Day 4 of 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways (with Courtney Joseph)

*Give Away has Ended*

Ta-da! It is Day 4 of my 12th annual 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways! Isn’t this series a blast? If you’re just joining in, be sure to start at Day 1 here.

Today’s giveaway guest is my close friend, author and Bible teacher Courtney Joseph from Good Morning Girls and  Women Living Well. But before we get to her wonderful prize, here is the idea for the day.

Day 4: The Most Meaningful Gift My Kids Ever Gave Me

Day Three: Surprises the Soothe the Soul

Parents and grandparents at Christmas may receive many types of gifts from our children and grandchildren. When the kids are young, it might be a handmade treasure from school crafted with popsicle sticks or pipe cleaners and shimmering with glitter. As they get older, and earn some spending money of their own, they may purchase some perfume or aftershave from the dollar store. Teenagers may order something practical or heartfelt from the Internet such as clothing or a personalized picture collage. I have been the recipient of many of these in the past. However, the greatest Christmas gift my children ever got me didn’t cost a dime. It only cost some of their time.

It was the gift of memorized scripture.

About five years ago, all three of my children asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I honestly couldn’t think of a single thing I needed. But I did have a desire deep in my soul. It was the longing for my children to cultivate the habit of tucking away Scripture in their hearts that they could then recall later in life when they needed encouragement, strength, or power to overcome temptation.  And so, that holiday season, I asked if they would spend some time memorizing scripture and then recite it to me on Christmas morning.

One teenage child, who was struggling with temptation, memorized First Corinthians 10:13 that says:

“No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide a way out so that you may be able to bear it.” (CSB)

I wept as he recited the verse out loud to me as we all sat around the twinkling Christmas tree. Because this son has a learning disability and memorization comes hard for him, it was even more precious to me.

My daughter, a young adult, memorized an entire chapter of the Bible. She chose Colossians 3 which talks about putting off our old nature and clothing ourselves with the spirit of Christ. It touched my heart that she took so much time to memorize this larger chunk of Scripture.

My youngest, who is often one who flies by the seat of his pants, waited until just the day before Christmas. Still, he memorized about five verses from the book of Proverbs, chapter 31. Since the ministry I write and speak for is based on this chapter, he decided he would see what it said for himself. When I heard him utter these words, again, tears welled up in my eyes:

“Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also praises her: “Many women have done noble deeds, but you surpass them all!” Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.” (CSB)

Hands-down, this has been my favorite Christmas gift of all time. If you would love to try this idea with your own children this year, below are some age-appropriate Scripture verses they could memorize to recite to you as parents on Christmas morning.

You may even want to surprise your spouse by doing this secretly and then having your child recited to them as their gift that morning. Older children can help younger children with memorization.  You can even have your children record themselves reciting the verses out loud and then they can play it back as they practice on their own. You can even memorize scripture yourself and then recite it to a loved one of your own, such as a spouse or best friend. It would be especially meaningful if it were a portion of scripture you are specifically praying for them.

I pray that your heart will be touched by this simple gift of memorized scripture and that the verses will find their way deep into your children’s hearts.

AGE-APPROPRIATE SCRIPTURES TO MEMORIZE

FOR CHILDREN UNDER 5 YEARS OLD:

Ephesians 6:1:  Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Psalm 119: 167:  I have obeyed your laws, for I love them very much.

Psalm 116:1:  I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.

FOR CHILDREN 5-10 YEARS OLD:

Psalm 147:11:  The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

Psalm 119:11:  I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 133:1:  How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! (Especially helpful if you have boys that tend to spat!)

FOR CHILDREN 10-14 YEARS OLD:

Psalm 86:11:  Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

Colossians 3:23:  Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people,

Mark 12:30:  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

FOR CHILDREN 15 YEARS OLD AND OLDER:

1 Corinthians 10:13:  No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide a way out so that you may be able to bear it.

Philippians 4:8: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Psalm 19:7-14: The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.  By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Day 4 Giveaway

My guest today is my dear friend, blogger, author, and creator of Good Morning Girls,  Courtney Joseph. Courtney is giving away her Bible studies on Rest and Release and the books of Ecclesiastes and Ruth.

Giveaway rules are listed below. Enjoy!

Courtney Joseph is a graduate of the Moody Bible Institute with a degree in Evangelism and Discipleship. She loves God’s Word and is passionate about helping women to get into it daily.  She is blogging through the Bible, one chapter a day, at  WomenLivingWell.org , the Home of Good Morning Girls.  Courtney has published over 18 Bible Studies, her most recent ones ranking number 1 for Christian Devotionals on Amazon.  You can find all of her Bible studies, along with links to her free resources and videos on her blog and you can follow Courtney’s ministry on Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube, Twitter and Instagram under the Profile: Women Living Well.

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12 Days of Christmas Giveaways Rules

1. U.S. Addresses only please.
2. You can comment on all 12 days (once per person) up until midnight Pacific time, Sunday, December 22. Each day will be linked below for easy reference.
3. One daily winner will be chosen from each day’s comments.
4. To enter to win the Grand Prize, (worth over $150 and includes a $75 Amazon gift card, and two admission tickets (with meet-and-greet) to a concert with award-winning country music artist, Granger Smith, comment on, and share, all 12 posts. You can use the share buttons below or repost and share on Instagram (my fave!) and tag me @karenehman.
5. All winners (including Grand Prize) will be announced here on the blog on Monday, December 23, and contacted via email. Please allow 4-6 weeks to receive your prizes. 
6. If you’re not already subscribed, click HERE and you’ll receive an email notification each day of our series, plus my Bless Don’t Stress devotional.

DAY 4 GIVEAWAY QUESTION:

Is there a verse you would be thrilled to hear a loved one recite to you for Christmas?

Let us know in the comments and you’ll be entered in today’s giveaway. Remember, if you want to enter to win the grand prize, you must comment on and share all twelve days. 

Affiliate links may be included. We only recommend products we know our readers will love!

Day 1 with Candace Cameron Bure

Day 2 with Alena Pitts

Day 3 with Jackie Drew/RadJoy

Day 5 with Trillia Newbell

Day 6 with Ruth Chou Simons

Day 7 with Phylicia Masonheimer

Day 8 with Jada Edwards

Day 9 with Ruth Schwenk