miss annie chaires

miss annie chaires, may she rest in peace, was my sunday school teacher for several years back in the 1990's. she taught us one thing that i'll never forget and that i still do to this day.  she taught us to ask the Lord, at the end of each year, to lead us to a particular verse to meditate on for the whole of the next year.  the whole of the next year.  every day.  

and put that verse by your bedside, by the kitchen window, wherever you'd see it on a regular basis. i remember her specifically saying this:  "now, in the morning, before your feet hit the floor and you put your feet into your slippers, say that verse to the Lord and pray that He'll teach you what He intends you to learn about it that day." (i confess, this is one part of her plan that i haven't stuck to.) (it's good to take a person's idea and make it your own.)

i've been doing this since 1993 and have attempted to record the verses in my bible since then (there's a few missing in the record) and it's been a great blessing in my life. 

in 1994, a client gave me a gift - a book on the beatitudes - not knowing that my verse for the year was contained therein, matthew 5:6.  only God knew that. 

another year i meditated on a verse on jealousy but the next year i meditated on envy. same but different.

finally, in '07 and '08, i meditated on the same psalm both years as i needed it so badly (psalm 46:10). i'm late now, in choosing a verse with His help for 2009 but i'll find one soon and see how God will bring it to fruition in my life because of miss annie chaires' suggestion long ago.