15th

Good Morning Bucket Filler Girls!

It is a beautiful day in Central Texas...a little cool but sunshine all around. I got a text last night from a 30-year old friend of mine who informed me "...I had heart surgery from the Lord fuing these last few hours of prayer...it was lifegiving." I can honestly say that my own heart stopped as I read the first part then I realized what she was saying. Don't you find that amazing? Figuratively and literally? An incision can be made, which causes some form of pain, the work of skilled hands some some much needed repair, and then the healing begins.

To be healed we must be cut. To be whole we must be broken.

From Psalm 119:

v 25 Revive me according to your Word
v 28 Strengthen me according to your Word

Are you in need of heart surgery?
Do you need to be revived?

v 93 I will never forget your precepts for by them You have revived me.

Take a moment to log in your verse for the last half of February...and be revived!

Perfect Love

February 13th

Did you wake up thinking about V-Day? ....which is tomorrow.

As I woke up this morning I was thinking about I John 4:18

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love drives out fear...
the one who fears is not perfected in love."

I was also thinking about a Larry Crabb quote regarding encouragement:

When the motivation is love and the target is fear,
the words will be encouraging.

So, as you think about what you want to give your beloved for V-day...think about some true encouragement. The Spirit of the Lord lives in you; therefore, perfect love lives in you and can be your motivation. Target the fear of your spouse, kids, parents, friends...and speak an encouraging word straight to their heart. What could be better?...it has zero fat, zero calories, gives lots of energy, and can be used over and over and over again and never goes out of date.

Why Hide the Word?

Here is the book Melle was talking about earlier. It is a good read and a great way to share
the strategies we all need to be a positive influence on those around us. You can get the kids version or the adults version - either way - it is a choice you make every day.

Fill'er up!

Melle explained it well...to hide the word in our heart will keep us from sinning, it will light our path which is directed by Him, and His Word will become our path to His presence. Psalm 119 is the longest book of the Bible. It talks about the revelation of God and the revelation of God's will to man. Throughout the Psalm (22 verses of 8 lines = 176 verses) there are several words for the Word of God: testimonies, precepts, statutes, commandments, word, promises, judgements, teachings, instructions, law, sayings...Torah.

Here's the challenge: 2 verses each month. You can identify one verse on the 1st and one on the 15th or you can identify 2 verses on the 1st of each month (sometimes verses go together). Here is a little tutorial on memorizing scripture from our Siesta Mama - Beth Moore: click on RENEW.

*Commit to memorize (or seriously meditate on) 2 Scriptures a month. See? Very, very doable! Doesn't seem like much at first but imagine that, in exactly one year, you'll have memorized 24 new Scriptures! That, my dear sister, is a feat.

*Watch for posts on the 1st and 15th of every month where I'll ask you to turn in the Scripture you're feeling led to memorize. (You'll write it all the way out in the version of your choice and put the reference with it because one of your Siestas might read it and want to memorize it next.) This is an important part of our process! We're NOT going to memorize the same Scriptures. I've learned through the years that we have the most victory with the verses that we each need most. Ask God to give you what He wants to prioritize for you this year then listen carefully through your quiet times, your Bible studies and your pastor's sermons for verses that really resonate with you or that you know you really need. He'll highlight one of those in your heart. Choose it with confidence. You'll most easily memorize what means most to you.

*Buy a brand new set of index cards with a spiral that is only for this Scripture memory plan.

*Watch your prayer life change. Check out John 15:7-8. The more God's Word abides in us, the more the mind of Christ is developed in us. The end result will be that we will pray more and more of God's will and get more and more of what we've asked. Do not think for a moment that praying in the will of God narrows your requests. It blows them wide open! Ask Him in this Jesus-year to explode your effectiveness in prayer then watch it happen.

**We are so excited to be on this journey with you. We are sharpening each other and we can be accountable to our families. One other thought from our weekend with Siesta Mama. One of the questions asked of Beth's girls was What was it you saw or heard that turned your heart toward the Lord. The answer from each was:

• Amanda - I saw my mom (Beth Moore) having her quiet time each day.
• Melissa - I watched as my mom lived out what she believed
  

So there you have it - let your kids watch you sharpen up and grow.

Bucketfiller Girls ??

So why bucketfiller girls ?? Well ,about a year ago I ran across a great book entitled Have You Filled a Bucket Today . The main message in the book is that everyone carries an "invisible bucket" with them, and you can choose to be a bucket filler or a bucket dipper. Smiles, encouraging words, positive attitudes ,compliments ect.. are all traits of bucket fillers. Negative words, attitudes and efforts to make others feel bad are traits of a bucket dipper. In the book , it states that when you fill someone else's bucket, you fill your own too ! What the book does not state ,( it is a great book , but not a Christain book), is what I believe to be true : The only one who can truly fill our buckets is Christ. Without His love, forgiveness,faithfullness and amazing grace, we would all be empty bucket carriers with nothing to give to others. The other part of this title came from the second truth that this book reminds of. That is that I have been blessed beyond words to be surrounded by some of the most Godly, merciful, "real" Christian,bucket filling women here on earth that fill my and countless other buckets without cease. Hence , a year later, a blog... why now? Well, after this last year of using another blog for accountability to help hide God's words in our hearts, my friend, Kim Scott and I wanted to invite our "local " sojourners to join us as we continue to hold one another accountable , to hide God's words in our heart. Ps. 119:11 "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." This year, let it be the year that you let God know that He is important enough to you that you will take the time, make the effort and fill your bucket with His amazing , perfect and alive word ! Psalm 81:10 " Open your mouth wide and God will fill it. " Let him be your bucket filler this year ! You will be amazed how it will overflow!