My Plan/Tips For Reading Through The Bible

Reading through the Bible is something I always put on my goal list and it's one of the things that never get crossed off. Now I have personally read a little more than 3/4 of the Bible. And boy how I can't count how many times I've read Genesis - Leviticus trying to do Bible Reading Plans.

My main downfall with reading through the Bible - All plans I've previously found require either you read a section of scripture, one verse from psalms, and one verse from proverbs or you read a chapter from the old testament, a chapter from the new testament and a psalm. In my opinion psalms and proverbs are very deep. So I wouldn't want to read them at the same time I read my main portion of Scripture. Well, I could just never fit in that second reading time, I would get behind on reading my psalms and proverbs and eventually give up altogether.

• Well NOT This Year!!! I am claiming that I will read through the Bible!! Using lessons learned from my past failures I did not give up until I found this site with a Bible reading plan that I knew would fit me. I'm using the plan Through the Bible. I am confident that this plan will work for me. After I printed out my plan, I decided a few things.

• I must read it in the morning. It only works this way for me. I have to get up at least 15 minutes before the kids do, that's all I need. I have actually woken up early a few times, did my reading and went back to sleep until the kids got up! ... hey I was sick! :D

• I have the Bible on my kindle. So that should I wake up at the same time the boys do, I can play daily reading in the text to speech format while making breakfast. Making breakfast is usually a quiet time for me.

• I have my audio Bible cds in my car. So that if we wake up and are on the run, I can pop it in the car and listen to my daily reading! I know it will work if necessary because it's only a few chapters I have to listen to before demands of the radio are being made. :)

This way every area is covered. No matter what the morning brings I should be able to flow with it!! And I love that! I'm prepared.

29 Books to Read in 2012

I love books! I always have! I was a very young 4 when I learned how to read and so I don't remember learning to read! I just always have! I remember my mom reading to me every night. I remember all the magazines my mom would order me because she knew I would read them. I would read my magazines cover to cover, devouring and savoring every article ... and smell. :P yeah, total book nerd here. and newspaper day was my favorite day in class. I recall looking forward to every Friday, not because it was before the weekend but because it was newspaper day! LoL. I loved the feel and smell, it seemed almost perfect. ... maybe I have issues Ha! Ha!

I would sooo love for this picture to become a reality in my house! minus the small dog... I would need a greyhound or great dane in the picture :D

Here are the 29 books I plan to read in 2012:

1. Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst
2. Learning by Karen Kingsbury
3. How to Maximize Your Child's Learning Ability by Lauren Bradway & Barbara Hill
4. Longing by Karen Kingsbury
5. The Green Smoothies Diet by Robin Openshaw
6. Louder Than Words by Jenny McCarthy
7. Home Warming by Emilie Barnes
8. A Charlotte Mason Companion
9. The Sisterhood of Traveling Pants by Ann Bradshaw
10. Momology by Shelly Radic
11. Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl
12. The Twelve Teas of Inspiration by Emily Barnes
13. The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas by Linda Dobson
14. The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton
15. Simpler Times by Thomas Kinkade
16. The Firstborn Advantage by Kevin Leman
17. Loving by Karen Kingsbury
18. Supernanny by Jo Frost
19. Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka
20. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
21. What Every Mom Needs by Elisa Morgan & Carol Kuykendall
22. Feathers From My Nest by Beth Moore
23. Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham Jr.
24. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
25. Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts
26. The Death Cure by James Dashner
27. The Passion of Jesus Christ by John Piper
28. The Christmas Spirit by Joel Osteen
29. A Prairie Christmas

So there you have it! I own all these books except 3. I have already started reading Made to Crave. It's pretty good so far.

2012 Goals

I love, love, love goal planning. 2008 - 2010 were successful goal planning years for me. 2011 I kind of was just there, taking it one day at a time. So, I'm renewed for 2012! We will be moving to a new state by the end of this month and I'm super excited about it! This move has caused me to rethink some things and majorly simplify!

Memory Keeping:

• Keep up with project life
• keep shutterfly updated and have an ongoing photo book
• record something once a week & keep separate yearly video folder
• turn VHS home videos into DVDs
• finish Nathanael's baby album
• finish Zack's baby album

Personal:

• Read through the Bible in a year - do weekly check ins on Sundays
• Read 29 planned books this year
• listen to extra books in text to speech format on my kindle while cleaning or doing other hands occupied, brain free activities
• make a 30 by 30 list
• make, do, or whatever one thing each week from my saved projects/resources (magazines, pinterest, print outs, cookbooks,etc)

Marriage:

• Have a monthly date night (Jan. excluded b/c he is in NC for the month)
• have a weekend just us

Kids/School:

• Swim & tennis lessons for Chris (he did these last year and it was a perfect fit for him)
• Join Cub Scouts
• Join the science museum once settled and money available
• go to the homeschool convention
• join a homeschool co-op once settled
• start chore system back up and have everyone (except the baby obviously... no I think he should too :P) one assigned night a week to HELP in the kitchen with dinner and evening kitchen routine
• do an activity once a week one on one with EACH from saved resources

Ministry:

• start our weekly family night back up
• host cook outs weekly or biweekly during spring - fall inviting everyone we know (with reason)
• reach out monthly to someone however God directs (neighbor, extended family, church members, etc)

Financial:

• set up a budget & use the cash envelope system
• start/open our Disney fund (set for may/june 2016)
• open a vacation account
• Get life insurance for Nathanael
• combine all kid's insurance payments into auto pay and save $
• make a will

I know glancing at this list may seem like a lot but it's really not. For example with memory keeping - I already do the first and third thing listed I just want to make it my goal to keep doing that! the fourth thing requires me to take a VHS tape with me on my Costco tape and turn it in. the last two things are probably only going to require about 4 hrs of my time all together!

As I make a plan for each I will post about it. Then post again as it's complete. Best wishes to your 2012 goals! I look forward to linking up with MoneySavingMom for accountability in purposeful living!!!