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Remembering on the road: Memory verses for trips (and free printable)

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Before you hit the road this summer, take these easy steps to make your trip more meaningful.

Through the intentional use of memory verses, you can discover God’s love in new ways everywhere you go.

Memory Verses for Trips

1. Choose the right verse

Set yourself up for success—pick an easy one. Either concentrate on one you’re already learning, or pick a fresh one specifically for your trip [see suggestions here]. A mission trip might need a different scripture than a visit to Grandma’s.

The family might learn one verse together, or each member learn a separate verse.

2. Gather your supplies

Write out your verse on sticky notes ahead of time to place on the hotel fridge or the ice chest in your tent. Bring a pack of 4×6 cards and markers for your kids (and you!) to write out the verse or sketch a picture of it during travel time. Consider bringing a simple rewards chart with stickers for once-a-day (or every other day?) recitations.

3. Get creative

Take one picture a day where you see this verse in action—maybe in a colorful wildflower or a child’s toe dipping in the ocean. Collect physical mementos that remind you of the verse. Draw a picture; write a song; compose a poem.

Proactively make tangible connections between the truths in the verse and the God all around you.

4. Share it with others

If you stay plugged in on your trip, post a picture to Instagram or Facebook with your memory verse as text or with a link to the reference on Bible Gateway. Send a postcard about it to friends back home.

As you seek opportunities to share the words you’re learning, you’ll stay more aware of them yourself.

5. Collect in an album

Back home, gather your photos and 4×6 cards in a small album as a reminder of God’s faithfulness on your trip. Or turn your Instagram pictures into picture magnets.

Having visible reminders of the relationships you made between the written word and the Living Word will cement your memories even deeper in your heart.

Most of all, keep it delightful. Training ourselves to clearly see God’s beauty everywhere should be an exciting adventure, not a guilt-ridden drudgery. If you miss a day, don’t sweat it. Maybe you won’t totally memorize your verse word-perfect; that’s okay. Bask in God’s truths through new experiences, new people, and new memories.

Because every trip is far better when God travels with us!

 

Resources

Memory-Verses-for-Trips_donotdepart

FREE PRINTABLES:

Have you ever memorized on the road?
What theme scripture might describe your summer?
Is there a verse you’re learning right now?

Please share in the comments.

Bible Study Tools for Truth While You TRAVEL Holy habits || www.donotdepart.com

7 Days of Devotions for Your Family Vacation

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When our kids were young we did a lot of cross-country driving. Combine little money for airfare with living far away from grandparents and you’ve got at least two long days in the car – one way.

It’s not easy to keep 3 kids under 10 restrained in the back seat for hours on end. I did everything I could think of to keep the kiddos occupied. Lots of snacks – healthy and not so healthy. Games like I Spy and 20 Questions. Books and toys.

Travel time, whether it’s by plane, train, or automobile, does provide a great opportunity to teach our kids about God. But we must be purposeful. Don’t skip the Word, when you skip town!

Family devotions, travelWhen Julie introduced our June theme she said:

Vacations are not only times for adventure, rest, and relationship. Vacations are also opportunities for a fresh infusion of truth into our tired lives.

The Do Not Depart team wants to help you do just that by providing tools you can use. Today, the tool is a 7-day devotional guide you can use during your family vacation. Do it in the car, on the beach, or around the campfire, but take the opportunity to get in God’s Word together.

Each Scripture reading is about a biblical journey. Questions are provided each day to get your family talking together about the truth presented in each story. Download the guide. Print it off and pack it. It won’t take up much space!

What are some things you’ve done in the past to keep yourself and your family in the Word when you travel?

UnPsalm 23: What not to tell yourself {Memory Classics}

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What if instead of this:

1  The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Psalm 23:1-3 (KJV)

David had said this instead:

1  No one can help me; I’ll never have enough, never be enough.

2  I work and grow tired and am oh, so weary, but still I can’t stop. I can’t slow down.

3  My soul is in chaos. I’m lost with no map, no clue where I am, no purpose to move forward.
Unpsalm 23:1-3 (LiesVersion)

When you are tired or confused or afraid, what words do you say to yourself?

