Mi Querida Biblia - Day 123

Today is day 123 in our year of reading through the Bible together and we are fast approaching the half-way mark. Although I've done a miserably poor job of posting on it, I have actually been reading fairly consistently.  I am about 25 days behind but maintaining. 

My friend, Sarah Brown wrote the following to me on facebook and it was so encouraging I wanted to share it wth you: 

Don't beat yourself up girl! You can do it- just do a little at a time and enjoy what you're reading. I've had to really think about what I can learn from these really hard sections and one thing I've found is that it's not that hard. God told the Israelites exactly what to do and what not to do and said, "Hey, you guys, listen to what I'm telling you to do and life will be simple and everything will work together for good. But if you just blow me off, then we have a problem." I've always felt like I don't know what to do or what God wants of me and I don't want to disappoint Him. But then I've learned, hey the only thing that matters is following God wholeheartedly and loving Him completely and everything else will fall into place.

Well put, Sarah!  Thanks for that reminder.  It is about relationship, not about action or duty or works or anything else.  The point is to know God's heart better by reading his Word. 

So right now I'm in the middle of the book of Judges, reading about how the Israelites circled the same mountain a million times went through one judge after another as they followed God and then fell away and then followed God and then fell away.  Do you know that this cycle happend thirteen times!?  God's patience is truly unending and thank Him it is, because I've had my own history of circling the same mountain a million times finding myself weak and then strong in Him and then weak and then strong in Him again and again. 

What I want to drive home though, and what I want to mediate on today is that,

He keeps coming back.

Like a devoted lover, he returns again and again and again for his bride and he will stop at nothing to find her.  "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  (Romans 8:38-39)

He is passionately and deeply and truly in love with you.  And that will never change.  Just let that sink in a bit today. 

Love,

Frogs

Yesterday I read out of Exodus 8 for Mi Querida Biblia and I was reminded of a teaching that I heard several years ago by Stacy James, Christian womens' speaker and Mary Kay National Sales Director. It was so good that I wanted to share it with you all.

Exodus 8:

"...The Lord said to Moses, "Go back to Pharaoh and announce to him, `This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs across your entire land. The Nile River will swarm with frogs. They will come up out of the river and into your palace, even into your bedroom and onto your bed! They will enter the houses of your officials and your people. They will even jump into your ovens and your kneading bowls. Frogs will jump on you, your people, and all your officials.'"

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, `Raise the staff in your hand over all the rivers, canals, and ponds of Egypt, and bring up frogs over all the land.'" So Aaron raised his hand over the waters of Egypt, and frogs came up and covered the whole land! ...Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and begged, "Plead with the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people. I will let your people go, so they can offer sacrifices to the Lord."

"You set the time!" Moses replied. "Tell me when you want me to pray for you, your officials, and your people. Then you and your houses will be rid of the frogs. They will remain only in the Nile River."

"Do it tomorrow," Pharaoh said."

Tomorrow?! FROGS are hopping across your dinner table, into your bread bowl and in your oven. Green warty toads are jumping in your bed and crawling over you while you try to sleep! They hop through your house and swarm through your living room.

When do you want them gone?? Today! This moment! Yesterday!! Just get them out of here already!

And he says, "Tomorrow."

What frogs are you allowing in your life until tomorrow that could be gone today? What are you still putting up with that you have all the power, authority and capability of getting rid of? 

Today, I squashed a frog. 

Stream of Consciousness

Is anyone still out there? Do I even have any readers left? If so, ya'll are the best ever, cuz I've seriously been slackin'!

A business mentor of mine once taught me that challenges come in threes but blessings come in thousands. And I've heard it said that "when it rains it pours." I have to wholeheartedly agree with both statements. Last week was quite an incredible week at our house! I'll see if I can recap...

The big news is that I am officially "on target" to earn the use of a Mary Kay car! Nope, not the pink Caddy - at least not yet. It's a Chevy Malibu and the company pays for the lease, the taxes, the tags and most of the insurance. I'm shooting to earn mine by June 30... Just in time for Danny's birthday!

I ALSO qualified to enter the program to become a Mary Kay director, which means a promotion and more importantly, a bigger opportunity to speak into the lives of the women I work with. It's a training and mentoring position and I'll be teaching women how to do life - TRUE LIFE with Christ - by teaching them how to do their Mary Kay businesses.

