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Sunday, January 31, 2010

Bible Reading!!

Well, It's January 31st. I can't believe how fast this year is already going by! It's just crazy. But anyway. I have been meaning to tell you how my Bible reading is going. It was one of my New Year's Resolutions to do a read-the-Bible-in-a-year plan. Now, please understand, I have never been a huge fan of those. I just thought that if you read the Bible in a year, it's really nothing to brag about. I'd be just as impressed (or more!) with someone who had STUDIED one book of the Bible throughout an entire year. And i still feel that way. But i felt this was really necessary for me, at this time of my life. You see, i had kinda gotten away from reading ANY scripture in 2008 & 2009. And i really needed to focus on that more than reading a new novel every couple weeks or so (which is basically what those two years with no Bible reading consisted of!). And now i've realized that committing to one of these yearly reading plans is really good just to get you back in the discipline of doing it.

My friend Laura showed me an excellent Bible in a Year plan. You go to Bible Gateway & click on Reading Plans on the left hand side. And then you can pick which version of the Bible you want to use & which kind of plan you want to do. I picked the chronological plan & the New Living Translation. The reason i picked the NLT is because i didn't want to read off the computer, i wanted to read out of my own Bible. I have an NIV & others that i know i've read all or most of the Bible in years ago. This NLT is one i haven't touched as much. So I thought reading the whole Bible in a newer version would be a fun take. I've read lots of the new testament in this one, but not the old testament. It'd be interesting to see how some of our favorite bible stories read in the New Living. So that is what i decided to do.

And i am loving it! I thought it'd be a chore, honestly. Isn't that sad? I mean, i know how awesome & powerful the word of God is. It has definitely spoken to me when i needed it most & it definitely has been a source of CHANGE in my heart & spirit. But i'd gotten out of reading it & got to where i found novels more interesting. (SO sad. But i'm just being real here!)

To make it easier & keep up with it better, I wrote down in my planner the assignment for that day. And then i have another page in my calendar that has the whole year on it - but it looks kinda like a scan-tron test! You know what i mean? So i fill in the bubble when i've finished the reading for that day. This is really handy in helping me keep up with where i am. See?

(sorry so blurry. i tried to edit it but i am not too good at that yet!)

As you can see, i am behind. I started on January 9th, so it seems i am constantly about a week behind! I have tried to catch up by reading 2-3 assignments a day, but then i'll miss a day & get behind again. Anyway, it's okay, because the point is not to stay up-to-date. The point is to read the Bible! And that is what i'm doing!! I still would like to catch up & will work on that soon! =)

But it is really awesome because i am really enjoying some of these stories that i haven't read in so long! Isaac & Rebekah, Jacob & Esau, Adam & Eve! And Job. WOW! Job. That was great reading. I really am loving & enjoying it. Now, my husband loves the Bible. He reads it in the original language (Hebrew, I mean. He's just now learning Greek). And he reads tons of books on the cultures of that day, too. He's just very interested & intrigued by all of it. And so it's cool because sometimes i'm like "WHAT?!" reading one of these stories (you know...like telling your husband it's okay for him to sleep with the servant, so you can have a child through her!). Yeah. Some stuff is so far from our culture today it is just not even something you can comprehend! So i'll mention it to Brad & then he'll tell me some stuff about that culture then & it's all very VERY interesting! I am learning a lot & remembering some things I'd forgotten & i am absolutely thrilled to be doing this!

As for my other new year's resolutions... One was to learn HTML & I haven't even started! But i will. =) And the other was to be healthy. And i'm definitely doing that, too! One slow step at a time!! You can follow that journey here if you want!

But i am mostly thrilled about the Bible reading plan. I am getting into it & enjoying it. And i'm really glad i'm doing it!


4 comments:

  1. I've been meaning to ask how this has been going for you! Glad it's going well. I was the same way when I did the Bible in a Year the first time... I did a whole lot of "WHAT's!"

    And I'm doing it all again the second time through. Like it just clicked in my head yesterday how the Isrealites became enslaved before the whole Moses and parting the sea and all that. I was like "OH! That's how it happened. Duh." haha

    I'm always a day or two behind too. But sometimes I like to read two or three days at a time because you really get the story that way... like reading a novel or watching a movie. Genesis is such a fun book! But I finished it yesterday and will start in Exodus today.

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  2. Ohhh, to know how to read Hebrew!! It's offered at seminary, but not a requirement for graduation or by my association for ordination so I decided to save my GPA and take other classes. But I may try to audit some classes later on - because it is such a cool language!!

    p.s. I got a letter from my undergrad with a schedule of all of their "arts" stuff going on and one of the shows they are doing is Elephant Man!! I thought of you.

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  3. Wow that's awesome! I'm going to have to go do that too! I've been looking for another good bible study!

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  4. I just found your blog through 567Kate, and reading the Bible in a year was also one of my New Years Resolutions! I'm also consistently behind, and am working to catch up...but I love your perspective on it! I was starting to get down on myself a little about it, and I'm so glad for your reminder that the point is reading the Bible, and I am doing much better with that! Love your post and your blog...I'm becoming a "follower" now :)

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