Pass. The. Baton!

                             

         For the record,  I LOVE Allyson Felix.  

        Just wanted to put that out there.  But in addition to that news flash, I have to add that I'm not sure whether to rejoice the Olympics are over so I can finally get something accomplished and get to bed at a decent hour...or whether to despair, well, because it's over.  Sigh.
        Yes, I'm a total Olympics geek.  My family has banished me more than once (okay, it's been multiple times) to another room due to my whooping and hollering.  In fact, I'm stunned NBC never came calling to ask me to come to Rio to help with the commentating and cheering.  I was so ready to join the Today show team of Natalie, Al, Hoda, and Matt, but somehow that message never go through.  Oh well, maybe next time.  

        After all, when it comes to yelling and cheering, I'm on a first name basis with Michael, Simone (both of them), Katie, Laurie, Gwen, and David, to name just a few.  I adore them all.  But oh my, I love, love, love Allyson Felix.  To watch her long, loping stride as she races so gracefully and (seemingly) effortlessly down the track is poetry in motion.
         But more than that, Allyson's a Christ follower who consistently exhibits incredible grace under pressure.  She's dealt with one setback after another this year, and yet here she is, winning Olympic silver and gold medals.  As she recently told one reporter, "I'm currently a work in progress and like anyone else I face struggles every day. My goal is to be more Christ-like each and every day and that is not an easy task.  I know that I'm trying to be something different from [other Olympic runners] and after I run I hope that people can distinguish [Christ-like] character in the way I present myself."            That's knowing you're a sinner saved by grace who's humbly seeking to be salt and light in this world.  And isn't that what we're all called to do?--make a difference for Christ wherever He sovereignly choses to place us.
          I do have to say that one of my favorite memories from this Olympics will also be one of the toughest moments--when the USA women dropped the baton in the 4X100 Relay semifinals and were apparently disqualified and out of the race.  Turns out Allyson dropped the baton in the handoff, because she was bumped and interfered with by the Brazilian runner in the next lane.  It was a devastating turn of events, but to Allyson's credit, she quickly calmed down enough to tell the next runner to pick up the baton and finish the race, so the team would be allowed to make a formal protest. (Apparently, in order to lodge the protest, you have to complete the race.)
         This all happened the day after Allyson lost out on the gold medal when another runner dove over the finish line to beat her by mere hundreds of a second.  And now the talented American relay team was apparently disqualified.  All this, by the way, had followed a terrible ankle injury Allyson suffered in the spring that had threatened to keep her out of the Olympics and contributed to her failing to qualify at the US Olympic trials for her strongest event--the 200 meters.  She was surely, as my daddy would have put it, "Going through a rough patch."
           I digress.  The good--no, the fabulous--news is that whatever big dogs decide on these protests, they agreed with the U.S. and the team got another chance!  The relay team was permitted to rerun their heat that night and had to race against the clock to gain a spot in the finals. Which they did!  With the best time!  And no dropped batons!
            This has already gone on too long--actually I'm showing remarkable restraint as I'd love to give you the blow by blow account--so I'll just cut to the quick to say that the USA team won the Olympic gold the next day...with yours truly, and who knows how many other folks, screaming our lungs out the whole way!  And they prayed together at the end...which pretty much made me cry.  Well that and Allyson's comment to the reporters that her grandmother had told her earlier that day that God wouldn't give her more than she could handle.  Well that and also her tweet quoting my hero, Eric Liddell, "God made me fast.  And when I run, I feel His pleasure."
           But here's what has stuck with me since that race.  One, when you fail, don't quit.  Pick the baton back up and get back in the race.  God can do remarkable and even beautiful things with our failures.  After all, the joy of that relay team's victory was multiplied exponentially by the fact that they almost didn't have the opportunity to run in the finals.  Failure and difficulty gives us wiser perspective and teaches us valuable lessons we'd never learn if we had nothing but success.  So don't quit...ever.  And don't wallow in your failures.  Yeah, maybe scream in frustration like Allyson did for a moment or two...but then pick up that dang baton and get back to running!  (I'm preaching to myself!)
           And second, need I say it?  Pass.  The.  Baton.  We're on this planet only a brief millisecond of time in terms of eternity.  God's given work to each of us to do for Him, and He calls us to hold that baton of faith and then...pass it on.  Pass that baton faithfully.  Pass that baton joyfully.  Pass that baton intentionally.  Pass that baton hopefully.  Pass that baton perseveringly.
          Pass that baton of faith to your children.  Pass it to your friends.  Pass it to your neighbors.  Pass it to whomever God brings into your lane and life.  Pass it in whatever work and ministry God has assigned to you.   No one else can carry and pass on your God-given baton.
         It's not how long we live, but how well we pass on the baton of faith.  And until you hit the tape and your race is over, you've got loads and loads of batons to pass.  Don't give up when you fail or hit life's inevitable roadblocks.  Don't give in to feelings of discouragement.  Don't give out when you're so near the finish line.  Just keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, keep running hard, and pass that baton, by His power, for His glory.
         To God be the glory.  
             

