The Word In, Word Out Project

One of my goals in 2014 is to read through the Bible. Although I was raised in a Christian home and work for a ministry it's something I've never actually done and I found myself embarrassed to admit that. I believe in the life-changing power of God's words so why wouldn't I have read them? How could I encourage and exhort others to read their Bibles if I hadn't done it?

The real kicker to my guilt trip was when I finished counting the books I'd read in 2013 and realized it was 103. I'm pretty sure that if I stacked those books up they would be a whole lot bigger than a Bible.

After some digging I dusted off a chronological one-year Bible from high school that I'd started and committed. I haven't necessarily read every day but sitting here at the beginning of March I'm pretty excited to say that I'm all caught up with my reading plan!

Here are a few things I've done to help myself be successful:

1) Invite others to join in. My husband and one of the interns I supervise are also reading through the Bible this year. Accountability is huge!

2) Make it pretty. This is the most frivolous thing but I bought a brightly colored Bible case and special notebook just for the Bible I'm using. It makes it more noticeable and since I have a weird and undying passion for school supplies makes me more excited to use it.

3) Build a routine. Morning person is not a word you'd use to describe me so I do my reading mostly before I go to bed at night. That means my Bible (with case and notebook) sits on my nightstand and I develop a pattern.

4) Apply! The notebook that I've kept for this Bible is just for these readings, not for prayers, personal reflections, lists, or other thoughts. Those things go in my other (pretty) journal. *Sidenote: This is a great excuse to buy more than one notebook if you are a fiend like me!* I'm using colored pens to underline and star verses that stick out to me and to write out things I'm realizing. It's fun to flip back through and see what I'm learning.

The Bible to me isn't just another book for my list so I want to make sure I'm doing more than just reading it. Enter the Word In, Word Out Project. This year I'll capture some of the highlights from my reading that have stood out to me. It might be a verse, lesson, story or simple pondering that I've realized or something that inspired or convicted me.

As the word of God comes in to my life and heart, my prayer is that it would reflect out of me, that the God-breathed words would stir my heart, convict my soul and change my thoughts and action. I hope it does the same for you. Join me in this Word In, Word Out Project?