My Bible Reading Plan for 2019...and a giveaway!

It's hard to believe we are already 24 days into 2019! 

This has been a month of new adjustments for me...literally. I've been getting used to a new chiropractor after a long search for one that would not 'twist' or 'pop' me. I have a neck issue, severe scoliosis in my back, and a lot of nerve blockage, so I needed a very gentle approach to getting me to the point where I can function more efficiently.  

Less pain...less brain fog, which interferes with my ability to write. Managing the pain has been an interesting journey since I don't take any pain meds stronger than ibuprofen and I won't get steroid shots.  But I believe I'm back on the road to better back and neck health and less pain to manage...so for that, I am very thankful. 

I don't usually write about my own personal health...which thankfully is really pretty good at the age of 60, despite the neck and back issues. So, I'll quit the health update and get to what I really want to talk about...adjusting to my new Bible reading plan. 

Old Plan...

Through the years I've tried different methods of reading through the Bible in a year but the one that has worked most consistently for me has been The Daily Walk Bible (NLT) from Bruce Wilkinson's Walk Thru the Bible Ministries, Tyndale House Publishers.

I've read through the Bible cover to cover for more than 8 years with this one...and the pages are starting to fall out. 

I use other Bibles for study but this has been my morning coffee & the Word go to for so long that I've decided to make a change and say goodbye to this old friend. 

I don't tend to work off of a Bible Reading Plan 'list' very well so I needed to find an actual Bible that was already laid out with daily readings sectioned off. I find that reading through the Bible in this way helps me to keep an overview of scripture and how the books fit together to create a larger narrative of what God is doing in the world...both throughout history and today. By doing this, I tend to get so much more out of the other more in-depth studies I do both privately and in Bible study groups. 

New Plan...

As I began to think and pray about what to do for 2019, I was offered the opportunity to review the Day-by-Day Chronological Bible. So I thought, perfect, it's in a reliable translation, Christian Standard Bible Translation(CSB), so that will be a good change from my previous reading in the NLT. So I signed up to do the review. 

They sent me this beauty!
 This Bible has a very nice soft as butter brown leathertouch cover. It's a bit hefty, but still comfortable to hold in my lap as I read from it. (It's about 7X9" and 2" thick).  It has two ribbons to hold your place as you read. One for the front of the Bible and the other, I presume, for the second half. 

So, I'm thinking this will hold up to many years of reading on a daily basis. 

This Bible is arranged into a chronological reading plan with daily readings guided by Dr. George Guthrie, professor of New Testament at Regent College in Vancouver, B.C. And I kind of love his approach. 

The Bible is a grand story...His story...and it includes you and I. But in order to understand where we fit, our place, in the story, we need to understand how the "Bible's Grand Story fits together, how it develops, where its climax comes, and how it invites us to join in a never-ending script that God continues to write in and through the lives of real people like you and me."  Dr. Guthrie gives us tips on reading through the Bible and understanding how to keep the Big Story in view, by dividing it into three acts and seventeen scenes, while also divided by weeks(52) and  6 days of reading with the 7th day of each week reserved for a recap and prayer/meditation. 

He begins each reading by reminding us where we are in the story and gives tips for reading that day's section. The pages are not dated so you can begin at any time, and there are diamond shaped boxes at the end of each day so that you can check off when you have completed the reading for the day.  In fact, there are 5 of those boxes so you can keep track of how many years you have read through this Bible. I love that!

I think this particular Chronological Bible is different from others in that the readings are arranged by content according to where it falls within the storyline of the scriptures and not necessarily by the date each book was written. 
For instance, on day 2 of week one, the readings are from Psalm 8, Psalm 104, and John 1:1-3. Because they all echo the creation story in Genesis 1 & 2.

Large margins for note taking and journaling.

I have many days more to go to get the full impact of this Bible reading plan. But I love the direction of the journey already. 

I'm a story girl as many of you know. I love a great story. I've even written a series of articles on Story that begins here: Story...The Great Connector. 

