*Update: Even though the goal was a big one, my granddaughter and I are getting closer to completing it! Genesis 1:1 was our first verse. For a full list of all 66 Verses to Memorize, go here.
In the Beginning
Three very powerful words.
Pregnant with possibility, those words.
In the beginning, I had no idea how we had gotten there.
After a long, hard haul … after a season of much despair… after dinners with consoling friends.
After long bubble baths in a tub full of tears … and after counseling with our pastor.
She was Born
Three very powerful words.
Packed with possibility, those words.
I’m a Grammie
If there ever was a resistant Grammie, it was me. I hadn’t planned on it, couldn’t get excited about it and didn’t feel I had the tools for it. Basically, I just wasn’t ready.
My grandmothers were my greatest influencers, but I felt like they were at different life stages when they got their new names (Grandmommy and Mamaw). I was still called Mom, and I still drove carpool. It just didn’t feel right. How was I supposed to be Mom to two kids still under the roof and Grammie to a newborn baby?
But, truth be told, I mostly didn’t think I had the emotional energy for it.
Mike and I had tried so hard to have a perfect family. Then when things didn’t pan out perfectly, we spent a few years beating our heads against the wall and begging God to turn the ship around.
I’ve since learned so much that would have been valuable to know then. (Anyone else?) And now, finally, the waters were becoming a little less choppy.
But I wasn’t finished recuperating from the storm.
In His Time
There was a popular song back in the ‘80’s that we sang at church. It was written by a woman named Diane Ball on the first day of her family vacation. But she didn’t write it until after she’d been stewing for several hours over her husband’s late arrival home from work. Because they weren’t getting away when planned, Diane feared she would be late to a speaking engagement on the first leg of their trip.
When Diane had fretted long enough, she prayed, asking God to still her mind and give her some peace. That’s when three little words occurred to her – in his time – from Ecclesiastes 3:11.
In His time, in His time
He makes all thing beautiful in His time.
Lord, my life to you I bring.
May each song I have to sing
Be to you a lovely thing, in your time
God answered Diane’s prayer, and in the process, gave her the lyrics to a song that still calms the hearts of all who hear it.
Dancing and Napping
Just as God answered the prayer of Diane Ball, he was answering mine as well. He was fitting me for the job and giving me the wherewithal with which to accomplish it.
I was able to take some time off from work and keep my new grandbaby while her mom went to school. It was on those quiet mornings, at our house out in the country, that I fell in love with a baby girl named Kynzie.
At first, she was small enough to lay longways in my lap, her head on my knees, tiny legs folded, my thumbs anchoring her fists curled into a ball. We spent many naps together in my front porch rocker, she soundly snoozing, me watching her breathe. And listening for the sound of my son’s school bus coming down the street.
As she got a little bigger, I turned on the dance tunes, and we swayed and twirled our way around the living room or out on the back patio.
We read books, sang songs, talked, fed carrots to the horse, visited the neighbors’ goats, and bonded like glue spread between two sheets of notebook paper.
A Lofty Goal
During all that napping and dancing and rocking, a lofty goal began to take shape in my heart. It was so lofty that I didn’t want to mention it to anyone. So I prayed about it for a long time. And I did my due diligence, thinking through what it would require.
And then, about a year ago, I became brave enough to tell my then 7 year-old granddaughter about my plan.
A Grammie’s Plan
I want us to memorize a verse from every book of the Bible – together.
Whew. Even as I spoke the words, I wondered if we could do it. How we would do it. And if she would want to do it.
This wasn’t going to be easy. But it sure was going to be good.
A Grammie’s Job
Even though her mom is the most amazing single mom, and she could surely do it if she wanted to, I saw this as a job for a Grammie.
A Grammie who would have done it as a Mom if she hadn’t been so busy doing laundry and making grocery lists and talking on the cordless phone.
A Grammie who, more than anything else in the world, wants her granddaughter to know Jesus, to know how much he loves her, and to be confident, in the dead of her darkest night, that he’s right there with her.
A Granddaughter Agrees
So, she said yes.
Well, actually, it was a precious and enthusiastic “OKAY!”
My heart melted (again) right then and there.
And then I promised to pay her $10 for every verse. LOL
At the Start
We started at the start. The very first verse on the very first page of the very first book of the Bible.
Genesis 1:1. That’s where we started, in the beginning.
Up to Twelve
We’ve now memorized 12 out of 66 – BUT THIS YEAR, 2017, we plan to memorize the remaining 54!
Do you know how many $10 bills that is?
Oh, well. There won’t be anything else this whole year that I’d rather be doing.
And there certainly won’t be any better use for my $10 bills.
A Look Behind
Looking back, I’m even less sure of how we got here – but I’m infinitely more thankful that we did. During that tear-filled counseling session with our pastor, we heard him encourage us with these wise words.
This baby will be the apple of your eye.
Eight Prophetic Words
Those words prophesied our future.
Eight prophetic words. Proclaimed with promise, those words. And you know what?
He couldn’t have been more right.
His Perfect Timing
Truly, when it comes to my grandparenting journey, God has made all things beautiful in his perfect timing. My granddaughter is my sweetie pie, and every moment with her is precious.
To think what I would have missed out on if God had left the timing up to me.
Encouraging intentional adventure with the apple of your eye,
PS: We’re expecting our second grandbaby soon! I plan to continue to memorize scripture with all my grands; however, I might choose a shorter passage or series for the next lofty goal! But, in the beginning, we’ll probably still start with Genesis 1:1. What do you think? Are you memorizing Scripture with your grandchildren?
