A Challenge for you for 2012 - Commit to spending more time reading the Bible in 2012

I'd like to challenge YOU to commit to spending more time reading the Bible in 2012.  


I presented the same challenge January the 1st 2011.  I also offered a side challenge to commit to reading the Bible through, not necessarily all the way through in 2011, but however long it took.  Did you take up either challenge?  If so, how did you fair in meeting your challenge?  Are you still working on that goal?  If you struggled or gave up, don't knock yourself out for it.  Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get to it again.  You don't have to start right from the beginning again if you don't want to.  Start where you left off and keep going from there.


Last year I shared that in the past my kids and I have used a chart, something like this one http://www.matthewweathers.com/year2006/images/Bible_Reading_Record.pdf to help us work towards the goal of reading the Bible through.  Print it out, fold it and tuck it into your Bible and mark of the chapters as you read them.  No requirement to read a certain amount or in a certain order, just mark of each chapter as you read it.  You'll be able to see at a glance if there is something you haven't read yet and need to make a special effort to read.  You'll feel so proud of yourself when you finally have all the chapters marked off, even if it does take you years to do it.  :)


If you have an Iphone, Ipad, or just about any other smart phone or tablet you can download an app to help you track your Bible reading.  My favorite app is the YouVersion Bible app.  You can access the Bible in a number of different versions and you can also access a number of different Bible reading plans.  I like to use the Whole Bible plans because they actually take you through the whole Bible.  When you choose a plan to follow you are given a portion of scripture to read each day and as you finish each portion and click to proceed to the next portion the app checks off the portions you have read.  You can easily go slower or faster than suggested by simply reading more or less.


If all you have is a computer or laptop, you can also use YouVersion at http://www.youversion.com/.


If you are interested in learning more about how to use the appor site, I'd be glad to help with any questions you might have.  If you'd like someone to challenge you or hold you accountable to keeping going, I'd be happy to pray for you and encourage you.  I would love to help you get into the Word of God.


Since doing the Bible in 90 Days Challenge the summer of 2010, Bible reading has become even more of a normal part of my life than it was before.  I had been reading small portions of the Bible most every day before that but doing the challenge helped me realize that I could actually fit in reading bigger portions of the Bible every day.  I became so used to doing that that I continued reading bigger portions of the Bible in 2011 and actually made my way all the way through the Bible 3 times in 2011.  I did most of my Bible reading on my Iphone using the YouVersion Bible app following Bible reading plans available in the app. I went through the Bible In 90 Days Plan first, but it took me a little more than 90 Days to complete it.  I then did the Chronological Reading Plan, which was set up to be done in a year but I read more than one days allotted reading each day and completed it in about 4 months.  Then I did the Historical Reading Plan and did the same thing.  I've started following the Life Journal Reading Plan for the beginning of this year.


I sure hope you will commit to spending more time reading your Bible in 2012.  It is something that will change your live forever.