I Did It!

By God's grace, I was able to successfully complete the 6-month Bible reading challenge hosted by Kaylene. This is my first time reading through the entire Bible and it's been such a blessing to read through the Scriptures and discover the precious pearls God has tucked inside for our encouragement and instruction! As I read through Scripture and learned about the lives of sincere Christians who followed Christ regardless of the trials that they went through, I was inspired to continue obeying God and listen to His will for my life. From Genesis to Revelation and everything in between, I've been simply humbled by all the things that God has done for us. Reading through the Bible has helped me appreciate the Scriptures more and encouraged me to read it more often than I did before.

Ironically as I was working to finish the challenge, I also read through Project Pearl by Brother David. The book tells the story of how God provided 1 million Bibles for the persecuted Christians of China. As I read about the trials that these believers had to endure to simply read the Scriptures, as deeper appreciation for God's Word has grown in me and I am thankful for the Bible more than ever before! After the daring mission to bring in 1 million Bibles on a ship was successfully completed, stories and testimonies from Chinese Christians who received the Scriptures made their way to the missionaries who organized the operation. The letters tell of the joy and appreciation these believers experienced when they got their own copy of the Scriptures. Here are just a few excerpts from the testimonies included in the book:

"Thanks to the special grace of the Lord, the food of life you have brought to us has made our hungry hearts full. We received your precious gifts, and embraced them for a long time, not wanting to put them down. Thanks to the grace of our Lord and your loving work, our tears are gushing forth, and we dance and sing Hallelujah!"


"The Light of truth is shining inside China again. The Bible is the store house of truth, the true description of life, the only way to see God, the living testimony of Christ, the source of living water, the mirror that reflects people's hearts, the sword of the Spirit, the bread of life, the standard for our faith, the heavenly law, the lamp unto our feet and the light unto our path, and the way that leads us home to heaven."


"Before when I wanted to read the Bible, I had to walk more than 100 miles to borrow it. Then I had to return it within a short time. Now, after one million copies have been delivered, we obtained some from a sister in Guangzhou, and tens of thousands of hungry sheep have been fed and nourished through God's Word."


These testimonies touched my heart and it is truly amazing to think about how much these precious believers appreciated receiving God's Word after waiting for so long. Sadly, there are still thousands of people today who are still waiting to receive the Scriptures. I encourage you to join me in prayer for these believers that they will be able to get a copy of the Bible so they can learn more about Christ. I would also like to encourage you to check out how you can get involved with Open Door's ministry. They work directly with these persecuted Christians and your support will help them provide copies of God's Word to those who need it.

Reading through the Bible in six months was an inspiring challenge and it is my hope that you will be encouraged to read through the Bible on your own --there are countless treasures waiting for you there!

Blessings!

Halfway There!

Photo from Google Images

The end of last month marked the halfway point for the challenge to read the Bible in six months. I must admit that I fell behind quite a bit a few weeks ago. I could blame a host of excuses such as a broken arm, getting up too late, daylight saving time, and so much more. But those are just excuses. So these past few weeks, I've been working on catching up. This challenge has highlighted to me the importance of setting aside time to read and study the Scriptures. It's so easy to get sidetracked or distracted, and set aside God's Word to do something else that seems important or urgent. But the psalmist says, "I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word." 

After lots of time put towards catching up, I'm only a week behind and just about halfway finished. I've been gaining blessings as I continue with this challenge. One special treat was when I received a new Bible as a gift from a youth ministry for joining their memorization challenge. This new Bible has my name inscribed on the cover and encourages me to dig deep into the Bible and search out the treasures stored there. Another blessing I've received as a result of joining this challenge, is being able to read the Bible from cover to cover chronologically. While I've read most of the Bible stories, it's been helpful to read through the events in the Bible in the order that they actually took place. For example, I read in the book of Samuel about David being pursued by King Saul. Then the Bible reading plan directs me to a psalm that David wrote during these trials. This adds context and meaning to the Psalms and makes for a well-rounded experience.

