Monday, January 24, 2011

Bible in 90 Days fourth week check-in with Mom's Toolbox

MomsToolbox

January 24, 2011

Again, I got a couple of days behind.

But I am still reading.

My plan is to make every effort to read at least 12 pages each day, but to really try to catch up by check in next week. That means I need to read the 12 pages a day, plus an additional 3 and a half pages. If I get a big chunk of time, I will read.

I am also doing a Bible study (BSF), so I am trying to keep up with that, too.

I don’t have a current blog post because I don’t feel like I have time to do that.

My husband is out of town this week, so that will add some challenges to my day.

If I stay on track (whether I make up the lost readings or not–if I do not get further behind) then I will know it is God’s doing! Is anything impossible for Him? No!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

One Thousand Gifts ... a video and a book


Figuring Life Out - One Thousand Gifts from Jacob Forrest on Vimeo.

I don't have the book in hand yet, but will get it on Thursday.

I really look forward to reading it.

And...

I am so happy it is doing so well! 

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Bible in 90 Days third week check-in with Mom's Toolbox

MomsToolbox

January 18, 2011

I am almost caught up! I only need to read four pages to finish today’s selection.

I was behind for four or five days. The prayers for the lost several days ago really helped me because I was starting to tell myself that I was too busy to do this; see, already behind and only second week and so on. But my attitude changed and I know it was the prayers!

Also, someone said she got caught up by reading every spare moment for several days. That comment was inspiration for me!

Amy said:

For those who are finding the time, what are you cutting? How have you shifted your schedule? Please let us know in the comments so others can learn from your ideas.

I was planning to cut out reading the newspaper, but found myself reading it the last few days. It is better if I don’t, or only skim it.

I have given up my fiction reading.

I had thought about committing to a full hour of prayer toward the end of last year, but decided that I couldn’t do that and this reading. I am still praying, but for about 15 minutes a day, plus spontaneous prayers throughout the day and prayers while reading.

I am wanting to memorize scripture and hope to memorize two scriptures a month, but it is a lower priority than the reading. Eventually, I would like to memorize more than that!

There are two other things that I am cutting out, but I didn’t really plan to….

Putting up the Christmas decorations. Can you believe that they are still out! Tomorrow!

Housework. I’m doing some but not all that I want. I’m going to work on that one, too.

I mentioned my headaches in my last post and they are better. Thanks for the prayers. I also decided to see a chiropractor and that seems to be helping. I’ve suffered off and on for over 35 years.

Sorry, I wrote a blog post rather than a comment. Going to read now so I can finish those pages before midnight. :-)

Friday, January 14, 2011

The Practice of a Making a Habit



If you haven't read this post from Ann Voskamp at A Holy Experience, you should!

Forming habits does not come easy for me. I need to not be a perfectionist and give up as soon as I deviate from what I wanted to do. I also have to not get smug about what I can accomplish and set out to do too much. And the sin I see in both of these? Pride. I keep seeing the sin of pride in my life.

Today I read Numbers 12:3 that, "Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.".

Back to habits.... Because I fail so often, I just keep trying.

I've tried a number of record-keeping forms, but they haven't really worked well because I don't use them consistently. In trying to form a habit, adding the record keeping of the habit just makes it tad more difficult for me. (I really am a baby in this, despite my 55 years!)

Oh, I have also learned that condemnation doesn't really help. If I start telling myself how bad I am or how much I messed up, it just begins a slide into self-loathing. Guess who pays for that? I do, usually by expressing anger inappropriately (to the ones I love the most) and with a splitting headache. And my family pays. The ones I love the most.

If I (or the enemy) keep me either prideful or self-loathing, I do not get to experience God's forgiveness, the love of Jesus and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

So, for me, the practice of making a habit, is just that. I practice and I keep practicing and I keep practicing and very slowly (so slowly that I do not see it), the thing becomes a little easier to do and I notice when I have missed it.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Bible in 90 Days second week check-in with Mom's Toolbox

MomsToolbox

January 11, 2011
Sorry I didn’t check in yesterday. I’ve lost some time due to headaches over the last four days.

I’m checking in on day 9 and I am behind one day; that is, I need to read day 8 and day 9′s readings. (Clarifying for myself!)

I managed to stay on track or ahead until Sunday. Then somehow my bookmark and tiny post-it note (with an arrow on it pointing to the next reading) didn’t get moved up to the right spot. I started reading and thought it seemed familiar. After a short while, I was certain I had already read the passage, but I had no idea where I should be, so I just kept going. I needed to read that passage twice for some reason, including the possibility of not getting too proud for being ahead!

Okay, I just read the recent comments…. (funny that I felt the need to do that at this point in my own post)
….and realize that maybe I didn’t lose my place after all. Goodness, I am glad I didn’t skip ahead!

