My Daily Light

 

 
I have struggled with reading the Bible daily most of my life. I prayed regularly, shared verses with my children as they grew up, but had never really dug in deep. When Jake was finishing middle school I went to Alex for guidance. He recommended a devotional titled Daily Light. It is small, I know it sounds crazy but I don’t like big bulky books. Each page was dated and had a morning and evening reading. And it had titles on every page. I love titles. I read the title and think about it even before I start my daily Scripture reading; it focuses my mind.
 
Before this devotional I would begin to read and then to be honest, get distracted and never get back. Daily Light has given me order. I read it over my coffee in the morning and it’s amazing! I pray on the way to work. Reading Scripture aids in my prayer life. I pray over my husband, my children and those they date or are married to. I then give the Holy Spirit permission to order my day. I beg the Lord to help me not to be too busy that I miss what He has for me that day!
 
I find throughout the day the verses I have read, the prayers I have prayed, become alive and equip me. There are times when I’m running late to work, I think, “I just don’t have time to read, I’m going to be late!” I stop and know I can’t afford not to read. And I’ve never been late. See that’s the great thing about Daily Light it’s not a long reading but so rich! The readings combine many different verses from different chapters. If you want to unpack more, they’re all listed in order at the bottom. There are times when I come home for lunch and it’s been a really bad day. I open it again and read the evening one early.
 
I have read through this yearly devotional for so many years and it never gets old because God’s Word never gets old. I’m always in a different place when I read it each day, each month, each year. A couple months ago my granddog ate my devotional. Yep, that happened. I went months without it. I ordered a nice Bible. Never opened it. The email that Ethan is sending out weekly has helped. I will Google and read them during my day but unfortunately have fallen behind.
 
I had lunch with Joyce Hearn a couple weeks ago and she gave me a present. She bought me a new copy! I had totally forgotten that I shared this devotional with her years ago. I have never been so happy! I am back in my groove but I have to be honest, it took me a while to get back there. See with time I forget what habits are good. When I didn’t read it every single day I didn’t crave it as much. I also was not at peace and did not even realize it. It made me stop and think. When we’re not in God’s Word or seeking His face, what a scary place that is, and we don’t even know it, we don’t even know we’re there.
 
I am enjoying my readings daily again and at the end of my readings I always say, “The word of the Lord… Thanks be to God.”
 
 
 
About our guest blogger: Jody Farmer is our Rector’s wife, a development manager, and the mother of three adult children.


Parish Bible Challenge | The One Year Bible

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Since I became a Christian in my teen years, I’ve known that reading the Bible regularly is something I should do. Like most of you, I’ve struggled over the course of my Christian life to find a way to be consistent and at the same time actually benefit in my walk with Jesus. I’ve tried lots of things from devotionals with Scripture passages, daily reading plans that come on a sheet to check off each day, and the daily office of the Anglican Church. Then in 2010 I was with our Bishop Neil Lebhar for one of those clergy events and noticed at breakfast that he was reading a One Year Bible. For those unfamiliar, this is a trademarked Bible from Tyndale Publishing that came out back in the ‘90s. It gives you an Old and New Testament reading that allows you to read through the Bible in one year, plus portions of Psalms and Proverbs so that you read these along with the other readings. Yes, four readings per day. I knew about the One Year Bible from years before but figured it was just a passing fad. Perhaps it was, but prompted by +Neil’s witness, I picked up a One Year Bible and started reading daily. Since 2010 I have read through the entire One Year Bible five times. I’ve only managed to read the Bible in a year once, but despite taking longer than intended, I’ve kept at it, and let me tell you I have been so blessed in the process.
 
I will warn those of you that might decide to try this plan for 2017: it’s a good bit of reading. I probability read 20 minutes straight each morning (except days I miss). What I love is that by reading through over and over again, I have grown in my understanding of the overall flow and connections of Scripture. It’s also remarkable to me that often the Old and New Testament portions connect with each other in some unexpected way. For example, you read about the struggles of Joseph in Egypt at the same time you are reading about Jesus’ instructions to the disciples about facing persecution. I’m also continually blessed by the Psalms which speak so powerfully to the struggles of everyday life, and the challenge of Proverbs to live as a person listening to true wisdom. I can’t speak for the ladies, but every man would benefit from simply reading through the book of Proverbs every month. 
 
