Happy New Year! The first of a calendar year always seems like a good time to begin afresh. While I’m not necessarily one to make new year’s resolutions, I do like to put into place some healthy standards and good habits on January 1st, with the hope that they will help me “move the needle” in the right direction throughout the year. Monday I’ll get back to a firm commitment to the FASTer Way to Fat Loss for healthy eating and a balanced exercise plan. I’ll also set into motion the work goals I’ve written into my new monthly planner. But even more important, today I read the first entry in my Life Principles Daily Bible and I began meditating on my first scripture of the year. Let’s begin the 2023 Dressed for My Day Scripture Meditation Challenge!
Warning: This post is long. But they WILL NOT BE from here on out! Bear with me.
When I mentioned that I would be meditating on and memorizing scriptures throughout 2023 and that I would love for interested readers to join me, I honestly thought maybe a dozen of you would politely raise your hands. But as of early on New Year’s Eve, we have almost 500 women on board for this challenge.
I’m taking it seriously, ladies. And I hope you are, too. As much as I love a pretty frock or a sharp blazer, I know that nothing will make me more beautiful head to toe than allowing God’s Word to transform me, head to heart to hands. Let’s make this the year that we intentionally and consistently clothe ourselves with strength and dignity as we meditate on and even memorize scriptures that are infused with the transformative power found nowhere else.
This is the longest post I’ll be sharing on these Sunday mornings as we go through this challenge. I do want to get us all started on the right foot, so I’m taking the time to lay the groundwork. But most Sundays I will simply share my personal scripture for the next two weeks with maybe a brief explanation of why I chose it. Then I’ll ask you to share in the comments section your selected passage from the Bible. We can also provide each other with encouragement and perspective as we carry on through the next 365 days. But the greatest work is going to happen within you, not here on this website.
Here’s How It Works
- Every 1st and 3rd SUNDAY I will post an Inner Beauty post here on the blog, briefly sharing my chosen scripture passage to meditate on and memorize for that two-week period. I may share why I chose the verse(s) or I may share some meditation and memorization tips, etc. These posts will be short!
- Participants should then share their chosen scriptures for meditation and memorization in the comment section of the blog post. You MUST post your chosen scripture in the comment section at least 20 out of 24 weeks to be eligible for the incentives.
- You may choose to meditate on and memorize the same scripture as me, but you do not have to. I prefer you select scriptures that speak to a need in your life, whether it’s a promise, an encouragement, a reminder of God’s character or a direct instruction you need to obey.
- I suggest you get a 4×6 photo album like this to keep all of your verses for the year. You will continue to meditate on and memorize them all through the year, building on what you’ve learned. So you’ll want to write the verses on 4×6 index cards and keep them in the album all year, reviewing them daily.
- At the end of 2023, you should have 24 scriptures in your album that you’ve been meditating on and memorizing throughout the year. Hopefully you’ll be able to recite them, but at least you should feel like they are a part of you and that you have “clothed yourself with them.”
- IMPORTANT: To receive the Sunday email pointing you to the Scripture Challenge blog post, you must be subscribed to my email list. If you’re already subscribed, you will need to click on “update your preferences” at the bottom of one of your emails from me and check the box beside “Scripture Meditation & Memorization”. I have already checked the box for those who emailed me, but NOT for those who left comments on the blog. I didn’t have the ability to do that.
What’s In It for You
First and foremost, I guarantee you that daily meditating on and memorizing scripture will absolutely change your life. It will change how you see the world, how you feel about yourself, what you know about God, how you anticipate the future, how you sleep at night, how you interact with others…need I go on??? Be prepared to be transformed by the renewing of your mind through God’s Word. (Romans 12:2)
But I’ve got some great incentives to keep us going!
In March I will host the first of three LIVE events, just for us. You will need to be on the email list and regularly adding your scripture to the comments section of the blog posts on the 1st and 3rd Sundays through January and February to be invited to the event. We’ll meet up on Google Meets LIVE for some encouragement. It will be so fun!
We’ll also have similar LIVE events in late July and December. In fact, the December event will be a celebration party. And I’ll even send you some fun gifts to enjoy at the party and afterwards.
One of those gifts will be a colorful, printable and frameable certificate that will commemorate your achievement of meditating on and (potentially) memorizing 24 scripture passages through 2023. It will be beautiful, but also beautifully meaningful.