Children, college...and keep on running!

        School begins again.  Which for us means we just dropped off and moved in two of our children in college.  Senior year for one--

         Sophomore year for the other--

         It's mighty quiet back home.  Just Mr. Bingley to give us a happy, hearty greeting (thank You Lord for dogs!).   Seems like yesterday this house was a buzz of frenzy with five children, mountains of laundry, piles of shoes, and endless back to school orientations from preschool, elementary school, and middle school.  Now we're down to one high school freshman--for whom I thank God--and trying to keep up with college students and grown children living in other cities.  
         When I arrived back home the other day after dropping off our first college student, I cried and cried.  How I love summer!  The warmth, no homework, no schedules, children coming home, and time together with family and friends.  So I wept for the end of summer.  I wept for the children leaving home.  But most of all, I wept that time relentlessly marches on, and try as I might, I simply cannot hold onto those I love tightly enough.  They grow up and leave--for which, again, I thank the Lord--but I MISS THEM!  I miss the noise and mess and energy and activity.  I miss having those I love right smack dab here with me all the time.
           But here's the thing--we can't stop time.  We can't stop--nor would we ever want to--our children from growing up, leaving  us, and going out into this big world to make a difference for Christ and living for His glory.  But here's what we can do--keep running our race.  As long as we're still here, God is not finished with us yet...so we keep running "with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb.12:1-2)
          For those of you who have grown children, God's not finished with you or your children yet.  Whether you have young children, grown children, or no children, if you're still breathing, God's still working.  And He's got plans--good plans--for each of us.  He's promised: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.'" (Jer.29:11)            
           Until the Lord takes us home to heaven, He's not finished with us...which means we're not finished.  And we've gotta keep running the race of faith.  Keep loving and encouraging our children--whether they are still at home or are away.  Keep fixing our gaze on Jesus and running each day by His power and for His glory.  Keep sharing the love of Christ with everyone He brings into our path.  Keep living out the grace and power of the Gospel day by day.  Keep reading and being transformed by His life-giving Word.  Keep rejecting worry and anxiety, and instead keep praying and giving thanks in everything (Phil.4:6)
         Whatever season of life we're in, God's got work for us to do, people for us to love, faith for us to grow, gratitude for us to express, and joy for us to experience.  Oh might we stay faithful and focused on running our race all the way to the finish line...all the way till we hear His beautiful voice exclaiming, "Well done My good and faithful child...enter into the joy of Your Abba."
          Yep, the house may be quiet but my heart is full.  Thank You, Father, for the joyous gift of our children and the privilege of raising these five eternal souls.  Thank You for Your endless grace--I've messed up so badly and so often, but Your grace and forgiveness are deeper and greater still.  Thank You for the treasure of dear friends. Thank You for Your Word that transforms and renews our mind.  Thank You for the beauty of Your world.  Thank You for work to do and folks to love.  Thank You that Your mercies are new every morning and Your faithfulness never, ever fails.  Thank You for Jesus--our Savior, Redeemer, Lord, and Friend.
          Father, please keep us faithful.  Keep us thankful.  And keep us running the race You've marked out for us--all by Your power, all to Your glory, all the way to the finish line.
          To God be the glory.  
         

The Olympics!

