Jacque Watkins

finding grace through the mud

You Can’t Fail if You Don’t Quit {Memorizing the Sermon on the Mount}

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I’m starting something new this week, and I really want to share it with you.

But I’m a bit afraid–because (to be honest) I’m not sure I can do it.

And I just may fail … because I’ve failed before.

Remember a while back I shared some goals, and invited you to join along in memorizing Romans 8? Well, I must say, I started out strong. I memorized Romans 8:1-10, but then the holidays came and I fell behind, and over time I gave up.

I also purposed to wake early in the morning, but I found it to be pure misery to drag my I-stayed-up-too-late-getting-things-done-in-peace-and-quiet body out of my cozy bed. And even when I did manage to get up, it didn’t end up being quiet time alone, since my family members are such early risers. So I gave up on early mornings too.

I failed, plain and simple.

And the truth is, I frequently have grand ideas and goals but sometimes fall flat when it comes to implementation. And you know what? I really don’t want to be like that. My intentions are good and I mean to follow through (really I do) but for one reason or another, it doesn’t happen.

And I’m guessing you may be a bit like me—that you may know some failure of your own. And I can tell you right now, I understand how that feels. Trust me. I do.

But I heard this phrase on the radio the other day, and it stopped my wallowing-in-the-regret-of-my-failure self, right in my tracks…

You haven’t failed if you haven’t quit.

And when I heard that, it took a minute for it to sink in. And I had to repeat it back to myself out loud (and I know, you’re picturing me talking to myself in the car and I can assure you it was just as funny as it sounds). I even groped for a piece of paper and scrambled to copy it down, because I didn’t want to forget.

And that phrase begged the question…have I quit? Will I quit?

And I decided then and there I will not quit. So, after much encouragement from a couple of friends who successfully memorized all of Romans 8, I’m joining them in their next adventure: a year-long plan to memorize the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7. We are starting this week, and we’ll be following the plan laid out by Ann Voskamp, memorizing 2-3 verses per week.

So last week I joined Scripture Typer, and I printed out the cards. Then I cut them and glued them into my Moleskine, and converted the two verses into first-letter prompts, to help with recall and memorizing.

And I’m diving in.

Even though I fall short, and even though I’m not sure it’s possible for me to do this, I’m deciding to take the risk and try.

And I’m wondering if you might want to join me?

I won’t lie, I’m nervous.

I don’t want to fail, especially after telling all of you.

But I haven’t failed if I haven’t quit, and neither have you. And that’s true no matter what it is. So let’s pick ourselves up, wherever we are, and keep going … keep moving … keep trying, no matter what.

So what do you say?

You wanna join me?

 

 
 
 
{WEEK 1}
Matthew 5:1-2 (ESV)
Seeing the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and when He sat down, His disciples came to Him. And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
 
S t c H w u o t m a w H s d H d c t H A H o H m a t t s
 
 
 

Is memorization hard for you too?

How have you felt like you failed lately?

 

 

Continuing on, in the counting of One Thousand Gifts {#1341-1355} with Ann and this community, and the Joy Dare of 2012…

#1341 “I-love-you’s” from my littlest

#1342 My oldest observing lent–us all together remembering His sacrifice

#1343 Co-op field trips and learning about the missions of CA

#1344 Spring break with our Kindergartener home

#1345 Lazy mornings

#1346 Refreshing rain

#1347 Foxgloves, Delphiniums, Bulbs, & Diascias placed into the ground–our yard almost finished

#1348 Planting with my hands

#1349 The feel of dirt between my fingers–a catharsis of sorts

#1350 Lunch with a friend

#1351 Cleaning house together

#1352 A wonderful dinner party with food and music

#1353 A chance to meet new friends

#1354 Spring lunch with my Good Morning Girls

#1355 The anticipation of Easter, and all He did for me

Related posts:

For When You Want to Know How to Really Teach :: Sermon On the Mount {Week 1} Hello Mornings…A New Challenge For When You Need to Quit Performing to Earn God’s Love and Blessing :: Sermon on the Mount {Week 2}
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Comments

  1. Ro elliott says

    oh I am right there with you in the failing…I too just jumped in with the scripture typer…Oh I love this thing. I have never been good at memorizing and getting older does not help one bit. But I have loved this…and I think it will help me first,memorize and second kee me on course. so i am joining with your…we can check in with each other to see how we are doing…not to police each other…just to give little encouragements along the way…Blessings as we plant these rich verses in our hearts:)

  3. Lisa notes says

    Oh, I love this, Jacque. We can’t fail if we don’t quit. I’ll try to keep that with me.

    I pray you’ll be blessed by your year in the Sermon on the Mount! So many beautiful and rich truths there.

    #1349 – I love the feel of dirt between my fingers too. But by the look of the weeds in my flower beds, I haven’t been getting that loving feeling lately. 😉 Next week…

  4. Joyce and Norm says

    At times it has been challenging but memorizing even a few verses, is a few more verses than we would have memorized if we didn’t try at all. Keep at it!

  5. Katie Orr says

    But, really, did you fail? You memorized ten verses! I think that is incredible.

    So glad you are not quitting! Thanks for linking up!

  9. Amy Sullivan says

    As a girl who doesn’t like to fail, I connected with you on this. Good for you for pushing on and reaching for something that’s important. Glad I stumbled upon your blog through Twitter.

  10. Victoria Austin says

    I am a fairly new reader of your blog. When I saw this post, it really struck a resonant chord in me. So yes, I would like to join you in this quest to memorize the life of the Word. Many years ago after a trip to Israel, this particular passage become very special to me and I began to write a story, the beginnings of a novel, based on each of the Beatitudes. In these years that have followed, I have struggled with the story. And even though my husband continues to encourage me to write, I am experiencing an extremely dry period with writing. Something tell me that devoting my time to instilling the Word more into my heart, mind and spirit will reap great rewards — in writing and in life. Thank you for sharing the opportunity!

  11. Jacque Watkins says

    Oh Victoria! That’s wonderful… im soooo glad you’re joining in.There’s a richness that comes with hiding God’s word in our hearts and I think it’s only by experiencing it that we understand. Blessings to you!

Trackbacks

  10. […] And it isn’t even 10am and I glance over to see one child hitting another and the other fighting back. Have I been such a poor model that their instinctual reaction is to just cave to anger and go with their flesh? Did it not matter? The words from Matthew 5 that they’ve hidden in their hearts over these weeks, the words we’ve been learning together? […]

  22. […] ~Memorizing the Sermon on the Mount ~For When You Want to Know How to Really Teach {Week 1} ~For When You Need to Quit Performing to Earn God’s Love and Blessing {Week 2} ~When You Long to be Satisfied and Supremely Happy {Week 3} ~For When Memorizing is Intimidating and Change is a Challenge {Week 4} ~For When You Don’t Fit in and You’re Not Feeling Accepted {Week 5} ~Because You Are Meant to BE the Flavor {Week 6} ~We ARE the Light of the World  {Week 7} ~All Has Been Accomplished! The New Covenant Has Come {Week 8} […]