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Hey friends, welcome back to Honest Christian Conversations.
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I'm your host, Anna Murby.
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Have you felt stuck in your relationship with God?
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Perhaps you're wanting to go deeper with your Bible study and you don't know how to start.
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Or maybe you're like me and you're a mom with kids and they're always around needing help and you just can't seem to find time to yourself to do what you need to do.
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Maybe you're even somebody who's never read the Bible before, because you are a new believer Welcome to the faith, by the way Then you're going to want to listen to this episode because my guest, Debbie Howell, has some great tips to help you learn how to get deeper in the Bible.
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She's very patient, very kind and gracious with the way that she talks about these things, and she's very encouraging too.
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You're going to leave this episode feeling empowered to take back your time with God and make it useful.
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Make it encouraging for you and for listening to God's voice, so that you know what he wants you to do with your life.
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I know there have been many times in my life where I have struggled to hear God's voice.
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It's so busy in this world.
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We're constantly doing things where you're never able to sit still.
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So to make time for God seems impossible most days, especially when you're a mom, but there are no excuses for it.
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We can make.
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Even a few minutes out of our day matter for God, and Debbie has a great way of showing us how to do that.
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So I am very excited for this episode.
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I know you are going to love it.
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You are going to be encouraged and you are going to be strengthened and equipped to take on a new direction in your relationship with God.
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Let's get to it Before the episode starts.
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Make sure you follow the show so you never miss another episode.
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Hello, Debbie, Thank you so much for coming on the podcast.
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I am very excited to talk to you.
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I loved how passionate you are about helping people go deeper in their relationships with God and have a more thriving Bible time and just relationship with God.
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I crave that so much and just relationship with God.
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I crave that so much, especially now.
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I am noticing that that is something that I'm really, really striving to have, and I know there's many others out there who are.
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Definitely they're feeling stale in their Bible study.
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They're feeling stale in their prayer life.
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I know I'm there not all the time, but a lot of times and I'm always looking for something new and fresh, but I want to make sure that it also lines up with scripture.
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So when I saw your profile on Podmatch, I was like, yes, we have to talk because I want to hear what you have to say.
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So go ahead and tell us how did you come to faith in Christ and tell us how did you come to faith in Christ.
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Well, it's so great to get to meet you and to have this time together.
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Well, actually, I am a fourth generation Christian.
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I was raised in the church, decided to get baptized at the age of 13.
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It's kind of when I made my commitment.
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Okay, now that I'm getting older, this is my choice, this is what I want to do, and I've always had just a desire to know God.
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But I will tell you that as an adult I went through some pretty rough times and there were a couple of seasons where I just really started to question God, to doubt God, and even though I still believed in him, I just kind of stepped away for a while and just had to process things.
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But God is faithful and both times he gave me that time.
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He gave me that space and then he lovingly invited me to come back when he knew that my heart was open to it.
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And the interesting thing is is it was, even though you know there's choices we make, looking back that we regret.
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We wish we had used better wisdom, made better choices.
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I still value that time because I saw how God fights for us.
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It's kind of when we're in a place of darkness or doubt or struggle that we see God really begin to show up, because he knows that we need extra strength from him.
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We need to feel his presence and his love.
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So I cherish those times when I had those encounters with him, and so I just want to encourage everybody.
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If you're in that time of just really doubt or even anger, sometimes we just like God.
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Why, why are these things happening to me?
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Know that God is there with you, even in those times, and he's not going to give up on you.
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He's going to keep reaching out to love you.
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Reaching out to love you, and what I've learned over the last 20 years or so is how important scripture is to that relationship.
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I mean, I was raised learning about the Bible.
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This is what we believe, this is what is true and that's important.
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But God wants to go further with us and say you know what the word of God is a place to meet with me and to get to know me and to grow a relationship with me.
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It's not just about our brains agreeing with yes, I believe in God, I believe in the Bible, but it's that having that heart experience with God through His Word.
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Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
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I also grew up in the church.
