Entering the Deut.

I'm now into Deuteronomy. That word is daunting to me. I'm not sure why. I have no idea what to expect of this book. I've never read any of it.

I recently purchase a little flip chart type insertion for my bible. It's called the Bible Overview by Rose Publishings. It has neat little tidbits and overviews for each book of the bible. This is important and handy for someone like me who much of this is new and somewhat foreign. It is hard to keep everyone and everything straight.

Here is what is says about Deut.
Book - Deuteronomy
Who is the author - Moses
What is they type of writings - Sermons by Moses
Where was it written - Plains of Moab
When was it written - c. 1401bc - 1400bc
Why was it written - To remind the people what God expects from them
Outline -
- Sermon 1: Journey Review (1-4)
- Sermon 2: Laws (5-28)
- Sermon 3: Covenant (29-30)
- Final Farewells (31-34)
Key Verse
Hear, O Isreal:The Lord our God, The Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your strength. Deut.6:4,5

I have mentioned before that I have book addictions. When I see my mom and sisters I understand that I come by it honestly. We are all the same. We all have tons of books and many of which we have and enjoy for their beauty as well as their content. I have decided that one day when I win the lottery my home will feature a beautiful library.

In surfing for a picture for the bible overview I have a stumbled onto another book to add to my amazon wish list. Rose publishers have some really interesting books and this is one of them.

I'm thinking I could get away with purchasing this book because it technically isn't a bible. (Which my husband has nicely banned me from buying any more of.)

On a side note also related to bibles...The past weekend when spending time with my husbands family I was reminded by his aunt that she had given us a bible for our wedding present. I had an immediate sinking feeling as I didn't know where it was. I must painfully admit that at the time of our wedding I had no interest in the bible, nor had I ever before. So, honestly and selfishly I did not treasure the gift as I should have. During that weekend my mind began to race. Surely, I would still have the bible somewhere in my house. Was it on my bookshelves and I didn't realize it? Was it in a box with other wedding gifts? The location and mental searching continued the entire weekend. I must admit the mental searching and immediate guilt was thought consuming. When I got home I told my husband about the bible and that we absolutely had to find it. I had my search mentally narrowed to 2 different locations and began immediately. It was within minutes that I found the bible. Sigh of relief! I immediately floated upstairs to my husband and showed him the bible. Sent a message to his aunt that I found it. It now resides on my bedside table as it should. Here's a picture of it. I am thinking along with my library in my fantasy house I will also have a bookshelf next to my bed as I keep alot of special books there. Is it normal for people to keep their favorite or more treasured books next to their bed?

I've got to get back to Deuteronomy and I must say that since I have read that Moses will not be able to go to the promise land but can only see it from a mountain top I feel bad for him. He did God's work, put up with those whining Isrealites for over 40 years and wasn't able to even enjoy the promise land for one day.

Today's reading took me much longer than usual. I have been sick and in bed most of the day so reading and retaining information has been challenging. Today's reading was Genesis 17:1-17:27
It was about Abram and his wife Sarai who are unable to have children. Abram tells God he is concerned because his servants children will become heirs. God them assures him he will have a son. Time goes by and his wife remains unable to conceive so she gives her husband her servant Hagar to become Abrams wife and have children. So they have a son Ishmael. Many years later God appears to Abram and tells him he will have a son with Sarai named Isaac. When this happens their names will change to Abraham and Sarah. God also creates a covenant with Abraham that all of his decendents are to be circumcised. He circumcised all males in his household including himself at 99 years of age.
It is also mentioned that all circumsisions occur on the 8th day of life.
God tells Abraham that his decendents will be slaves for 400 years but God will punish that nation and his decendents will end up with great rewards. This would be challenging to know that your decendents will be enslaved for such a long period.

I am reading from the online website but I also have 2 books I read from at home. One is the daily bible and the other is the one year chronological bible. they all have a different reading assignment for today despite the 2 books both being New International Versions. I am sticking to the website to be the ultimate reading. I was very excited to have 2 more family members join me in my chronological bible readings. My husbands Aunt and his Cousin. This is exciting because they are both much more knowledgeable about the bible than I could ever hope to be. I am hoping to have a little gathering in a month or so to chat about the readings so far. I have really enjoyed this and hope to get the two other bibles from yesterday's post soon!

