me.  I love how this chapter says again and again "and I lay down my life for the sheep."  It's just the most beautiful picture of His love for us.

All I know is, I never would've laid down my life for that darn pig...

Week 29: A Slight Interruption

Day:  202          Verses Memorized:  450          Working On:  John 10:1-21

The John Squad
Please click here to chart your own progress - even though I'm the only one still doing this

My Progress:
I managed to memorize another few verses this week.  I had a few good runs on the treadmill earlier in the week and made some decent progress.  However, hurricane Sandy hit us pretty hard and we have been without power (heat, water, lights) for the entire week.  This is a measly excuse; I surely could have studied more than I did.  I'm going to get back on track this week whether we have power or not.

Some Thoughts:
I'm really enjoying memorizing Chapter 10.  At least so far, it's fairly easy to memorize and I love the metaphor of Jesus being the Good Shepherd.

This week, more of my thoughts were focused on God's amazing power.  During the hurricane, we saw things unlike anything we had ever seen in our lives.  As the wind was roaring through the yard and we were watching the trees topple over like dominoes, I couldn't stop thinking about Jesus in the boat.  Even the wind and the waves obey Him.  I can't imagine being there that day when He calmed the storm instantly.  Either way, whether Jesus is asleep in the hold or awake on deck, I am just so thankful that He's on my boat!!