So what in the world do I have to do in order to attain these two big promotions? Well it comes down to (more or less) 10 parties in the month of May. So, uh, anybody feel like getting some girls together for a facial? ;)

Ok enough about Mary Kay for now - even though I could go on forever, I'm quite sure ya'll wouldn't be so excited about that. Ha ha!

We discovered last week that Danny LOVES soy milk. Why is this such great news? Well because he HATES formula. And because I am now totally unable to express any breastmilk, regardless of how fancy, expensive or wonderful my breast pump may be. And because of those two things, I was TOTALLY unable to leave Danny with anyone for his bedtime. Therefore, I had to leave meetings early, cut girls' nights short, or Alejandro would have to drive Danny to where I was for me to nurse him. Needless to say, I am enjoying this new-found freedom A LOT! Danny's Papa can take part in feeding his growing boy a couple times a week, and Danny will get to keep nursing a few months longer than he would have otherwise. Yay for all three of us!

Freddy is doing well! (Freddy is Alejandro's Dad, who has colon cancer.) He is still in the hospital, but recovering and they will soon remove whatever it was that was collecting the fluid/material in his lungs that made it hard to breathe. He will soon begin chemotherapy. Fanny (Alejandro's mom) enjoyed throwing my sister-in-law a baby shower this weekend and she's working on getting the car fixed so she won't have to ride the bus to and from her work and the hospital anymore. Praise the Lord, and thank you thank you thank you to the generously giving person who made that possible!!

On another random note, I just realized the other day that my in-laws' names are Freddy and Fanny - like Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac! Ha ha! It made me laugh!

I can't believe we're on day 40 of Mi Querida Biblia - our journey through the Bible in a year! Wow! I am a week behind - but I am enjoying the reading immensely. How about you all? I know I'm way overdue for a Mi Querida Biblia post, and I thank you all for sticking with me... Those of you who have. I pray God is blessing you greatly through it!

Well, I think that's it for now. Time to head off to dreamland! Have a wonderful night!

Love,
Renee


Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

A Recap of Job - Part 1

We're reading through the Bible in a year... together!

We'd love for you to join us! Find out all the information by just clicking here:

A week or so ago - back when we were in Job - one of you mentioned you were having a bit of trouble following what was going on with Job and his buddies  criticizing friends criticizers.  I have to admit...  their monologues are so long that I too had trouble keeping up.  I decided to let myself fall behind a couple of days and take the time to go back and summarize each chapter.  It's really helped me get it.  Below is what I have come up with so far. 

So bear with me  for a few days as I work to catch up with you all...  We should actually be back in Genesis, reading chapters 19 - 21. 

Now that we're a good 18 days into this, I'm sure God's been starting to share with you from the scriptures in Genesis and Job.  Would you share?  Thanks to Kristen, Cilla, Courtney and JD for linking up with us!  Ya'll have no idea how much of an encouragement it is to me when you do so! 

Here's a recap of the first half of Job:

numbered by chapter

Oh, I almost forgot!  I'm reading the New Living Translation.  I love that we're all reading different translations so we're probably getting different takes on it - all the more reason to share!!  :) 

