Lisa notes

How to think better thoughts – Memorize scripture with mental maps

By LisaNotes April 22, 2015 Bible, Memorization 36 Comments

“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious–the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.”
Philippians 4:8 [The Message]

I saw this bumper sticker yesterday:

I agree. Some of my thoughts are crazy. Untrue ones. Judgmental ones. Negative ones. Worrisome ones.

I need supernatural help when my mind starts wandering into the weeds. So God often works through my memory to rein my thoughts back in.

But to have good things there to pull from, I have to put good things in.

One way that works for me is memorizing sections of scripture. It keeps my mind actively attentive on words from or about God, and away from worries and other negative thought patterns.

Because I’m quite creative with worrying, I’ve had to memorize a lot of scripture.

About 11 years ago, I discovered it was possible to memorize several verses in a row (Colossians 3 is still one of my favorites). I was shocked.

Now I’m hooked on it. I love being able to grab a whole chunk of thought from these biblical authors, wherever I am, to keep my own mind occupied and rerouted to better thoughts.

But the hardest part about memorizing a Bible chapter? For me, it’s connecting the verses. I might remember verse 3 and verse 5, but can’t remember where verse 4 goes.

So I’ve started using mental mapping. And it works!

Here’s how you can use mental mapping, too.

Count the number of verses, or grouping of verses (if you memorize 2 verses at a time), that you want to memorize.

Select a sequence or flow that you are very familiar with by memory that has an equal number of objects or steps as the number of verses. It can be rooms in your house, items in your kitchen, houses on your street, etc.

Create a connection in your mind between the object and a key word or theme in your verse. The more creative it is, the more likely you’ll remember it. (But write these down in case you need reminding.)

As you learn a verse and add on others, mentally walk through your path. After only a few times, you’ll find you connect them effortlessly. You will still need to practice the individual wording, but you should get the gist of it just from your mental map.

Here are some sample steps and connections on my path for memorizing Isaiah 55.

I chose my kitchen, starting at the sink, and worked counterclockwise around the room, one object at a time. You’ll see I had to use my imagination to make the connections work, but hey, they did!

1. Sink. Thirsty.
Isa 55:1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”

2. Pantry. Bread.
Isa 55:2 “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.”

3. Refrigerator Freezer. Hear ice dropping.
Isa 55:3 “Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.”

4. Refrigerator Clear Bins. See (witness).
Isa 55:4 “Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples.”

5. Microwave. Fast (run).
Isa 55:5 “Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.”

10. Oven. Bread.
Isa 55:10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,”

11. Sugar Chest. Full (not empty).
Isa 55:11 “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

12. Kitchen Table. Noisy happy meals.
Isa 55:12 “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”

13. Window view. Trees.
Isa 55:13 “Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the LORD, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

I read about this method in Joshua Foer’s book, Moonwalking with Einstein. It’s how he memorized random strings of numbers. But it’s actually a thousands-year-old method. You can google “architectural mnemonic” or “method of loci” if you want to learn more.

* * *

How do you keep your memory strong? I’d love to hear your tips.

Related:

What time is it? Now

By LisaNotes April 20, 2015 Now 45 Comments

I have some friends who really live in the now. More than anyone I know.

And it’s bad.

If they don’t need an item today, they give it away, not thinking that in 6 months, when seasons change, they will need it, and will have to get someone to give them a new one then.

They don’t think ahead. And that’s not good.

This is my year of “Now” so I’m paying attention to who does it well. And who doesn’t.

In The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle says be intensely conscious of the present moment.

Die to the past.
Give up waiting for the future.
Give fullest attention to the step that you’re on.

I’m trying. And sometimes actually succeeding.

Until I see my friends in trouble because they didn’t think ahead.

Then I wonder if staying in the now all the time is wise.

So I’m trying to find balance. Even Tolle says we can “use past and future to enhance now.”