        Not to complain, but today I'm tired...bordering on exhausted, actually.   I've got mush-brain, am fighting the beginning of a cold, and am struggling to get much of anything accomplished.
       And the Olympics are totally to blame...staying up waaaay too late every night, glued to the TV.
        But my oh my, if you're an addict like me, aren't they simply fabulous?  Who knew water polo or skeet shooting could be so fascinating, engrossing even?  I've watched and yelled and cheered on to victory Michael Phelps, Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky, Simone Manuel, and all the rest of the USA olympic team in every sport from beach volleyball to synchronized diving (YAY Johnson and Boudia!!) to cycling to swimming of all types and distances.  I love, love, love it all!
        And since it's now time for women's trampoline, let's keep this short and sweet.  Just two comments.  First, thank the Lord for the timing of the Olympics.  If our country ever needed something to cheer about, something positive and good to watch and listen to, something encouraging and thrilling to focus upon, it is NOW!  I think I've successfully avoided watching or listening to the super depressing, negative news (especially political--mercy!!) for the past week, and can I just say, it's been glorious?  Feels kind of like taking a long, hot shower and getting wonderfully clean after wallowing in the mud and sweating in the heat on a long, tough hike.  Thank You, Lord, for the Olympics and for reminding us that there's still plenty of good stuff happening in the world.
        Second, how great are so many of these stories from the Olympics?  We cheered and cried when we heard the synchronized divers, Boudia and Johnson, share that the way they stayed calm, kept it all in perspective, and dealt with the pressure was: "My  identity is rooted in Christ."  They both have amazing stories of heartache, struggle, and ultimately redemption through the power of Christ.  You may not read about it in the newspaper, but look it up on youtube and listen to their stories.  Wow--Christ is in the redemption business.
         Or how about Michael Phelps?  Two years ago, he had his second drunken driving arrest and was a suicidal alcoholic.  He described himself as "a train wreck.  I felt lost."  Phelps told ESPN that after that arrest, he "thought the world would just be better off without me . . . I figured that was the best thing to do — just end my life."
         His friend, Ray Lewis (as in the former All-Pro linebacker and an outspoken believer), saw Phelps' despair and told him, "This is when we fight . . . This is when real character shows up. Don’t shut down. If you shut down we all lose.”
          Lewis convinced Phelps to enter rehab and gave him a copy of Rick Warren's classic, The Purpose Driven Life.  Within days, Phelps called Lewis to tell him the book had changed his life. Phelps explained to ESPN that the book had "turned me into believing there is a power greater than myself and there is a purpose for me on this planet.”
         I don't where Phelps' faith is, but I do know that his life has turned around.  He has reconciled with his father from whom he'd been estranged for over twenty years.  He has a new purpose, a new fiance, a new baby, a new determination, a new love for his sport, and a new peace.   And man oh man, can that boy swim!  He's simply a joy to watch.
         There's story after story like this from the Olympics, and it reminds us that God has His people everywhere.  From the pool to the track.  From the soccer field to the gymnastics mat.  From the elementary school to the stock exchange.  From the manufacturing plant to the hospital.  Our sovereign Lord is everywhere.  His plans will never be thwarted.  And He has placed His people in all sorts of places, doing all sorts of things, and accomplishing all sorts of purposes.
        I don't know about you, but that puts a spring in my step and renewed hope in my heart.  We're never alone.  Never.  God is always, always, always with us...and He has infiltrated this planet with His people.  As C.S. Lewis put it, "Enemy-occupied territory---that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful King has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.”
        So go Simone! Go Johnson and Boudia!  Go Katie!  Go USA!  But never forget the infinitely bigger Story behind all their stories--the King has landed.  He has already won the victory.  And we are each called to serve our King to the best of our ability in whatever arena of the battle He has placed us.  Whether in sports, school, business, home, or wherever He's sovereignly set us "for such a time as this." (Esther 4:14) All by His grace.  All for His glory.
         To quote Simone Manuel, "All Glory to God!  Isn't He awesome?!"  Preach it, Simone, preach it!  To God be all the glory.
       

