Bible Reading Challenge

For the past 21 days I've been following a plan for reading my bible through in 3 months.  The idea was introduced to me by my mom.  Ever since I started the challenge I've been hooked and cannot wait to reach my goal. 

My mom shared with me a seminar taught by a woman named Judy Reamer called "Divide and Conquer".  She presented a method which was taught to her by Philip Green; a man who read the bible 15,000 times through in his lifetime!  You can find this method here, but in a nutshell, the plan I'm following is reading 15 pages a day.  The method she recommends is actually dividing up a jumbo print bible into 4 equal sections, which would all equal the size of the New Testament.  There are instructions on how to do that here but I chose not to do this method.  She explains how to remove the cover, cut the sections and rebind each section with a manilla folder.  The idea behind this is that the entire bible doesn't look like such a daunting task---before you know it you're halfway through each "book" and therefore you might be more apt to finish the "book" if you see the progress you're making.

As I mentioned, I decided not to use this method because it would mean I'd be buying another bible (I have so many) that I would end up cutting up. So, I'm using my regular print bible. (*Side note: if you go to her website you can actually order them already divided and rebound for you and even buy them as a gift set for someone).  She brings up in her seminar that not everyone is comfortable with cutting up a bible, and that's ok.  Only do what you're comfortable with.  The point of the matter is getting people to read their bible. So many times we start out our BREAD charts at the beginning of the year and just end up fizzling out of the routine (at least this is the way it is for me...).

A couple of suggestions: 1). Read at the same time every day.  This has helped me a lot to establish the habit.  A lot of days I get busy and before I know it I've forgotten my bible reading.  This is how I got in the habit of reading at night.  I have my bible sitting right on my bedstand- which serves as a reminder each night as I'm getting ready for bed. 2). Read at a fast pace.  Not speed reading, but quickly.  This isn't meant to be your bible study time (that's reserved for a different time when you can slow down, reflect and take notes).  This is just strictly reading time.  3). Start in the New Testament.  I chose to do this simply because I've read Genesis 4 million times in the past! Ok, slight exaggeration. 

My goal isn't just to be able to say "I read my bible in 3 months" or "X amount of times" but to get the Word of God in me. If you can commit to reading the bible in 3 months, than that would be 4 times in a year. By the time you've read the bible through just a few times, she says you'll be amazed by how much you've retained: it will affect the way you think, feel, act, etc.

If 15 pages is too much to commit to there are other schedules to follow with 5 or 10 pages a day, completing the bible in 6 months to a year.  Of course, the time frame listed is going by a jumbo sized bible- so if you're using a regular sized print you will finish sooner, or you can read less pages.  I plan to implement the 5 page a day schedule for our homeschool bible reading. 

It's been exciting for me, and each time I go to church something I've just read about is mentioned or taught on and a thrill runs through me. I know it's God's way of *winking* at me.