2013 Bible reading options

I have had several people contact me in the last 2 weeks about options for Bible reading for 2013 so I thought I would blog about what I have done in the past and what I plan to do in 2013.  In September 2011, I started the One Year Chronological Bible in hopes that for the first time I could read the Bible in its entirety for the first time.  

In September 2012 I completed my goal and it was such an accomplishment in my life.  I will say at times it was hard and I got behind quite a bit, but I refused to quit.  I would get behind and then spend hours catching up many times.  However, I did it.  It was amazing to read the Bible not only in its entirety but to read it chronologically.  It made so much more sense and I read things that I had read 100 times but in context, puts a whole new spin on it.  

There is also a commentary/workbook written by a very Godly woman Iva May that goes along with the Bible that is wonderful.  She has read the Bible chronologically over 40 times and I learned so many things from her wisdom.  You can view her website and order the chronological devotional study at www.ivamay.com.

As of now, I have read the New Testament twice.  I learn best when I can write and highlight and mark all over my Bible.  I know people learn different ways and this just works for me.  However after going through the New Testament twice and using a different highlighter the second go-round, my Chronological Bible is starting to feel worn and torn.  I don't know if I have any more room to read it a third time.  

Change is good and a fresh start is sometimes needed.  So Jay and I decided to switch it up a bit and start something similar and new for 2013 and maybe alternate years.  We decided to do what David Platt is taking his church through called Read the Bible for Life.  There is a Chronological Bible that was compiled by George Guthrie, one of my professors at Union, as well as an "app for that."  

 

 It is compiled a week at a time, only 6 days a week to give you time to catch up.  And if you don't skip a day then you read it in 10 1/2 months. 

Here is the app that goes along with it....

You can choose your own reading plan.  I chose the One Year Chronological Reading Plan and titled in Bible in a Year.

 I am looking forward to fresh pages, a new plan and time in the Word.  I have learned so much since I started reading chronologically and I don't plan to do it only once.  God has taught me so much about Himself, how much I need Him, and simple truths about walking in the Spirit.

If you are thinking about starting this January 1st, here are some tidbits or words of wisdom I would share with you...

1. Don't give up!  There will be times when it is super hard and to be honest parts are super boring.  But it's God's Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit and there are all there for a reason.  Don't skip any.  If you get behind, spend some time catching up.  You'll be glad.
2. Protect your time.  Set a time each day that you are going to do your reading and do it.  Get up early (that is what works for me, may not be your best time).  My kids know when I am doing my Bible study, interruptions should be limited and only necessary.  I have explained to my children how important this time is for me and some of the time (ha!) they adhere to it.  
3. Have someone hold you accountable.  Jay and I read it together starting January 1, 2012 and it was good to have someone to be accountable to and to talk it over with.  Also my friend MaryBeth and I started it at the same time and we would often talk about what we were reading, new things we came across and how crazy it was that what we were reading applied directly to something we had experienced.  If you need someone to hold you accountable, let me know and I can do that for you.
4. Don't be afraid, just do it!  There are lots of New Years Resolutions you could make (exercise, eating healthy etc. and all of those are important too) but make one that is eternal and that will impact all other areas of your life.  No reason to be afraid, if I can do it, so can you.  You just have to be determined and follow through.

And if this is not your goal for 2013 I just encourage you to make time to spend in the Word every day, it is necessary.  Baby steps!

One Year Chronological Bible

Today I completed a HUGE goal of mine and I am so excited!

As of today, I have read the Bible Chronologically in it's entirety over the past year!  I am sad to say I haven't ever done this before and that it took me until I was 33 to knock this off of the top of my bucket list.

I will say that it has changed my life.  The Bible is an entire book and it doesn't make sense to read parts of it without reading it as a whole, especially chronologically. Things make more sense now and the Lord has used so many scriptures to speak truth into my life.  I do plan to continue reading it over and over again because I know there are tons of things I missed or have forgotten.   

Here are some I read this week that have spoken to me...

If you haven't ever read the whole Bible I encourage you to...you will never be the same!

There's hope for me.

I have always thought Moses had to be one of the Godliest men in history.  Although I still believe that, my view of him has been altered since reading in Exodus in my Daily Chronological Bible reading.

He is a tad bit different than I had always thought and it gives me hope.  Want to know the difference?!

Moses is normal.  He isn't eloquent with his words, struggles with fear, doubt, disbelief, low self-worth, lack of confidence, he is disobedient, he questions God and he sins and God has to almost strike him dead to remind him of it!


God has to go to major extremes for Moses to understand, believe and follow through with God has told him to do.  He even has to show him physical proof multiple times, when God's spoken word should have been enough.

Need proof?!  Glad you asked.

Proof Moses struggled just like you and me....