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I've been going since I was in a car seat, in a little baby car seat.
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So I grew up, I knew everything.
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I heard all the stories.
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It got to a point where I was in high school and college years and I'd hear the same stories and eyes would kind of glaze over.
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It's just like I've heard this, I know this, and now that I'm older and I'm trying to make my faith my own faith rather than this is just what I grew up with I'm seeing things differently.
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I'm reading the Bible differently.
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I'm reading it with intention.
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I want, like you said, god wants to speak to us about him.
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I want to listen now.
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I'm ready to listen now and he's been very patient with me through that journey of when are you going to be ready?
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When are you going to be ready?
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I'm like I don't know when I want to be, but I'm not and yeah, so, yeah, it's very, very important.
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What do you do to help those that you know that you work with, to deepen their relationship, their desire to know God on a deeper level?
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How do you help?
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Well, I'm an author, so I've published my first book and I'm about ready to release the second one, and it's just really my journey to learning how to pray scripture, how to meet with God in his word.
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Another thing that I will do is I'll teach classes on how to journal scripture prayers.
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So how do we make these beautiful scriptures into prayers for ourselves, into prayers for others?
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And another huge component is inviting the presence of the Holy Spirit.
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So the Holy Spirit's presence is what takes the words from off the page and plants them in our hearts and helps us have that encounter with who God is, who Jesus is.
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So, just really teaching people, you know the Bible.
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It's such a gift that God has given us and it's a way that we can just really sit and take a breath and say, God, I want to hear your voice.
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Like there's so many voices coming at me, I'm busy and I just, I just need to step away from all that and just hear the whisper of the Holy Spirit through your word and to find that peace and that purpose and that healing and that strength.
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Whatever we need, God can meet us in that place through scripture.
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Yeah, I love that.
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I've been working on journaling prayers.
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I'm a writer but for some reason journaling has been something that I'm like.
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I just don't do it.
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I don't know if that's bad or whatever, but I try to write them down because sometimes if I were to say it, it just doesn't come out right.
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But if I write it I notice I'm a little more focused on what I'm trying to say, until one of my kids comes in and knocks me off my track, but yeah.
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So I've been working on trying to be more consistent about doing that, because at least I know I'm getting what is in my brain.
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That might be super jumbled, I'm at least putting it down on paper, and I know that God can read my chicken scratch too.
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So praise the Lord for that, because I can't read it most of the time.
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Oh, I love it, but I do that kind of piques my interest and gets me excited about being in.
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Scripture is I'll think of a topic like if I have a hard time forgiving someone or if I just kind of need more patience in my life, I'll go to BibleGatewaycom and I'll put in that keyword love, forgiveness, faith, hope, whatever, and it will pull up every scripture from the Bible that has that word in it and then I'll just read through and any scripture that I read as I'm scanning on my computer, that's like.
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It's like oh okay, this, this is the journey I need to be on with God, this is the promise that I want to live out, I want to receive from God.
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So then I'll, I'll write those scriptures out in a journal and I like to decorate things so you can doodle, you can put stickers, washi tape, whatever you do.
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You can put stickers, washi tape, whatever you want to do, but that kind of helps to personalize it and own it.
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And I think God wants us to be creative in our time with him, because he made each one of us so special and unique with gifts and passions, so why not utilize those in our time with God?
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So if you're artistic, have a great time writing down scriptures and drawing around it.
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Or if you just really connect with nature, take a scripture with you and go for a walk and just meditate on that scripture, pray it, talk to God about it, find that place where it's like okay God, this creativity you've put in me, I'm going to give it back to you in our time together.
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Yeah, that's a beautiful way of worshiping God.
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I just recently heard at a church service talking about how we need to not sit on our talent.
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That God has given us and that really convicted me because I had taken a break from writing my novels because I just kind of felt stale and stagnant and everything.
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But after that I was like, nope, I can't do that.
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I have to have to be intentional, I can't do that.
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So, yeah, I'm working on it and Satan's working on trying to keep me down still.
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But I'm going to work harder.
