28 February 2010

1 Samuel 10-27

Today's passage is the story of David. Well, it's the beginning of the story. How God works was manifested in that this passage also went along with the sermon I heard in church today, even though this was not a passage read in church today.

But all the passages, and the sermon, and the conversations that I had today with church friends fit together in an illuminating puzzle.

Life is an amazing journey.

27 February 2010

Deuteronomy 28-34 & 1 Samuel 1-9

I forgot to blog yesterday's reading so I'm combining yesterday's & today's.

I found the end of Deuteronomy to be quite moving and a bit sad. It's funny because I know these stories and I've read the Bible hundreds of times but somehow The Message makes them more compelling.

And even though Sundays in Lent are mini Easters, I'm keeping up my reading on Sundays so that I can really make it a new habit.

25 February 2010

Deuteronomy 8-27

Today's reading included one of my favourite passages in the whole Bible. A sign of Hesed and a foreshadowing of salvation by grace, God instructs the Israelites that every seven years all debts will be forgiven and all slaves set free.

I was reminded of the beautiful song "Jubilee" by Michael Card.

Click here to listen to it.

24 February 2010

Numbers 23-Deuteronomy 7

I was struck by the Introduction to Deuteronomy which compelled me to continue on with that as my next book. According to Peterson, Deuteronomy is the longest sermon in the Bible, if not the longest sermon ever. One last chance for Moses to instruct the Israelites before they cross into Canaan without him.

I never really looked at Deuteronomy in that light before and will try to keep that in mind as I read it.

Exodus 39-40 & Numbers 1-22

I forgot to note what I read yesterday. Too busy watching the Olympics when I got home I guess.

I don't really have any comment on these chapters, but I want to keep track of what I am reading each day.

22 February 2010

Exodus 9-38

Wow I read almost the whole book of Exodus today. It was actually kind of fascinating. Almost a page-turner!

One thing really bothered me though. Several times throughout this book, there is a reference to dolphin skins. Dolphin skins are even used in the construction of the Tent Of Meeting. I thought maybe it was just the version (The Message) so when I got home tonight I checked the NIV. It says "sea cows" and in the footnotes "dugongs". Thankfully, I have an unabridged Websters.

dugong - n - Any of a genus of large tropical sirenian mammals that live on the shores of the Indian Ocean and feed mostly on seaweed.

So I'm still wondering how the Israelites wandering in the desert are going to have dolphin skins or sea animal skins of any variety. Any Bible scholars out there want to help me out here?

Anyway, tomorrow I am going to finish Exodus, but I think I am going to skip Leviticus at this time and try Numbers.

21 February 2010

Genesis 44 - Exodus 8

I finished Genesis today and decided to continue straight into Exodus.

I was reminded during today's reading of the importance of certain numbers throughout the Bible, and seven and seventy in particular.

I had quite an interesting image in my mind of the staffs turning into snakes and the one staff snake eating the others.

I'm glad I didn't have quite so vivid an image of the plague of frogs!

20 February 2010

Genesis 37-43

This section dealt mostly with Joseph & his brothers. So I have an urge to watch Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. Hmmm.

19 February 2010

Genesis 24-36

Today's section was mostly the story of Jacob & his wives & children.

On a side note, I am reading the novel "The Red Tent" which covers a very small part of this same section. It's interesting to me how little of the story of The Red Tent is actually in the Bible, and yet how vivid that story is in the novel. That's the mark of a good writer.

I've been reading on my way to work on weekdays. I will have to figure out a good time to continue my practice on the weekends.

My friend Lori has given up cursing for Lent. She is finding this quite difficult but is persevering. Please keep Lori & Kirstyn in your Lenten prayers.

18 February 2010

Genesis 14-23

I didn't make it to Ash Wednesday services yesterday. I tried but, with work and errands and public transportation, it didn't quite happen.

I've also decided to finish Genesis before moving on to another book. I may not read the Bible cover to cover at this time, but I'm going to read each book fully before choosing the next one.

This morning I read Genesis 14-23. This section is mostly the adventures of Abram & Sarai and their children. I had forgotten that every time they went somewhere new, Abram told the king that Sarai was his sister and not his wife.

I like the way The Message conveys the story of Hagar and Ishmael.

Also, Gentle Readers, if you are of a mind to pray, please keep my friend Kirstyn in your Lenten Prayers. She is fasting from sunrise to sunset during Lent. That is an ambitious Lenten observance.

17 February 2010

Genesis 1-13

This morning I decided to start at the very beginning (a very good place to start) and I read Genesis 1-13.

I am a believer in the Gap Theory - That there is a gap of time between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. I also believe that God didn't create the world and everything in it in seven literal earth days but that "day" is a word used for lack of a better one to explain a period of time.

I found the Creation story in the Message to be supportive of this, even though it's not written in "chapter & verse". So I was pleasantly surprised.

I was also surprised at how easy and quick it is to read this version.

If you have found reading the Bible to be a daunting task, I recommend trying The Message.

Before tomorrow, I have to decide if I'm going to stick with Genesis and try reading it "cover to cover". Or sample different books.

I would appreciate your thoughts.

Ash Wednesday

Here it is Ash Wednesday once again. And Christians the world over will begin their Lenten observances by attending church and by giving up or adding something to their lives over the weeks until Easter.

I've already given up alcohol, coffee, and cola this year. I'm not giving up anything else.

I've decided to add instead. And I'm adding something that I hope will become more of a habit than it has been lately.

I'm going to be reading the Bible.

I'm a slacker when it comes to daily Bible reading. I read multiple books at once. I read several books a month. But my Bible spends a lot of time on the shelf.

I'm hopeful that by the time Easter rolls around, I will have made daily Bible reading more of a habit.

I've chosen The Message Bible by Eugene Peterson to read over Lent. Since I'm not reading to study but more to read, I thought this would be a good choice.

I bought myself a New Living Translation compact bible for my birthday last year and I am going to try and make better use of that once Lent is over!!

If I have any light bulb moments during this time, I will try to blog about them.

Stay tuned.

10 February 2010

Almost Pain Free!

Wow! This homeopathic stuff really works. Not an overnight cure by any means, but definitely an improvement.

When I first started this process, I had serious pain in my leg. It hurt to do just about everything except lie down on my right side.

But since I started, I have noted a steady improvement. I usually didn't have any pain until the end of the work day and only had trouble standing during bell rehearsal on Wednesday nights or if I had to wait a long time for the bus.

But last night on the way home from work, I noticed only a little ache in my leg and it didn't bother me to stand and wait for the bus.

When I woke up this morning, I was sleeping on my left side which I haven't done since October.

I am supposed to continue the homeopathic treatment until I have been pain free for two months so I'm going to target my end date right now at April 21st (which will allow for some backsliding over my vacation).

Thanks to Aunt Jo for giving me the treatment book and to my masseuse Rocio for helping work out the kinks, literally.

I'm on the road to a full recovery!