New Year, New Verses to M&M!

Hey Ladies!

I hope all of you had a very blessed Christmas, I know we did. I am so excited about all of the wonderful things that happened in 2011 and I can't imagine what God has in store for 2012! I am particularly excited about our next semester of M&M and I hope you are too. Here's the info:

Meditate & Memorize

Led by Barbara Bindewald

• Tuesdays @ Jamestown Coffee 12:00 – 1:00


• Wednesdays @ LPC 10:00 – 11:00 in room 202 (nursery available)


• On-line: Information provided to those who sign –up

Theme: BEING A KINGDOM WOMAN

What's the difference between living for the Kingdom and living for the American dream? You're an American citizen, yet if you belong to Christ, you are also a member of His Kingdom and this is not your home. So how do Kingdom women live each day here? This theme was taught in 2010 and will contain some of the same verses, but some new ones as well. Please join us!

If you want to participate in the online group, please let me know and I'll be happy to get you set up. I'll be sending out a launch email today.

Love,

Leslie

M&M Recital

Good afternoon M&M group!

I hope that you haven't stopped chewing on our verses just because class has ended... They have been so special to us and will continue to soak into our hearts for years to come. Barb and I wanted to share some videos with you!

The first one I think is especially sweet. This one is of Barb and her two "sisters-in-love" reciting verses together the day after Thanksgiving. I hope that this clip is especially an encouragement to the onliners - particularly the ones who were too far away to attend our recital. You can recite your verses to your family, to your spouse, or to the Lord! *Please note that you are always reciting them to the Lord, no matter who else is present, but you know what I mean!

Barb's "Sister Act":

This next clip is of our group singing our song on the night of the recital. It also includes Barb's "intro" to our verse recitation as well. Play it and sing along!

Come Ye Sinners:

And last, but not least- our verses!! How sweet it is to hear our ladies reciting the word of God. (I'm hidden in the back, but I promise I didn't run away! haha)

Verse Recitation:

Thanks again for a wonderful semester. Continue to encourage one another, read your verses, and smile. Thanks and Merry Christmas!

Compilation of Verses!

Wish that you could see all of this semester's verses in one place? Wish no more!! Happy chewing to you...

BENEDICTION

ACTS 20:32 ESV

And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

#1 GOD MAKES A PROMISE

JEREMIAH 32:38,40,41

They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.

#2 MY BELOVED CALLS ME TO ARISE

SONG OF SOLOMON 2:10 (ESV)

My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away...”

#3 HE DID IT!

ISAIAH 53:4-6

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

#4 THE WAR IS OVER!!!

ROMANS 4:25, 5:1,2

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.

#5 FORGIVEN!

ROMANS 4:7,8

“Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the [wo]man whose sin the Lord will never count against [her].”

#6 NO CONDEMNATION, FREEDOM!

ROMANS 8:1,2

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

#7 ADOPTED!

GALATIANS 4:4-7

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

#8 NEVER SEPARATED FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST

ROMANS 8:35,37-39

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us…For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

#9 COMFORT AND RESTORATION

ISAIAH 51:3

The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.

#10 BEAUTIFUL NEW GARMENTS

ISAIAH 61:10

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness...