My prayer is that some of you will purchaseOne Year Bible, or use the free digital version available through the YouVersion app
(under daily reading plans) and challenge yourself to read through the whole Bible. Again, don’t get caught up in the “one year” thing. The benefit is really the process of reading the whole. For those who choose to try this plan, I am going to create a forum for sharing questions that are raised as you read through, particularly the Old Testament and some of the writings of Paul. Email me at alex@servantsanglican.org if you are interested in being a part of the group.
 
Happy reading…
 
Alex +
 
 
To read the vision behind the challenge, check out our previous post: http://bit.ly/2iput8Z


Parish Bible Challenge | Journey Through the Bible

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I have used the Gulf Atlantic Diocese’s Journey through the Bible program in the past and have decided to use this plan again for 2017. I love this program because I know brothers and sisters around the diocese are reading the same Scriptures daily.
 

Harris Willman, Lay Administrator for the Gulf Atlantic Diocese, sends an email daily containing the selected scriptures. This plan will lead you from Genesis through Revelation in three to four chapters per day and usually takes 15-20 minutes to read each day. I like reading the daily designated Scriptures directly from the Bible. However, there were occasions when I was traveling or when I only found time to read in the car pick-up line at school when it was convenient to read the Scriptures directly from the email. Since I last participated in this plan, Harris has also added an audio link to the email. Perhaps your quiet time is during a walk or a commute when this option would be the most convenient.

If you would like to participate with me in the Gulf Atlantic Diocese’s Journey through the Bible, you can sign up here.
 
Tracy La Cagnina
 
To read the vision behind the challenge, check out our previous post: http://bit.ly/2iput8Z


Parish Bible Challenge | Our Daily Bread

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For me, a daily devotional has been critical to me for getting into the Word. For many years the little printed devotional, Our Daily Bread, was available in January for a small donation at the greeter area. Now, access is free online at odb.org and, much to my delight, the online version of Our Daily Bread is read out loud! One person reads the devotional and one reads the Scripture of the day. And if you want more, or want to read the Bible in one year, there are additional Scriptures to follow via hyperlinks.
 
A good time to meet with God for me is in the morning before the day becomes busy. When I am home, it is part of my routine when I have my coffee and do some stretching. I get up before daybreak when all is quiet. When I am on the road, it becomes more difficult to stay in my routine, but having someone read you the Word right on your phone, tablet, or computer seems easy enough! This plan for Scripture reading is great for new believers and seasoned believers alike, young and old.
 
Emily Wilson-McCrea
 
To read the vision behind the challenge, check out our previous post: http://bit.ly/2iput8Z


Parish Bible Challenge | Ethan’s Group

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During our vestry retreat this fall, we came to a prayerful conclusion that the best thing our church can be doing on a daily basis is reading God’s Word. The first installment to this end was the Advent devotionals you all have been reading and writing. These have been so enjoyable for me as a glimpse into your faith, which is more precious than gold, and also a chance to reflect on Scripture daily. With Advent past and the coming of the New Year and Epiphany, there is no better time to jump into another challenge as a congregation.
 
People approach daily personal Bible reading in many ways. We’ve realized that this is true even within the vestry. Some folks use variations on the one year Bible, the daily office, specific devotionals written by favorite authors, or reading through books of the Bible over the course of days or weeks (not necessarily in the order they appear in the canon). I fall in the latter category.
 
So here is how it will work. If you want to join me this year, we will start with the Gospel of John, and will also include a daily Psalm. It will be 10-20 minutes of reading, which can be followed by 10-20 minutes of quiet reflection, praying, journaling, etc. I will send out a weekly email detailing what you should read within the week, maybe some historical context, maybe some outside resources, and we can use that email as a jumping board for discussion, reflection, or encouragement throughout the week.
 
Many people have already established a routine of daily personal time in the Scriptures, but many of you are probably like me, and can’t seem to find that 15-30 minutes every day despite finding it for other things. The reason for that, based on the survey we gathered from you all, has most to do with a lack of a plan. So here is one plan that’s available to you guys this year. If you’d like to join me you can email me at ServantReadingGroup1@gmail.com. I will also post on a private Facebook group called Servants of Christ Anglican Reading Group #1. If you would like to be added to this group please let me know in your email. I want to add a final note, that we will not likely make it through the entire Bible in one year, but my hope in going through less text is that we will have room to “read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest” that which we read every day.
 
In Christ,
Ethan Stonerook