I believe we all have an innate desire to either hear or tell a good story. 

History is told through story. More than just a string of facts, it gives us a treasury of lessons learned and points us to a better way of living into the future. History gives us heroes to emulate...teaches us to dream big. It shows us that there is always something to be learned…even through failure. 

John Steinbeck said, "…a great and lasting story is about everyone or it will not last."  There is a great and lasting story…in HIS story, God's Word.  And yes…we are all a very important part of that story. Our creator speaks to us through His Word using 'story' as one avenue to tell us many stories that bring understanding to our own stories, our own purpose, as it fits into the bigger picture of His Story.

It is the very promises within that great story that keep us going and give us hope.  

Do you have a 'read through the Bible' plan for 2019? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below. If you don't, you might consider the Day-by-Day Chronological Bible.

I have a giveaway going through January 30th. You can win your own copy of the Day-By-Day Chronological Bible, Brown Leathertouch($39.99 retail value)! So be sure to enter below! 

Editor’s Note: The giveaway in this post has ended. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share solid Christian resources with you — this review remains as a reflection of that heart, even though the giveaway is no longer active.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Note: only US-based bloggers and giveaway winners are eligible due to publisher shipping limitations outside of the US as well as a later global product release date. A copy will be mailed out to the winner via the publisher at the end of this campaign. #csbBibleL3

Story: Why Tell It? #4

Here it is! The final post in the series. Today I'm talking about why we need to tell our stories. 


But first, let me make this clear. While I do believe that we all have a story to tell, I don't believe we are all called to write about or even broadcast our lives to the entire world. I believe that we all have many stories to share, the bulk of which make up our 'story'. So while you may not be called to share your entire life's story in one place, such as a book, you need to be open to the fact that God will bring people and/or opportunities to you. And when that happens, be ready to share a part of your story.  

Your story is your testimony. It is your opportunity to attest to the truth of what God has done and is doing in your life.

Telling your story helps others to know:

• They are not alone

We all need to know that we are not on this journey alone. We were created for relationship…to exist in community. When we find that we share a common trial or circumstance with another it creates a feeling of connection. 

 What! You too? I thought I was the only one. ~C.S. Lewis

• There is hope

When we see that someone has come through a trial we have hope that we too can make it through whatever trial we may be facing.  Hope awakens our soul to press on. Prayer gives wings to that hope. (click to tweet)

Hope is the dream of a soul awake. ~french proverb

• There can be purpose through pain and trials 

That thing (pain, trial, persecution, illness, failure, etc.)  the enemy of your soul uses as a means to destroy you? That is the very thing that God in His great love, grace, wisdom, and mercy can turn around to be used for His glory and your good. 

And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. ~Romans 8:28 

Telling your story has the capacity to show that you have come through it all and you survived. You were not destroyed. And it may just complete the healing process for you when you realize all that God reveals to you as you begin to work through the telling of your story. 


You see when you tell your story you begin to find your place in HIS story…the story of God's great love, sacrifice, and redemption. 

Let me give you two illustrations of how God works through our broken mess to bring about His good purpose in our lives.

Kintsugi

Kintsugi is an art form developed by fifteenth-century craftsmen in Japan to repair broken ceramic wares using lacquer with gold or silver powder. The term kintsugi means to patch with gold. Instead of using a material to hide the breaks, the gold is used to highlight the quality of the repair work and to show the cost of redeeming something so valuable. 

The artist has increased the worth of the item not only because of the craftsmanship of the repair but also because of the value of the material used to make the repair. The break becomes the stand-out feature on the object making it even more valuable than when it was all in one piece. 

The art of kintsugi beautifully illustrates our Master taking our broken pieces and putting us back together again. In the process, He uses the 'mortar' of the blood of His Son, Jesus, and the refining fire of the Holy Spirit to bring the pieces back together; creating within us a stronger spirit with more beauty than we ever possessed when we were whole. 

What is the 'break' in your life? That break is the very thing that becomes most precious as the blood of Jesus is that which glues you back together. You are not 'used goods'. You are not worthless because of your brokenness. 