1. There once was a man named Job... He was rich in all aspects - financially, spiritually, family, he had it all. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. The heavenly court was meeting and Satan said, “Dude! Job is only blameless cuz he's got it all!” God said, “fine. Test him. But don't harm him physically.” In one day, Satan wiped out everything Job had. But Job never sinned by blaming God.
2. Back in the heavenly court, Satan said, “Job is only sinless because you haven’t touched his body.” God said, “fine. Test him. But spare his life.” Satan made Job REALLY sick. Job’s three friends showed up to encourage him.
3. Job stayed silent for a long time. Then finally, he spoke: “I wish I’d never been born.“
4. Eliphaz said, “I the past, you used to be the one encouraging others. Have hope in your life of integrity. I had a vision – no one is without sin…”
5. “…Go to God and ask Him what you’ve done wrong. He disciplines and heals those he loves.”
6. Job : “I spoke impulsively because he I’m really suffering. You have given me no help. Show me what I’ve done wrong and I’ll admit it. I’m all ears! You’ve got nothin’! I’ve done nothing wrong!...”
7. “…I’m sufferin’ here. I’ve gotta’ complain! I can’t handle this! God if I’ve sinned, what have I done?”
8. Bildad spoke: “How long will you rant and rave? Your children must’ve done something wrong, then. Ask forgiveness and surely He’ll restore you. Our wisdom is nothing compared to God’s, so seek his forgiveness. The Godless will be rejected by Him, but if you have integrity, he will receive you and restore you. “
9. Job spoke: “Ok, true story, in principle. He is the almighty. And who am I to question Him? But even though I’m innocent, simply by going to God, I declare myself guilty. God is not mortal so I can’t go to Him and question Him…”
10. “…I’m disgusted with my life and I just want to complain. God, why do you reject me? You know I’m not guilty, but you are the only one who can save me. Why? Why? Why!?!”
11. Zophar spoke: “You aren’t innocent just because you keep saying so. Repent and be forgiven!”
12. Job spoke: “You people really know everything don’t you!? (He gets sarcastic.) Easy for you to say all this. You’re not the one who’s sick! Older, experienced men have wisdom, but the true wisdom is God’s. We’re all fools compared to Him…”
13. “…None of you know anymore than I do. I’ll take up my case with God himself. You all smear me with lies and you are poor drs to help me with my physical condition. May God do with me what he will. Lord, answer me. Why are you doing this?...”
14. “…Our lives are short. Must mine be miserable? Let me die again. You could wipe away my sin and make me well…”
15. Eliphaz spoke: “You are full of a bunch of useless words. If you were wise, like you say, you’d be quiet. You contradict yourself.” He talks about characteristics of lives of wicked people.
16. Job spoke: “I have heard this all before and it’s not helping! I need encouragement, not criticism!” Goes on and on about how plight.
17. Job goes on about his plight and how he’s lost hope.
18. Bildad spoke: “How long do we have to listen to this? Do you think we are stupid?” Talks about the wise vs. the wicked.
19. Job spoke: “How long do I have to listen you all? Even if I have sinned, that’s my concern, not yours. You think you’re better than I am. God has demolished me and my family has forgotten me. My friends hate me and you all are just persecuting me more. And yet, I know that my Redeemer lives and he will stand upon the earth at last. After my body dies, I will see God! How dare you persecute me! You will be punished for it.
20. Zophar spoke: “We have endured your insults and my spirit (lower case) prompts me to reply. The triumph of the wicked is short-lived. It’s fun at first, but it doesn’t last. They are punished before long.”
21. Job spoke: “If nothing else, will you listen to what I am saying? Then you can keep mocking me. My complaint is with God, not evil people. Look at me and be shocked. People and animals all around me are blessed and yet my family has been wiped out before me. I know you’ll tell me that those wicked rich people eventually are punished. But I see them prosper! All your explanations are lies!”
22. Eliphaz spoke: “It’s to now benefit to God for you to be blameless. So you may as well see and admit that you are guilty. You must have done something!” He goes on about what that sin could possibly be, as if he’s trying to help him think of what it is.



P.S.  Don't forget about our YouVerson Group.  See what verses others have tagged and bookmarked!  Love it!! 


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-Please provide the url for the Mi Querida Biblia post specifically, not your blog home page. That way it's easy to find.
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mi querida biblia - we are ALL behind

so i was chatting with my friend, Melissa, the other night about "mi querida biblia" and she was confessing to me that she's only on day 3.  and she was telling me how she thinks she's the only person who's on day 3. 

do ya'll even know how many of you are feeling bummed and defeated because you're so behind already? 

um, yeah... 

like, all of you! 

ahem. 

so here's the deal:  the point of reading through the bible in a year together is eventually to have really meaningful discussion about what we read and all that jazz...  but the thing is that the first month is really just about establishing the habit. 

that's really the whole point. 

so we all need to just leave behind the myth that we're going to be caught up all the time.  that would be kind of like expecting to give my life to the lord tomorrow and then live the rest of my earthly life without sin.  um...  can't happen.  sure, eventually you learn to live and more and more holy life, but it takes time.  kind of like i was talking about here. 

i'll let you in on a little secret - i'm behind too!!

so let's back way up and talk about establishing the habit and how to do that. 

the very best way i've learned about how to establish a great habit is to couple it with another habit that is already established in your life. 

let me give you an example.  a while ago i learned about a 5-minute training hotline for me to call in and listen to every day, but i could not - to save my life - remember to call it.  so i picked something else in my day that i do without fail and decided to latch the new habit onto the old one.  i picked brushing my teeth, because i never forget to do that.  then i put a post-it note that said "hotline" on my bathroom mirror just behind my tooth-brush holder.  that way, whenever i grabbed my tooth brush, i also grabbed my phone, pressed dial and turned on the speaker.  by latching the old habit onto the new one, i was able to establish the new habit.  sooner or later the new habit became so automatic that i didn't need the reminder, and the post-it note was tossed into the trash can. 