Even if you aren't a part of this challenge, I encourage you to set aside time to read God's Word. It's so easy to get distracted, but if you form the habit of reading regularly, it'll become easier. 

What is your favorite time of day to read the Scriptures? What do you enjoy most about your time in the Bible? Please leave a comment and let me know!

Bible Reading Progress

Thank you all for praying for me and my family! The cold wasn't too bad, I was sick the rest of the afternoon and a good part of Friday but felt much better this morning. Leah caught it too, and Mom and Dad feel "under the weather" today but they should feel better soon!

This weekend, I've been spending time catching up on the Bible reading I wasn't able to do while I was sick. Because we need to read about seven chapters a day to keep up with the challenge, it's quite easy to fall behind.  I only skipped a few evenings but had to spend a considerable amount of time getting caught up this morning. Now I'm a quarter (or 25%) finished reading the Scriptures! It's truly been a blessing to be a part of Kaylene's Bible reading challenge.

Hope you all are having a blessed day and have an enjoyable weekend!

Blessings,

Eden-May

Matthew 5:44 Challenge

I've been working hard on two challenges that I started on Jan. 1st. The first one is to read through the Bible in six months. The other challenge is to memorize Colossians 3 in twenty-five days with Living the Journey.  Both take a considerable amount of time.  I have to read an average of seven chapters per day to keep up with the Bible reading program. And it does take some time to memorize one verse every day while keeping in memory the previous verses you've completed. Then just yesterday, Jenna encouraged us to join her in the Matthew 5:44 Challenge! It's a really good one that I couldn't imagine missing out on so I've added that to my list of commitments. :-)

Here's how I'm keeping track off these challenges: First, I got a folder in my favorite color: red. Next, I printed off the Bible reading plan, Colossians chapter 3, and a couple of sheets of loose notebook paper. I also added several index cards which I've found handy when memorizing verses on a regular basis. I place the folder by my bedside so first thing when I wake up, and just before I go to sleep I can work on my commitments.  Each morning, I write out my memorization verse for that day on an index card, then I add the Bible passages I'm supposed to read that morning & evening.  I slip the index card into my Bible to keep that information handy.  To further help me in the study of God's Word, I also keep a list of the Bible verses I read that speak to me personally. Then once I'm finished my Bible reading, I can go back and study further.

So, I've definitely made progress!  Right now, I'm more than halfway through the book of Job and a mere 3% finished the reading plan. I've successfully memorized four verses of Colossians 3 and am working on verse five.

I'll be starting Jenna's challenge today by writing out Matthew 5:44 and hanging it up in our bedroom! If it turns out good, I'll photograph it and post it on our blog.

Please consider joining Jenna in the Matthew 5:44 Challenge and keep us updated by commenting on her blog or writing about it on yours.

Blessings,

The Challenge Begins Tomorrow!

Okay, so I've decided to read the Bible chronologically using Blue Letter Bible's chronological reading plan. The plan is designed for a 12-month period, so I'll have to double the amount of chapters read each day.

I also found this article helpful as it explains how to modify a reading plan to the time frame that you choose: Customizing A Bible Reading Plan

My sister Sara has joined me on the challenge so we are looking forward to doing it together!

May God richly bless you and your family in this new year!

Blessings,

Reading the Bible in 6 Months

A few days ago, I came across Kaylene's blog: Face Value.  She has started a wonderful challenge: to read the Bible in 6 months.  I've always wanted to read through the Bible, and this is a good opportunity. We'll start January 1st and finish at the end of June.  I haven't settled on a reading plan as yet (e.g. chronological, blended, Old & New combined etc.) but hope to have it all worked out soon. I'll have to read about seven chapters a day which shouldn't take more than 30 minutes.  I'm sure it'll be challenging at times but the rewards are priceless.

I'll keep you updated on my progress and hope you can join us too.

Blessings,

I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word. Psalms 119:16