We’re filling our minds this summer with godly words as we memorize these classics. Please share in the comments which words of Psalm 23:1-3 mean the most to you. Also join our daily conversation on Facebook.

Simple Summer

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6 tips for keeping quiet time on track during summer || Teri Lynne Underwood

Maybe we’re the only ones with a calendar that looks absolutely crazy this summer.  But I sort of doubt it.  In fact, I’d imagine that even if you are staying close to home, you’ve still got plenty of notes and “hope to dos” on your summer agenda. Let’s face it, that’s the best part of summer:  easing up on the must do list and embracing the summer fun list.  As I write, my girl is outside with her friend playing in the water hose.  I have photos of my friends and me doing the same thing when we were their age.  {a very long time ago!}

The truth is, we need this relaxing season.

Autumn will come soon enough with its school schedules and football games, dance classes and homework.  For now, during this ever shortening summer break, we need to take a break from the demands of the rest of the year and embrace simple things:  freshly squeezed lemonade, hand-cranked ice cream, sun-kissed days at the lake, and beach towels hanging on the fence to dry.

The downside of all this grilling, swimming, and traveling can be maintaining a consistent time of personal devotions.  I know, I struggle with it every single summer.  Understanding this, I thought I’d share six tips for keeping on track spiritually during the fun of summer. We’ll use the acronym SIMPLE to help remember these six suggestions.

S — Stay the course.

Yes, it’s harder during the summer to keep our daily devotions consistent.  In fact, I did a survey of my friends whose kids are no longer in the home and they concurred that even after our children are grown we tend to struggle more with spiritual consistency during the summer months.  Stay the course, friend!  Don’t beat yourself up and don’t feel like you’re the only one who has a hard time.  If you miss a day (or five), just start where you are.  Trust me, there is no perfect quiet time, summer or not.

I — Involve the family.

Maybe this is a great time for you to start having family devotions or reading the Bible together before or after meals.  Summer can be an opportunity to focusing a little more on helping your children mature in their spiritual habits.  Sometimes the freedom from school work opens doors for wider conversations and a willingness to try new things.  Embrace that!  And be sure to keep reading along with this series for more suggestions about how you can involve your family in summertime spiritual growth.

M — Memorize Scripture.

Maybe summer isn’t the best season for you to do an in-depth Bible study.  It isn’t for me either. But it is a great time to work on Scripture memorization.  We’re hiding classics in our hearts this summer here at Do Not Depart.  Join us each Monday to find out what verse we’re learning (or refreshing) each week.  This week’s verse is John 3:16.

P — Press into wisdom.

Let’s face it, we all need more wisdom.  And we all know the Bible is the best place to grow in true wisdom.  So, what if you spent the summer pressing into wisdom.  My Bible study group spent May reading Proverbs.  We read a chapter each day and when we met each week we shared what we had learned.  Another great book of wisdom is James.   Read a chapter of one of these books each day and purpose to grow in wisdom this summer.

L — Lean on others.

I mentioned my Bible study group.  They are a fabulous group of women who have become dear friends and encouragement in my life.  One of the best things I gain from this group is accountability.  We ask each other what we’ve read and what we’re learning.  Everyone needs people like that in their lives.  Invite accountability into your life this summer.  I promise it will help you stay on track!

E — Expect reasonably!

This one is so important.  Be generous and gracious with yourself.  God isn’t displeased with you if you don’t do a major Bible study during the summer months.  These months of trips to the beach and catching fireflies are opportunities to experience the freedom of lowering our self-imposed expectations.  Maybe you’ll only manage to read a verse or two a day this summer . . . but if you trust God to change you through those verses, He will.  And isn’t that really all any of us want?  To be changed by Him? {For more on this idea, you might want to read 10 Tips for a Great Quiet Time.}

Summer is here . . . let’s purpose to enjoy it!  And let’s agree that simple isn’t bad or less, in fact, simple is often just right!

