It's been so long since I've written here that I feel I have some explaining and encouraging to do...but it feels so great to be writing here and again and sharing a piece of my heart with all of you!!!
2013 was a growing year for me, a year of stretching and reaching and planting new roots. A year with triumphs and challenges beyond anything I anticipated or really could have imagined. For me, growing brought the biggest writers' block ever. Every time I tried to write for this blog, I just couldn't. I stared at the blank screen and nothing came out. I feel like God was calling me to turn inward and upward (to Him) for the year of growth I just completed.
And yet, I had great moments of sharing with some of my closest friends in the midst of this great growth. For accountability, I told a dear friend my plan/calling to read the entire Bible in 2013. For those interested or with similar callings, I used the Bible Eater plan and would absolutely recommend it! Surprise to me, but she was greatly encouraged and challenged by my journey and is now starting on a similar journey this year.
I loved the daily readings from both the New and Old Testament, the way the NT encouraged me and gave perspective to the sometimes overwhelming law and judgment seen in the OT. I relived old Bible studies from times past and fell in love with new books in the Bible I had never read, or never seen with the eyes I was honing and developing during my adventure. The daily quiet moments early in the morning, spent in my sun room with the Word and a cup of coffee became moments I craved, despite the great discipline required.
As I realized I would complete my goal, I wondered....what next? How do you follow up with reading the entire Bible and keep your daily quiet time with God fresh, but challenging and authentic at the same time?
The more I prayed, the more I felt called to study the Psalms in depth for 2014. As I reviewed my 2013 prayer journals, this book created the most praise and thanksgiving in my prayers, the greatest number of memory verses on my chalkboard at home, the deepest joy in my heart. I loved the beauty of the Psalms, the way the words spoke to my heart, the creative genius of the people who wrote these poems and hymns.
So this year, I am studying a Psalm a day with the help of Warren Wiersbe's commentaries. Amazing...the books are titled Be Worshipful and Be Exultant....what an incredible theme to start off 2014!!! So far, my study has been beautiful, challenging, and eye opening all at the same time. My goal is also to pray (as led) based on the revealings of the Holy Spirit within my study, and to memorize about one Psalm a month, to build up my spiritual armor and the Word that abides in me.
Why am I sharing this here and now, after so much silence? I believe God is nudging my heart to share with you, to comment every so often on how my journey proceeds, to encourage and challenge you to seek God this year and maintain a vital and growing personal walk. My goal is not to call attention to myself or to boast on my discipline, but to magnify the One who has so beautifully pursued my heart through His Word over the past several years, and in 2013 specifically.
The journey is great and beautiful, and I am excited to share it with you! Stay tuned for what is in store!
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