Bible study, a sweet opportunity and a long awaited girls night out

I used to struggle with not knowing where to read in the Bible.  I've done reading plans before, with my Bible app on my phone, I've read the Bible chronologically in a year, and I've read it a different way in a year, and some days I would just open it up somewhere and read from where I opened.  (Like Bible roulette.)  And though I don't always read like I am right this moment, for now, I am always in the book of Psalm and then another book.

I started reading with the Good Morning Girls online community in October and I've continued on solo since then.  We read through Judges, then I read Ruth and now I'm in Luke.  I know, random, but it is the Christmas and advent season, so I liked the idea of Luke.

I read one chapter a day and on Monday through Friday.  I still read on the weekends, but I do my own thing.  I love the nice and slow way this makes me read.  And God has this way of tying up the chapter I'm reading with what I'm reading in Psalms.  It's so cool that He does that, and He's done it multiple times.  I am so thankful for the word of God!  It's how He speaks to me, through the reading of His word.

Before I read, I pray, asking Him to help me understand what I'm about to read, and I ask Him to show me something in His word, then I journal where I'm reading, and I write everything out in a spiral notebook.  That is not at all an exhaustive list of how to go about this, but it's what I'm doing for now, and it's always likely to change in some way.

I thought I'd share, because I've had people ask me how I go about this.  I also use the SOAK method: Scripture, Observation, Application and Kneel in Prayer.  I write out a verse that jumps out to me, I observe everything about the verse and what's going on so I can put it in context, I apply it to my life, then I pray over it.

This is what the pages in my spiral notebook look like.  I decorate them sometimes, with fun washi tapes, and I use colored pens because, why not?

If you don't have a regular reading plan, I really recommend this way.  It's slow, it's easy and it's predictable, and it doesn't matter when you start.  Just start somewhere.  Getting into the habit of this is the hardest part, but I cannot say enough how crucial this is in my life.  If I don't have time with God everyday, I am grumpy, irritable and extremely short tempered.  This summer while on the Navajo mission trip, I'd been busy each morning and finally, I realized what it was~I'd not had good time alone with the Lord.  So one morning, I inhaled my breakfast and practically ran out to the tree on the property.  I prayed, I read His word, I wrote in my journal and I felt so much better afterward.

Today, the boys and I have a really sweet opportunity to serve the Lord by meeting a wish for a friend of mine.  I'll write more about it tomorrow, but I'm excited to get out and do this today.  We are including my stepdad in this, because we also need his expertise.  One way I pray each day is that I ask God to help me look for ways I can serve Him by serving my husband, my boys, and others.  God totally brought this about one day last week, and I cannot explain the urge I had to reach out to my friend by texting.  He answered my prayer in this way, and most likely, He answered her prayers through me replying.  I am so thankful for how He works!

Tonight is our annual Christmas tree lighting on our town's square.  I love this time of year, in case I haven't said that lately.  ;)  Also?  I am making my favorite dinner known to man.  Chicken tortilla soup.

Last night, my dear, dear friend Andrea and I met for dinner.  We met years ago at Renewed Moms, where the boys and I used to attend Bible study and homeschool classes, and became instant and fast friends.  I'm so thankful that even though the boys and I no longer go there, we've kept in touch.  We try to meet every so often and go out for dinner, and last night was the first time since about September that we've seen one another.  It was a really great night of catching up.  I can always count on her to make me crack up laughing and to pray for me.

After dinner, she treated me to my favorite Starbucks drink~chai tea latte.

We stayed until nine, when we got kicked out (they were closing), then we just went back to Chili's and sat in my car talking for another hour.

I am so very thankful for God's gift of friendship.  His word says in James 1:17 that every good thought and perfect gift is from above, and that is what my friends are to me.  I have a wonderful group of iron sharpening friends and I thank God daily for them.

Since it's almost December, here's the new scripture writing plan for the month.

Care to join me?  I now have a solid thirteen months of scripture writing in a giant three ring binder.  What a blessing it's been in my life.  I encourage you to consider trying this for yourself.

Thanks for reading my blog!  Love to all.