No! 

God wants to use your brokenness to show the world His power and Glory in your life as He puts you back together one precious piece at a time. Then you will again be whole…yet not as before, but even more beautiful as His mark is now evident in your life.

Mosaic

When creating a mosaic the artist often takes broken tile, or glass from different sources and puts them together to create a beautiful work of art. A strongly bonded piece of art. Much like our group of beautifully broken women who came together to form a sweet community that shines brightly into each other's lives and into the world. Together we form a much stronger bond that cannot easily be deconstructed. (I wrote about this group of women earlier in this series on story here:  Story…Redeemable #2). 

Just as the store we visited took pieces of mismatched broken items and redeemed or re-purposed those items into beautiful pieces of art, God can do the same for you. Only God can bring about true redemption, restoration, wholeness, and peace. 

You see the enemy creates that conflict within our souls and only our Savior can break the tie/sin that binds us to the enemy. He then brings us back into communion with Himself. We are redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus. It is with His blood and the word of our testimony, our story, that we have overcome!

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, 

and the word of their testimony. Revelation 12:11a

So go ahead and pick up the pieces. Place them all in the hands of the Master Artist. Let God use your broken pieces to make something beautiful. Then go tell others about what He has done in your life.

It's time to tell your story! Don't you agree?

You can read the entire series by visiting these links:

Story: The Great Connector #1 

Story: Redeemable #2  

Story: The Conflict #3 

Story: Why tell it? #4

(art photos are public domain photos and used Under the rule in Bridgeman Art Library v. Corel Corporation, a mere 'record' photograph of a 2D work of art (i.e. a photograph which is an as-accurate-as-possible copy of the original) acquires no copyright protection.)

Story: The Conflict #3

Do you wonder if your life matters? If the hard things you have gone through have a purpose? What is the point of it all? 

I want to assure you that, yes, your life matters. 

You matter. Your story matters!

But there is an enemy of the soul determined to destroy each and every one of us.  He is on a mission to do everything in his power to keep us from the LOVER of our soul. He calls us by name …but the names the enemy uses for us are names like worthless, useless, stupid, failure, unlovable, and on and on. The enemy himself has many names. In John 8:44 we read that Satan was "a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because the truth is not in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies." 

Satan, liar, murderer, father of lies. Names that describe the very character of the one who wants to lead us as far away from the Truth as possible. Revelation 12:10 tells us that he goes before God to make accusations against us day and night. Revelation 9:11 calls him Apollyon, which means destroyer. He wants to destroy us!

But there is One who is greater than the enemy. He loves you! His names are many: God Almighty, Healer, Comforter, Savior, Holy, Love, Merciful, the Redeemer…(you can find a list of more of the names of God here: 30 Days of Praying the Names and Attributes of God).

He calls you by name…a name that speaks into all that you were created to be. Child of God, forgiven, loved, redeemed!  God says that you were fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14).  He sent His son to redeem your life from the lies of the enemy, to free you from your own sins. 

The names the enemy uses to bring you down do not define you. Your past, the events in your life, do not define you. Let the Father whisper His love into your ear and listen for the name He has for you. Beloved. Child of God. Forgiven. Loved. More than Conquerer. Overcomer. Redeemed! That is who you are!  

The Creator of this universe wants to be the hero in your story! Rest assured that He does not allow pain and hardship in your life to leave you there, defenseless. As my friend, Emily Wierenga would say, "hardship is not the end of your story, but the beginning."  

When we surrender our lives to God, we begin to live again. We begin to walk in the truth of His word. It may take time to work through the mess that we have been through or even the mess we ourselves have caused by cooperating with the lies of the enemy. But God will complete the work He has begun in us.

This thing that God does in our lives…this bringing beauty from ashes? How can we not but be compelled to share this with others? And when He walks with us and gives us this inexplicable peace in the midst of chaos and suffering…surely that is worth the sharing. 

