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I have seriously not blogged for an indecent amount of time. I feel no shame in that. It was intentional. I've been overworked, overwhelmed and really had nothing of worth to say. So I let it go. I had things that I could've said, but I didn't. I just wanted to be quiet. So I was. But I break my silence.

God has been teaching me many things this past month. My goodness. First of all I've taken to reading through the bible in a year. It was a New Year's Resolution. Remember those? I know, the new year is quickly approaching and people will be making those again, but what about the ones for 2010? I don't remember what the other ones were, but this one I wanted to complete. I had tried to do it 2008, but I got pregnant after I set the resolution and well, after Rhys was born I had not the time to finish it. But now, I'm doing well. I feel pretty confident I will finish. Oh there are days I don't finish all the reading, so I have more to do later, but I am getting it done. And it feels good.

One of the things I love is that I get to see those 'famous' verses in context of where it was said. Such as Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." I always thought this was like 'I am going to give you good things, I have your life planned out for you. Blessing Blessing Blessing.' And while it does mean that, there is a bigger, richer meaning. This blessing and promise comes in light of massive destruction and punishment that the Lord had brought upon the children of Israel because of their backsliding from God's ways. The first 28 chapters of Jeremiah are mostly the 'you didn't follow me, repent, oh, ok, you aren't going to repent? Then feel my wrath.' I mean, really. Everything that they knew, their lives and such, would be obliterated. So this is what the people had been hearing and now God comes in and says that He has plans for them. You don't plan things for people you want wiped clean off the face of the earth. No, you plan things for people you love. And that is what God is saying here. It's more than a promise of blessing, but a promise of hope. 'Even though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." That's in Job. I am sure when the people heard this, they breathed a sigh of relief. 'Ok, we messed up, but He still loves us.' I know when I've messed up with my husband and he's ticked, I can handle his ticked-ness if he says to me he still loves me.

I've also noticed that the books I used to shy away from and be bored from are not boring at all, in the full context of how they were written. Leviticus, Numbers, Ezra, Nehemiah, the prophets, they are all exciting and have stunning messages in them. God, a few years ago, gave me a passion for His word. It is our life, our livelihood. Without it we cannot survive. Oh we may eck along, but we won't make it. Beloved let me tell you, if you call Jesus, Lord you need His word, every stinkin day. There is a reason why it is called our bread. Because we need to feed upon it every day just like our food. What happens when we don't eat? We get weak, we can't do anything, we snap at people and eventually we die. One thing I've learned from reading this is that I need to keep reading it. Oh people I cannot convey enough how we need His word in our lives.

Start with one verse everyday. Don't try to read though the whole bible in a year if that seems too insurmountable. Pick a book that seems fun, easy to you and read it. I love Luke. Read one verse a day. Trust me, it's all living and breathing, God can use it in your lives. Maybe not that day, but He will bring it to remembrance when you need it. Memorizing scripture is good, but I've found if I just read it, He brings it back. But He can't bring to remembrance that which we have not first read. So READ!! I cannot emphasize this enough.