#11 I WAKE UP AND GET DRESSED

ISAIAH 52:1,2

Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength. Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, the holy city…Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

~~~BONUS CHRISTMAS PRESENT VERSES!~~~

#12 I PRESS ON ‘TIL GLORY

PHILIPPIANS 3:12-14

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

#13 I WORK OUT WHAT GOD IS WORKING IN ME

PHILIPPIANS 2:12,13

Therefore, my dear friends...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Last Lesson :*(

Good morning, fellow M&M'ers!

I hope that you've had a wonderful week- it's been quite eventful for me. We closed on our house on Thursday, which was also my daughter Emily's first birthday! God is so good- we hope to get settled soon. I must say that this has been such a wonderful few months and I'm sad to see our time together come to a close, but so excited about all of the verses we learned! Thanks for joining us on this journey of feasting on God's word. Many thanks to Barb for her countless hours of prayer and preparation and for allowing God to use her in this amazing way. The Lord has given her a gift for sure and we appreciate her sharing it with us!

All that said - a few items of business:

BUSINESS:

Michael Card Concert at Lex Pres Church this Saturday, November 19th; 7pm. Tickets $12 if bought early at the church or online at iTickets.com; $15 at the door.

Our Recital!! Sunday, December 4, 6 pm. Lexington Presbyterian Church sanctuary. Reading cards is absolutely okay! Come join your other M&M-ers, especially you onliners if you live locally. We'd love to be with you face-to-face. We will be reciting Cards #1-11 plus the Benediction.

Here is Barb's Summary of this week's lesson: (Click Here to download!)

Hi ladies! As of this lesson, you have made it through the Fall 2011 M&M term! Our last classes were this week. "What," you say, "there's 2 more verses?" Sorry about that! I never could count very well! Actually, I knew that I would be leaving you with one verse to M&M on your own after this series ended, and then we decided since all the other classes at church are finishing this week and not picking back up after Thanksgiving, that we would do the same. This lesson wraps the theme up well, I think, so consider the last 2 verses my Christmas presents to you!

This week we meditated on our "green" verse. This marks a new category. Remember our first index card describing the sections? The green cards represent " MY WORK WITH GOD – COOPERATING WITH HIM DURING THIS LIFEE FOR MY SANCTIFICATION". We have meditated on some of the wonderful gifts we have received as heirs of God. I wrote up for myself a summary of some of the powerful truths that I learned from this set of verses and shared it in class. Here it is: (Click Here or right click and "save as".) I encourage you to write one up for yourself. Make it personal; put your name in it.

So now, what is our response? How do I live out of the gospel? We walk by faith not by sight. We waltz with our King! Waltz? What do you mean? Listen to the class here.

It has been my privilege and my joy to lead you all through this series of "Arise-For He Has Risen!". Thank you for investing the time and effort to memorize and meditate on God's Word. As you feast at Thanksgiving and Christmas parties coming up, I hope you will not forget these delicious, soul-satisfying portions of God's Word. "His words were found, and I ate them. And they became to me a joy and the delight of my heart." Jeremiah 15:16

Lots of love,

Barb

M&M Week 10!

Hello M&M Group!

Things are still hectic over here, although we close on our house on 11/17 and my baby girl turns ONE the same day!! Everything is really busy but exciting right now. I'm thinking that things will calm down sometime around January 2012. :) Barb's words were so refreshing to me as she reminded us that God is BIGGER than a "quiet life". Man, have I needed that reminder lately. Thanks to you ladies for your encouragement this week. I am so blessed to be a part of this group. I love M&Ming with you! Here is the link to this week's lesson, click here (or right click and save-as...)

Here is Barb's summary for this week:

"This week we worked on Isaiah 51:3. We meditated on God as the great Restorer and Comforter. What a promise to His children, that He will comfort us, look with compassion on our ruins and wastelands, and then even make them like gardens where there will be joy and gladness, thanksgiving and the sound of singing. Trust Him to do this for you. Are you fighting Him like an angry 2-year old who refuses to be comforted, or have you released your anger and unforgiveness, dropped your stiff arms, and let Him hold you and comfort you?

Then we also meditated on the upcoming verse, Isaiah 61:10. I brought my 38-year old bridal portrait for show & tell as a visual of what I imagine when I hear the wonderful, freeing, strengthening promise that "He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness." Sister, if you are in Christ, you are dressed like this ALL THE TIME. This is for singles, married, divorced, and widows who are in Christ! Invite the Spirit to apply this truth to change your outlook on life.

We meet next week, then we don't meet the week of Thanksgiving (but don't stop M&M-ing!) and will have our last class the last week of November. DON'T FORGET THE RECITAL on Sunday evening, December 4, at Lexington Presbyterian Church. Come recite or read your verses TO THE LORD. Do it as a gift to Him: give Him the first Christmas present of His season! It will also be sure to be a blessing to all who hear, because it is GOD'S word we recite.

Love you and are grateful to you all for wanting to memorize and meditate on His Word. Press on...we're almost through with this theme!

Barb

Bridal picture

New quote:

“It is so true, as the Book says, that all things work together for our good, even our sins and vices. He takes our sins on himself, and while he drives them out of us with a whip of scorpions, he will yet make them work his good ends. He defeats our sins, make them prisoners, forces them into the service of good, and chains them like galley slaves to the rowing benches of the gospel ship. He makes them work toward salvation for us.”

from The Curate’s Awakening by George MacDonald

Start chewing on next week's verse!!

ISAIAH 61:10

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me

in a robe of righteousness...

M&M Week 9!

Good evening, everyone!

I'm late in the day delivering your M&M "morsel" so please forgive me for that. I hope you all have had a wonderful week! If you are in the online group or if you missed this week's lesson, it is posted for you to enjoy online: Click Here (or right click and "save as")

Here's Barb's summary for this week- hope you enjoy it!

"Hi Friends,