Why? Because this lost and dying world is aching for a voice of hope! Won't you be that voice? 

In the next article in this series, I'll be to talking about 3 reasons you should tell your story.  You can read it here: Story: Why Tell It? I think you'll want to come back for that! If you want to read the first articles in this series check them out here:

Story: The Great Connector                      
 Story: Redeemable, #2                                                                                   

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD'S favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant those who mourn in Zion-to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness in instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."  ~Isaiah 61:1-3

Story…Redeemable, #2

Back in April, 2014 the (in)Real Life conference was based on telling your Story.  I was blessed to attend this video conference with a group of women who were meeting together at a book launch retreat in Tennessee. This retreat was a gathering of women who had all been on Jo Ann Fore's book launch team for her book, When A Woman Finds Her Voice. It was a perfect combination, a gathering of women who were excited about the message of Jo Ann's book,  and the conference about telling your story!

We listened to speakers talk about Story and we talked about telling our own stories over the weekend, but there was one point in the weekend for me that seemed to be a living illustration of the importance of story. That point in time occurred in an outing we took to a store called Redeemables Upscale Resale. 



Redeemables is a wonderful store filled with all kinds of treasures. The two energetic and fun ladies who run the store, Debbie and Sherry, take pleasure in taking unwanted items and restoring and/or repurposing them…"redeeming" them into beautiful treasures. 



 Their motto: "Everyone is redeemable and most everything is redeemable!"

When we entered the store they had us gather around them as they shared their own story of how their friendship became this wonderful partnership. They lived out their motto not only in the fulfilling of this longtime dream of owning and running this store, but of the ministry of redeeming lives through their involvement with Rise Up , a youth development and mentoring program that  Sherry and her husband had begun around 20 years ago. Sherry and Debbie met while working in that ministry. 

This store represents not only redeemed objects but redeemed lives as they also employ and train young women who were students from the Rise Up program. As these girls work in the shop they see, touch, and experience a very visual illustration of the patience and work it can take to 'redeem' an item…to take something broken and restore it to something that is even more original and creative than before it was discarded. They also experience the love and grace that it takes to redeem a life. 

I loved this store and these women for being that living illustration of how our own stories can reveal and illustrate the redemptive work of our savior, Jesus Christ. 

If we allow Him into our lives, He takes those broken places…
 those things in our lives that we look on with shame,
 those things that make us feel like a failure, 
 those things that make us feel we can never be important or useful again,
 those things that we think are damaged beyond repair…
He takes all of that and weaves into us something gloriously beautiful, forgiven, redeemed, loved and valued! 

Do you have a story? Of course you do! If you have lived for long in this broken, fallen world you have a story!  

But what is the point of sharing our story if we are still walking in our broken state?  The enemy of your souls wants to destroy each and every one of us. He spends his time wreaking havoc in our lives…tempting us to do the very things that will wreck our souls and break our spirits. But we don't have to allow him the victory over our lives!!


We have only to accept the work that Jesus did on the cross…that act of redemption in 'buying back' our very heart, soul, and spirit…covering the sin in our lives with His life's blood so that we could be forgiven and restored not to religion, but to a very real and intimate relationship with God and to a life of real and lasting joy. We have only to surrender ourselves into His hands, and trust that the process, this healing journey that He is taking us through, is for our own good and His glory. 

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.  ~Romans 8:28

I hope that you understand what that relationship has the power to do in your life.  I want to talk a little about that in my next one or two posts. How His story intersects with our story, and how that makes it worth the telling…why it makes the telling a necessity. 

(Be sure to read the next article in this series: Story: The Conflict #3.  If you didn't catch part one of this series, you can read it here: Story…The Great Connector.)

You...your story? Redeemable! Are you walking in the redemption or are you holding back?

Story…The Great Connector

It seems that everywhere I turn lately people are grasping hold of the idea of telling your story.

Story…it seems to be the catchphrase of the day. Just google the word and you will see what I mean. There is a...

