The Bible in One Year + 23 Days!

At the beginning of 2010, I borrowed my Dad's One Year Chronological Bible to read the Bible through in a year. I really liked this version...New Living Translation...because it is written with more modern language. It was so much easier to understand and make it through those hard to read books of the law and major prophets! :)

I think I've only accomplished this feat 2 or 3 times before...it's quite an undertaking, but I really get so much out of reading the entire Bible. This Bible was also written in chronological order, so it was really neat to read about David's journeys & then read the psalms he wrote about those endeavors right along with them. It was neat to read the gospels in chronological order too. You could see which stories were recorded in all 4 gospels or just 2 or 3 of them.

It was also nice to read the copy that my Dad had read the year before...to see what he underlined as important to him, to see the dates he finished the old and new testaments (he read the new testament in its entirety 3 times in the year...he's much quicker than I am).

So...I'm excited to announce that I finally finished the entire Bible...it took 23 days longer than ONE year but I finished!

Now on to new studies for this year...right now I'm doing a study of James with the Good Morning Girls blog and I just started Beth Moore's Breaking Free with a group of ladies from our new church in Center. I'm excited to see what God has in store for me this year!

What are you studying? I'd love to hear it!

Memory Verse #2

I'm a little late in posting it here, but I made sure to get on the LPM Blog to post my verse this past weekend. We still don't have internet at home so my time with internet is extremely limited these days. :) I chose a verse this time that I read at the end of someone's email. I thought it was very poignant.

Proverbs 24:3-4

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;

Through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.

What verse are you working on "hiding in your heart?" I'd love to hear it!

What a Blessing!

We received such a special blessing Sunday night at our new church, First Baptist Center! The church held an “Old Fashioned Pounding” for our family & for the Floyd’s (the new youth minister & his wife). We both moved here at the beginning of December, so they went out of their way to give us an extra-special welcome! We were all so amazed & thrilled at all of the food, goodies, money, & gift cards that they gave us! God is so good! We feel very blessed!

Look at ALL of this food! We are set for a really long time!

Some people even gave us recipes and the ingredients to make them!

Chicken Enchiladas, Cheeseburger Chowder, and Key Lime Pie! YUM!

Another adorable gift…Cupcakes & brownies…they already know our family favorites!

We even got several gift cards & money! We are overwhelmed with the generosity of these sweet people…especially on a cold, wintry night like it was!

And we've even received several more gifts since Sunday! We are truly blessed!

2011 Memory Verse #1

"The Lord will work out His plans for my life--

Your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.

Don't abandon me, for You made me."

Psalm 138:8 (NLT)

I'm joining the Living Proof Siesta Scripture Memory Team again this year to memorize 24 verses in 2011. Would you like to join me? Go to blog.lproof.org for more info.

Jesse Tree

We have started 2 new traditions this year for Christmas...we are reading Jotham's Journey about a little boy's adventures right before the birth of Jesus. An excellent read (thank you, Kim P, for your suggestion).

And then we are reading a daily devotional & creating a little "ornament" for our Jesse Tree each day. The boys are enjoying this so much.

Here are the fruits of their labors so far...

And I forgot to show you a picture of my favorite spot in this house...there is a ledge in the living room with the vaulted ceiling that allows me to display my Christmas pictures. I love it!

Our New Home--Center, Texas

We're getting settled into our new home in Center, Texas...well, it's our rental home until we sell our house in Malakoff (please pray that it will sell SOON). Anyway, I thought I'd share some pictures of our new home.

Ethan was being particularly sweet and posing really cute!

Our living room

Our bedroom looking into the bathroom & into the hallway & laundry room

Our bedroom looking outside

Evan's bedroom (the boys are both sleeping in this room)


Ethan's Room/School Room

Kitchen/Dining Room/Office area looking from the Living Room

(We love the open floor plan...feels so spacious)

Another pose I couldn't resist...

Kitchen (notice the 2 posers...Eric pretending to cook & Evan looking cool)

That's it for now...more stories to come when I have more time to write.

Memory Verses #23 - #24

Well, we've made it another year memorizing 2 verses per month. I have missed having the Beth Moore Siesta Scripture Memory Team as my accountability, but I made it anyway. This semester, I have worked on Romans 12 with Evan. I'm so proud that he has memorized an entire chapter of the Bible as an 11-year-old! I didn't do that until I was in graduate school...that's when I memorized Psalm 139 with a Bible study group.

So here are the last 2 verses for the year...

Verse #23

Romans 12:19-21

Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written:

"It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.

On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

This last verse has become one of my favorite prayers and blessings...

Verse #24

Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.