This week's memory verse from the end of Romans 8 was a long but rich passage, wasn't it? I challenged you to fill in the blank with what you need most to trust God for:

I am convinced that _________ will not separate me from the love of Christ.

(LIFE? DEATH? OLD AGE? CANCER? FEAR? MY WASTELANDS, RUINS? MY HABITS?)

I also challenged you from our memory verse for this coming week to describe the ruins, wastelands, or deserts in your life; put them into words ("Take words with you and return to the Lord," Hosea 14:2) and give them to God, asking Him to restore you and make those very places into gardens.

We chewed on a rich, soul-satisfying truth this week: NOTHING can separate us from the love of Christ. My prayer for you and me is that we would walk in the light of the Lord: His forgiveness, His love, our adoption, our freedom. May His truth fill and guard our minds and hearts in Christ.

Here is a link (CLICK ME!) to a lovely moment for me last summer in Japan (2010). Some ladies from an English Bible Study Class memorized Isaiah 53:4-6 and we recited it at a luncheon they had for us before we went returned to the States.

Press on sisters! We're almost finished!

Love,

Barb"

Go ahead and start chewing on next week's verse!

ISAIAH 51:3

The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.

M&M Week 8!

I hope you've had a wonderful week. It's been beautiful, hasn't it? Please read Barb's summary of this week's lesson below- It has been uploaded to the LPC website for your listening enjoyment. Right click this link and save the lesson to listen to at your convenience!

"Hi M&M Sisters! Before I share the summary of this week's lesson, I'd like to share an email I received from someone who is participating in M&M online since she's unable to come to the classes:

Hi Barb,
It is almost four o'clock in the morning and I have been listening to
lesson #7. All is quiet and listening to you is a breath of fresh air for
me. I really love the poem from the "dead man" book. [Valley of
Vision] Thanks for doing M&M on-line. So very much to
think about and meditate on.

Bless you and love to you,

What an encouragement this was to me! We never know all that God is doing. What an inspiration you ladies are to me, those of you who are doing M&M on your own! Please share with us how it's going for you - maybe on facebook or the blog or in an email to me. It encourages us all. May God bless you richly as you meditate on and memorize His Word.

This week we looked at the amazing doctrine of ADOPTION. One of our participants, Carol, beamed as she shared that she was adopted as a baby, and received the full rights and privileges of being a child of that family. Then 17 years later, she said, she was wonderfully adopted a 2nd time, by God. She quoted our memory verse with great joy and shared how special this verse is to her.We then looked in our beautiful pink gift box provided by Mary and read the cards inside which listed 24 aspects of being a daughter rather than an orphan. This material is from the Sonship Course published by World Harvest. Check that list out here (Click me!)

I encourage you to go through this prayerfully and ask God to show you where you are still thinking as an orphan rather than His adopted daughter.I then shared one of my favorite stories from Tales of the Kingdom series, "The Orphan Exodus". Oh, how sweet it is when we hear our King calling our name! Sisters, I don't want to stand outside in the cold: shivering, fearful, fending for myself, when the door to the King's palace has been opened wide for me. From where I stand I can see the beauty and the warmth inside; I have heard Him call my name...Why do I so often choose to live as an orphan, standing alone outside? "I will arise and go to Jesus, He will embrace me in His arms"!

Here's our new quote card:

YOU ARE ADOPTED! No matter how deeply you may have been wounded or
damaged by the lack of love from others in your past, you are now deeply
loved. You have been adopted as a child of God and given all the rights
and privileges that were previously granted only to the Father’s one natural
Son, Jesus (1Jn. 3:1-2). You don’t need to live or feel like a spiritual
orphan anymore. God does not see you as merely a pardoned criminal, but as
His very own son or daughter! You now have immediate access into the
Father’s presence, the promise of His provision for your every need, and the
privilege of His discipline for your good.

Read and believe the good news that is for you if you have received Christ as your Savior.

Pressing on with you,

Barb"

Here's next week's verse. Love and peace to you!
Leslie

ROMANS 8:35,37-39

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us…For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Items of Business :)

I wanted to mention a few items of business if you don't mind:

1) Something goofy apparently happened last week with my upload of the lesson. Apparently it was only playing 5 minutes. I am sorry about that! Here is the corrected link to last week's lesson: Week Six. Here is the link to this week's lesson, just for your convenience :) Week Seven

2) The Tuesday Evening class at Jamestown has been cancelled. We had a very slim crowd on Tuesday nights, so it is no longer on the schedule. Just wanted to make sure everyone knew that so no one inadvertently shows up to Jamestown on Tuesday nights. We are still going strong on Tuesday morning's at Jamestown, and Wednesday morning and evening at LPC.

3) Recital night is Sunday, December 4th, 6:00pm at LPC! Please put this special evening on your calendars. I participated in the Spring recital this year and let me just tell you that it was such blessing to stand up front with other ladies just reciting the word of God together. Please don't be intimidated by this recital! We all say the verses together (no one is singled out!) and many of us had our cards and read them proudly. God's word is beautiful, and just saying it out loud together is a special thing. I think it is also encouraging to those who watch/listen as they see how God's word is soaking into our ladies' hearts. Please please consider joining us that night.

In Him,

Leslie

Week 7 - There is NO condemnation!

Hello my M&M Friends!

I hope you have had an absolutely wonderful week. I apologize that I messed up last week's recording, but I fixed it and it is available if you click here. I also uploaded this week's lesson - (click here for Week 7).

This week we hugged the Japan mission team "goodbye" as they went on their short term trip... Our dear Dave Bindewald is in that group, of course, along with my daddy Jim McFarland. Please be praying for that whole team- that they would be covered in God's grace throughout their trip and that they would share Christ's love with the Japanese people. If you want to keep up with their journey, check out Dave's blog- http://sushieaters.blogspot.com

Here is this week's message from Barb!