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But yeah, I used to have a lot more creativity when I was younger on how I spent my time with God.
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I had this cool notebook that had different colored pages and I had bulletins from the church that I went to and I'd cut out part of it and I'd paste it in there, have Bible verses and write some notes that I had taken from that and just kind of gave it a title and everything.
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And it was very creative, very beautiful.
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And I hate myself because when I went through my backsliding years I got rid of all that kind of stuff, which means that went out.
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So I don't even have it anymore to look back on.
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I don't have it anymore to show my kids and I'm just like I should at least put it somewhere and, you know, let my parents have it and say give this to me when I come back to my senses or something I don't know.
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But you know you can't do anything with that.
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I mean I can always do it again.
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I just I guess I just haven't done it, I don't know.
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It's kind of cool to do it again and include your kids in the process so they can kind of know what you do why you do it and kind of make it a family affair.
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Yeah, some of my kids like to draw a lot.
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So, yeah, I think that I think that would be beneficial for them too, because, too, because they're very artistic, my kids.
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So how do you teach people to pray the scripture?
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I've heard that before, but it almost feels like it would just be reading it out loud.
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You know what I mean.
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Like, how do you pray it in a way where it doesn't sound like you're literally just reading the verse and then saying amen?
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I'm pretty sure that's not what you would do anyways.
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But how do you make it a personal journey for yourself and for others who would do it that way?
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It doesn't just feel like just another way to check off.
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I did my time with God.
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Very good question.
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Yeah, well, for me, the biggest and the first thing I do is invite the Holy Spirit into that time so that I can hear the voice of God behind scripture.
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And it takes practice, it takes time because we're not always good at listening to God, like you settle something and your kids come in or you know your alarm goes off because it's time to cook something, who knows?
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And sometimes maybe starting with your favorite scripture, like Psalm 23, is a very well-known, loved scripture.
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The other thing I like to do on BibleGatewaycom is I'll put in Psalm 23 and look it up in different versions, because you know you want to make sure it's true to the original.
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But like the voice version, the passion translation, they're very poetic and it brings like I'm a very kind of visual person but and words kind of bring me there, so they're so descriptive that it draws me in.
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So I'll find a scripture that I love, a version that I love, and sometimes just start with one verse at a time and say God, this week I want to spend time with you in this verse and I ask that each time I read it or pray it or think about it throughout the day, that I'll hear your voice and it'll draw me into a closer relationship with you.
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Some people kind of feel overwhelmed because they're like I just don't have time for God, like I can't get up as it is, I have to get up too early for work.
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So one thing I love to do is to bring scripture with me throughout the day.
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You could have a verse on your phone, you could write it down on a card, carry it in your pocket and you know, on your way to work you can be kind of thinking about it.
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Or you could even get one of the Bible apps and have the audio version where somebody is reading that scripture to you so you're hearing it while you're driving, because you know that's a perfect time if you have a long commute, that's a fun time with God in his word.
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Or if you have it on your phone, you know if you have a break during the day or lunch or go to the bathroom, just take a minute and say okay, god, I want to continue to invite your presence into my day as I read this scripture again and just kind of three or four times throughout the day.
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You know, before you go to bed at night can be the last time and it just shows God that we're intentional about meeting with him and knowing him and giving our hearts to him.
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And the more you do that my experience has been the more I do it, the more precious that time with God becomes to me.
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Yeah, that's a very good idea, and I've been working hard on trying to memorize scriptures too.
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I started with songs that I knew growing up, that I knew came from Bible verses, but I never knew where.
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Like Create in Me a Clean Heart, o God.
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I was like I know that is scripture, but I don't know where it is.
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But I could sing the song and I know the verse.
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I said so it'll be easy for me to start memorizing because all I need to remember is where it's found.
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So I started doing that and then I said, ok, what other songs do I know are from Bible, verses that I know them already and all I have to do is learn where it is.
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And I started there and it really has helped and I've been working on it and I'm trying to be more consistent on constantly working on it, not just be like, oh, I got it, good, you know, so next time I need it it'll be there.
