Bible in 100 days

2015 began with a goal to read the Bible in 100 days. I started a few days before the first day of school and quickly realized that I would be finishing a week after the first term ended. My Bible reading time was scheduled in relation to when my kids would be at school. Weekends and breaks, when they were home and/or we were going on outings, in other words, when our schedule was different, I struggled to work in my reading time. So I tried to get a few days ahead and finish closer to their last day of school. Then the school moved the "last day" 2 days earlier... Still, I finished in 97 days, only 3 non-weekend days after the last day of school.

I have to say: I have loved this. I loved the fast pace. I looked forward to my Bible reading time almost every day. I've looked at it as spiritual therapy after 5 years of not getting enough.

When Nate was born, I (like, I'm sure, many other moms) had a very hard time making time for myself to spend in prayer and in reading the Bible. When you have an infant, you can be interrupted at any time - and you will be, without fail. Plus, there is So Much you have to do for them that when you have a minute to yourself, you just want to close your eyes. When they start getting independent enough that you could probably spend an episode of Super Why! reading the Bible, you start potty training. And those early days of potty training, you can either be very focused on helping your kid get to the bathroom on time or you can clean lots of pee off the floors. I know some moms can get up before their kids in the morning to remedy this, but my early risers just get up even earlier when I try to do that. There's nap time, too - but there are so many other things I need to be doing in the middle of the day.

One very excellent thing about me doing this reading plan now - post-infancy, post-potty training - is that on weekends and on breaks, even as I struggle to work in my reading time, I have been training Nate and Ben to let me have it. There's no reason I shouldn't be able to read my Bible and pray while they are home and awake. They are old enough now to spare my undivided attention for half an hour (or so).

This morning, I sent them outside to play while I finished reading Revelation. They brought me flowers every few minutes, but otherwise were content to be on their own. They have gotten used to this. We have family devotions together every evening, but it is also good for them to see me reading the Bible on my own.

If you have never read through the Bible beginning to end, I very much encourage you to do it. If you have trouble following through on commitments, use one of these quick reading plans. This one is 100 days. YouVersion has a 90 day plan which has "catch up" days worked in (some are shorter sections of reading, some are free of reading altogether).

I am considering starting up Professor Horner's reading system. It is not a plan with a beginning and end, but rather a system of reading, which can be maintained for life. It's 10 chapters per day - almost as much reading each day as 100 Days. I may start with 5 chapters each day so that I can split my time into big picture reading and in depth study.