12 in 2012 {december}

It seems amazing to say, but another year has already come and gone. Well, just about. Is it just me, or do you feel like you say that same thing every December too?
Time goes by so quickly these days... Or perhaps it's that as I get older time seems to fly faster? Whatever the case, it is in fact December and we have in fact, hopefully, memorized 11 verses so far this year. I hope this has been a journey of learning and growing for you, as it certainly has been for me. I don't believe there is any way to better spend our time or brain power than to memorize scripture, effectively hiding the truth in our hearts. Not that I've mastered it by any means, but I am grateful for the living and active Word that is constantly moving and molding my mind and heart as I yield to the Spirit and let it do its work in me.

Before I share my verse for the month I would love to invite you to spend some time over the next 4 weeks looking back at your past verses. Read each of them out loud over the course of the month. Remind yourself why you chose them, what God spoke to you through them and where you are now because of them. Have your own little personal retrospective and get a jump on the new year. Look back...then jump forward!

As I've begun that same process of taking inventory of 2012, I've been remembering some really great trips we've taken as a family this year. Several of those trips included the opportunity to see and hear some remarkable artists in concert. Carrie Underwood, Bryan Adams, Justin Bieber and Kimbra. They were each VERY different as you can imagine. They did, however, all have one thing in common: screaming fans. Thousands of screaming fans. In one case crying, hysterical, screaming fans. It was mesmerizing to see thousands of people singing along, knowing every word, awed at every measured dance move and wonderstruck at every wave (she waved at me!!! He looked right at me!!!). And it made me think. How superfluous it all is. Not just the fame and fortune the world strives so hard for, but the amount of energy, time and money that we as a society spend on entertainment for entertainment's sake. And please understand, I am not judging those artists or trying to be negative. They are all gifted and talented and quite good at what they do. And I did, after all, purchase tickets to see and hear them. I'm simply stating the fact that ALL fame, fortune, position, power, trinkets and treasures will pass away, as will we. And in eternity...God will finally receive ALL worship, honor, glory and credit. As it should be.

As we gear up for Christmas, this verse will serve as a reminder to me to keep my worship focused on the One who came and who is coming again.
The One we will spend eternity worshipping. We may as well get a jump start on that too!

Revelation 4:9-11 (NIV)

Whenever the living creatures give glory to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the 24 elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: "you are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. "

12 in 2012 {november}

i'm 43. and i'm so grateful for the fact that 'His mercies are new EVERY morning! '.
somedays i feel like a dummy because i'm so desperate for those mercies. i think...'i'm too far along (in both years and in my relationship with the Lord) to keep needing them the way i do'. and yet, more and more, i'm realizing the reason for the promise of new mercies is because HE KNOWS WE NEED THEM!

i truly believe that as humans, we'll never be completely whole until Jesus comes again.  we were created with a divine discontent in our hearts, a need for Christ, an emptiness only HE can fill.  a desire to need him more, to want a deeper understanding of him, to love him beyond what we think our feeble hearts can, to hear him more clearly, to grow and flourish in his spirit, for his name.

so i fall to my knees...again. and i say:

"...show me your ways, O Lord, ( i want to know how You do things.  how You want me to do things.  i want your M.O. to be my M.O.) teach me your paths (  i still have much to learn.  where is your path? teach me where it is and how to stay on it. give me clarity in direction when there's a fork in the road and at every turn) guide me in your truth and teach me ( set up clear boundaries for me to stay within.  take my hand and keep me from slipping into anything that might be dishonoring to your name.  i seek only to follow your leading)   for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." ( i believe you are who you say you are, with all my heart.  no matter what happens throughout the day, from hour to hour circumstances can change, but YOU remain on the throne.)                                        Psalm 25:4+5 

this almost feels like going back to the basics.  and while i do truly believe that God is always urging us forward (Isa. 43: 18+19), i also believe that we are to continually strengthen the foundation our faith is built upon.  we need reminders.  this verse is a good reminder for me.

Psalm 25:4+5
"show me your ways, o Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long."