here's another example:  i was trying to remember to read a children's book of proverbs with my son every day.  try as i might, i couldn't remember to pull out the book.  so i used my old trick of coupling the new habit with an old one.  i always nurse my son, first thing in the morning in the same chair in the office.  so i put the book on the side-desk right next to that chair.  i also put a post-it note (they're my favorite) that said "proverbs" on the edge of the desk facing me while i nurse.  that way, every morning after nursing him, when i was already in the cuddly mood, we could just sit a bit longer and read from the children's proverbs book.  it worked brilliantly! 

ok so now let's apply this to "mi querida biblia."  what do you do every day without fail? 

do you make coffee every morning?  set the coffee pot to turn on 10 minute earlier and leave your bible next to the pot.  download the youversion app to our phone so you can check off the readings right from your phone. 

do you plop into a certain chair right after work?  put your bible and a post-it note there. 

do you take a coffee break at work at the same time?  set a reminder on your phone and take your bible to work with you. 

do you nurse your baby same time every day?  i do.  i read my bible readings from my youversion app on my phone and check it off then and there.  you can even tweet the daily reading from the youversion app on your phone.  follow me and you'll see. 

do you eat breakfast each morning in the same place?  do you veg out on the couch each night before bed?  do you take the same subway home each day? do you check the weather each morning? 

the possibilities are endless.  just pick one old habit and latch the new one onto it. 

right now.

i mean it.  yep.  right this moment.  pick the activity you're going to latch the new bible-reading habit onto.  got it?  now stop reading this blog for a moment.  i mean it.  stop reading and go put the post-it note and the bible in the new place so you'll remember.  go ahead.  i'll wait here. 

see how easy that was?

ok now, just do one day's reading and call it a victory.  yes, just one day.  i don't care if you're on day one.  read day one and call it a victory.  leave day two for tomorrow.  as long as you do just one day each day, then you'll be on your way. 

ok, last thing.  everybody leave a comment and tell me what day you're on.  yes, i mean it. 

everybody!

no, this is not the newest form of torture.  it's becuase you all think you're the only one behind and i guarantee you're all about to see that most of you are behind.  i know this, because you've all told me this independently. 

there, see?  that wasn't so bad.  :) 

p.s.  i'll be back later with a phenomenal video of my son giggling.  it is seriously the best.  you gotta' come back. 

and then i'll post about what we've been reading in the book of job. 

see you soon!!

Mi Querida Biblia - stream of consciousness style

so we're a week into our study of the bible - reading through it chronologically - and i've had somewhat of an "inspiration brain freeze." each time i sat down to write, or started to think about what to write, i just kind of froze. i really haven't known what  to write. i still really don't know what to write.

i haven't had any major "aha" moments or any times in my scripture reading when god had spoken to me in whispers or in thunderous roars to tell me something great.

and that's been a bit discouraging.

have any of you experienced that i wonder?

and to make matters worse, it's easter, when i'm "supposed" to be experiencing a special appreciation for the death of christ on the cross to pay for my sin and salvation. so i've been feeling particularly depressed about it.

which is why i have neglected to write about mi querida biblia for the past week. and why i've neglected to write about anything at all for the past couple of days. my mom even texted me last night to ask if i was ok because i've been "particularly quiet." translation: "you haven't tweeted, texted, facebooked or blogged for 24 hours and so i'm wondering if you've fallen off the earth."

i've gotta admit - it did sorta make me giggle.

anyway, all that to say i've had sort of a writer's block.

the other night, on good friday, i did write the following, although i didn't post it because it was kind of depressing:

it's 1 a.m. and i'm awake in the middle of the night for about the fourth time this week.

and i feel down in the dumps. so many of my bloggy friends have written beautiful posts about easter and the wonderful terrible death of jesus on this good friday. i wish i felt the same. but truthfully, i just feel alone and unworthy.

to be honest, i kind of feel like jesus left the world at our house this week. i'm not exactly sure why. maybe it's because i haven't exercised in over a week. maybe i'm thrown off by the weird eating and sleeping habits danny has taken on since starting antibiotics on sunday. maybe maybe it's the frustration with my business. maybe it's all of those things. but i just feel like jesus is gone.