This is hard — reading twelve pages of the Bible attentively. But so worth it!

I’m blogging about it a little, too.

Now, to go and read so that I can get caught up! Reading Leviticus 1 through 26 (and since Leviticus only has 27 chapters, I may just try to read it all today!).

Hey, about Job:

The Bible’s section titles often say who is talking. I’m not always in the habit of reading those or if I do, I kind of skim over them. But I heard about the idea of highlighting the the names of the speakers different colors in Song of Solomon and it really was helpful. “Beloved” was pink and “Lover” was blue. I didn’t highlight “Friends” but could have. It helped me really notice when the speaker changed. I may do this with this Bible and with Job, too.

(I just highlighted the name. It would take too long to highlight the whole section of what they said.)

Praying those of us who are behind, get caught up and those who are on track, stay on track!

Monday, January 10, 2011

1000 gifts list



... father and son who get along like two peas in a pod...

... the insight that I cannot make them care about what I think they should care about.

... and the freedom to stop trying...

... remembering how much I love my kids. I'd forgotten. How could that be?

Friday, January 7, 2011

Bible in 90 Days

Two things.

1. I think I am reading as Bible study, instead of as a story. I have to turn off that inner voice that is encouraging me to compare, contrast, remember, understand. Not completely, of course, but I need to read as a story trusting that what I need to notice will be made obvious. It is taking too long the other way.

2. In order to find the time to read for 45 minutes to an hour a day, I need to drop some things. Want to know what those things are? Here are some of the things I am considering:
  • I will not read the newspaper, except to skim the food section and gardening section (each runs one days a week). 
  • I will not read the latest book from Jan Karon about Father Tim. It is waiting for me at the library, but I am going to release my hold. (I put that hold on in October! That is how many people want to read the book!) I will probably go ahead and request it again fairly quickly so I won't have to wait too long to get it after I finish the Bible in 90 Days.
  • Israel, My Beloved is a book by Kay Arthur. I am about half-way through it, but I am setting it aside for now. 
  • I will be diligent about time spent on the computer. That is, diligent about not wasting time on the computer!
  • My prayer time will be shortened. My prayer plan is to pray the morning office from Phyllis Tickle's book, plus one prayer from a Stormie Omartian book and then other prayers offered up as I go through my day.

Bible in 90 Days: Days 2 and 3

I started reading on Monday when the challenge started, but I started just after midnight on Monday. My daughter wanted to visit a friend that lives several hours away, so I agreed to drive her about two-thirds of the way there on Sunday. We met the friend and her mom at a Dairy Queen.

Anyway, this driving was happening in the evening and I needed some caffeine to stay awake for the driving-home-alone portion of the trip.

I decided that I would read if I was awake after midnight and I was so I did.

Then later that day, I read more because I have decided that anytime I can get ahead, I should.

So I am one day ahead....

...except that it is after midnight on Friday morning and I have not yet done Thursday's reading. I have done some of it, but I really hope to finish before I get to bed.

Day 2 was finished up on Monday.

Day 3 was read on Tuesday. Day 4 was read on Wednesday and Genesis was finished! All the way from Creation to Joseph in Egypt.

Day 5 is Exodus and we go from the Israelites being in Egypt as guests and Joseph as second in command in Egypt to the Israelites being slaves. Joseph was raised as an Israelite and then lived as an adult in Egyptian culture. Moses was raised as an Egyptian and then lived as an adult in Hebrew culture. (Although Moses was nursed by his mother, probably until he was around three years old. I have heard it suggested that his mother took that opportunity to teach him about God and I think this probably did happen.)

Monday, January 3, 2011

Bible in 90 Days first week check-in with Mom's Toolbox

MomsToolbox


Hi, Group 29! My name is Leah and I am looking forward to this project, but also feeling wary because I know how easy it is for me to get behind in something like this.


I am married and a SAHM to three teens (ages 16, 14 and 12).

Very grateful to Kendra for mentoring us and praying for us. I like Sue’s idea of praying for the whole group to finish and grow and so I will do that too, as much as I can.

I have a blog that is mainly dormant, but I may blog about this regularly. I don’t do twitter.

Bible in 90 Days: Day 1

(Just a note: I cannot decide about blogging. If it is something I want to continue or if I am ready to go officially silent. But I think I will write about reading the Bible in 90 days.)

Day 1 takes us from Creation all the way to Abram. So many of the familiar stories in these 12 pages: Creation, Adam and Eve; Cain and Abel,Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Jepheth, Tower of Babel. Abram and his wife Sarai and nephew Lot, Hagar and Ishmael.

Verse that stopped me and made me think: Genesis 4:6-7. Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?  If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

A verse I love: Genesis 15: 6. Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.