12 in 2012 {october}

.
i write each months verse in several different places for a couple of reasons. one, because writing it more than once helps me commit it to memory.  two, because i want to see it at every turn.  i want to be reminded of it several times a day, during various tasks and interactions. so, i'll put it on my laptop desktop, i write it on a small card that i have up in my office, i have it on my phone... and i write it on my chalkboard that hangs in the middle of our dining/living/kitchen area. you can't miss it.  i can't miss it.
i recently watched a video clip of John Piper talking about his method of sermon-manuscript writing. it's very interesting and unique. and inspiring. {you can watch it here}
motivated by his method, i chose to write my verse for October on the chalkboard in a different manner than i have before.  as a way of explaining the reason i've chosen this verse... i'll walk you through my doodle-diagram.

Habakkuk 3:19
a:: the sovereign LORD is my strength.
the LORD is my all. my everything. my raison d'être or reason for being... this is a subject you'll {hear} more about in coming weeks, and months. hint, hint.
HE is my strength. the amplified version says..."my personal bravery, my invincible army".   i need HIM in order to accomplish, continue, perform, achieve... you get the point... anything. i can't. he can.

b:: he makes my feet like the feet of a deer.
have you observed deer? they can move their feet, and fast. they soar, seemingly in slow-motion, over fences. they are agile and sure footed, they don't trip or stumble. my heavenly father gives me the spiritual ability to 'move my feet',  to make decisions based on discernment, to take action when wisdom says, 'go'.

c:: he enables me to tread on the heights.
to enable means to authorize or allow, to facilitate, permit or qualify.  again, the amplified version says..."make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering or responsibility]."  i named the 'mountains' to the right of the word heights  'mt. impossible', 'mt. no way', and 'mt. i can't'. according to the Word of God, those mountains are surmountable.  by his enabling, and with his strength, i can climb them.

d:: for the director of music, on my stringed instruments.
i'm convinced that there is a reason this little phrase is included as part of the verse. God has been showing, doing, moving, pruning in me as of late.  so much of what he is beginning to reveal to me revolves around focus, purpose, simplifying, and straining toward what lies ahead. i'm still not entirely sure what that means for me specifically, but i'm positive that this verse is intentionally meant to help me figure it out!

Habakkuk 3:19
the sovereign Lord is my strength, he makes my feet like the feet of a deer. he enables me to tread on the heights. for the director of music, on my stringed instruments.

what verse has God put on your heart this month?

12 in 2012 {september}

this has been an extremely remarkable year.  a year of extremes.  my daughter turned 16, started driving and released her first album.   my son got married.  i celebrate 25 years in music ministry.  i performed on the Dove awards with Yolanda Adams.  our family went to Paris.  i mean.... this year has been full of events that are once-in-a-lifetime milestones! 

no, i'm not confused. i do realize that it's september 1st, not january 1st.  i'm not recapping 2012.  i'm summarizing 42.  september is the month in which i was born, therefore it is the month that i will officially become one year older.  and as avid celebrators... we celebrate all month long!  and in the interest of my increasingly forgetful forty-something mind, i've grown accustomed to thinking ahead, rather than catching up. so, while my actual birth date is the 11th, i'm getting a head start here and sharing my verse for the coming year...which happens to also be the verse i'd planned to memorize this month.  see how nicely that worked out?

one of the countless lessons my mom has taught me over the years is that of enjoying the journey. i am not a journey lover. i like to just plan the journey... and then be done.  being in the studio has never been my favorite.  it takes too long.  remodel projects drive me mental. they take too long.  traveling across the country.... too long.  so, my mom's advice to find 'joy in the journey' has not been easy for me to put into practice.  but, as i've seen lived out in both of my parents lives, the journey does bring joy. not without struggles, but still, the joy is worth it.  

at this point in my life, at this stage of my journey, i'm still learning and growing. continuing to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in my heart and life, aiming for advancement in the patience department so i can enjoy the journey more.  another beautiful lesson i've learned from my parents is that of constant growth.  they both have consistently said to me over the years..."i've turned a corner...", or "listen to what God revealed to me in His Word today...". these are people in their 60's and 70's.  people in ministry that know the Word... and yet they have yielded their hearts to the Spirit in order that they might keep growing!  inspiring.

another extreme milestone this year was the honor to minister alongside my daughter Izzi Ray, Lenya Heitzig, Anne Graham Lotz and her daughter Rachel Ruth at the She Presses On conference in Albuquerque, NM.  Lenya and Anne are absolute pillars of the faith. these women live out the gospel, and preach it with power.  i left there changed, encouraged and empowered.  the foundational scripture that the event was based on was philippians 3:13+14.  i decided then and there that those verses would define the next year of my life. they would be my 'standard', the banner under which i'll live.