• magazine in Kentucky
• store in New York
• restaurant in Kansas City
• nightclub in Miami
• conference for creatives in Chicago
• seminar and a book by screenwriter Robert McKee
• band in the UK 
• scriptwriting software
• Disney family photo app for storytelling

All of which go by the name Story. And of course, who could forget Paul Harvey's, The Rest of the Story.  So you see there seems to be this almost obsession with the word, or rather the concept of…Story.

We all know that this concept of story is nothing new. Since the beginning of time, stories have existed. Stories have always been fascinating to the human race. In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God and the Word was God(John 1:1-4).  Our creator, God, speaks to us through His Word using 'story' as one avenue to tell us many stories that bring understanding to our own stories, our own purpose, as it fits into the bigger Story. His Story.

The methods of telling our stories have changed through the years, but the fact remains that whether it be through the spoken word, the written word, or even on the big screen, we still have an innate desire to either hear or tell a good story. 

History is told through story. More than just a string of facts, it gives us a treasury of lessons learned and points us to a better way of living into the future. History gives us heroes to emulate...teaches us to dream big. It shows us that there is always something to be learned…even through failure. 

In East Of Eden, John Steinbeck puts it this way,

I believe that there is one story in the world, and only one…Humans are caught-in their lives, in their thoughts, in their hungers and ambitions, in their avarice and cruelty, and in their kindness and generosity too-in a net of good and evil…There is no other story.  

I believe that Mr. Steinbeck captured the essence of storytelling.  We are all in this epic adventure…one of the struggle between good and evil. We see ourselves in the stories told. We come to understand life...our own life...through the telling of those stories. We sympathize with the characters within the stories we hear, and especially through those that we ourselves tell. 

In one other quote from Steinbeck's book we read the musing of Adam Trask's servant, Lee: 

And, of course, people are interested only in themselves. If a story is not about the hearer he will not listen. And I here make a rule-a great and lasting story is about everyone or it will not last. The strange and foreign is not interesting-only the deeply personal and familiar.

While I am not sure that I am in complete agreement to that last quote, I do know that it is human nature to listen more intently when the story being told resonates within us. When there is something being told that we can relate to on a deep and personal level our ears perk up. We lean in and listen just a bit more intently as we connect in some way to the telling of a good tale…whether truth or fiction. 

I think Steinbeck hit the nail on the head when he said, "…a great and lasting story is about everyone or it will not last."  There is a great and lasting story…in HIS story, God's Word.  And yes…we are all a very important part of that story. 
It is the very promises within that great story that keep us going, that give us hope. 

One of my favorite modern day storytellers is Liz Curtis Higgs. She is especially good at the retelling of the stories of the women of the Bible. In talking about the story of Ruth, she tells us that the Hebrew word that opens the story, wayehi, is translated as, "In the days," or "And it came to pass." She says that this Hebrew word actually embodies so much more to those original Hebrew listeners. When they heard the word, wayehi , they would lean in eagerly so as not to miss a word, because it literally meant, "Trouble is on the horizon but redemption is coming."  

Trouble is on the horizon but redemption is coming! Isn't that just the essence of a really good story?  We want to hear what that trouble will be and we can endure the telling because we know that redemption is coming…things will be set right once again, by something or someone! And because we know there is something good to come of the bad, we eagerly lean in to hear the tale…the story.

STORY…what comes to your mind when you hear the word? Do you love a certain kind of story because it represents your own 'happily ever after'?  

I hope you'll come back to visit next week as I continue to delve into this word…this concept…to hear, as Paul Harvey would say, the rest of the story. 

Come back and be ready to lean in! {Story part 2…Redeemables}

..."The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim. ~Romans 10:8

 If you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy one I wrote in the topic of Story for a Five Minute Friday post here: Five Minute Friday: Story, or as Paul Harvey would say, "the rest of the story…" 

Or here:   Hope Awaits: A Story Yet To Be Unfold

Healed or Walking Dead? Choose Now...

