Joshua 1:8

It's near the end of May. Most colleges and universities have finished their graduation ceremonies. Many high schools are preparing to have their commencements in the next few weeks. Even junior highs, middle schools, and Kindergarten classes around the country are preparing to send their students off to the next phase of education. 

It was about this time of year, practically a decade ago, that I felt the need to have a special talk with one of my 8th grade science classes. This group of students was unique - it was my smallest class, only 23, with just four or five boys. Most of the remaining 18-19 were girls were popular among their peers; a few of the other young ladies hadn't yet socially blossomed. 

As what tends to happen every few years or so, I grew particularly fond of this group. And the talk that I decided to have with them came from a place in my heart that desperately desired for them to remember not the science lessons that I had taught them, but the message of staying true to themselves, not getting wrapped up in the peer pressure that would undoubtedly make itself known the first day of 9th grade. I wanted to remind them to be kind to each other; to keep in mind that friendships ebb and flow with changing interests; that they have the inner strength to do the right thing even when it's really tempting to just go along with everyone else. I wanted them to remember that they were smart and independent young people who could think for themselves and that they had a voice to share with those who would listen. 

I think I may have cried talking to these students. 

Thanks to Facebook, I'm "friends" with a few of the girls in that class. A couple of them are now young mothers and it's amazing to see how they are raising their own children. And whether or not the speech I gave them 10 years left an impression on them, they definitely left a mark on my heart. 

As I was memorizing and meditating on Joshua 1:8, this memory was brought to mind. Just like I had desired to give those young people one last encouragement before entering the sometimes scary halls of high school, God was encouraging Joshua as the new leader of the Israelites, to remember all of the things that he had learned by studying the Book of the Law. Joshua was about to enter into some battles and the opportunities to turn back and return to the wilderness would look mighty tempting at times. 

But God promises only what He can promise to Joshua and all 12 tribes - prosperity and success if, and only if, they follow God's lead.

There isn't much difference for you and I. God's promises of prosperity and success are still on the table, if we have a submissive and obedient mindset. 

May we always remain students of Scripture and may those lessons always be something that we recall in our daily living. 

Blessings <3,
-bethany.

2 Timothy 3:16

As a junior high science teacher, there were several misconceptions that students had regarding the air that we breathe in and out. 

One misconception was that air doesn't weigh anything. Even in junior high, students still think that in order for an object or substance to have mass you have to be able to hold it or touch it. So to provide evidence otherwise, I would take a balloon and put it on a scale and we would record the mass. And then I would have a student blow up the balloon, we would put it on the scale again, and we would measure how the mass changed - it increased. And so we would begin the discussion of how since the air inside the balloon had mass and it took up space inside the balloon, it was classified as matter. 

2 Timothy 3:16 states that All Scripture is God-breathed. What does that mean? 

Just like we require breath in order to form our words, the words recorded by the ancient authors were inspired by God himself. And just like air takes up space inside a balloon, these words should take up space in our hearts and our minds. 

The difference I would argue would be that instead of our hearts and minds being vessels that determine the space that these God-breathed words take up, we need to allow to be molded into new vessels by Scripture. 

Just as I would use classroom demonstrations to provide evidence in order to confront common misconceptions with my students, when we read, study, and meditate on Scripture, because of the power within it, Scripture begins to transform our thinking, reshape our attitudes, and our behavior is eventually made to reflect more of Jesus.  

This is why I am working on memorizing 100 Bible verses and then blogging about the verse. To memorize the words, it requires that I think about it them with intention for several days until they are remembered. I keep practicing the verses too. I use an app on my phone that tracks when it's time to review a verse. But it's not until I write about the verse that it really sinks in my heart and begins to transform my thinking. I literally have been asking God, "Ok, what do you want to say to me about this verse?" And usually as I am on a walk through my neighborhood, some meaning begins to develop. But it's not until I actually start typing that what I am supposed to learn for myself is revealed. And it's my prayer, that in some way, shape, or form, that because I opt to make my learning public, that you are encouraged or challenged or inspired too. 

So thanks for making this journey along with me! 

Be blessed today!

P.S. The app I use is called Remember Me (Apple Store - there are other apps available in Apple and the Google Play stores)