Do you struggle to stay on track during the summer months?  How might simplifying help you?

 Bible Study Tools for Truth While You TRAVEL Holy habits || www.donotdepart.com

Bible study tools for vacation & travel season

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When temperatures rise, class schedules end, and daylight hours linger, most of us take time off from routines and work.  Vacations call us to places of rest or adventure. The open road invites us to sigh deeply and hit our inner reset button.

Bible Study Tools for Truth While You TRAVEL Holy habitsIf we’re honest, it can take a lot of work to get to those places of rest, but it’s worth it. Just one day of digging our feet in the sand, smelling crisp mountain air, or hearing unfettered laughter from those we love is enough to motivate us to do what it takes to go on vacation. After searching for the best deal for our budget, reserving our lodging, buying tickets or checking tires, making arrangements for the cat, stopping the mail, buying sunscreen, and more, we still hope and pray we haven’t forgotten anything. We might leave out what matters most.

If weighing luggage is part of your preparations, you carefully decide what goes and what stays. If children are part of your plans, you pack every crevice of a mini-van with tricks for every potential over the miles, and then you drive all night. With so much to think about to make a vacation all we dream it can be, all we pray it will be … it’s not hard to see why we might forget something that’s part of our routine lives, but still needs to be part of our time away. How can we keep up holy habits when we’re on the road and away from home?

Vacations are not only times for adventure, rest, and relationship. Vacations are also opportunities for a fresh infusion of truth into our tired lives.

While we probably don’t have room to take our study Bibles, prayer notebooks, concordances, and prayer partners, there’s an alternative to just leaving truth out of our time away. This month we invite you to open up your beach bag or backpack and pack some tools designed to help you make the truth a fresh and functional part of your travel plans. We’ll share some ideas for individuals and even for family. After all, Jesus beckons us to get away from our burdens and find rest … in Him.

 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” ~ Matthew 11:28

The Do Not Depart team looks forward to taking a deep breath, closing our eyes, and enjoying a rest from work and routines. It’s not only a great chance to catch up on sleep, read good books, eat seafood, try a paddle board, sleep on the beach (Can you tell we really want to go on vacation?), or play games late into the night. It’s also a sweet time to quench our thirst with the Living Water and enjoy Him apart from the usual things of our days.

Will you join us? It’s time to get away for a little vacation together!

Click to tweet this post and share about the June theme at Do Not Depart.

What’s the most famous Bible verse? {Memory Classics}

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Each Monday this summer we’ll be highlighting our weekly verse from Hiding Classics in My Heart. Please join the conversation in the comments about what these verses mean to YOU.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16  (KJV)
{June 3 – June 9}

Of all Bible verses, John 3:16 tops the list of most read. (See list of Top 100 here.) It also shows up on almost every list of important verses to memorize.

And for good reason. It sums up who we are (the beloved), who God is (the ultimate Giver and Lover), what He did (sacrificed His Son), and why He did it (out of love for our lives).

It’s no wonder this is one of our favorite scriptures. If you haven’t already memorized it, what better time than now?

And if you do already know it, use it this week to meditate on how greatly you’re loved by God!

Do you already know John 3:16? When did you first learn it? What does it mean to you now? Please leave a comment below. Also join our daily conversation on Facebook.

Recap: “Let the Children Come”

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Let The Children Come - DoNotDepart.com

While we are each in different seasons of our lives, we are all called impact the children around us for God’s glory!

We have enjoyed bringing you posts for this month’s topic, “Let the Children Come.” Have you seen them all?

Watch for a new monthly “Let the Children Come” post, starting in June, where we’ll continue to share tips and ideas for helping the young people in your life abide in God’s Word.

Did you enjoy this series? Do you have specific questions or topics you’d like to see covered in our “Let the Children Come” posts in future months? Leave a comment here!

4 Tips for Including Kids with Special Needs in Family Bible Time

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Quick disclosure: Some affiliate links present. See the bottom of the post for full disclosure.