This week is the last in a series of link-ups with Jo Ann Fore's book study, When A Woman Finds Her Voice. It has been a privilege to walk in this community of voice bloggers. To join in with other women who are learning to walk, healed and whole, into the fullness of redemption and restoration that God has for each one of us.  It is the light that leads the way home to a lost and hurting world.

  It isn't a trivial journey, this healing. This restoration, this redemption, is a biblical mandate…a life principle to be worked out, and shared with others. We redeem the hurts of life when we allow them to come full circle, when we pour into the lives of others. ~Jo Ann Fore,When A Women Finds Her Voice.

With these words in mind, let me caution you. You cannot fast-forward past the process of healing into the sharing and comforting of others. When you do…you end up not sharing words of hope and comfort, but words of pain and bitterness. The cacophony of the pain and bitterness of your story all but drown out any of the words that are meant to point to the light of hope and healing. Too many come together to talk about their painful past only to find themselves commiserating in their stories of pain and misery. You cannot reach out to give hope and comfort when you, yourself, have not received that comfort.

The Walking Dead...

I believe there are too many women walking around with soul wounds…gaping, bleeding, ugly wounds.  I have this picture running through my head of the ghouls on the show, the Walking Dead. I know that sounds extreme but let me tell you what I mean.

Sometimes the wounds we carry are caused by others, sometimes by life's circumstances, or they may have been self-inflicted. In any case, they are an indication of this fallen world in which we live.

Having an open wound requires all of our focus and attention to remain on ourselves. We spend the majority of our time and efforts tending to the wound. If the right salve is not applied we begin to look like the 'Walking Dead'…stuffing our emotions down, becoming lifeless. There is no 'inner light' left for others to see. We begin to think that no one should be exposed to the ugliness of our wounds, and so we withdraw deeper into our own world. But we don't become hermits because, as they say...life goes on.

But our voices become wilted…melting...silencing the emotional pain.

We go on about the tasks of our daily lives in a 'Stepford Wives' sort of existence, saying and doing all the right things. All the while, our true self longs to be heard, longs to call out to someone who will listen and apply the needed salve to our wounded spirit.

The enemy of your soul wants you to be a member of the walking wounded. He wants you to believe that there is no way out…no answer…that it is so much easier to remain in your present state than to move forward.

Scars...a sign of healing

It is difficult, if not impossible, to move forward in our God-given purpose, if we do not first address the wounds of our spirit. You see it is not the open wounds that propel us forward, but wounds that are healing and healed...leaving the scar.  Scars are an indication that healing has taken place.  We first need to address the open wound, the brokenness, if we are to be emotionally whole again.

As the healing begins to take place, it is the scars that we use to propel us forward. The scars that enable us to say, ''See,  I have been there, but now... I'm healed." The scars that allow us to point to the healer and redeemer, Jesus Christ. We can now say as Joseph did in Genesis 50:20...

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

If you are one of the walking wounded, I cannot 'fix' you. Only God, through His Son and the power of the Holy Spirit in your life, can do that.  But…I can come alongside you and encourage you. I can point to the hope that is within me…to the One who fixed me. I am not perfect. I still mess up, stumble, fall, sin…but I am redeemed! He is in the process of restoring me to the woman he created me to be…to walk out His purpose in my life. How very thankful I am for my Lord and Savior, who is my righteousness.  He is yours too!

The salve...God's Word                                                                                                       

Walk away from the lies of the enemy of your soul, the one who would have you remain in the pain of deep wounded-ness. Walk toward the truth of the Word of God, into the loving, faithful and healing arms of Jesus.  It's time to replace the lies of the enemy with the truth of God's Word (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Your story, wrapped in God, around His word, and what He has done in your life will safely lead women home. ~Jo Ann Fore

It's a process. A journey we must walk. Let the journey begin. Move into your calling as one healed to be a healer. We become over-comers when we use the words of our testimony.

They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.  ~Revelation 12:11                 ~   

  Find your voice!

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. ~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-4


 This is the last link-up for Find Your Voice, Make a Difference.