~~~~~~~~

Hi Sisters! This week we chewed on Romans 8:1,2: Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

I hope you listen to the recording and hear the story of the red convertible "salvation" car and the story of the birds tied to strings who are set free. I gave out two new quote cards:

YOU ARE FREE!
No matter how defeated you may now feel in your battle with sin, you are no longer in bondage to it. Although sin’s influence will always be with you, its dominion over your life has now been broken through the cross. Although you were once a slave to sin, the Good News is that you are now free from that old master (Rom.6:5-18).
You are now called by God to claim that freedom from sin’s domineering power over your life. No matter what your current struggle, true hope exists for lasting change."

There was also one by Dr. Steve Childers which helps explain how the gospel is also our power for fighting sin:

"Therefore, the gospel message should be seen as not only a message of good news for lost people to be saved from sin’s penalty, but also as a message of good news for Christian people to be saved from sin’s domineering power.
The goal of the gospel is not merely to forgive us, but to change us into true worshippers of God and authentic lovers of people. We often reduce the gospel to “God’s plan of salvation” for lost people to be saved from sin’s penalty, not realizing that it is also “God’s plan of salvation” for Christians to be saved from sin’s power. The same gospel message that saves sinners also sanctifies saints."

I loved the quote by John Bunyan which I also shared:

“Run, John, run.” The law commands,
But gives neither feet nor hands.
Better news the Gospel brings;
It bids me fly and gives me wings.

So, ladies, let's take God at His Word and ask the Lord to teach us how to use the wings He's given us.

