Bible Challenge

Two years ago our pastor at Calvary Baptist Church challenged us all to read the Bible all the way through in a year. I had done it before but it had been a while. I was saved at the age of 12 and had read it through about 8 times. Last year I started and was doing very well. Life took some turns and I did not finish. This year I made the commitment to read all the way through. Life again took some turns but I was really committed. In fact, my plan was to read it through twice. I was right on track even with the birth of Caleb in June. In September I had to deal with some really difficult decisions that had to be made regarding my marriage. I have to admit that I have not read my Bible consistently since September. I have studied it with several Bible studies I am doing but I have not read it every day. Because of all the extra reading I did this year I am still on track to finish by the end of the year. I only have some of the minor prophets left. I think that the Lord was preparing me for the crisis that occurred in September by all the extra reading I was doing. It just has been instilled in me throughout my whole Christian life how important it is to read the Bible and to study it. Some Christians live their whole entire Christian life and never read the Bible even one time through. My mother was the one who encouraged me in my love of reading and the Bible was at the top of her list. As far back as I can remember she was always reading her Bible. You can still go in her house today and I can tell you where her Bible will be. She keeps it out on her sun room on a table she has. Her and my father spend their mornings reading the Bible and praying. I really admire my parents for their diligence to reading the Bible. My dad has always had a hard time reading but he too has read it all the way through. He does not read as fast as my mom but he still keeps at it. I have always understood the importance of reading the Bible because of them. Lately I have realized that it is important to record what the Lord reveals while reading the Bible. Each time I have read the Bible I have been at a different place in my life. I can read the same passage over and over and learn something different each time. I have always journaled and reading my past journals is very enlightening. How much more important is it that we remember what the Lord is teaching us throughout our lives. This blog is the place for me to record what the Lord is teaching me. My goal is to finish reading the minor prophets by the end of the year. I also plan to read it through again in 2010.

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