Paul says (paraphrasing here....) "i haven't reached the end. i haven't hit the goal.  i may look like i've got it all together, after being involved in ministry for so long, but i'm not there yet.  i'm not going to stay focused on the past, what i did or didn't do, what others did to me, what i accomplished, where i failed.. NO! i'm moving ahead, straining forward, PRESSING ON! because there's more to do. because it's about Jesus."

i'm celebrating 25 years in ministry this year. that represents an enormous amount of work and accomplishment. and yes, growth.  but i'm not there yet.  i haven't yet reached the goal. i can't sit back and say 'done'. because there is more to do.  and i certainly don't have it all together.  i'm in desperate need of growth. in order to grow, pruning must take place... more on that later. but for now let's remember that God is not finished with any of us yet!  while we still have breath we can press on by His Spirit, for His name!

brothers and sisters, i do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. but ONE THING i do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I PRESS ON toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me Heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13+14

here are some photos from the ShePressesOn event:
(clockwise from top left) Lenya Heitzig and me; Louise, Elle and Shaeleen Puckett with Izzi and me during the Bible study application time; Izzi and me on stage; Rachel-Ruth, Anne, Me, Izzi

12 in 2012 {august}

'prone to wander Lord i feel it
prone to leave the God i love...'

{come thou fount of every blessing}

no matter how deep our longing for the things of God, even our longing for Christ himself, the fact remains that we live in mortal bodies with hearts of flesh. sin rules this world. darkness hovers over it. and as full of light as we may be with the glory of the creator residing inside us, our minds and hearts remain under perpetual attack. i don't think we are 'prone to wander' because we don't have enough faith, or we don't love Jesus enough. i believe it's because the enemy is waging a constant battle for our failure. our spirits may be willing, but our flesh is weak. we may believe, but we may need help overcoming our unbelief. {mark 9:24}

with this in mind, i read psalm 141. as David expressed his desire for protection from such sin, in both word and deed, i too realize my weakness. my desperate need for a hand to hold to keep me steady and balanced. to keep me from drifting and falling.

and listen. in my minds eye, i don't simply imagine my small hand being held by a big strong hand as we walk along the beach...although that would be lovely. but no.

what i see is a narrow trail along a jagged, rock strewn mountain top. me slipping, groping, dangling.  a massive, muscular arm reaching down just as i can't hold on any longer and clutching my forearm as i seize his.  when i drift, i fall. when i let go, i fail.

don't let yourself inch toward the edge. even in subtle ways. sometimes it may seem harmless... but the inevitable fall will have devastating consequences.

out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks... {matthew 12:34}
'unless the fountain of life is kept pure, the streams of life will soon be polluted'... {Spurgeon}

i don't want to be a drifter. to aimlessly wander or simply be carried along by the current of society.
rather, i want to decide to be focused. to be careful.

my verse for the month of August is:

Psalm 141:3+4

'take control of what i say, o Lord, and guard my lips.
don't let me drift toward evil or take part in acts of wickedness.
don't let me share in the delicacies of those who do wrong'

what's yours?

12 in 2012 {july}

"stand your ground, men, stand your ground!".... any 'Princess Bride' fans out there?   it's one of our family favorites and one of the few movies i actually saw in the theatre as a teenager.  the scene i'm referring to above occurs near the end of the film when the 'man in black', aka Wesley, has come to rescue his true love from the evil prince Humperdinck.  the castle gate is guarded by many men who, at the sight of something terrifying and mysterious, not only lose heart but break ranks and head for the hills.  clearly they decide that their own lives are more important to them than the princess's, and it's not worth the effort to stay and fight.

