Planning Ahead...for the Increase

One of my reads for 2022 has been Christmas Next Door, a collection of four short stories of intertwined characters, a read I meant to complete in 2021...but...just so many books!  (This book I gave as a Christmas present this past year....need to buy more to give for next year!)

Now, I am glad I waited, for here is one of the nuggets I gleaned from these stories:  each Christmas the town put together Christmas baskets...and each year that number grew.  This reminded me much of Samaritan Shoeboxes, for which I began collecting items throughout the year...yet we only filled two boxes, probably our family's smallest number ever.  Shame on me.

Based on the encouragement from this book, I plan to increase that number.  What if throughout 2022, I picked up twelve items for twelve months.  Not an amount that would break the budget.  So doable.  And!?  What an increase!

From what book have you gleaned an idea?  Please share!

Reading the Bible: Chronologically

Today, I began reading the Bible again using a chronological plan located here that I discovered several years ago.  Well, seven years ago, to be exact.  How do I know?  

• 2015:  Old Testament
• 2016:  New Testament
• 2017:  Old and New
• 2018:  Old and New
• 2019/2020:  Old/New
• 2021:  Old and New

According to this math?  2022 will encourage my reading the Bible chronologically for the sixth time.

Why again?  I have learned so much history and so much Bible.  Just that repetition is powerful.  AND...even though I have now read the entire Bible a few times, I will find myself thinking, "I don't remember that...at all."  Just revelation...as needed.  Yes, just another way that God speaks to me.  Therefore, I must keep reading...and re-reading!  Yes!

I recommend this plan to any and all who will listen, for the journey has been the reason that I have learned much of what I know about the Bible...yet I have so much to still learn.  So much.

This is not a slow read, as 3-4 chapters need to be read each day, consistently, to achieve reading the entire Bible in a year.  But...this does not have to be a reader's only way to study.  Focus on a verse.  Also, slowly read and study a book of the Bible.  Or reading just the Old or New Testament throughout a year.  But...I need this chronological read again as I need to continue to learn the history...of what happened to whom...and when...and how that affected those before and after.  Just.  So.  Interesting!

No matter the method...just keep reading!