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You know, because I've done that before and I've memorized certain like full chunks of Psalms and the only one that I still have in my brain that hasn't gone away is Psalm 1.
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But other than that, I've learned some other full Psalms before, but I can't remember it.
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Maybe if you give me one word and then I can start, but I can't just recall it like I can, psalm 1.
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So I'm trying to be more intentional on okay, I need to be meditating on it.
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I can't just think about it once and say, okay, now I've got it and then maybe another day later, check it and make sure I still got it and then just leave it at that.
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And I'm learning this through my study of the Russian language, because that's the language I've always wanted to learn and that's what I'm learning is that I can't just practice it whenever, do this, do that, and say, oh okay, I've got this, and then just not talk or not think about it or not speak it, and then expect that I'm just going to know the language.
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I was getting so frustrated because I wasn't learning anything, I wasn't retaining, and I was like, okay, I have to stop.
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Whatever I'm doing wrong, I have to stop it.
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And I realized I was not being consistent and taking it as serious as I should.
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So I said, okay, I'm going to do that.
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I said, but first I want to show myself that I don't have a problem with memorizing, because I can memorize songs, I can memorize movie lines.
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So I know I can memorize things, I know I can memorize verses too.
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So I told myself and I told God.
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I said, god, I want to learn the Bible verses because I want to show you that I put you first and.
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I want to understand your word and I said I know I haven't been doing that very well, but I want to and I'm going to be consistent.
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So I've decided that it's going to help me with my studying of Russian to put God first and to focus on learning Bible verses, and I have noticed that I'm gaining a little more knowledge.
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I can understand sentences.
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If I see someone who wrote me in Russian, I can read it a little better.
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Speaking is still another story.
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We won't go there.
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It's very difficult, but I'm trying to make an effort to put God first and make sure that I'm learning the Bible and want my kids to notice it too, that you have to do these things, because what if something happens and we're no longer allowed to have our Bible?
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What are you going to do?
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You have to know it in your heart, you have to understand it.
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So, yeah, yeah, I love what you said about how, when it's to music, it helps you to understand it.
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So, yeah, yeah, I love what you said about how, when it's to music, it helps you to remember it.
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So you know, I'm sure if we did Google searches, we could find some scripture out there that's been put to music.
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Or if you're musical, I mean, that's a great way.
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I wish it was yeah, something about the music helps that connection deeper.
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There is a good band, they're called the corner room.
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They do music to psalms and they'll do it to certain other bible verses too, and they have some for kids and it's just the bible and they're musically inclined.
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So they just put music and lyrics to it and I think if I listened to it often enough, I think that'll help with?
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Yeah, I'm going to check.
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Oh, that that's.
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Yeah, I've been looking for a group that does that because, yeah, way to meditate on and memorize the scriptures.
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So yeah, it's.
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It's definitely something I'm realizing is super important is to take your time with God seriously, because we only get one life, we only get 24 hours in a day.
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Nobody has some special set schedule where they get extra time.
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But I notice that when I actually give God my honest to goodness, real good time and I'm not just trying to get it done because I have a million other things to do, but if I just take myself out of it and say you know what, I'm going to make sure I put God first and put my time with God first I notice that things line up in a way where I can get everything done that needs to be done or that I think needs to be done for the day, and then maybe I can get a few things that don't really need to be done or just whatever gets done in that day.
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I feel a peace about it because I put God first and I'm always waking up at 6.20 every morning because I got to make my kids lunches, but I don't have to actually be up at that time.
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I just use that time from 6.20 to 6.40, and I just lay in bed and I try to stay awake, but I try to pray and make intentional time for God, because it's literally the only time during the day where I have, where I'm not super scatterbrained.
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And then, once most of my kids go to school and I only have one home, then I'll read my Bible, either with my child telling me no, don't read, or whatever running off, or I'll just read to myself.
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And yeah, I'm just.