i know he is not. i know that he is right by my side, carrying me in my weakness. but i feel an awful lot like mary when her savior was inexplicably absent, while he should've been saving the world. i feel an awful lot like christy so eloquently wrote here.

and i just can't wait for son-day to get here. may the dark clouds part. may the temple curtain rip down the center. may doubt flee and hopelessness be eradicated forever. and praise the lord, it has!

it wouldn't be life and i wouldn't be human if i didn't have these days. light wouldn't be with it is if darkness wasn't present sometimes. warmth wouldn't feel good if chill never set in. i am so very thankful for the character he places in me by guiding me through the tougher weeks.

jesus, thank you that there is truly something that always brings hope no matter how emotional, tired, depressed or frustrated i may feel. thank you for already winning the victory and for defeating the enemy long ago.
be present in my thoughts and remind me always of your saving grace. amen.

well he did. and i am better. and mostly it was all just worry about things that are out of my hands anyway.

and i remembered something that i knew in the recesses of my mind...

obedience precedes blessing

i had to learn to painstakingly sound out words before i could enjoy shakespeare. i had to learn the basic steps before i could swing dance with style of my own. i had to add before i understood algebra enough to tutor it. and i had to figure out how to hold a pencil before i could ever come close to writing words of inspiration to reach others for christ.

none of those things were fun at first. but after applying discipline and learning new skills, each of those things became a source of great joy in my life.

i figure that reading scripture - from cover to cover - will be somewhat of the same kind of exercise. right now it's all i can do to remember to actually get the daily reading done each day. let alone really getting a whole lot out of it.

we're in the middle of the book of job, and the man has been droning on for days about his horrible plight - and it truly was horrible. i'd really like to get the part when god puts him in his place. but i'm sure that right about then, god will be putting me in my place too, and reminding me that this is for my strengthening. the joy will come. it just might not come right away.

so are any of you experiencing somewhat of the same thing? if so, it's ok. you're not alone. and this too will pass. just stick with it.

are you behind in reading already and beating yourself up for it? don't. just take one day at a time. read one day's worth, and call it a victory. you'll catch up sooner or later.

i pray you are incredibly blessed and inspired today as we celebrate christ alive in each of us. and if you're not feeling that way, well, it's ok. i'm just thankful you are here. because you are blessing me immensely.



if you are part of "mi querida biblia," tell us how it's going! 

1. write your thoughts down on your own blog
2. link up using the MckLinky linky thingy.
3. grab the "mi querida biblia" button and stick it somwhere in your post. 
don't have a blog?  just share in the comments section!

are you just joining us and not sure what in the world i'm talking about? well, just click here and find out. we'd love for you to join us. just start in on day one, and catch up with one extra chapter per day until you're with us. it won't take you long. 
 
oh, and... 

thanks for being here!

Mi Querida Biblia - The Launch!

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If you're just catching up on this and haven't heard, we're reading through the Bible in a year, and we're doing it together!  Tomorrow is our start date!  The BIG DAY! The launch. Palm Sunday. Eli's birthday - which, by the way, I think is SO cool! 

If you'd still like to join us, it's not too late!  Just click the "Mi Querida Biblia" button at the top of my blog and you can read everything you need to know about how to sign up and get started.  Or you can just click here. 

Want to meet all the Lovely Participants?  Here you are...

Cilla from "Looking Up".

Kate Fausett. 

Anne from "Adventures of Love"

And Jenifer.

Ellyn from "Profoundly Seth and Co." 

Sarah, my grocery store friend, from "Kingdom Twindom + 1."

And Linda Wilson.

And a couple of Mary Kay friends of mine, Christine Rashott, Sarah Brown and Kristen.

Carolina from "The Price Report"

Melissa from "A Heavenly Journey"

"malissaandfamily"

Courtney from "Through the Darkness" and her friend Stacey

msiena from "Walkin For the Lord" - I'm sorry I don't have your link!  :(

Kristi

Tanya from http://www.baksha.com/

Natalie from "Three Hearts Created"

An old friend of mine, Jennifer Bryant - I'm sorry I couldn't find your blog! :(

JD from "Fingerprints From His Hand"

 Wonder Woman Wannabe

Wow, how fun!! 

Definitely take some time to get to know eachother...  And if you decide you want to join in, just let us know in the comments section of this post!  Tell us your name and leave the link to your blog, facebook page, twitter page, or whatever!  Or if you want to remain anonymous, that's ok too!   

