Happy New Year

Build it and they will come!

I honestly don't know what led me to start a blog on January 1, 2010, but here it is. Even more, I don't know where this will go or who it may reach. What I do know is that the purpose of this blog is to serve Him who has given so much to me. In the midst of what was a terrible year (2009) for me and my family, He has so graciously given to me time and time again. It's time that I give back.

It's worth noting first and foremost that I am just a layman, a sojourner, a servant. I have absolutely no theological training whatsoever, so I ask that any of my readers understand that my writings are simply a response to what the Lord places in my life as a husband, father, son, and friend.

So, with disclaimers in place, let's get started with this blog!

As it is New Year's Day, so many want to make their own list of resolutions. Well, my experience with resolutions has been very unimpressive! However, last year I made more than a resolution, I made a covenant to God to read the Bible cover to cover - or as Zig Ziglar so aptly puts it, "From Genesis to maps." Well, by God's persevering grace, I did it! Since I have a large study Bible, I decided that I wanted to read it in half a year. My version has about 1,800 pages, so I easily divided it up into a daily reading of 10 pages; ending on a chapter. That was my plan and it worked for me. Was it hard? Well, to be honest yes it was. The experience for me went kind of like this:

My first few days went pretty well...Genesis was interesting, so to it came fairly easy for me to read through Genesis as more of a history lesson. The same was true for Exodus. By the time I got into Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, the habit was in place and I was able to get through the dreaded who begat whom! As I went through the historical books, again the enjoyment of history and the illumination of God's presence through history made these books an easy read. Yes, I stumbled through 1 & 2 Kings and Chronicles. Then came the poetical and wisdom books....again good reading that kept me engaged pretty well. About the time I thought I had the habit entrenched, then came the prophetic books. Man...those kind of kicked my tail a little. Hard reading...hard to understand. But then I read a quote from a book (The Spirit of Early Christian Thought) that a dear friend gave to me, "When Augustine was preparing for baptism he asked Ambrose what he should read 'to receive so great a grace.' Ambrose told him to read the prophet Isaiah, but when Augustine took up the book its meaning eluded him: "I did not understand the first passage of the book and thought the whole would be equally obscure." So he put it aside, he says, until "I had more practice in the Lord's style of language."" How appropriate that was to my reading of the prophetic books.

But then came the morning that I opened up Matthew and my journey through the New Testament began. I read through this in a matter of 45 days or so and completed my quest through the Bible in just over 4 months!

This journey was started and completed with a heavy reliance on God's direction, will, and desire in my life. Each daily reading started in the morning, often with me needing some worship music first to get my head in the game. I then read the Word seeking to have His will revealed to me through the reading. I completed my daily reading with prayer and thanksgiving. My goal was to simply read the Word. His goal for me was much, much greater. I received a context for His entire Word. I can't explain it, but so much became so much more clear for me. I still can't memorize verse very well and I still can't remember exactly where the "beattitudes" are, but I have a context of reference like I've never had before.

So where do I go from here? I've been pondering that for several weeks. I had already began last fall re-reading the Bible at the same pace, but only got through 2 Kings before I began wondering what I would do on January 1st. So, this is what I have decided to do. Since 2009 was a really crummy year on so many fronts, I decided to start 2010 with the Good News! Matthew 1. What a blessing to have God's Word in our hands and before our eyes. Taking another quote from The Spirit of Early Christian Thought, Augustine again said had this thought-provoking word, "For now treat the Scripture of God as the face of God. Melt in its presence."

I look forward to 2010 with eager anticipation of God's will for me in my life. So many of my Christian brothers have been such a foundation of hope in my life. I am so thankful for each of them. Over the last couple of days I have received many wishes for hope and success in 2010. If I had not one more humanly successful moment in 2010 the year would already be a huge success. For my wife, children, parents, and friends, I am such a blessed man. Thank you God for loving and entrusting these relationships to me.

May your New Year be blessed by your committment to know Him who saved you.