I love M&M-ing with you,

Barb

~~~~~~~~

Don't forget to meditate (and memorize) this week's verse! :) I hope you can join us for our recital on December 4th!

#7 ADOPTED!

GALATIANS 4:4-7

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father". So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir."

We are Covered in Forgiveness (Week 6)

I hope you all have had a wonderful week. Things have been crazy for us as we have been getting our house packed up for the big move, and also we welcomed my new, beautiful baby niece into the world this morning! "Baby Girl McFarland" is 8lbs 3oz of pure beauty. Anyhow, here's the summary from Barb! Listen to this week's lesson by clicking here.

"Another week of M&M is over. We're about halfway now! Don't grow weary in doing good...keep pressing on!

We opened up our new gift this week and gazed at the jewel of FORGIVENESS. So huge; so life-changing. I emailed all of you the "Jewels of Forgiveness" as well as the new quote cards- "You are Forgiven!" and "We are not Permitted".

I also read the following quote by Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones:

“HAVE YOU EVER REALIZED THAT MOST OF YOUR UNHAPPINESS IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT YOU LISTEN TO YOURSELF MORE THAN YOU TALK TO YOURSELF?” (from Spiritual Depression It's Causes and It's Cure)

C.J. Mahaney, of Sovereign Grace Ministry, said concerning this quote: YOU CAN TRANSITION FROM AN UNHAPPY SOUL TO A HAPPY SOUL, FROM A TROUBLED SOUL TO A HOPEFUL SOUL, BY TALKING TRUTH TO YOURSELF, BY PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO YOURSELF. SINGING IS A MEANS OF TALKING TO YOURSELF; SINGING IS A MEANS OF BIBLICAL SELF-COUNSELING... A CESSATION OF LISTENING TO THEMSELVES AND A CELEBRATION OF TALKING TO THEMSELVES AND PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO THEMSELVES SO THAT AT THE END OF THE SERVICE THEY LEAVE EDIFIED RATHER THAN UNHAPPY...NOW CEASE LISTENING TO YOURSELVES! CEASE LISTENING TO SIN, CEASE LISTENING TO CONDEMNATION, CEASE LISTENING TO LEGALISM. CEASE LISTENING AND INSTEAD SING, SING THE GOSPEL, SING GOSPEL-CENTERED DOCTRINE TO YOURSELVES AND TO GOD AND AS YOU SING TO THE SAVIOR YOU ARE GOING TO BE TRANSFORMED IN YOUR SOUL.

I also shared the lyrics to a song our son Dave wrote when he was in college, called "He Gets the Chair".

May you and I walk in, even run in this great gift freely given to us at great cost. "For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the Kingdom of the Son He loves, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." Col.1:13,14 We have been set free from our sins so that "we may serve the Living God!" (Hebrews 9:14)

Lots of love,

Barb"

Our verse for this week is...

#6 NO CONDEMNATION, FREEDOM!

ROMANS 8:1,2

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

Peace! The War is Over! (Week 5)

Barb has been so gracious to agree to do all of the writing of our summaries during the next couple of weeks while our family is busy packing boxes for our move. Her summaries will be better than anything I could have written anyway. Here's what she has to say this week! (Click Here to download the lesson, or right click that link and "save target as...")


Summary of this week’s M&M, October 4 and 5

The last three weeks we have been meditating on and memorizing verses which told us about God’s saving plan, His call, and His laying all our sins upon His Son who died in our place. All three cards had titles in red, symbolizing the blood of Christ which was shed to purchase our pardon. Our #3 card, HE DID IT! is a beautiful passage which describes the finished work of Christ on the cross, written hundreds of years before it happened!

This week we started a new section of verses, with blue titles, symbolizing the inheritance we receive when we become followers of Christ. Our first verse card in this group is our #4 card:

#4 THE WAR IS OVER!!!

ROMANS 4:25, 5:1,2

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.

We looked at some headlines of newspapers from 1945 announcing the end of World War II. When Christ was raised to life for our justification, perhaps there was a loud, victorious shout in heaven, unheard by any on earth:

THE WAR IS OVER! HE HAS DONE IT! GOD HAS NOT COUNTED MEN’S SINS AGAINST THEM, BUT AGAINST HIS SON INSTEAD! NOW PEOPLE CAN BE RECONCILED TO THEIR CREATOR!

Enjoy Colossians 1, Ephesians 2, and Romans 3 and 5 to further meditate on this great truth that we have peace with God; we are reconciled; God’s favor is upon you and it is irrevocable! You and God are no longer enemies. Rejoice and live under His favor with thanksgiving.

When the cat is away, the mice will continue to meditate and memorize anyway :)

This week Dave and Barb were in Atlanta becoming officially accepted as MTW missionaries to Japan!  God is great, and they made it through this process which I'm sure was stressful at times.