1. God had come to Moses in a burning bush and had told him, "Take off your sandals for the place where you are standing is holy ground."  Then  Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. (fear)
2. God had given Moses specific instructions about going to Pharoah and asking for the Israelites to be released and Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The Lord did not appear to you.'" Exodus 4:1  (doubt and questions God)  In order to "prove" to Moses, God ended up giving him 3 miracles to perform just in case they didn't believe: 1)staff turning into a snake, 2)putting his hand into his cloak and it becoming 'leprous' and 3)water in the Nile becoming blood.
3. Even after THREE physical miracles to perform to Pharoah in his repertoire, Moses STILL questioned.  "Oh Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past, nor since you have spoken to your servant, I am slow of speech and of tongue.  (The Lord had to have been frustrated by this point!)  The Lord said to him, 'Who gave man his mouth?  Who makes him deaf or mute?  Who gives him sight or makes him blind?  Is it not I, the Lord?  Now go.  I will help you and speak and teach you what to say." Exodus 3:10-12 (disbelief, NOT eloquent, doubt)
4. In Exodus 4:24, it says, "At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him.  But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses feet with it.  So the Lord left him alone."  Moses had been groomed for 80 years for this mission that God wanted him to do yet there was still sin in his life (not doing what God had clearly told him to do...circumcising his son).  In order for Moses to carry out this plan, Moses had to be repented of his sin and get right with God in order to do so. (sinful)
5. Moses was instructed to go to Pharoah and ask for the Israelites to be released and God even told him that Pharoah's heart would be hardened.  But after Moses went to Pharoah the first time and Pharaoh did just as God told Moses he would do, Moses still questioned.  The plagues hadn't even begun yet and Moses says to God, "Ever since I went to Pharoah to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all." Exodus 5:23 (Pharoah had made the Israelites work harder by still asking them a certain quota of bricks, yet were not provided straw to make them like they had in the past.) (disbelief and questioning God)
6. He later questions God again, "If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharoah listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?" Exodus 6:12 (not eloquent, disbelief)
7. Again in Exodus 6:30, "Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharoah listen to me?" (not eloquent, disbelief)

I guess the Lord sunk it into Moses' doubting mind and dense brain because soon after that scripture says that "Moses and Aaron (his brother) did just as the Lord commanded them." Exodus 7:6 and then again "So Moses and Aaron went to Pharoah and did just as the Lord commanded."  Exodus 7:10

I would love for my life testimony to say, "Amanda Lemonds did JUST as the Lord commanded her."  But I am afraid mine would look like Moses' initial testimony..."She struggled, questioned God, didn't belief at times, was NOT eloquent with words, was sinful, feared and doubted God."

Moses' testimony is a reminder to us all that God can use anybody.  He uses those are aren't good at lots of things, but then that is a great testimony to the Lord that we accomplished His purpose in HIS strength, not in our own because we don't have it in us!

For me, THERE'S STILL HOPE that God can use me!  

And there is for you too. 

As God says to Pharoah a couple of chapters later, "But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the Earth!"  Exodus 9:16

Chronological Bible, a long run and yummy steak!

Friday night I went to a Chronological Bible Discipleship class with a friend and it has been one of the most beneficial classes I have ever been to.  Just to give you a little background...I was raised in a Christian home, was saved at age 6 and have been pretty consistent with my quiet times over the years.  I should have the Bible memorized by now but after this class, I realize how much I DON'T know about scripture.  This is a study (along with the Chronological Bible) that basically goes through the whole Bible as one complete story instead of separate stories.  It takes about an hour to go through the whole thing and to say that I was overwhelmed was an understatement.  I was amazed at the Bible knowledge of these women and want that so bad!  I want my children to grow up understanding scripture and want to be a good role model for them.  My prayer is that I will be the Deuteronomy 6 parent that I need to be and that the Lord will be pleased with me.  The Lord has given us scripture for a reason and He expects us to know what He says and I have failed miserably!  I am determined to be consistent, obedient, and purposeful in my studies and with my time and I look forward to all that the Lord will reveal when I earnestly seek Him.

"And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."  Hebrews 11:6

It is written by Iva May, who is the wife of one of Jay's advisor while in Seminary.  Dr. May has been such a blessing on my family in the time we have known him.  He started praying for me before Jay even met me and continued praying for me once we met, dated, engaged and married.  He kept up with Jay even after he graduated and still to this day prays for us and our children by name every day.  Every time he sees us he asks about the children by name and it amazes me.  OH how the Lord must bless such a fervent prayer life!  Needless to say, he has a pretty amazing wife as well.  They used to be missionaries in Africa for years and are now back in the States and God has used them greatly!  She wrote this discipleship course to correspond with the Chronological Bible.  It is not an "easy" Bible study and it is time consuming and a huge commitment, but it is straight scripture and it causes you to dig deep to get the meat of the WORD and that is why I love it!  If we don't know the "whole story" of the Bible then we will never completely understand His redemption story and the big picture of salvation.

His story...My story consists of 14 eras of the Bible and there are certain stories that fit into each era that walks you through the entire Bible.  It may take me years but I so desire to learn this!

Using the CBD plan, you could have started on September 28th and still read through the entire New Testament before the end of the year.  So since I just got it last night, I had a few days of catch up today. Lolli took the kids for the weekend so I was able to lay out all of my stuff without interruption (Bibles, charts, graphs, timelines, Bible study) and truly dig deep.  It was wonderful!

There is still time....who wants to join me?!?!

This wasn't supposed to be my long run today but this next week is going to be super busy for us and I didn't want to have it hanging over me next Saturday so Jay and I went up to Arkabulta Lake and ran there.  It was beautiful!  The weather was perfect and I ran across the dam where I was able to view the lake...it was perfect.  I almost felt like I was at the beach (minus the waves and the relaxation ha!).  I ran 9 miles and was struggling by the end! (Yep dates still wrong...I need to fix that today!)

Afterwards, we hit up happy hour at Sonic for a 44 oz. Vanilla Diet Coke.  I have never tried one but it was really good, almost tasted like my Dr. Pepper minus lots of calories!  Of course the ice may have been my favorite part...I always crave ice after I run!

Then we had a date night in and Jay grilled us some steaks that were amazing!  I am tellin' ya, that man can grill!  YUM!

Wonderful and relaxing day (at times...not the 9 mile part)!  Looking forward to church in the morning and a visit from my in-loves tomorrow!