it's after 11pm Montana time as i write this.  i should've gotten a head start on this post yesterday, knowing that today is July 1st and knowing that i intend to share my memory verse for each month on the first day of the month.  if i don't fall asleep before i finish, i'll get it in just under the wire!  what was i doing, you ask? why didn't i make the time to get this done yesterday, or the day before? well, i was at church.  yep, all day yesterday. all day today. working. worshipping.  and quite frankly, i'm tired.

i've grown up in ministry. my parents were pastors of the church i grew up in and i've known from the earliest age what it means to 'work' in the church.  it's a conundrum, really. making your living in the church or in ministry. it's usually long hours, grueling days, serious spiritual warfare and stressful situations that unfortunately aren't always handled according to scripture.  however... i LOVE the church!  {here is a GREAT message on the church by my pastor Levi Lusko... it's #7 in the kickstart series} 

please hear my heart.  i'm grateful for my upbringing and the privilege of seeing the struggle first hand.  i truly believe it was a training ground for me, as i am clearly called to work in ministry and have continued to do so for 25 years.  that is not to say it has always been easy.  there has been blessing, yes. there have been victories, yes. but there have been difficulties and uphill battles as well.
i believe with all my being that the enemy of our souls would love to see our hearts scarred by the hypocrisy of people. he wants to see us trip and fall over our own insecurities and frustrations. he wants to watch as we judge and hate and then leave and gossip and effectively rip the church apart. he wants us fed up and tired and mad.  but you know what... we serve a God that is greater than the enemy. we serve a God that has already defeated that enemy.   we serve to fight and guard and protect the bride of Christ.

the verse i've chosen for the month of July reflects the struggles i've faced along the way... the sleepless nights, the difficult days, the attacks of the enemy that have been debilitating at times. it also reflects the fact that our victory is sure. our effort is not in vain, our pain is momentary, our eternal future is secure.

crystal; whitefish, mt
1 corinthians 15:58 {MSG}

"...stand your ground. and don't hold back. throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort."

12 in 2012 {june}

today begins the 6th month of 2012. is it flying by for you in the same way it's flying by for me? we have reached the half way mark.  this month is particularly, and immeasurably, significant for us this year because our son is getting married.

June 9, 2012.

06::09::12

it's a date we've had on the calendar for nearly a year. and it's now a week away.  and while i'm filled to overflowing with joy and excitement {due to the obvious happiness that a certain beautiful girl clearly brings my boy}, i'm also fighting back fears of my inadequate parenting. what if it turns out i missed a few things? what if it turns out i let some stuff fall between the gaps? what if there are lessons i skipped, information i failed to relay, facts i totally goofed up, or important advice i forgot to give?
{well... in my case, they'll be living next door so i'll just write a note or run over there real quick}.
but seriously!!!! all those thoughts have crossed my mind.  my season as mommy to Solomon is over. i will always be his mother, but he no longer needs me as his mommy. and sometimes i wonder if i did a good job. if i could've done a better job...

the fear and doubt and insecurity that attempts to make it's way into my head on days like these can be debilitating. they can keep me from joy, blind me from truth and trick me into a downward spiral.  BUT i have a not-so-secret-weapon: the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God {Ephesians 6:17}.  and at this half way point in our journey of memorizing one verse each month, i find that i need the strength that the Lord brings more than ever. i need the truth and encouragement that the Word gives.  my verse for this month reflects that... it also reflects the fact that I KNOW the victory comes, will come, has come!!

crystal; whitefish, mt; Psalm 118:14 "The Lord is my strength and my song; He has given me victory!"

feel free to post your verse for the month of June in the comment section below::

12 in 2012 {May}

have you read through the old testament lately? if you have, then you're well aware of the fact that God's faithfulness is constant, consistent, complete. i'm regularly wowed by the fact that He is always encouraging the Israelites, and each generation thereafter, to remind their families of His faithfulness. He admonishes them to remember, to make sure that each new generation is aware of their history and His faithfulness in the rescuing and redemption of His people. 

as i've been reading through it this year, i've been reminded, too.  i can look back at my childhood and recall moments when my grandparents shared stories of God's faithfulness with me.  days when my dad spoke truth into my young life. conversations with my mom that dramatically influenced my future. and i'm grateful for their faithfulness.

today i find myself in the beautiful, blessed place of being able to speak into my daughter and son's lives, as my parents did for me.  i've been told and taught... and now i get the privilege of telling and teaching.  

 i've chosen a memory verse for this month that reflects that truth:

crystal; whitefish, mt; psalm 89:1

"i will sing of the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord forever, with my mouth will i make known your faithfulness from generation to generation."

