In the beginning...

On December 22, 1991 (my thirteenth birthday) my grandmother gave me The Student Bible, New International Version (NIV). This was a step up from my Precious Moments Bible which had become a little babyish (if any Bible can be said to be babyish). I just rediscovered my big-girl Student Bible in a box of books where it had been languishing through several moves. Oops.


As I poked through the intro pages, I found the "3-Track Plan for Reading the Bible." Track 1 is an introduction to the Bible which takes 2 weeks. Track 2 is an overview which touches on every book in the Bible during 6 months of reading. Track 3 covers every word of the Bible, about a chapter a day, and takes 3 years to traverse. I have decided to embark on the third track.


Why, you may ask? Well, I am a Christian woman, meaning that I believe Jesus Christ is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" and that the Bible is God's gift to me to aid me in my daily efforts to follow Christ's example. I owe it to myself to take full advantage of this gift. Also, life is constantly changing. I'm pretty certain that my life, in particular, will be going through some significant changes in the next three years. I am comforted to know that, like God, my Bible study will be a constant. I will be faithful to my chapters as God is always faithful to me!


So, why blog about it? I've learned something about myself, a critical point. I am a person who thrives on accountability. I used to think this was a weakness to overcome. I should be able to have the fortitude to do things on my own, right? Well, for me, for now, that's not the best way. At the gym I join classes or follow pre-programmed exercises. In dieting, I've challenged my sister-in-law to be the first to lose 10 lbs. If I don't tell other people what I'm thinking of doing, I may not do it at all...who's to know? So, I'm reading the Bible. The whole thing. A chapter a day. And you are invited to follow along.


My method: According to The Student Bible's Track 3 Plan, I'm going to alternate between the Old and New Testaments ("This mixing provides variety and reduces the fatigue that may set in from reading long sections of the Old Testament."). I am going to start on January 1st, 2011 with Genesis 1. I am not going to write out the text from the Bible, but only my reflections on the passage (please follow along with your own Bible and comment as you wish!). I can't guarantee that I will post the same time each day (I have 1.5 jobs and a one year old son), but I pledge to get it done before midnight!

There you have it. As I push "Publish Post" I'm announcing my intentions to the World Wide Web! So I'm committed, right?