Gathering the whole family for a family bible study time can sometimes be difficult to manage with varying schedules, needs, and even personalities. But we know how important study and Scripture memory are to raising kingdom builders.

Add in a family member with special needs, and extra challenges arise.4 Tips for Including Children with Special Needs in Family Bible Time via Do Not Depart

Why Include Children with Special Needs in Family Bible Study

Depending on the particular needs, it can feel easier to not really include children with extra challenges, particularly when they’re younger. I have to motivate myself to crank up my energy level to do everything my son needs to be involved, but it’s so worth it.

“Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6

Including all children of all abilities in family bible study helps in various ways.

  • Anything positive where we include children with special needs helps boost confidence in their own social and communication skills and worth.
  • The more they (or any of us, really) hear God’s Word, the deeper those truths permeate.
  • Inclusion in family activities with people of varied ages exposes kids to new concepts and social strategies.

(I discuss more details about involving children with speech delays in this post here.)

Four Tips on Including Kids with Special Needs in Family Bible Time

  1. Give (all) of your children opportunities to participate. My son can’t talk, but he uses sign language for expressive communication. We rephrase questions (as we can) to help him have the opportunity to answer. (This is challenging sometimes!)
  2. Help them memorize Scripture. It might be harder. It might take longer. But, try it anyway, and pray for lasting benefits. We currently work on memorizing just one (brief) verse a month, which my son learns how to sign back to me. It’s so much fun!
  3. Surround your kids with Scripture expressed in various mediums. My kids (both typical-developing and with special needs) love [amazon_link id=”B001MIFVIK” target=”_blank” ]Seeds Family Worship songs[/amazon_link] (affiliate link). You can also create your own songs. Songs help stick truths in our hearts, help kids of all abilities express feelings, and increase positive attitudes (especially when we listen to praise music!).
  4. Allow some choice. We have several children’s bibles around the house. At bedtime, we allow our son (with special needs) to choose which he wants to read from. We particularly like the [amazon_link id=”0310726050″ target=”_blank” ]Jesus Storybook Bible[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id=”B007UQ46P2″ target=”_blank” ]The Beginner’s Bible[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id=”1400317029″ target=”_blank” ]The Beginning Reader’s Bible[/amazon_link], and the [amazon_link id=”031070801X” target=”_blank” ]NIrV Study Bible[/amazon_link] (affiliate links). Allowing him to choose his resource helps him maintain focus.

If You Don’t Have a Special Needs Child

Even if you don’t have a special needs child in your family, you might know someone in your church or neighborhood who has special needs. You can help, too! “Special needs” is such a broad umbrella term, so try to get to know the child for his or her unique challenges and abilities. All special needs kids have something amazing about them, and many become passionate about learning something (or everything!). Ask the parent how you can specifically help that unique child and look for opportunities to encourage and share God’s love! (And, from just one special needs parent, thank you for any time you include our children!)

More Resources

 

If you have a child with special needs, how do you include him or her in your family Bible time? If you don’t have a special needs child, what ideas have you seen put in practice?

Disclosure: Some affiliate links are present. If you click on those links and then purchase the item, we will receive a small commission. Regardless, we only share products we personally support, love, and think you would benefit from, too. Thank you in advance for supporting this ministry!

Have you memorized these?

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Do you have favorite go-to Bible verses that personally help you through tough times? Or ones that help word your praise in good times?

We have special verses as a community, too. At funerals, weddings, baptisms, etc., we often are called upon to quote in unison such passages as Psalm 23 or the Lord’s Prayer.

If you have never memorized these—or need to see them anew with fresh eyes!—please join our easy summer memory challenge, Hiding Classics in My Heart, beginning Monday, June 3, for 12 weeks.

Go here to register and to download the verses and the schedule. More FAQs are here. This challenge is great for the whole family!

Then return here each Monday throughout the summer to share how it’s going and what you’re learning.

If you write a post about scripture memorization on your own blog, please add it to our Spring Link-Up here. We’ll have a new link-up go live on Wednesday, June 5.

Questions? Comments?

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