{my mom, Mary}

{me}

{my daughter, Izzi}

join me in memorizing a verse each month! post yours in the comment section....

12 in 2012 {April}

it was 12 years ago today that my sweet friend, Yvette, went to Heaven.  she was 2 weeks shy of her 11th birthday.  i can tell you with utmost certainty that her mother, (pictured above with me on a visit to Montana)  father and sister now have their hearts and minds set on Heaven. they have a much more real sense of eternal perspective as they live out the rest of their earthly lives.

{this is my friend Yvonne, Yvette's mom, with Buddy}

it's unfortunate, but true, that most of us are forced to readjust our frame of reference where eternity is concerned when someone we love dies.  and yet scripture is clear on the fact that an eternal perspective is imperative at all times. life is short, and it is not to be wasted.

you guys.... we don't have time for nonsense!!! we don't have time to squander the precious days we've been given on things that WILL NOT LAST OR MATTER in the grand, eternal, scheme of things.

when my husband, Brian,  wrote 'People Get Ready, Jesus is Coming' 16 years ago, we were fully aware of the truth in the lyrics, but it's quite amazing to realize the weight of that truth in light of THIS day.  we have never been as close to Christ's return than we are right now! all the more reason for us to be living in these days with eternity at the forefront of our minds, hearts, and lives.  with that in mind, i've chosen Colossians 3:1-2 as the verse(s) i will commit to memory for the month of April:

Crystal; Whitefish, MT; Colossians 3:1-2 (NIV)
'Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on Earthly things'

post your verse in the comment section.....

12 in 2012 {March}

at our church we do this thing... we call it 'BowBeforeTheBattle'. it's simply a time of worship and prayer together as a body of believers.   we do it because we believe God honors and responds to our worship, our surrender, our praise. we do it because we want to acknowledge our complete dependence on HIM.  we do it because on the first Wednesday of every month we host 'SkullChurch', an evangelistic-rock-n-roll-Heaven-n-Hell-life-or-death event where we seek to make Jesus famous.  this is a massive monthly undertaking, and we know we can't do it without the power and presence of Jesus himself. we know that the enemy doesn't like it very much, and that we are truly engaged in a spiritual battle, a war for the lost.  so the last Wednesday of every month, the week prior to every SkullChurch, we bow before the battle...giving honor and glory and praise to God the Father for what we know and expect him to do!!

at this months BB4tB, my daughter, Izzi Ray, led us in worship (along with her band of friends/teens, all fantastic young musicians). now, i know you'll have trouble believing me when i say, i'm not biased. i'm just saying...as a musician... it was EPIC!  just fiercely real and legit and beautiful. ok, as a parent, i was also in awe and spent most of the night between tears and laughter. just seeing God move as people worshiped was truly stunning.

as i worshiped and sang along, i asked the Lord to show me what to pray, to search my heart and reveal anything offensive in me (Psalm 139:23-24). and almost immediately i began to see (and hear) the lyrics to the songs we were singing in a different light, and realized they had a common theme...

'you can have it all, all my heart, all for you....'
'you can have it all,  all i am is yours...'
'take my life take all that i am, with all that i am i will love you...'
'you won't relent until you have it all....my heart is yours...'
'Jesus paid it all, all to HIM i owe...'

i sing those words, fairly often in fact. but do i truly live them out? i mean, ALL my heart? you can have it ALL? the definition of all is: the whole, any, everything.  can i say, in all honesty, that i have surrendered every single part of my heart and life under Christ's authority? absolutely ANY thing i say or do? my WHOLE life? down to my attitudes, relationships, desires, hopes, fears, marriage...
or are there areas where i'd rather maintain control? and if so, why? what would keep me from total surrender? the bottom line, i think, is this: do i trust my GOD enough to say it....with my WHOLE heart... you can have it ALL... because i know you care and know and control it ALL.

i don't think Izzi intended to choose the songs based on their similarities, i think she simply chose the songs she loved and wanted to play.  but clearly God was in control and leading her....

