2011 Goal

I love new beginnings.  I love new starts.  I'm a Monday morning dieter.  I love to dream about plans and the way I'm going to succeed at something.  Only problem is that I'm not real good at walking out my starts and dreams.


A friend told me awhile ago that someone told her (in regards to people trying to loose weight) "Don't tell me you're going to loose the weight, just do it!"  That stuck with me.  Probably because I am good at big talk.  One of the things that bugs me most about myself is my ablitly to say I'm going to do something, but my lack of ability  drive or disciple to walk out my great plans.


Last January God was convicting me of my time management.  I complain a lot about not having the time to do what I want to do.  He brought to mind things like, facebook, a zillion friends blogs, a good book, movies ect.  He wasn't telling me to delete those things from my life, just reminding me that I had time for them.


Back way up to 1998 when my brother gave me a One Year Bible for Christmas.  Something I had requested for Christmas.  I jumped right in and started reading.  So impressed that I was actually going to read through the Bible and dreaming of how it would feel to finish it.  And may I add probably proud of myself for being so spiritual and all.  Well come long July and all my great intentions weren't enough and I just gave up.  


Fast forward to 2011.  God was speaking to me about my time.  I had used the excuse in the past that I am a young mother with small children and making time to read through the Bible was just too much for me at this stage.  I thought that was a pretty good excuse.  Then He quietly reminded me ...facebook, blogs, foodnetwork.com and on and on...


So on January 7, 2011, my 33 birthday, I took the dive again.  This time however not many people knew I was attempting to read through the Bible.  I told a few friends how were also reading through the Bible.  


Yesterday, January 6, 2012 I read the last words.  I was sitting on the couch in my lovely soft red bath robe (a gift from my husband -I should do a whole post on that thing!) I read the last words.  I stopped, I waited, half expecting a group of Heavenly beings to fill my living room with thunderous applause and tell me what a wonderfully deep, spiritual woman I had become in the last year. (ok, not really, but doesn't that sound nice?) Nope, nothing happened.  However it did feel good to know that I had actually accomplished something that I set out to do.


Here are a few thoughts on reading through the Bible in a year:


Pros:
1. God's word is living and active and does not return empty. Even though I was often a day or a month behind in my reading I was amazed at how the Word would still speak to what I was dealing with that exact day.  
2. I like to get up before the rest of my family, at least the kids, and have my quiet time.  I found that while reading through the Bible it was easier to get up because I knew exactly what I was going to do as soon as I got up.  Well, right after turning on the coffee pot.  
3. There are some crazy, amazing stories in the Bible that I had forgotten about or maybe never knew where in there. 
4. Many more that I can't think of right now 


Cons:
1.  Reading through the Bible in a year is a goal, but it comes with a time limit.  There were days when I would read something and wondered what it meant but because of trying to push though I didn't take the time to look deeper.
2.  Along the same lines, there were times when the Holy Spirit really spoke to me, but again I didn't always take the time to journal.  Both of these could have been taken care of if I had given myself more time in the day...
3.  I hate to admit this, but there were days when I got to the end and I couldn't remember what I had read. 




Now What:  Any suggestions?  I've decided not to read though again this year, but I still want to keep reading and I also want to read some good "meat" books.  I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed at the options.