Barb did a tremendous job coordinating our classes this week while she was gone.  As Ruth pointed out in her class on Wednesday, it took 12 women to do Barb's job this week!  That should tell us something :)  We are thankful for these ladies and they did an excellent job leading singing, facilitating meditation, recitation, clean up, recording, etc.

I'm actually doing this blog post on my phone in my bed at the women's retreat in Pawley's Island!  Hope it turns out ok, technology is grand.  Before I left, I did upload the classes to the website.

For Tuesday's classes, Shelley Parker led meditation time and Sara Wilson shared her testimony with the group. Ruth Adam led the meditation time on Wednesday morning, and Ruthanna Marshall on Wednesday evening. I uploaded all three classes to the website. See the links below. Go ahead and start chewing on next weeks verse, and happy M&M'ing to you!

Blessings,

Leslie

Tues. AM - Shelley Parker and Sara Wilson - Click Here
Wed. AM - Ruth Adam - Click Here
Wed. PM - Ruthanna Marshall - Click Here

THE WAR IS OVER!!!

ROMANS 4:25, 5:1,2

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.

Week 3 - He Did It!

Did you enjoy chewing on last week's verse? I thought it was so beautiful. If you weren't able to come to one of Barb's classes this week, or if you're in the online group, the recording has been published on the LPC website. Click Here to download it (or right click the link and save it)

I know that my summary of our class won't be nearly as elegant as Barb's words, but I will do my best to recap this week's lesson! This week Barb really focused on the words "Arise" and "Come" from our verse. She referenced several passages (among many) that she found which use those words. I encourage you to look up Micah 7:8 and also read the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) and the story of Lazarus (John 11:1-43).

With the story of the prodigal son- we see a picture of who our God really is. We don't deserve His love, grace, and mercy, but before we even have a chance to come groveling at His feet, He calls out to us and welcomes us with joyful open arms. In the story of Lazarus, Jesus calls the dead man to "come out!" It is such a humbling picture to see our Lord and Savior grieved by this fallen world, empathizing with his loved ones and friends over death (even though he knew what was to come). He WEPT! Then, he called Lazarus out of the grave and back to life. Although in this instance Jesus chose to bring Lazarus back to life in the earthly sense, isn't it even more amazing that Christ calls all of his children to eternal life? We are all just as dead as Lazarus without Christ. But, while we were still dead in our sins, he called us to an eternal life with him. What a rescuer. We are the prodigal son, the lost sheep, and yet he has called us to ARISE and come away.

Barb also read two stories. The first one was from the Jesus Storybook Bible, and it was the story of Jairus's Daughter (Mark 5:21-43). In this story he "reaches down into death" and pulls the little girl back into life." As mentioned above, Jesus reaches down into death and calls all of us to RISE to enjoy eternal life with him.

The second story was from "Tales of the Kingdom" by David and Karen Mains. The story was about a girl named "Dirty". Boy was this girl dirty. She was so dirty and she refused to love people or even be loved BY people. She preferred to be with the pigs... talking like the pigs and eating their slop. When offered real food, love, or warmth, she would grit her teeth and refuse. For the sake of brevity I will leave out the backstory and details (listen to the recording!), but in the end she has an encounter with the REAL King. He called to her, he made her new- the "Clean One", and full of love like she could have never imagined. You really need to listen to the lesson for the full story- you won't regret it- as it is a beautiful picture of what Christ has done for us. All of us are like the little girl "Dirty". We prefer the slop of this world and are distracted by its dusty garbage, but once the King calls us to come, we become new and beautiful.

Let's continue to meditate on our previous passages, but it's time to start munching on our new verse for next week!

#3 HE DID IT!

ISAIAH 53:4-6

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

1) Please listen to Chuck Parker's sermon from this past Sunday - Exodus 19 Click Here (or right click and "Save Target As")

2) Jesus Storybook Bible

3) Tales of the Kingdom by David and Karen Mains

4) Recording of Barb's Wednesday morning class

Week 2 - My Beloved Calls Me to Arise!

I hope that everyone cherished our verse from Jeremiah 32:38, 40, 41 this last week. I know that it was a powerful one for me and I just couldn't decide which part was my favorite. I think my favorite parts were "...and I will never stop doing good to them", and "...I will INSPIRE them to fear me". Wow. Powerful stuff.