To know when to reminisce from past pleasures and learn from yesterday’s mistakes
To know when to schedule for tomorrow and get excited about future plans
To know when to indulge totally in this moment only and soak it all in

The wise use of now has to include past and future. Just don’t live there. Visit, but make your home in the now.

Now is always what time it is.

* * *

When your mind starts to wander, do you drift toward the past, toward the future, or do you stay in the now? Please share.

When you show up, you bring heat

By LisaNotes April 16, 2015 Encouragement 20 Comments

It’s been a week now since our unit went down. No A/C or heat in the house. Just open windows. An occasional fan.

But it’s been fine, thanks to pleasant spring temperatures. And knowing the repair guy was coming today.

It’s made me more attentive to the thermometer though. Both outside and inside.

And here’s what has surprised me. When we come into a room at 72 degrees, before long, it jumps to 74.

Just our mere presence makes a tangible difference.

Never underestimate the power of your presence. Whether you say a word or not, you’re bringing heat.

Showing up matters.

* * *

Where can you show up today?

“Searching for Sunday” – Book review

By LisaNotes April 14, 2015 Book reviews, Church 12 Comments

“In my struggle to find church, I’ve often felt that if I could just find the right denomination or the right congregation, if I could just become the right person or believe the right things, then my search would be over at last. But right’s got nothing to do with it. Waiting around for right will leave you waiting around forever. The church is God saying: ‘I’m throwing a banquet, and all these mismatched, messed-up people are invited. Here, have some wine.’ ”
– Rachel Held Evans

If she hasn’t already, stick around church long enough, and you’ll find her letting you down.

People respond differently when that happens: some block it out and keep going; some drop out altogether; some switch buildings and start fresh somewhere else.

And some bring light to confront the injustice within it.

In some circles, the author and blogger Rachel Held Evans gets a false reputation for being a hater of the church. But if you read her words for yourself (and in context), you’ll discover quite the opposite. Rachel Held Evans loves the church.

She’ll help you love the church more, too. Through the filter of her own church story, she relates seven things (via sacraments) that the church does and is in her latest book, Searching for Sunday.

“The church tells us we are beloved (baptism). The church tells us we are broken (confession). The church tells us we are commissioned (holy orders). The church feeds us (communion). The church welcomes us (confirmation). The church anoints us (anointing of the sick). The church unites us (marriage).”

While “searching for Sunday,” Rachel finds resurrection. In this book she shares about dead things and things brought to life again. I believe it will help believers and doubters alike find hope again through community with God and others.

Here’s the breakdown and a few favorite quotes from Searching for Sunday.

1. BAPTISM

“In the ritual of baptism, our ancestors acted out the bizarre truth of the Christian identity: We are people who stand totally exposed before evil and death and declare them powerless against love. There’s nothing normal about that.”

~ * ~

“The people didn’t have to go to God anymore; God was coming to the people. And God, in God’s relentless love, would allow no mountain or hill—no ideology or ritual or requirement or law—to obstruct the way.”

2. CONFESSION

“We think church is for good people, not resurrected people. So we fake it. We pretend we don’t need help and we act like we aren’t afraid.”

~ * ~

“‘Let’s not forget that Jesus told the woman to go and sin no more,’ some like to say when they think the church is getting too soft on other people’s sin. To this I am always tempted to respond: So how’s that working out for you? The sinning no more thing? Because it’s not going so well for me.”

3. HOLY ORDERS

“All belong to the holy order of God’s beloved. The hands that pass the peace can pass a meal to the man on the street. The hands that cup together to receive Christ in the bread will extend to receive Christ in the immigrant, the refugee, the lonely, or the sick.”

~ * ~

“The holy Trinity doesn’t need our permission to carry on in their endlessly resourceful work of making all things new. That we are invited to catch even a glimpse of the splendor is grace. All of it, every breath and every second, is grace.”

4. COMMUNION

“Indeed it’s easier to remember things together than alone.”