 

As for the accountability part of this whole thing...  Once a week (or more, if you want) share with us what's on your mind and how God is working in your heart through the Scripture you (and we - 'cause we're all reading together - ha! that's so cool!) have been reading.   You can do a number of ways: 

• Write about it on your own blog.  Grab the "Mi Querida Biblia" button to add into your post and then come link it up here through MckLinky.  I went ahead and got MckLinky working on this post in case any of you are inspired to write before I am.  ;) 
• If you don't have a blog, no worries!  Just write about it in the comments section.  Do so anonymously or not, whatever you choose.
• In your YouVersion account, go to the "GROUPS" tab.  Search for the group called "Mi Querida Biblia" or just click on our group YouVersion site:  www.youversion.com/groups/biblia There you can tag a favorite verse... or all kinds of other cool stuff! 
• Please pray for the rest of the group.  Pray that God would show us how to be diligent in making this a priority and that He would speak to us clearly through His word. 

That's it!  Pretty simple... 

Tomorrow's reading is Genesis 1 - 3.  Yay!  Ready...  Set....  Go!

Mi Querida Biblia - gettin' ready to get goin'

*Updated

And just joining us are... 

Carolina from "The Price Report"

Melissa from "A Heavenly Journey"

Yay!

Original Post:

Yay!  This is going to be so fun!  So far, 9 people have told me they're in!  Wanna' meet them?  Of course you do! 

Welcome Cilla from "Looking Up".

And Kate Fausett.

And Anne.

And Jenifer.

Ellyn from "Profoundly Seth and Co." 

Sarah, my grocery store friend, from "Kingdom Twindom + 1."

And Linda Wilson.

And a couple of Mary Kay friends of mine, Christine Rashott and Kristen.

If I've missed anyone, please let me know! 

I know there are a few others of you out there who are thinking about it, so please let me know if you're in!  If there are any men out there who want in, we'd be stoked to have a guy's voice as we talk through scripture! 

So many of you have expressed a desire to start doing something like this - or maybe you started and something kept you from following through.  I'm so pumped on getting to be a part of something that God has evidently been working in all of our hearts for some time...  What a confirmation!  Each of you, by taking part, are also helping God to work in each other's hearts, simply by being the beginning of a movement to get people into God's word.  Thank you for following His leading and for encouraging me too!

Ok, here is Step 3 for how to get involved in Mi Querida Biblia.  If you missed step 1 and 2, just click here. 

Step 3

Put the necessary things into place to begin a new habit.  Starting a new habit like this isn't easy.  It's like starting an exercise routine or a new diet or school.  It takes some adjustment and it takes some practical changes that will make that habit easier.  The key is to figure out how to make it easy and automatic to fit in the reading of God's Word each day.  And the more you do it, the easier it becomes.  Here are some things that have come to my mind: 

Get up a half an hour early.  I know.  It's the obvious one and the one we all hate.  I mean, I love me some extra sleep!  But to be very honest, when I make the effort to get up and put God first, not only does it set my priorities right, but it also establishes a peace and calm that permeates my entire day. It helps me get my mind right before I have to deal with my husband and son and the phone and life's obligations.  Not that I mind dealing with those things - it's just that when I seek God's face first, I become a minister in those peoples' lives.  When I don't, I feel very much like I'm just barely hanging on with the rest of 'em.  And while I am just barely hanging on like the rest of them, it's about my mindset as I approach people throughout the day.  Seeking God first helps me be a better servant. 

I want to emphasize though, that putting God first doesn't necessarily mean doing that first in the day.  My pastor once said that it means to give Him your best time of day.  For some, that's a lunch break.  For others it's right before bed.  For me, it's first thing in the morning.  Pick the time of day when you are most alert and give that time to Him. 

But back to my wake-up-early strategy...  In order to actually get up early I have to do silly things like...

• place my alarm clock on the other side of the room. 
• lay out a comfy pair of pj pants and a sweatshirt with my slippers so I can jump right into them and cozy into a chair with my Bible. 
• set a pot of coffee on a timer the night before so the smell wakes me up and gets me going. 
• use a clock/CD player as a second alarm so that after I drag myself across the room to turn off the beeping, I am welcomed with gentle praise music to start to get my mind right. 

All of this takes preparation. 

