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The Bucket List |
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When I pulled it up to look at it, I can only find one new thing that I've done. I made my own Yogurt, but I haven't kept it up at all. Just that one time.
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Other items, like improving my garden and adding more veggies to our family's diet, are on-going, but not anything I'd call accomplished.
Some things I'd completely forgotten writing down. Adding daily devotions and Bible reading to my life was not one of those. I've thought of this goal often, and started in several different ways. I tried reading the Bible from the beginning. I tried reading in various places. I've tried searching out verses in books I knew, but hadn't studied thoroughly yet.
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A combination of things led me to my latest attempt, which I think, is actually going to work for me. As Christians, at least, we go through life hearing certain stories and verses over and over again, until we think we know pretty much all that's in the Bible... Over time, though, I heard bits and pieces of stories and new verses of which I'd been unaware. I was realizing that by hearing only the main stories and themes related in sermons and children's Bibles, I've been missing out.
I also realized that I was often struggling with my Bible reading, even with the New International Version
In researching to add a NLT (New Living Translation) Bible to our library, and hopefully, my daily reading, I found 2 whose descriptions and reviews interested me. The first was the NLT Life Application Study Bible
The other I found highly recommended, including by a non-Christian reviewer who was trying to investigate the Bible and Christianity for himself, was The One Year Bible NLT
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I ordered both. I was completely excited about the Life Application Bible, and dubious about the One Year Bible, but I'd found it used, so for a great price.
The One Year Bible arrived first. I think that with prior Bible reading I had a tendency to read too much at a time; to bite off more than I could chew. I've been finding these Bible readings to be VERY clear and in daily, digestible chunks. The fact that every day has a reading from the Old Testament, a reading from the New Testament, a reading from the Psalms, and one from Proverbs is not at all confusing. I find that it gives me a chance to consider just enough of each to get the point. I find, also, that I'm reading each and every verse, rather than skimming to get more read. I have found verses that take me to the computer to do my own research on their meaning or history. I'm learning a lot, and it's interesting and fun.
The Life Application Bible arrived after I'd been reading the One Year Bible for over a week. It's OK, and will serve as another reference or study tool when I get to a verse I don't understand or about which I wish to know more. But now I'm very happy to have been led to the One Year Bible. I miss a day of reading here and there. But ignoring the date format, I just pick up where I left off, and read only one day at a time, not feeling any need to rush and catch up. It's much better that way.