~ * ~

“But the gospel doesn’t need a coalition devoted to keeping the wrong people out. It needs a family of sinners, saved by grace, committed to tearing down the walls, throwing open the doors, and shouting, ‘Welcome! There’s bread and wine. Come eat with us and talk.’ This isn’t a kingdom for the worthy; it’s a kingdom for the hungry.”

5. CONFIRMATION

“And the notion that a single tradition owns the lockbox on truth is laughable, especially when the truth we’re talking is God.”

~ * ~

“Our differences can be cause for celebration when we believe the same Spirit that sings through a pipe organ can sing through an electric guitar, a Gregorian chant, or a gospel choir—though perhaps not at the same time!—and that we each hear the Spirit best at a different pitch.”

6. ANOINTING OF THE SICK

“But there is a difference between curing and healing, and I believe the church is called to the slow and difficult work of healing. We are called to enter into one another’s pain, anoint it as holy, and stick around no matter the outcome.”

~ * ~

“In a world of cure-alls and quick fixes, true healing may be one of the most powerful and countercultural gifts the church has to offer the world, if only we surrender our impulse to cure, if only we let love do its slow, meandering work.”

7. MARRIAGE

“This is the church. Here she is. Lovely, irregular, sometimes sick and sometimes well. This is the body-like-no-other that God has shaped and placed in the world. Jesus lives here; this is his soul’s address. There is a lot to be thankful for, all things considered. She has taken a beating, the church. Every day she meets the gates of hell and she prevails. Every day she serves, stumbles, injures, and repairs. That she has healed is an underrated miracle. That she gives birth is beyond reckoning. Maybe it’s time to make peace with her. Maybe it’s time to embrace her, flawed as she is. Maybe it’s time to smile back.”

~ * ~

“I’m not exactly sure how all this works, but I think, ultimately, it means I can’t be a Christian on my own. Like it or not, following Jesus is a group activity, something we’re supposed to do together. We might not always do it within the walls of church or even in an organized religion, but if we are to go about making disciples, confessing our sins, breaking bread, paying attention, and preaching the Word, we’re going to need one another. We’re going to need each other’s help.”

Rachel ends her book with an epilogue entitled simply “Dark.” In it she gives this beautiful definition of church. It’s what I’ve learned, too, in my own struggles with church through the years.

And it’s so worth it.

“Church isn’t some community you join or some place you arrive. Church is what happens when someone taps you on the shoulder and whispers in your ear, Pay attention, this is holy ground; God is here.”

* * *

How’s your relationship with the church? Had its ups and downs? Please share in the comments.

My thanks to Nelson Books for my review copy of this book.

Do you believe in miraculous healings?

By LisaNotes April 13, 2015 Encouragement 46 Comments

I haven’t figured this out yet. Some people get sick, take medicine, have surgery, nothing works, and they die. Others do the same regimen, and they’re healed. They live to die later of something different.

And others are healed miraculously. Maybe instantaneously, maybe with or without medical intervention.

So as we were learning this song for Sunday morning, I wasn’t sure what to think. While it offers hope to those who need it, and/or confirmation to those who’ve experienced it, what about to those who haven’t yet been healed? At least not in a tangible way? Is it offensive? Is it promising something that God doesn’t?

Verse
“Healing is here
And I receive it
Healing is here
And I believe it”

But as we sang it Sunday morning during 1st service, I looked out and saw my friend Vivian.

Her seat has been empty the past few Sundays. Death suddenly took a liking to her three weeks ago. He breathed down her neck out of the blue. He tried to stop her heart from beating. But it kept thumping on.

And today Vivian was back and looking marvelous and giving all praise to God.

So I did, too.

Death had failed again. This time. She was healed, however you want to classify it—medical, miraculous, both.

But death doesn’t give up. He will return for her. For me. For you.

Our healing has to mean more. More than just our bodies.

That’s easier for me to believe. God heals our spirits. He breaks off chains. He ushers our souls into life. Into freedom.