... which inspired me! i had a verse already in mind for March, but after hearing God speak so clearly, i've chosen Mark 12:30 as the verse i want to memorize and hide in my heart this month.

'... love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength.'

what verse are you going to commit to memory this month?

12 in 2012 {February}

Hyde Park, London

it's February 1... time for a new memory verse!
my verse for this month is a reflection of the fact that I get easily distracted. I admit it. I'm probably one of those people that's been living with undiagnosed ADHD, for years!!
I do love immersing myself in a project but I usually struggle to stay focused on said project, and keep clear of doing too much at once. the jury is out on whether or not multi-tasking is a benefit or detriment to your brain. does it help or hurt your ability to function. does it enhance or hinder ones level of productivity? I suppose it depends on you and your own personal preferences. except when it comes to sin...
in our relationship/life with Christ distraction comes at a steep price and with severe consequences. a lack of focus can mean a painful falter, a bad fall, a serious failure.
keeping your eyes on Jesus and a guard about your heart are imperative. letting your guard down, allowing your foot to stray, taking your eyes away from the road WILL cost you.

the passage of scripture I've chosen to memorize this month is a reminder to me of the importance of focus:

crystal;whitefish; Proverbs 4:25-27 (NLT)
"look straight ahead and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
mark out a straight path for your feet;stay on the safe path.
don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil"

can't wait to see your verse! post it here!!
even if you're choosing to memorize the same verse as me,
type it out here in the comments section...

12 in 2012

H A P P Y  N E W  Y E A R !

another year. another chance. another try.

new goals. new dreams. new seasons.

as i contemplate and call to mind all this past year has held, i'm giving weight to my thoughts about where i failed....and how i can learn from my mistakes. a somber sentiment perhaps...but only at first glance. 

truly, i believe there is joy in getting up, pressing on, pressing in and pursuing (my word for the year!). and aren't lessons learned in the trenches, valleys, struggles and skirmishes of life?  often our eyes are opened only when we hit our head hard enough on the ground after we've been knocked down.  too much?  i don't know, i love a good action film/story and most of the time victory only comes after a couple of losses. the win seems sweeter when failure is familiar.  

one of the goals i set for myself in 2011 was REMEMBER.  that was the word that, for me, meant memorizing scripture each month along with Beth Moore...and thousands of other women across the country.  she encouraged us to choose and memorize 2 verses each month, posting them on her blog on the 1st and the 15th.  i can't say that i actually posted mine every time, but i did keep both a written record, as well as a digital one, of all of my verses. i share this with you for 3 reasons.

one: because i began this post talking about failures and mistakes, and i wanted to also mention the importance of learning from our victories and accomplishments... the fact that finishing well, achieving a goal, actually doing something you weren't sure you could do... is a HUGE motivation toward future efforts.  

two: because there is no better safeguard against sin (failing/falling) than committing scripture to memory, hiding the WORD in our hearts, letting the TRUTH be the light onto our path.  it will be a salve to our wounded souls, a healing oil for our broken hearts, the stone in our slingshot, an arsenal of ammo for our weary flesh... we cannot survive, let alone win, without it.  and next time we come face to face with failure, well, we'll have protection.

three: i want to do it again. with you!  do you want to join me?? 

so here is what we'll do, together.  

on the 1st of every month, i'll post my verse for the month here.  

you'll comment right here on the blog (not on facebook, or twitter) with your first name, city, verse (and where it's found) and what version of the Bible you used.   there really aren't any rules (other than 

please, lets not use this as a commentary or comment space)  

don't feel like you have to memorize the same verse as me...although, of course, you're welcome to!  let God speak to you where you're at, and i know he'll inspire others through you 

as you allow him to inspire you.

and by the end of 2012 we will have memorized 12 verses!!

so....as TODAY is the first day of not only a new month, but a new year, here is my verse for the month of January...

Crystal, Whitefish, '...PURSUE righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith.' 1 Timothy 6:11 {NLT}

with anticipation of great things this year...

crystal