Until tomorrow.

books and today's reading

my internet availablility today is sketchy at best. I have discovered 2 new books that are on my wish list now. The Archaeological Study Bible and the Chronological Study Bible. They are both really neat because they are more from a scientific/referenced historical account. I really wanted to buy them the second I saw them but they were $49.99 each at the bookstore I was at. I searched them on Amazon and they were 31.00 ish so I will be making an amazon purchase soon. They are quite interesting. I also found a Daily Bible that has insights and it does help explain the daily readings. It's only $14.00 so I will get it to help me along. I think by the end of this year my household will go from having 1 childrens edition bible to who knows how many different types! There are worse things to have in your house huh?

Today's reading is Genesis 11:1-26; 1 Chronicles 1:24-27; Genesis 11:27-31; Genesis 12-14:24

This reading was challenging for me. I was having trouble understanding this reading and its' purpose to the larger picture. I did find that my trip to the bookstore and reading from the daily bible with insights and summaries helped me to understand the reading. The chronological study bible also helped to understand this reading as well.
It mentions that the people are building a city and a tower that reaches the heavens. I did not initially understand why this displeased God until the other books mentioned that it seemed as an act of defiance and self-assertive pride. This caused God to scatter mankind and create diversity in language. I will hopefully post more tomorrow providing my access to stable internet is available.

Until next time...

The Flood

Today’s reading was Genesis 7-10:5; 1 Chronicles 1:5-7; Genesis 10:6-20; 1 Chronicles 1:8-16; Genesis 10:21-30; 1 Chronicles 1:17-23; Genesis 10:31-32 which addressed the flood of the earth.
I think most people know this story...they must if I'm familiar with it! This reading was about Noah's ark and God telling him to take the animals, Noah's wife, his sons and their wives onto the ark. It was interesting that he asked him to take seven pairs of every clean animal and one pair of every unclean animal. What's clean and unclean? Apparently if termites are considered unclean they are quite hardy those first two little ones made it through to "to be fruitful and increase in number"

Another interesting part was Genesis 9:6 “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind." Everyone's interpretation of this could be different. It makes you wonder how this is interpreted by those that believe or do not believe in capital punishment. So are those that carry out the death sentence to others considered to have shed human blood? Or does this just say that those that shed human blood will not live a full and complete life?

My favorite part of today’s reading was about rainbows! Why doesn't anyone ever talk about the rainbows? That's the best part in my opinion. Genesis 9:13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
I think this will change how I look at rainbows.

Overall today’s reading was good and enjoyable. Despite those that have encouraged me not to read the Old Testament It's not too bad so far. I realize there will be parts that will be less than enjoyable but isn't that true of all epic tales?

Day 2

Day 2 of reading the bible chronologically. Today's reading was Genesis 4-5:32; 1 Chronicles 1:1-4; Genesis 6:1-22
This tells the story of Cain and Abel, some weird history of genealogy of the decedents of Adam living to be 900 years old and then the story of Noah being told to build the Ark.
Ok...on day 2 of my mission of reading the bible I'm lost already. Maybe more confused rather than lost per say. I know and get the story of Cain and Abel and of Noah but the part in between of the ancestry I don't get. I guess I'm confused because Cain didn't want to be left wandering, was banned from Eden and had to go to the land of Nod. Where he met his wife and they had kids...where did this lady come from?? So God created other people all over? I'm confused here. So was Adam and Eve just the first people he made then he made others in other places?
Then we get to all the ancestry stuff with Adam and Cain's decedents. They all lived for 800-900 years. Really? But Genesis 6 tells us god says “My Spirit will not contend with[a] humans forever, for they are mortal[b]; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

So this had me wondering who was the oldest recorded person to live. Thank You Google....it's Jeanne Calmet of France who lived to be 122 years and 164 days...apparently when you get that old you count the days too! More interesting is the fact that of the top 10 oldest recorded people 9 of them are women and the one man on the list's actual records of proof cannot be found..He could be an imposter! So God has kept his word that no man will live beyond 120 years...only women! Haha!

OK back to the bible.
Genesis 6:5 The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the LORD said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

So God was mad and didn't like the way they were and decided to wipe out the human race. This is also interesting and I'm sure I will understand this more later but I was under the impression that he liked us and was loving and kind? Well I guess he liked Noah so spared he and his family and all the animals (well two of each). This also makes me wonder how much those original animals have changed since biblical times. I do believe animals evolve over time...long periods of time but there is scientific proof that is happens and you can even see it in dogs for example. I just wonder what the animals on the Ark looked like. I wish there were more descriptions of them...maybe there will be.
This is where it leaves me God telling Noah to build the Ark.
I have read my "assignment" for today several times in multiple different versions. Last night I purchased a new book from Borders. The One Year Chronological Bible. This is so I can read my readings again in bed if I want. It goes along with the www.oneyearbibleonline.com chronological plan which is convenient. It has a nice little timeline and map too which is neat. I find that I have read the readings 3 or 4 times in different versions and thought about them often. I find that I have lots of questions that will hopefully be answered some as I continue my quest. It is entertaining that as more people at work find out the more they think it's bizarre that I'm even doing this. One of my co-workers yesterday said "I just didn't see that coming from you" It kind of cracks me up because I'm sure there are lots of aspects to my co-workers that I don't know. Well I hope you are keeping your co-workers, family and friends guessing about you as well. It's never too late to change and to learn! Happy Learning, Happy Changing, Happy Trails and Happy New Year!

