Writing through the Bible

Back in February I accepted a challenge to write out scriptures each day of the month that had to do with Love. The link is here. It was life changing. Now, I will say that I enjoy writing. Not just writing as in coming up with words, but writing as in hand writing things. Most of time it is much more practical to type (which I also enjoy) but when I took this challenge, it really made me think.

I have been reading the Bible for my entire life. Although I have never managed to read it from front to back, I am sure that I have read the entire Bible in some order. However, I have often read entire chapters without really stopping to think about what I had read. So, when I had to write out each word of these scriptures, it really gave me time to think and mull over each word that God gives to us. I was able to really pray and think about each word.

So I made a decision. I started in Genesis a few weeks ago and will continue as long as it takes to write out the entire Bible. Yes, I know this sounds crazy and I anticipate it taking several years. But I can only imagine how valuable it will be for me.

Today I am in Genesis 11 and I can already see a huge difference in how I am able to think about and pray about these chapters that I have read so many times in my life.

I don't have a real purpose in writing this other than to hold myself accountable to it. Maybe every once in a while I will share something I have thought about differently or something the Lord is teaching me. For now though, maybe it's just to challenge you to come up with a way to read the Bible in  way that will change your heart. A way that will open your eyes to new things and let Him change you through it.

Have a blessed day!

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To be Disciplined

As I have been reading everyones hopes and resolutions for 2016, I have been asking the Lord to show me what He wants me to focus on this year.

I don't really do resolutions. For me, resolutions have always been something that I started January 1st and by the middle of January, I failed.

I don't want a resolution. I want a focus.

So, as I prayed, and thought, and thought, and prayed a little more, it came to me.

Discipline.

It is something I have truly lacked in my life, despite my deisre to be a disciplined person. Hence, my resolutions always failing, ha ha.

I have always admired when others were able to really stick to their goals, sometimes, seemingly wtihout it even being hard for them. (Though, I know that is likely not true.)

I have great ideas. Purposes for doing things. I am a fantastic list maker. I can look around my house and tell you exactly what needs to be done and how to do it. This quote really says how I feel.

I have the dream....just not the discipline.

First and foremost, I want to be disciplined in not only my household "duties" but in my spiritual walk with God. With my kids. With homeschooling. With exercising. With loving people around me. With following through on what I know needs to get done.

Funny story: Last week, I was praying for my two oldest girls at their bedtime. I prayed something about helping us to be more disciplined. The next night, as I was driving Keira, my  seven (and-a-half) year old home from dance class, she says, "Mom, why did you pray last night that we would be punished?" It took me a minute to figure out what she meant and then I just laughed out loud.  It was a bit hard to explain.

But, isnt' it so true that discipline is really what keeps us from needing "punishment"? Even as adults. I truly don't believe that God punishes us. I definitely feel that anything bad in our life comes from Satan himself, but we do get "punished" by our own consequences when we are not disciplined in certain areas of our life.

Discpline....so important.

I can't fail at this by mid January because this is a focus. It's not a diet. It's not a program. I hope for it to be the focus of my life this year and the rest of my life!

What's your "thing" this year?

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