Our Lord...our Daddy

        "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." (Ps.23:4)
        Hope you'll forgive a few more thoughts on Psalm 23 (the Psalm I've been "memorizing" even though most all of us already know it by heart--I need all the help and positive reinforcement I can get when it comes to my sorry memory).
        Okay, I'm a mighty slow learner, but it's only been since I started committing this Psalm to heart--which means taking it to heart, a whole different thing--that a critical distinction jumped out at me.  David, the writer, switches from talking abut the Lord in the third person ("He makes me lie down...He leads me...") to referring to Him in the second person ("You are with me...You prepare a table before me...").  Have you ever noticed that??  I mean, that's not "proper" writing, is it?
        Oh yes it is!!  Seriously, go back and look at Psalm 23.  Right smack dab in the middle--in verse 4--the writer switches...and it's as if the Almighty Lord has suddenly become the adored Abba.  Almost like David moves from an intellectual knowledge about God and His greatness to an intimate and deeply personal understanding of his heavenly Father.
         And here's the thing--it happens right as David begins talking about sorrow, hardship, and fear.  It's as if walking through that deep, dark valley of the shadow of death has brought David to a whole new level, a whole new understanding and realization of who the Lord is and how His Heavenly Abba is with him and loves him every single moment.
         Oh how I love that, because it's the hidden, beautiful secret of suffering.  In our darkest moments, the glorious, awesome Lord of the universe suddenly can become our dearest, Heavenly Daddy who holds us so close and loves us so dearly.
         I've seen it in my own life again and again.  In those hardest of times, when the walls closed around me and fear constricted my heart, the Lord's presence became so real, so near, so incredibly precious.  In Janie's ICU room, in the blackness and loneliness of the midnight hours, the presence of God felt palpable.  The room pulsed with His glorious but loving, enveloping, sustaining presence. Goodness, my words are so completely inadequate, but it's true and as powerfully real and tangible to me right this moment as it was four years ago.
        In the valley of the shadow of death, if we will turn to our Abba and cry out to Him, we will come to know, love, and enjoy Him in far greater and deeper and sweeter ways than ever before.  The shadows become a path to the radiance of His goodness and grace.  The Almighty Lord becomes our Heavenly Daddy.  The shadows of death bring the Son of Life.  We crawl into His lap and are loved, so loved and held. 
        Today, I don't know what fears or sorrows or difficulties might be casting their dark, frightening shadow over you or those you love. But here's what I do know:
       In the darkness, His Light shines brightest, for He is the Light of the world.  "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:5)
       In the shadows, you can come to know the Lord of the universe in deeper, more intimate and sweeter ways than ever before.  What was once theoretical becomes wonderfully realized and personal.  And there's nothing like that closeness.  Nothing.  "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (Ps.23:4)
        Thank You, Father, thank You for being our Good, Good Shepherd who made us, knows us, loves us, cares for us, forgives us, empowers us, and walks with us every moment of every day and every night.  Thank You that even in those places of our greatest fears and deepest sorrows, You are with us, holding us, and somehow, someway using and redeeming it all for our good and your glory.  (Romans 8:28) We don't know how, but You've promised us this in Your never-failing Word, so we place our trust in You--our changeless, perfect, sovereign, loving Savior.
           Jesus, You endured the worst of death, so that we might pass only through the shadow of death.  You suffered death forsaken and alone, so that we might never ever be alone in our sorrows.  And You defeated sin and death, so that we might have unconquerable, eternal hope that You will defeat and overcome the sin, failure, and fear in our lives as well.  "I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)  
          Thank You, Father,  that no matter what the future holds, no matter what we must walk through, we know, know, know that  "You. Are. With. Me."  Always and forever.
         Our Lord...our Daddy.  Oh how we thank You and love You, Abba.
          To God be the glory.  

Rainy and foggy...but thankful!

         The view from our porch yesterday evening when we arrived in the mountains--

Thank You, Lord, for a lovely evening and for the Your magnificent creation.
         The exact same view today...the view all day.  As in all morning, all afternoon, aaaaallll day long--