The beginning of resolutions

Well it's January 1st! Happy New Year. I have started already on my resolution. It helps that I signed up for an online assistant. www.oneyearbibleonline.com I'm reading the bible in Chronological order this year. I have never read the bible. I also am not the religious type. I went to a Catholic school through the 4th grade but after that not much happened in my life by way of religion. My mom has been a catholic her entire life and my dad had a period of strong faith for about 5 years in my early 20's until they moved away from their church. Neither my husband nor I go to church. His parents are Christian and attend church regularly.
Why this year it struck me to read the bible I'll never know but sometimes it’s good to just go with the flow. I'm not sure how this year will change me as a person but I'm sure every year has. I might not recognize it but each year I change. I am accustomed to change and it really doesn't bother me. In fact at times I thrive on change, I look forward to it and I anticipate my reactions to it.
I am a pessimist at heart. I also am a skeptic. I am not sure how I feel about the bible and I must admit I haven't had the strongest faith in God. I actually am not sure what exactly faith is. My husband has faith in God. I realized this after a discussion with him about death. He said of course there is an afterlife and people are in heaven. I was surprise at this "of course" and acceptance of that. Where this year will take me I have no idea. I'm sure I will look back on my blog and be a changed person but isn't that what we are supposed to be? Almost every book I have read has changed me in some way so why wouldn't this one?

Well the first assigned reading for Jan. 1st was Genesis 1:1-3:24
It's basically the creation of the world and of man. Interesting I guess. It is actually interesting the part 16 to the woman he said,

“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
With painful labor you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
And he will rule over you.”

I guess it is because I am a fairly independent chick and this part is questionable for me. I guess because I didn't think of God as a punisher. I understand that there is supposed to be a heaven and hell and according to Catholics and Dante a purgatory but I guess I am not really comfortable with this I will punish you or I will punish all women for this behavior. Maybe eventually I will see this part in a different light but thus far....I don't like that part. I am reading different versions of the bible online because I realized there is quite a difference in wording and I just need to find the wording I like. So this quote is from a New International Version. Not all quotes that I use in here will be. I will try to note what version I am quoting from.
Until tomorrow or until I think of something else to post.
Happy New Year.

It's New Year's Resolution Time BABY!!!!

As the new year is practically upon me I am reflecting on the past year and preparing for the new year. I normally ask my husband his favorite things about the past year and what he wants to do in the next year and he does his best to try to come up with something to appease me and then changes the subject wisely. Well this year I'm working on a few projects. The next year I will be starting school (again) this time for my bachelors degree. I will be taking the snail approach and going part time. No point in rushing it when the better half is in school and it won't change my job when I'm finished.
So last year was well....last year. I've done better about being more optimistic and I think others have noticed also. I am still really enjoying spending time with my horse and I've been keeping my house cleaned and comfortable thanks to the flylady. Check her out at www.flylady.net
So what's in store for the new year??
I have a few resolutions. They are bizarre. I'm really not sure where they are stemming from but sometimes when something strikes you just go with it and don't stop to analyze everything. So here they are.

1. I'm reading the bible. Yep, they have this daily plan thing where you just read a piece of the bible everyday and in one year you will have read the entire thing. I think it is interesting that a book that is so old holds so much meaning and is still read by millions of people every year and yet I'm not one of them. I consider myself someone who reads a fair amount and enjoys to read and yet I have never approached the bible. Maybe because it seems a bit intimidating or because I know so little about it. Well, now is the time to learn!

2. I simply must get better about my finances and budgeting. I know this will not be an easy process because it never is but I really need to get things in order and decrease the stress in my life about it.

3. Continue on my flylady journey to keep my house cleaned. I love it when it is clean and organized. It's relaxing to walk in and know company could be following me and my house is ready for them!


I'm sure I will come up with new resolutions but this is it so far. I will be posting frequently regarding my reading of the bible and how that journey is going.

Until then...well tomorrow. Happy New Year and I hope you create wonderful opportunities for yourself in 2011.