Freedom from slavery
Freedom from condemnation
Freedom from a larger death

When we shed our outer bodies through the passage of time and decay and disease, it means liberty to our inner selves. The healing that God has already begun will be completed.

That is definitely a miracle to me.

So in the meantime, I’ll still sing about healing. I’ll still pray for healings of all kinds—physical, spiritual, emotional, mental.

And when I see healing—of any kind—I’ll still praise God for it.

Not because I understand the ins and outs of it. I don’t. But because I trust the Healer.

Wholeness is God’s default setting for each of us.

If not visible, then invisible.
If not here, then there.
If not now, then later.

I will believe.
Healing is here.

Chorus
“I reach my hands to the heavens
I lift my eyes where my Help comes from
I look to You my Rock my Healer
I trust in You”

* * *

Have you witnessed a miraculous physical healing? How would you define spiritual healing? Please share in the comments.

You must read this one – “Just Mercy”

By LisaNotes April 9, 2015 Book reviews, Compassion 21 Comments

Maybe it’s because he walked free on Good Friday after nearly 30 years on Death Row.
Maybe it’s because it’s a story in my home state of Alabama.
And maybe it’s because I read Just Mercy in January.

Whatever the reasons, this story of Anthony Hinton has me.

What did he want to do first? One thing was visit his mother’s grave (she died 13 years ago). His attorney Bryan Stevenson said, “Of all the things he has endured (on death row), the death of his mother caused the most pain.”

After years of battling for a new trial to prove his innocence, Hinton finally was granted the opportunity by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2014. But after several months, the prosecutors dropped the case altogether, citing lack of evidence.

Stevenson, executive director and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, hopes this will encourage Alabama to establish a conviction integrity unit to investigate claims of innocence like many other states are now doing.

And when Stevenson talks, we need to listen.

Closely.

“‘You can’t understand most of the important things from a distance, Bryan. You have to get close,’ she told me all the time. . . . how easily we condemn people in this country and [create] injustice when we allow fear, anger, and distance to shape the way we treat the most vulnerable among us.”

“Proximity has taught me some basic and humbling truths, including this vital lesson: Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.”

Hear him in Just Mercy, his best-selling non-fiction book published in 2014. His stories will dig into your soul and won’t let go.

And when you listen, in your own brokenness, find yourself drawn too to those least likely to be heard: the poor, the mentally-ill, the weak, the hopeless.

And the broken.

“I told myself that evening what I had been telling my clients for years. I am more than broken. In fact, there is a strength, a power even, in understanding brokenness, because embracing our brokenness creates a need and desire for mercy, and perhaps a corresponding need to show mercy.“

And then show more mercy. More justice. More compassion.

“I turned off the radio station, and as I slowly made my way home I understood that even as we are caught in a web of hurt and brokenness, we’re also in a web of healing and mercy.

I thought of the little boy who hugged me outside of church, creating reconciliation and love. I didn’t deserve reconciliation or love in that moment, but that’s how mercy works.

The power of just mercy is that it belongs to the undeserving. It’s when mercy is least expected that it’s most potent—strong enough to break the cycle of victimization and victimhood, retribution and suffering. It has the power to heal the psychic harm and injuries that lead to aggression and violence, abuse of power, mass incarceration.

I drove home broken and brokenhearted about Jimmy Dill. But I knew I would come back the next day. There was more work to do.”

May we all keep coming back one more day.
There is always more to do.
Including praying—Anthony Hinton needs it as he readjusts to life on the outside.

“I told those gathered in the church that Walter had taught me that mercy is just when it is rooted in hopefulness and freely given. Mercy is most empowering, liberating, and transformative when it is directed at the undeserving. The people who haven’t earned it, who haven’t even sought it, are the most meaningful recipients of our compassion.”

* * *

I’m certain of this: Just Mercy will be in my top 10 list of most impactful books I read in 2015. I hope you’ll find a copy and read it too.

Watch Bryan Stevenson’s TED talk here