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I'm at the age now where I'm realizing the importance of I need to be intentional with my own personal relationship and I'm realizing how many missed opportunities I had, with my kids as well, to teach them the importance of it.
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I have one child who's about to be 18, and then I have another one who's about to be 13.
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And then I got some younger ones who are in a Christian school.
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So they're getting it, which I'm glad, but my other two are not.
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And it's so hard.
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It's like pulling teeth.
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Trying to get my almost 13-year-old son to want to read his Bible and to see the significance of what happens when you put God first.
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And it's really.
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The life of a Christian is not easy.
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I don't know why people think that we think we got it all together.
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I know there's some people who act like that, but if you talk to a genuine Christian, I believe you're going to notice that they aren't like that.
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They don't think, oh, I have it all together.
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I pray for six hours a day and I read my Bible.
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For the rest, it's like, no, we have lives, we have things we do and sometimes we forget to read the Bible and then we're like, oh no, I went all day and I didn't give God time, and if you take a breath you can look and see how your life was different from the last time you did give God your time.
00:23:41.451 --> 00:23:43.140
Yeah, yeah.
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And listening to what you're saying about your kids.
00:23:46.905 --> 00:24:01.307
You know my daughters are grown, but so much has changed in the app world since they were kids and I wonder if there's like a really neat, creative kind of a Bible app for young teenagers there could be.
00:24:01.900 --> 00:24:03.928
Yeah, it's something that I might have to look at.
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I mean, my oldest isn't following Christ right now.
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She's got her own baggage she's going through.
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My son is still.
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He's working through the Psalms.
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I'm trying not to be legalistic to the point where, if he forgets a day to be like oh, shame on you, I just tell him, hey, did you read your Psalms today?
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And he'll be like oh yeah or oh no.
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And if he says yeah and I don't fully believe him, I'm not going to call him out on it, I'll just say, okay, well, that's between you and God.
00:24:36.203 --> 00:24:47.532
you know, reminding him that God knows everything, he sees it, he knows if we're lying or not, and just kind of getting him to make his relationship his own.
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I do not want him to think that if something happens and he were to die and go to heaven, that he's going to ride on my coattails there.
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I don't ever want my kids to feel that way, because that's how I felt is that.
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You know, my parents taught me this.
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I know all these things, I'm good, but in the back of my mind I always wondered am I really saved?
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And I never felt saved until I was going through my second divorce at 30 years old and came back to Christ and realized that I was saved, but I gave my life to Him when I was 12.
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So I don't ever want my kids to feel like I'm forcing them on to Christianity or that if I tell them something, I want to explain to them why.
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I don't want them to just say oh well, this is just what we believe, this is what I was told to believe.
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It's like no, you need to figure out why you believe that.
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This is why I believe it, why do you believe that?
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This is why I believe it, why do?
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you believe it.
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I don't ever want my kids to think the way I did because it was not healthy and it took me forever before I finally figured it out.
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And God forbid they don't have forever to figure it out.
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I don't want them to lose this life thinking wrongly because I didn't help them the way I should have as their mentor, I guess.
00:26:12.820 --> 00:26:17.832
Yeah, I mean, I pray regularly that my daughters would have their own encounter with Jesus.
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They were taught, they know what I believe but, like you said, they can't just follow because that's what I told them is right.
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They experience God for themselves.
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Yeah, yeah, I told them is right they experience God for themselves.
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Yeah, yeah.
00:26:36.429 --> 00:26:41.454
Hey friends, have you joined the Honest Christian Conversations online group yet?
00:26:41.454 --> 00:26:48.417
If you haven't, you're missing out on a perfect opportunity to grow your relationship with Jesus Christ.
00:26:48.417 --> 00:26:53.228
This is a community for those who want to go deeper in their relationship.
00:26:53.228 --> 00:27:05.125
You can do Bible studies together, ask the questions you have biblically and get the answers that you might need or maybe you're somebody who has answers to somebody else's questions.
00:27:05.125 --> 00:27:07.210
You can leave your prayer requests.