Sigh.
        Okay, Lord, I'm not feeling particularly thankful for all the rain, rain, rain, and fog, fog, fog...but here's where the rubber meets the road, isn't it?  Am I only grateful for the gifts...or am I infinitely more grateful for the Giver?  Is it all about "Thank You Lord for this blessing and that blessing"...or is it, "Thank You Lord for any blessing You choose to give or to withhold, because You are my greatest treasure of treasures."  What does it take to move me from gratitude to grumbling? And surely it's not something as utterly inconsequential as the weather?
         As I sat here feeling just the slightest bit grumpy--and convicted--Job and his wife came to mind.  You remember Job's good old wife, don't you?  This couple had lost everything, and I mean everything.  All their children, all their worldly goods, and finally even Job's health.  I'd venture to say none of us have ever endured as much unrelenting pain and mystifying loss as righteous Job and his wife.  
        So, Job's wife finally responds...and I'm reminded of the quip (from Calvin Coolidge or someone like that) that we will never get in trouble for words we don't speak.  "Then his wife said to him, 'Do you still hold fast your integrity?  Curse God and die.'  But he said to her, 'You speak as one of the foolish women would speak.  Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?'  In all this Job did not sin with his lips." (Job 2:9-10)
         Now before we get up on our high horse and condemn Job's wife, we've got to remember that Job's wife had lost everything--including every single one of her children.  I cannot imagine.  And then on top of all that, she was watching the man that she loved most in the world endure horrific, unrelenting physical suffering.  Her words were utterly wrong, but still, mercy, what tragedies she had endured.
           Yet look at Job's response: "Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?"  Or earlier, right after learning about all these horrible losses, Job declares, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21)
          Wow.  I simply cannot imagine such faithfulness, and Job's words convict me to the core.  How quickly I can shift into the ugly and ungrateful "what have You done for me lately Lord" mode when things don't go my way.  To paraphrase the great old hymn, "Prone to grumble, Lord, I feel it.  Prone to leave the One I love.  Take my heart, Lord, take and seal it, seal it for Your courts above."
           Sometimes the Lord sends us sunny days...and sometimes rain.  Sometimes success...and sometimes failure.  Sometimes good health...and sometimes sickness.  Sometimes fulfilled dreams...and sometimes bitter disappointments.  Sometimes happy answers to prayer...and sometimes His "Not yet" or even "No" (because He knows best).  
          But the Lord's in it all, working through it all, and using it all for our ultimate good, for His greater glory.  We may not see it this side of heaven, but like Job, we trust...we rest...and we rejoice in Him.  
           So this day, Lord, we choose to give you thanks and praise for whatever You choose to give and whatever You choose to withhold.  You make no mistakes and You do all things well, so we place our trust and our hope in You.  
         "For all that has been, thank You.  For all that is to come, yes."  (Dag Hammarskjold)
         Thank You, Father.  And yes.  To God be the glory.

Psalm 23...and news too good to wait!

                        A little food for weekend thought on Psalm 23--

        "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside still waters.  He restores my soul.  He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me;  your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Ps.23
         As I shared yesterday, I'm working on memorizing a very, very familiar passage--and it's Psalm 23.  I figure I need all the help and positive reinforcement I can get when it comes to memorizing, so let's get going on a passage I've heard all my life.  Yet in repeating it out loud several times a day, it's remarkable how something so familiar gradually seems to open up in brand new ways.
          Suddenly I'm thinking, for instance, in the midst of a busy day, "Oh Lord, thank You that You make me lie down in Your green pastures.  Thank You that You purposefully lead me beside those still waters...because You know my tendency is to rush, rush, rush and do, do, do.  Thank You even when I'm forced to wait or to take a path I wouldn't have chosen.  You are in the waiting, in the stillness, in the valleys, and You are restoring my harried, distracted soul in the midst of it all."
         Or as I put conditioner on my hair in the shower, I'm thinking about how grateful I am that the Lord Jesus anoints my head with the oil of gladness, satisfaction, and joy.  He anoints with the oil of the empowering, enabling Holy Spirit.  With the oil of filling to overflow.  With the oil of purification and sanctification.
        Just two little examples of how, through the process of memorization, a passage begins seeping down into the crevices of your mind and heart throughout the day.  But I especially loved the words of John Piper related to the phrase in verse 6, "surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.  Here's what Piper wrote:
       "There is a kind of eagerness about the beneficence of God.  He does not wait for us to come to Him.  He seeks us out, because it is His good pleasure to do us good...God is not waiting for us, He is pursuing us.  That, in fact, is the literal translation of Ps.23:6, 'Surely goodness and mercy shall pursue me all the days of my life.'  I have never forgotten how a great teacher once explained it to me.  He said God is like a highway patrolman pursuing you down the interstate with lights flashing and siren blaring to get you to stop--not to give you a ticket, but to give you a message so good it couldn't wait until you get home."
          Yes!  Not to mention that sort of changes your perspective on those blue flashing lights flashing behind you on the highway, doesn't it?!
          Thank You, Father, for being our Good, Good Shepherd who loves us infinitely, cares for us magnificently, forgives us completely, empowers us totally, and leads us perfectly.  Thank You--in Your amazing grace--for not just calling us, but actually pursuing us with Your extravagant love.  Help us to share this astounding Good News with others--because this is wondrous news far too wonderful to wait.
          To God be the glory.  

