bible study

Hi there~
many months ago, nearly a year, Robin from RAVEN Amarillo prayed for me that I would get into the word~
that I wouldn't be afraid of it and that it would just seep into me~
praise GOD it has!
I want to thank my husband, Rudy for praying for me that I would be able to have time in it daily and that
it would just leap off the pages and pierce my heart that I would understand it!
I want to thank Pastor Troy too for praying for me last Oct~

I didn't really know when I started reading it that I would get that far nor did I know where to begin so
I started w/ the Donaghys kids names... Samuel, Josiah, Hez, Obadiah, Malachai... oops, sorry Jimmy...
I forgot to go to James... couldn't find a book called JIMMY!!!!
then moved to the gospels...
then the old testament (the rest of it almost...) and then to the new testament...
I'm not quite finished but almost.
I love the King James version but have been reading a lot of the NIV and the message on biblegateway.
For mother's day Rudy bought me a timeline which is a GREAT thing to have to help
reference as you read along...and a new "quest" bible which has a lot of GREAT
questions and answers in the margins.
I highlight the book in the table of contents in my king james one (the brown and pink one)
as i finish a book... then i move on.
Right now I'm in Acts.... WOW!

A couple weeks ago I got to give a message in Apple Valley to encourage other women to open their bibles.
To read it.
To start with the gospels since it's an easy place to start (most are catholic and/or have been raised catholic)
and to not be afraid of it.
I told them it's the best book to help guide me in my marriage and as a mother.
I felt badly after as I wonder how many of the women i spoke to know how to read... or have access to the word
in their native language?
yes, we've handed out a lot of bibles... but i don't know how many of them can read?
i say this because after taking many to doctors appts i've noticed that many can't write or read forms...
so it makes me heartsick to think of how many of us have the ability to read yet still decide not to read.
hmm..

Anyhow, on Wed nights our family does a family/bible study dinner and we go over scriptures together and usually have some sort of
"teaching." We try to listen to the kids throughout the week and then ask GOD to reveal some scriptures to help guide them.
It may sound bad, but we are a pretty busy family w/ ministry, work, sports and music and all sorts of school things, so Wed is pretty much the only night we get to be "alone" together for sure... so we've sort of designated it family night. Yes, we eat together as often as possible around the table, but Wed is usually a little longer w/ the word.

At least 5-6 times a week Rudy and I spend the early mornings reading separately but together (as in different passages).
We then get to talk about what we're reading and he helps answer a lot of my questions or comments...
we usually go to starbucks or sit outside or in our kitchen when we're reading.

On the other days, we read it alone as our schedule doesn't seem to give us that time alone to get into the word (Sundays)
but everyday we do get into it.

Pastor Troy has a saying, get into God's word and God's word will get into you!
Amen.

Is this the first time I've read the bible?
No.
I HAD to read it freshman year at my catholic high school for a test.
I read it at womens studies and home groups... and in churches...
But most often it was alongside a popular study or popular book of the month... or during a sermon... or a daily devotional...
Just snippets of it here and there... with someone leading it or discussing it.
All good things, but I really challenge everyone out there to just start reading it on your own.
Get into it on your own and read and read and read.
Sure, have time to talk about it with your spouse and your children and your friends~
But try and make it THE book you read rather than all the other books out there.
Read it before you read your email.
Read it before you read the newspaper.
Read it before you read the latest best seller or the tabloids (yes, people magazine counts as a tabloid).
Just keep it with you.
I've found that if i leave 15 minutes earlier to pick up the girls from school then there's less traffic on my route
and I get almost 30 minutes to read in the car before they get there. That adds up to actually a few hours
each week on top of all the other times spent at our morning study.
Also, don't be afraid of it.
God's word is meant for us...
It's not difficult...
It's relevant to today...
It's helpful...
It's encouraging...
It's solid.

I appreciate all of you for praying for me and I will be praying for you too, that you will get into the bible~
and that it will be so exciting to read you won't want to stop!
I have just a few books to go before I've read the whole book cover to cover...
I'm excited to share it with others.
I ask for all of you to seek God's direction on how you too can start reading it everyday... not just
snippets... but all of it.
The popular studies out there are good, but after doing those for so many years I've found that nothing compares
to just alone time reading it and having God reveal to me personally the word. I'm more focused on the LORD
than on getting my "bible homework" done.