Favorite Part of My Day!

     This year has really started off with a bang! We have been going nonstop as a family and it really gets overwhelming at times. Last year, I took on the challenge of reading 30 books during the year...this year, I think I took on a much bigger, yet so much more rewarding, challenge. A dear friend and sister in Christ asked me toward the end of 2010 if I would be up for doing a one-year Bible reading and I'm so glad she did. At first, I thought sure, no problem, I can do that. It's just reading a little bit everyday and I already did that anyway, right?!? Well, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I really needed to pray about it and commit to it if I wanted to do it. My fear and deepest prayer concern was that I would read the Bible out of commitment and task rather than really read and take in God's word. I didn't want to find myself reading everyday just to get through it. I wanted to be in the word! SO, after much prayer and thought, I decided to take it on!
     I downloaded the One-Year Bible (New Living Translation, which is my favorite!) to my Kindle and started the one-year challenge. There are so many ways to read through the Bible in a year and I am loving this one. Each day has four small readings from the Old Testament, The New Testament, Proverbs, and Psalms. It's perfect for me because you aren't reading thirty minutes on one topic...you get a little from different parts of the Bible each day. It keeps me focused and interested...I have seriously had to stop myself from reading ahead some days because I'm so into the readings. I will admit that I've gotten behind a couple of times already...mostly because I would read and not remember what I had just read, so I would want to read it again with a new focus. I don't think I have ever just read the Bible to read it...I've always read excerpts because a Bible study or lesson required me to. Who knew it was so interesting? And so relevant? It has truly become the favorite part of my day. Just to read the stories I've known and learned about for so many years with a fresh perspective is amazing! I just can't tell you enough how much I am loving this challenge! If you've followed my blog for very long at all, you know that I am incredibly convicted about what I read. What a joy it is to be so encouraged and uplifted (and convicted if I'm honest!) by my reading!! I love it...and now I'm off to read for the day!!