2009 Journaling Bible Initiative

Did you know that 2009 is about 7 weeks away? I realized a few things will be happening in the next 7 weeks that have pushed me to get ready for 2009 in manner that I have not thought about before. First of all the holidays are approaching, and normally things are so busy there I rarely have time to sit down and plan out some important things (like Bible reading) for the year approaching. Secondly, I'm turning thirty in a few weeks and have just a large sense of need to be really intentional with the next 30 years of my life. That's not to say I won't goof-off here or there, but I am realizing my youth is gone and it's time to be very intentional about how I live for the next 30 years (if the Lord should permit).

Part of that intentionality is to be intentional about my reading of the Scriptures. However I don't want to just read through the Bible as if I was reading through some Tom Clancy novel or something like that. I want to continually be hearing the voice of Christ as I read and be constantly growing out of my reading of the Scriptures.

So what is my plan? The Journaling Bible Initiative. Here's how it looks:

1. Get one of these: ESV Journaling Bible.

Here's the thought behind this particular Bible. The margins are wide enough (and lined) that I can journal some thoughts in each day. But it doesn't make a good verse-for-verse note taking/marking Bible. So if I get my pen out, mark the date at the top and journal about what I read on those pages I get life application in context right in the pages. Plus I get a dated system that reminds me what God taught me on particular days so that I can review at the end of the year where I was and where God has spoken to and brought me.

2. Read 3 pages each day. Notice I didn't say chapters. If I did my math right (or "maths" as they say in Britain), there are 1042 pages of Scripture text in this particular edition of the Bible. If I divide that by 365 (so I have to read each day), I get 2.8547945205479452, or roughly 3 pages a day. That will get me through the Bible in a year.

3. Journal about what I read.


So I am very excited about it. And I want to invite you to join the Fellows in it too this year. Here's how you can do that.

1. Get an ESV Journaling Bible.
Amazon has them too... but it looks like Monergism Books has them the cheapest.

2. Comment with me.
Monthly I will be posting a few of the things I was struck by from my reading right here at the Fellowship. I encourage you to post your observations in the comments as well. As believers we can encourage one another on in this project and by what God has been speaking to us about.

3. Win a free ESV Journaling Bible!
Incentive huh! Here's how you can win a standard ESV Journaling Bible:

Subscribe to the Fellowship blog by email or RSS. (What is RSS?)

Email me to say that you are a subscriber - new or old.

I will draw a winner on December 12 and post the results here!