The Bible in a Year

First off, I would like to thank my dear friend Skye for my new blog design!  Didn't she do a great job???  It was a complete and total surprise to me, but I completely love it!  It's got the cool retro bowling alley look to it.  It's awesome!!!

Now for my title: The Bible in a Year.  My husband got this crazy idea a while ago from a fellow pastor friend: read the whole Bible in a year.  He asked me if I was interested in doing this with him- kind of an accountability partner thing.  I said, "Sure.  But do I have to read it from cover to cover?"  The answer: Yes.  As much as I have always wanted to read the whole Bible- really read it and know that I've read the whole thing, not just pretty sure that I did that in seminary- I have tried it and failed.  I usually stopped somewhere in Leviticus, which is truly thrilling stuff.

So, I reluctantly agreed.  Jared also told me that he was going to ask his colleagues who are going through the ordination process with him to join him in this effort.  That way, he would have double accountability- those he'll see a few times a year at various church related events, and the person he sees every night before bed and every morning when he wakes up.

And so we began on June 1st.  I will admit to you all that I haven't had the easiest time with this task.  You've read about my busy summer and you're familiar with my new commute; so finding the time to read 2-4 chapters of the Old Testament everyday has been pretty difficult.  As of this morning, I was more than 7 days behind.  I read a few chapters with my morning tea at home.  Then I read a few more here at the office.  I am caught up to today, but not through today. 

Every single day that I am at work/in the office first thing, I make time to read my chapters and I even journal-usually not about the readings, though.  But on weekends and/or my day off, it's incredibly difficult to 1) remember, 2) find time to read, and 3) actually sit down and do it.  This is how I get so far behind in just a couple of days.

We are currently in Judges.  I am supposed to read chapters 6 and 7 of Judges today.  I finished chapter 5 with very heavy eyelids and seriously contemplated a nap at 9:45am... I'm obviously struggling with reading the Bible in a year.

And I am not sure that this really is meant to be an easy task, no matter how much I want it to be.  It is very palatable- reading a few chapters a day for a year.  It almost sounds enticing, like an infomercial or something: "For just 20 minutes every day, you can improve your biblical knowledge and spiritual growth."  And I thought, "Well that's totally manageable!"  But the fine print says, "You may have to give up: extra snooze button touch, time with your spouse, your morning walk, getting to work on time, staying awake at your job, spending time with loved ones, etc."

God never promises that discipleship will be easy.  I know of no where in the Bible that it says, "Follow me, it will be the easiest thing you ever do!"  Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote a book called The Cost of Discipleship; if that doesn't make it clear I don't know what does!

And, yet, I am bothered by how much time and effort is required of me to complete this simple task-reading a few chapters a day.  It's not easy, but it is simple.  Study is one of the spiritual disciplines.  It's something that we are encouraged to do and do well.  We pray to "hear... read, mark, learn and inwardly digest" the Scriptures (Book of Common Prayer, 236).  I'm not even doing that; I am just reading.  I am not really studying what I am reading.

My hope in admitting this to you is that I will take this task more seriously.  Perhaps it will take a year or two of reading the Bible everyday to get to the point of inward digestion; perhaps it will take longer.  But I know that this is something I want to do and I hope to do everyday.

Trips to the Lanes...

... for the past 2 1/2 months!  That's right, friends, I have scores dating from May 26th.  So, here we go!

May 26, 2011
Circle Bowl
Baton Rouge LA

ASW- 155
JRW- 130

ASW- 133
JRW- 160

ASW- 126
JRW- 139

ASW- 159
JRW- 168

ASW- 149
JRW- 140

June 3, 2011
Island Strikz Lanes
Biloxi MS

JRW- 173
ASW- 124

JRW- 120
ASW 116

JRW- 150
ASW- 180

JRW- 145
ASW- 159

June 24, 2011
Circle Bowl
Baton Rouge LA

ASW- 134
JRW- 136

ASW- 122
JRW- 162

ASW- 179
JRW- 173

ASW- 135
JRW- 184

ASW- 114
JRW- 131

July 7, 2011
AMF Star Lanes
Asheville NC

ASW- 151
JRW- 116

ASW- 154
JRW- 150

ASW- 107
JRW- 159

ASW- 115
JRW- 130

ASW- 131
JRW- 164

July 15, 2011
Circle Bowl
Baton Rouge LA

ASW- 105
JRW- 123

ASW- 190
JRW- 152

ASW- 175
JRW- 130

ASW- 149
JRW- 132

July 29, 2011
Circle Bowl
Baton Rouge LA

JRW- 123
ASW- 158

JRW- 140
ASW- 97  (This was rather painful, and I'd like never to discuss it.)

JRW- 155
ASW- 88 (Please see previous game's comment.)

JRW- 135
ASW- 131

And now we are up to speed.  Today's scores are listed below, as are some photos from our trip to Circle Bowl.

August 5, 2011
Circle Bowl
Baton Rouge LA

ASW- 103
JRW- 184

ASW- 166
JRW- 157

ASW- 138
JRW- 144

ASW- 150
JRW- 179

This are the best idea ever: The first time we came to Circle Bowl, we bought the purple one.  You purchase the "pin" for around $6, then every time you get a refill it's only $1.  Say, if you bowl every week or so at the same lanes, then you just bring your pin in and get close to 40 oz. of your favorite beverage for only $1.  OR, you can fill it with water, like I do (mine's the blue one)!

We got a lot of spares today...

So many, in fact that I think we got to see the entire repertoire of graphics for the spares.

Did I mention, a LOT of spares?

Bowling in Asheville NC

The week of July 4th, Jared and I traveled to Cashiers, North Carolina, where my mom and stepdad have a house in the mountains.  It is lovely there.  The weather was nice- about 80 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and in the 60s at night.  We golfed a little bit- we are not very good at golf, but we are learning!  We also had the opportunity to bowl in Asheville one day, when my stepdad took the car into the dealership.  We tried to encourage him to roll with us, but he had conveniently scheduled a conference call during that time, since cell service is very unreliable near their house.

And so, we bowled...

And then we went to dinner with my parents.

It was a really nice time in North Carolina!