I’m also planning an in-person event for Fall 2023. I’ll be inviting my entire Dressed for My Day community to join me in Cincinnati for that event. We’ll be having a fashion show, shopping, dining together and so much more. It will be a blast! I know that not everyone will be able to attend, but of those who do, only women who are consistently involved in this Scripture Meditation and Memorization Challenge will be invited to a special intimate afternoon tea.
I do believe that memorizing God’s Word will in fact be reward enough for all of us. But I also want to celebrate your accomplishment and growth with you as you take on this personal challenge. It’s not a competition at all. But it is a personal challenge that the enemy will not appreciate, and he will do everything he can to thwart your success. Be prepared. Draw close to this support group. And carry on! We will celebrate together as we go and at the end of the year. Oh, and I am praying for you!
Frequently Asked Questions
I will probably be addressing frequently asked questions here every two weeks, at least in the beginning. I’ve already received several.
- Q – Do I actually have to memorize the verses? I’m not good at that as I get older. A – You do not have to memorize your chosen scriptures, but I encourage you to try. You may be surprised at your success, but you’ll never know unless you try. Why rob yourself of that blessing just because you think you can’t do it? Pray, asking God for the ability to remember His Word and hide it in your heart. Then try to do it! I’ll provide some tips as we go, probably in two weeks.
- Q – How do I select my scriptures to meditate on? A – I’d like for you to allow God to lead you to scriptures that resonate with you personally. But don’t just choose old favorites. Look for and listen out for scriptures that challenge you, encourage you or instruct you. Jot one down when you hear it in a sermon. Note one that I use here in a Blessed for My Day at the end of a blog post. Ask a friend, mentor, small group leader or your pastor for one. But you absolutely can use mine or one you see in the comments section from another reader, too!
- Q – How do I meditate on scriptures? A – Great question! Historically, meditation is a biblical concept. Don’t be afraid of it. We’re told to meditate on His Word (see Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:2, Psalm 77:12, Psalm 119:15 and Psalm 145:5). What we think about shapes us. So as we think on God’s Word, it transforms us from the inside out. To meditate means to ponder, to chew on, to circle, to ruminate. When you worry, you meditate on your problems or your potential problems. So worrying is a form of meditation. Use those same mind muscles to meditate biblically. But when you meditate on scripture you spend that same kind of energy and focus on the scripture passage. Simply put, read the passage slowly, think on each phrase, take time with it, ask questions about it and “chew on it.” Definitely take the time to read the surrounding verses for context and, if needed, ask a Bible teacher or your pastor for insight. But also ask the Lord to direct your meditation. He will.
- Q – How long should I spend on this each day? A – Most of us eat and feed our bodies two to three times a day. I always suggest that women feed the souls from the Word of God the same way: two to three times per day. That’s why I like to have the scriptures in the 4×6 album. You can have it at the dinner table or by your bedside or in your handbag. Take it with you on a walk, when you pick up your grandchild from school or when you go to the doctor’s office. “Eat God’s Word” or meditate on it two to three times a day, spending a few minutes on your verses at a time. Remember your set will grow over the year!
- Q – Can I invite friends to join us? A – Absolutely! But remember, only those who are currently and consistently active will be eligible for the incentives. And they’ll have to be part of the group for at least 10 months in order to earn the certificate at the end.
My First Scripture
You may have noticed that I have chosen Proverbs 31:25 for our theme verse. It will be on the masthead of all of these blog posts and it will be on our certificate at the end of the year. My goal here at Dressed for My Day has always been to help women get dressed for their day so they can engage graciously and authentically with the world around them in a positive way. And my goal in this challenge is to help women like you and me to go the extra step and clothe ourselves in strength, dignity and godly wisdom so that we can face the future with joy rather than fear or uncertainty. And I also hope that as we feed on the Word of God we will be able to open our mouths and kindly proclaim the good news of Christ to those around us who desperately need to hear it.
So my first scripture is Proverbs 31:25-26 in the English Standard Version.
In the comments section, please share your first name, where you live and your first scripture selection. Please also tell us the version of the Bible in which you will memorize your verse(s). It should look like this:
I’m Kay and I live in Cincinnati, Ohio. “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. ~ Proverbs 31:25,26 (ESV)
Of course if you want to briefly say something more, that’s fine. But please include those four things: name, hometown or state or country, scripture with reference and Bible version. If you’ve never left a comment before, you’ll have to give me time to “approve it,” but I will get to it! Let’s party!!!!
Just click on JOIN THE CONVERSATION below to leave your comment. I’m so excited!!!
xoxo, Kay