Simple Summer Plan ~ P

Part 4 - "P" Personalize

Your summer routine may include something like: pick out shorts, water plants, cut grass, put on sunscreen, turn on the grill ... Meaningful time in the Bible has key parts that are "routine," without becoming "routine." Same as the O..M..A.. days, let's begin by praying, asking the Holy Spirit to give us desire to grow, help us understand what we read, and use it to change our lives. By now we should definitely be giving thanks for what the Holy Spirit has shown us. I hope you'll take a minute to comment and share some of that with me.

Now, for the fourth time, read the same passage of scripture.Focus on Personalizing these verses by thinking about the following questions. Especially on this last day in this passage, we need to be willing to reread what we’ve written in Parts 1-3, reread the passage, and sit before the Lord to see the Truth apply to ME.

• What does this passage mean to ME? We may just take yesterday’s statement and put our own name and pronouns in the statement.
• How does this passage change MY life today?
• What is one thing I can do to act on this scripture’s application to ME?

Close today in prayer, asking God to change our life in the specific way we’ve learned. We may want to write a short prayer. We may want to write the answers to today’s questions on a 3x5 card to put up as a reminder for ourselves, or we may want to write a verse that is especially meaningful out of the passage. As we move on to the next verses, we will see how they relate to what we just learned, and we'll develop the “big picture.” God's Word will not return void; it will change us, when we ask God to teach us and change us.

A Simple Summer Plan for Refreshment in God's Word: OMAP

• Observation
• Meaning
• Application
• Personalize

And one more simple summer recipe from my grill to yours ...

GRILLED CORN ON THE COB
Carefully pull back the outer green leaves on the cob, without tearing them off. Pull the "silks" off and gently recover the cob with the leaves. Use a piece of foil to wrap around the top of the cob and keep it closed. Grill on a top rack for 30 minutes. To serve, peel the leaves off and any stray silks, holding the cob with a hot pad to prevent burning. Brush clean corn with the melted butter mixture. ENJOY!

Melted butter (for 4-5 ears): Melt 1/2 stick of butter and mix in 1/4 t. pepper, 1/4 t. onion powder, and 1/4 t. red cayenne pepper (or a little less, if you don't like spicy). You can add a little salt, if you want. You'll use less butter this way, too. Pass around the "corn holders," and enjoy!

I hope you've been refreshed by learning a simple way to stay in the Word this summer and motivated by the 5 simple recipes for your vacation table!