(2)  For the days that I don't manage to get up early - and let's just be honest, there will be those days - I need a back-up plan.  Remember, this is the back up plan.  Not the every-day plan.  ;) 

Think about when you have pockets of time in your day that you usually fill up with nonsense, that you could be reading scripture.  While nursing the baby, while sitting in your car waiting for the kids to get out of school, or while waiting in line at the bank or post office.  These are times that I can fill with a phone call or media or boredom.  Or I can quiet myself and ask Jesus to invade my thoughts and speak to me through His Word in that moment. 

The great thing about YouVersion is that you can download it to your Blackberry/iphone/etc. and have scripture right there on your phone at any time of the day.  As you read each chapter and click to the next one, YouVersion checks it off for you and syncs to your internet account.  It's GREAT!  So when you sit down to read, whether in the quiet of the morning or in the evening before bed, you can read straight from your phone, or straight from your computer, or you can pull out your Bible and check it off on your phone or computer when you're done reading.  And this can change every day, depending on your needs. 

Another idea occurred to me for those people who are better listeners than readers.  I found this website where you can listen to the daily reading.  You could do this while getting dressed, while driving to work (if you have it on CD), from your ipod...  the possibilities are endless. 

Remember, though, that I want us to be careful not to just read for the purpose of a check-off.  No matter what method you choose of incorporating this into your life, it is important to have times where you still your mind and heart and focus wholly on Jesus. 

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Lastly, I encourage you to join me in starting to read this week.  I'm going to start with Romans and read two chapters a day, as a practice for the launch on Sunday.  This way, I have three days to start my habit before we launch our reading together through the Bible in a year. 

I hope that helped!  What ideas will you use to start this new habit? Do you have any ideas that I've not mentioned?  Share! 

And come back soon...  next I'll share how we will discuss our scripture reading through our blogs, on Twitter and Facebook, and in the comments section of my blog. 

It's... Mi Querida Biblia

I'm pretty big on accountability.  Not accountability that sounds like, "Hey, did you do such-and-such last week?" or "Have you stayed out of this-and-that today?"  I mean, there's a time and a place for that.  But the kind of accountability I love and have a lot of in my life is the accountability that happens when friends are open and life is shared and struggles are admitted and encouragement and prayer and life together happens. 

So we've got a lot of that type of accountability in our lives.  For our marriage.  For my business.  For my emotional and spiritual life.  For my parenting.  But I was realizing the other day that there is an area in my life that has been seriously neglected lately, and that is the time each day I spend reading God's Word. 

Or maybe I should say not reading God's Word.  Because I definitely don't do it enough. 

And I think most of us can relate to that. 

And I was also thinking, how cool it is that we all - in this crazy online bloggy world of ours - share so many thoughts and things about our faith walks.  Wouldn't it be cool...  seriously cool... if we could do that with regards to the scripture we read.  Particularly if we were all reading the same scripture.  And then God reminded me of how I've really been wanting He's really been wanting me to read through the Bible. 

I did it once before.  I was in college.  And I don't know about you, but there are very few things that I read 10 years ago that I remember well.  Ahem, or remember at all!  The only thing I do remember is that it rocked my faith and drew me closer to God unlike anything else ever. 

So an idea was born.  What if a bunch of us hooked up and read through the Bible in a year.  Together!?! 

Ok, I'm gonna have to contain how stinkin' over-the-top excited I am about this!! 

Here's how it'll work...

Step 1:  Go to YouVersion.  Create an account. YouVersion is the Bible online, but with a ton of other really cool features... namely, their Bible Reading Plans.  So once you've created an account, click on My and then click on Reading Plans.  Next click Explore Reading Plans (stay with me... it's worth it...) and then scroll down to the one called Chronological. 

That's the one we're gonna do.  I picked this one because it's got 3-5 chapters of the Bible to read per day (chapters, not books) and it takes you through the Bible chronologically in a year.  Things always make more sense for me, when they're in order... particularly the prophecy and stuff.  (Which I have a hard enough time understanding as it is!) 

Ok, a couple more things before you leave YouVersion.  First, take some time to click around and explore.  You can adjust the start and end dates of your plan.  Change the dates so that the start date is March 28, 2010.  That's our launch date.  That'll give us a week to get organized. 

Step 2:  Leave a comment and let me know you're in!

I am SO looking forward to the camaraderie, friendship, discussion, personal spiritual growth and community spiritual growth as we dive into God's word together.  More to come soon, but for now, leave your comments!

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