#10 - I Made the Statesman (Top 10 Experiences of 2018) - Texas Over Fifty
December 24, 2018 at 4:53 am[…] the things I want to inspire my peeps to do for themselves. Even the part about my greatest legacy, memorizing Scripture with my granddaughter, it was all […]
#25 - Lamentations 3:22-23 - Because of the Lord's Great Love - Austin Over Fifty
October 10, 2018 at 1:25 pm[…] not a God who swoops down to discipline his children and then disappears. The God who created us (Genesis 1:1) is abounding in love (Numbers […]
50 Fun Ideas to Do While You're Stuck Inside on a Rainy Day - Austin Over Fifty
June 20, 2018 at 6:36 pm[…] Memorize Bible verses with your […]
#17 - Esther 4:14 - For If You Remain Silent at This Time
March 19, 2018 at 2:13 am[…] and I are memorizing 66 verses together, one from each book of the Bible. It started out as a lofty goal on my part, as I over-enthusiastically planned for us to be finished in one year’s time. Well, […]
#3 and #4. Leviticus 20:7 and Numbers 14:18 - 66 Verses to Memorize With Your Grandchild
January 7, 2018 at 1:16 pm[…] Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning, God created the heavens and the […]
#28 – Hosea Makes the Headlines | Austin Over Fifty
August 14, 2017 at 6:14 pm[…] list of 66 faith-filled Bible verses my granddaughter and I are memorizing together. We started at Genesis 1:1, and we’re working our way through the whole Bible, one verse from each […]
#12 – Nevertheless… (2 Kings 8:19) | Austin Over Fifty
May 5, 2017 at 11:31 pm[…] Genesis 1:1 […]
Decisive Under Thirty and Decluttered Over Fifty – Two Guys Who Have it Down | Austin Over Fifty
March 24, 2017 at 12:01 pm[…] around the world, volunteering, coaching teams, learning about art, spending time with our grandkids and starting blogs! Getting rid of our stuff is helping us spread our stiff overfifty wings and […]
#9 and #10 – Two Things that Really Matter to God | Austin Over Fifty
March 24, 2017 at 12:01 pm[…] you have been following along with me and my granddaughter on our quest to memorize 66 Bible verses together, you may either be glad that you’re doing it with us – or, whew, really […]
Verse #8 – Where You Go, I Will Go – Ruth 1:16 | Austin Over Fifty
February 26, 2017 at 3:23 pm[…] some reason, Kynzie and I have an easier time memorizing some of the verses from the 66 we’re memorizing this year more than […]
Verse #7: Judges 21:25 – In those days, Israel had no king | Austin Over Fifty
February 14, 2017 at 3:38 pm[…] (Note: This post is #7 in a series. If you want to follow along from the beginning, click here.) […]
Verse #6 – Joshua 1:8 (How to Be Prosperous and Successful) | Austin Over Fifty
February 7, 2017 at 4:42 pm[…] Verse 1 – Genesis 1:1 here […]
Jill Norman
January 20, 2017 at 3:14 amI’m so glad you shared this with me. Highlight of my day. Your grandchildren are so blessed to have you and Mike. Such a wonderful thing to share with your granddaughter. 🙂
The Jealousy of God – Exodus 34:14 | Austin Over Fifty
January 14, 2017 at 2:20 pm[…] idea of memorizing a verse from each book of the Bible with my granddaughter required some research on my […]
Jackie curl
January 9, 2017 at 2:20 amWhat a sweet story and awesome idea! I don’t have a grand daughter yet, but I would love to join you, and try to do this with my God Child!
Candy Benoit
January 8, 2017 at 10:54 pmOh my gosh – Love this so very much Brenda. How wonderful for you and her and truer words have never been spoken that this will be a great investment with returns that will last for generations to come. My heart is warmer having read your blog today. Thank you my friend.
Brenda McDearmon
January 8, 2017 at 11:51 pmCandy, you’re such a sweet friend and faithful encourager. Thank you for your kind words and for reading!
Wanda Finley
January 8, 2017 at 10:51 pmWhat a wonderful idea!!! I will try to do the same with my granddaughters and great-granddaughter!!!
Karen Weir
January 8, 2017 at 7:04 pmBrenda your blog really touched me today as I remember struggling with those very same feelings 13 years ago. I can truly say my granddaughter has been the most precious blessing God has ever given me. I love your idea of scripture memorization and I would love to try it with her. You definitely have a gift of encouragement and your blogs are so inspiring. Thank you. And by the way… you’ve had me crying all morning thinking of my little apple of my eye!
Sue Johnson
January 8, 2017 at 3:35 pmLove Love Love this idea. You are so blessed with this granddaughter but she is also blessed to have you for a Grammie! Thanks for the idea and praying for us all to accomplish it!!
Missy McClure
January 8, 2017 at 2:25 pmI love this message and would love to do the memorization with our grandchildren (now have 4 with another due any moment). I don’t think their parents would let us pay them but we might put it in a savings account for each one! Great plan and such a special way to pour God’s love and His Word into a child!
Brenda McDearmon
January 8, 2017 at 3:02 pmThanks for commenting, Missy. That’s a great idea about the savings account. I also thought about some way to bind coloring pages into a book, and when we’re together, she and I can reinforce our memorization as we color. Your grandkids are so blessed to have you guys for grandparents. ❤