MY STORY
The beginnings of the SEALING TOUCH Memorizing Ministry were placed in my mind when as a very young child my mother taught me to memorize poems and present them at our small church. My memorizing and speaking continued in elementary school and high school as I performed in many readings, plays, and programs. When as a teenager, I began attending the young people's meetings in my church, I immediately began memorizing and presenting lessons. As an adult I changed from readings to writing up portions of the author's words from religious books and magazines, memorized them, and continued to present many programs. All those years while I loved memorizing and enjoyed speaking in front of people, I had no idea that God was preparing me for a ministry that would come in my senior years.
In spite of a happy childhood on a farm in western Oklahoma in a family of six, a spiritual hunger burned in my heart. I longed to live more fully for Jesus, but had no idea how to make it happen. I married my childhood sweetheart at nineteen. We both finished college, then I stayed home to be a full time mother to our three girls. The discontent with my spiritual life continued to trouble me even while my husband and I were two of the most active members of our church, which we attended three times a week.
I was almost forty years of age when the answer to my spiritual problem came. The Lord planted the idea in my mind to change my programs from religious books and magazines to a book of the Bible. With no idea of the power that was in this Book, I wrote about 30 minutes of verses from Jeremiah, then set about the task of memorizing. I could learn easier outside, so I walked to the golf course near my home and started reading the pages over and over.
Almost immediately I sensed a stirring in my heart. The Words that I now placed in my mind had a power that made Jesus very real as if He were walking beside me. A new feeling flowed through my soul bringing sweet words about my Lord to my lips, "I love Him! I love Him! I see in Him matchless charms!"
My first program, which I presented in my own church, brought enthusiastic compliments from my fellow church members. Their response spurred me forward to write and learn reviews of other books of the Bible. Soon I was being asked to present my reviews in other churches in my own town, plus in other communities. God continued His work in me with every Word memorized, until the day came when I laid my life on His altar. On that glorious day, all my dissatisfaction with my spiritual life disappeared, and peace, wonderful peace, flooded my soul.
I had been converted by God's Word. He was leading me onward and upward in Christian growth through the power of His Word. Never had I known such a feeling and I wanted more and more of it. I sensed that the Word, placed in my mind, actually brought the life of Jesus into my heart, because the "Word was God" (John 1:12).
After my full surrender to the Lord, my home was broken. I left my occupation as housewife to teach school for 12 years. Then I discontinued teaching to pursue a writing career. Success in writing came after a visit from a third cousin. Dottie was memorizing verses, which she had written on cards and had ringed together for easy carrying. "We need to memorize our beliefs," she told me, "because in the days ahead our Bibles may be taken."
Her words touched my heart. Remembering my own conversion experience through the power of the memorized Word, I immediately started producing memory cards. After two years of work, SEALING TOUCH Doctrinal Memory Cards were printed. Amazingly, at the first presentation at a women's seminar in Oklahoma, I sold 32 sets to the 50 women in attendance. I knew the Lord had given me a work, and with new zeal and fervor I sat at my computer to produce a matching book for children, SEALING TOUCH, JR. Doctrinal Coloring Memory Cards with pictures drawn by my good friend, Sharon Nottingham.
Since that beginning, I have written a new book almost every year. The next two books were studies on the life of Christ: SEALING LOVE and SEALING LOVE, JR. Again, Sharon drew the pictures for the children's book. Following these books, SEALING FAITH and SEALING FAITH, JR., Old Testament studies, were produced. This time the pictures for the children's book were drawn by another friend, Nancy Doshier.
I took a break from compiling memory cards to write my Christian biography, SWEET MADNESS, which tells of my conversion through the power of Scripture memory. Then I produced MY SEALING TOUCH Memorizing Prayer Journal, which presents benefits, guidelines and activities to make all of the memory books more useful. .
My newest memory book, SEALING PROMISES, Daily Devotional Studies for Memorizing and Prayer, recently came from the printer, making a total of nine books available from SEALING TOUCH Memorizing Ministry.
The Lord has blessed me almost beyond my ability to receive, as today I work constantly to compile new memory plans and continue to share the power of Scripture memory one-on-one, in churches and schools, in seminars, and in group meetings of many kinds. Twice I have made an appearance on 3ABN, a private television station, and have spoken at many women's retreats, campmeetings, and churches. Because of my love for young people, a special emphasis of my seminars is teaching youth to memorize.
In a world where athletic rivalry seems to have first place, I am thrilled with a God-given ministry that presents a competition that can be pursued by everyone: the feat of Scripture memory. This activity seals hearts to Jesus in love, equipping God's people to take the last message of mercy to the world, "A revelation of His character of love."
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