Why memorize?

         Once again, I'm trying to get back on the wagon of memorizing Scripture.  Sigh.
         To say this is a challenge for me would be, well, a ginormous understatement since I have the memory of a gnat.  (Though this might be an unfair comparison for the gnat.)  I struggle to recall names, places, movies, events, you name it.  I can, however, remember advertising jingles from decades ago ("You can trust your car to the man who wears the star...the big bright Texaco star!"  Geez).  I'm can also sing the lyrics to nearly every song from nearly every musical dating from my childhood..which probably puts them in either the Triassic period or the Jurassic period.
         But I can't remember the punch line of jokes, the names of dear friends, or what I did last week.  My only consolation is that many of my friends are in the same boat, and I figure we can't all have Alzheimers.  (I hope.)  Another advantage to having a crummy memory: I will laugh at your jokes and enjoy hearing your stories even if I've supposedly heard them multiple times before...because it's all new to me!
          I digress...something new and different.  Heres my point--I'm trying to get back on track when it comes to hiding God's Word in my heart.  Oh my, so many blessings to this kind of memorizing, such as: always having His Word with you so you're armored up for moments of crisis.  And having His Word continually percolating in your heart and mind so you can meditate on it both consciously and subconsciously.  And having His Word readily available to help a friend in need at a moment's notice.  And having His Word constantly empowering and equipping you from within.  I could go on and on.
          In the next day or so, I'm going to talk about what passage I'm memorizing (and it's pitiful--I'm starting with something nearly everyone knows so I can begin with some positive reinforcement and feel good about my paltry memorizing skills!).  But today, just for a little inspiration--in case anybody else out there wants to join me--here are Jon Bloom's ten reasons you should memorize chunks (and he says even Books!  Holy cow!) of the Bible:
1) Because you have a bad memory.  Yes sir, I've got this one totally nailed.  But his point is that's the very reason why we need to memorize.  I could actually stop here...but I won't.
2) Because you need to feed your mind.  Philippians 4:8 all the way!  We've got to be feeding our minds with the Truth and with what's pure, lovely, honorable, excellent and worthy of praise...rather than the often toxic, brain-deadening brew of reality TV, the "news," twitter, and the like.
3) Because the Bible is too accessible to you.  We have it everywhere...so we tend to ignore it or take it for granted.
4) Because you have the internet.  As Bloom puts it, we're becoming "information scanners" rather than true readers.  This causes us to be impatient and even unable to read deeply and reflectively.
5) Because you don't know the Bible as well as you think you do.  Enough said...true for everyone of us.
6) Because God's Word will become more precious to you.  As Bloom puts it, "The things we invest most in become most precious to us." I'm reminded of "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Mt.6:21)
7) Because you will see more of God's glory.  Oh how I want this!  God reveals Himself through His glorious creation, but He will see Him revealed most clearly through His Word.  The more we gaze into His Word, the more we'll see, know, and love Him and the more He will awe and astound us.
8) Because it will fine-tune your hooey gauge.  Love this--because the world, our selfish, sinful hearts, and the evil one lie to us constantly.  We've got to be able to spot and root out those lies.
9) Because you're going to suffer.  I don't like this one...but it's true.  I will never, ever forget those hours and days after Janie's accident.  Because I'd been immersed in the gospel of John preparing for Bible study in the fall, His Word comforted, encouraged, and strengthened me continually in that ICU.  Even in the darkness of her room in the wee hours of the night, I felt as if I was right there walking with Jesus through the pages of John.
10) Because your brothers and sisters are going to suffer.  Again, Bloom's words: "Memorizing large portions [of God's Word] not only serves you, but also is a way of loving others by being able to provide them with faith-sustaining truth when it's most needed."   Yes, Lord, yes--make us fountains of Your life-giving Word to help, encourage, and love others!
        Okay, enough said.  Time to stop wishing for it or talking about it or hoping for it...time to DO it!  One day at a time.  One verse at a time.  "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1:8)  That's good enough for me.
       To God be the glory.