Barb had a wonderful lesson, as usual, to help shed some light on this meaty verse. If you are in the online group or missed class this week, no worries! We've posted it online- simply click here. (Or right-click that link and select "Save target as...")

She also wrote a beautiful summary of the class for us- here is what she said:

"This week was a weighty lesson as we looked at the verses that surround "our verses" in Jeremiah 32. God makes these beautiful promises to us in the context of His people, under His sovereignty, having to live in temporary exile under the godless rule of Babylon(70 years!). They are told to build houses, plant gardens, and pray for this fallen land of exile as long as they live there. They will suffer for a while as they live in this land ruled by their enemy (but ruling only by permission of God and completely under His Mighty Hand). As they live they wait for God to fulfill His sure Word. Does this seem familiar to you and me, now, here? We were born under a curse - God's curse pronounced on this world back in Genesis. But out of this curse He has saved and redeemed many. We are no longer under this curse because Christ was cursed for us. (See our #3 verse!) We live now under His forgiveness, His acceptance, adopted as His children, and will live eternally with Him. BUT FOR NOW we LIVE in the midst of a fallen world and we and creation groan as we WAIT for that day when His restoring and saving work will be completely finished.

So today, recall and enjoy what God has done in your life, and live out of His promises NOW as you WAIT for everything to be made right. He is our peace, our strength, as we wait. One day at a time. And remember, He rejoices in loving you, forgiving you, applying the riches of His salvation in your life, doing good to you, and walking with you in this fallen land. You and I are not alone."

Isn't that such wonderful news? I can't believe that such a powerful and amazing God would REJOICE in loving me, forgiving me, over and over and over.

She also referenced a few things in her class that I will include here for your convenience:

1) "Broken Hallelujah" by Mandisa (YouTube Video with lyrics here)

2) "Morning and Evening" - Wonderful devotions by Charles Spurgeon

3) Biblegateway.com - A great site to read the Bible in many different translations

Please share your thoughts and anything that's going on with you this week. We'd love to laugh with you, cry with you, pray with/for you, and learn from you as well.

I'm excited about learning this next verse because it reminds me of the LOVE story of the gospel. The most beautiful love story ever written, and best of all, it's true. Here it is- have a great week!

#2 MY BELOVED CALLS ME TO ARISE

SONG OF SOLOMON 2:10 (ESV)

My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love,
my beautiful one, and come away...”

MEDITATE and MEMORIZE!

Welcome to our new M&M blog! This is a closed blog, meaning that only "invited" attendees can participate. We have set it up this way in order to allow everyone to feel comfortable sharing openly without worrying who on the world-wide-web might be watching. We also have a closed Facebook group! If you are on Facebook and would like to be a part of that group, please let me know so I can add you as a friend and invite you.

Although M&M used to be known as "Memorize and Meditate", we want to change that thinking to "MEDITATE and Memorize"! Please remember the importance of taking these verses, hiding them in your heart, and chewing on each new morsel every week this fall. Both "M's" are important, but meditating is the best.

My dear friend Michelle found the link to a YouTube video that Barb referred to in one of the M&M classes this week. In this video, John Piper quotes scripture from memory for a solid 16 minutes. He then preaches on the importance of scripture memorization. If you have some time, you should check it out here! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOkLP6VHtWk&feature=youtu.be

As we work on our first verse for this week, "God Makes a Promise" (Jeremiah 32:38, 40, 41), put a copy of it by your bed and read it first thing before you get out of bed each morning. Soon you will have it memorized and you can lie there, with eyes still closed, and quote it to God and yourself. Note that God Himself uses the words "with all my heart and soul". Amazing love! How can it be?

Please post your comments below and share any experiences you may have had this week or any encouragement you'd like to pass along.

Have a great week!

Leslie

Download This Week's Class Here

#1 GOD MAKES A PROMISE

JEREMIAH 32:38,40,41

They will be my people, and I will be their God...I will make an

everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good

to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will

never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good

and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart

and soul.