New Year's Resolution FAIL.

We've all done it. Whether we admit it or not. You start off January first with this mindset that “This is going to be the year! “ You're going to change, improve, be healthy, be disciplined, be flawless. Then February rolls around and you’re the same unchanged person as before, only a few pounds heavier and a few days older :/.

I think that the reason why I was never able to read through the whole Bible was mainly because I started out with an unrealistic goal. "I'm going to read the Bible every single day for 365 days and read the Bible in 1 year!” While this is definitely something great to strive for, ultimately you are going to break it. It might come when you go on vacation, hit the snooze button on your alarm, receive a call from a lover asking you to dinner, forget to bring your Bible when traveling, get sick, etc. What's worse, is that your mind makes you feel so guilty and bad about yourself that you end up doing more harm than good to yourself and you quit altogether. If you're having a hard time following me, think back to when you've made a resolution to lose weight. You tell yourself you are only going to eat 1,200 calories a day and work out three times a week. Well Monday and Tuesday you absolutely are crushing it, until Wednesday rolls along and you feel like a rabbit. You're sick of munching on celery sticks, carrots, and putting your chicken over a bed of spinach instead of over warm sour cream and chive mashed potatoes. You decide you have earned the right to 'cheat' a little so you go to the cupboard where the beloved double stuffed Oreos are patiently waiting to reward you for your YTD success. You pop one in your mouth. HEAVEN!!!! It's like you experience the taste of an Oreo for the first time. Who would have thought 48 hours would be enough to forget how delectable the cream is and how it is the perfect complement to the crunch and chocolaty goodness of the cookie part. Okay, time to pour some milk to wash my mouth and then I will be done with my reward. You pour the milk and take two sips. You see the empty glass and your economical/humanitarian self kicks in "now self, you can't waste that milk, milk is expensive! And besides, there are plenty of starving kids in Africa , you can't just put this to waste". Drinking the milk by itself is not an option when you see the tiny black specks floating in the milk, remnants of your 1 double stuffed Oreo. You go back to the cupboard rationalizing that you will only have 2-3 more so you can finish the milk and avoid being given the nickname "Pro-Hunger Garbage Loving Child Hater”. You end up eating 4 more. SHOOT. The milk is gone, but you forget about your humanitarian achievement and enter the mode of guilt/disappointment. I completely blew it. What was I thinking? I was doing sooooo good! UGH. I feel sick. I already ruined this whole day, might as well eat some more. [NOTE: I have no idea why our mind thinks that a 200+ calorie slip/indulgence is justification for 'rationalizing' that the day is shot and giving us a license to eat more and turn it into a binge.] Half a sleeve later you shove the Oreos back in the cupboard, tell yourself you will set your alarm 30 minutes early to get in an extra/unplanned workout to make up for aforementioned snafu. Welp, the next morning rolls along, and you do not go to the gym. You are abnormally hungry, and decide to forgo oatmeal (what you were supposed to have) and opt for a bagel instead. Next thing you know Thursday is shot too, and you decide that the whole week is shot, and you will start again next Monday. Another week roles by and you hop on the scale, only to see that your weight is now 2lbs more than before you started the diet. For a while, you tell yourself it’s water weight, and eat a few more Oreos to forget about the 3 numbers on the scale. By the end of the month, you completely abandon your ‘diet’ and decide to focus on more important things in life, such as oh I don’t know People Magazine.

I’m writing today to share with you my secrets for how I was able to read the entire Bible. I wouldn’t say it was necessarily hard to do. Whereas dieting is as simple as “eat less, exercise more”, reading the Bible is as simple as “Read from left to right. Flip page. Repeat”. Even though we know these truths, we are always looking ways to make things easier and be more efficient. Unfortunately, I can’t speak to how to lose weight, (I have tried to lose 5lbs before and failed). However, I can speak to how to read the Bible. Below are 10 things that helped me read the Bible. In true dieting fashion: results may vary. My example is not typical of most people.

#1 Set a Reasonable Goal and Don't Stress When You Get Off Track.
It will take you 67 hours to read the whole Bible. Yes, I did this calculation before I started and I originally thought it would take me 2 weeks and 2 days to read the whole thing ( 2 minutes per page X 2,000 pages = 4,000 minutes. 4,000 minutes / 60 minutes = 66 hours. 66 hours/ 4 hours a day of reading = 16 days to read the bible). However, it took me four months to read the whole Bible. To help me not feel overwhelmed with the greatness of the task I would narrow my focus. Instead of thinking “I have 1,800 pages left” I would think “Only 20 more pages until I am done with Exodus." There will be days when you don't read the Bible and that's okay. You don't have a goal revolving around a time frame, you have a goal revolving around completing the whole Bible.

#2 Read In Order Genesis-Revelation
Clearly, this isn’t the only way to approach reading the Bible. Reading from Genesis-Revelation isn’t in exact chronological order, but it’s pretty darn close. I believe you can’t fully grasp the New Testament and the need for Christ without first reading the Old Testament.

#3 Get Comfy!
I think a lot of times when I would try to read the Bible I would stop pre-maturely simply because I was uncomfortable. Find a place to sit that is comfortable has good light, allow you to stretch out your legs so you can rest the Bible on your legs verses trying to hold up the book with your wrists. I used a couch in my living room.

#4 Pray
Praying before you start to read is critical. The Bible is complicated. There are a lot of hard to pronounce words. The historical events of the bible took place over 2,000 years ago in a culture that is drastically different than today’s culture, which can make it hard to understand. AND, there are all sorts of different types of literature such as history, law, poetry, songs, wisdom literature, prophecy, personal letters, and apocalyptic literature. “Trying to read the Bible on your own would be like trying to learn Calculus with just a textbook” -Todd Philips.
Followers of Christ have the privilege of having direct access to the writer of the text (God), because the Holy Spirit dwells inside us. Praying will enable the Holy Spirit to guide us, convict us, and reveal truth to us as we read (1Corinthians:10-11; John 14:26). If you are just checking out Christianity, I would recommend praying to God asking Him to reveal himself to you while you read . “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 4:29). I at first was leery of this, but the days I prayed before I read, I got so much more out of the Bible!

#5 Take Your Time
There is no need to rush. The Bible isn’t going anywhere or changing anytime soon.

#6 Allow Time For Review & Questioning
As with anything, you will be more likely to push a piece of information into your long term memory the more you review it. After finishing a book in the Old Testament, I would often read or listen to John Piper’s sermons on that particular book. The Old Testament reads like a story, and it was helpful to learn themes, and life applications from Piper. I would constantly ask questions. Often times, when I would get stuck on something, I would use my roommate’s Bible commentary by MacArthur as one point of reference.

#7 Talk To Someone About What You Just Read Probably one of my favorite steps! Every Tuesday, on the way to small group, I would summarize what I had read recently. My friend was amazing, she was so knowledge about the bible because she has read the whole thing several times. We had fun talking about Baal worship, King Nebuchadnezzar, Elisha, the Holy of Holy places, levitical law, and many other topics.

#8 Keep Track Of Your Progress
I used Google Calendar. I would create an event for the day I started a particular book and then update the event with an end date once I finished it. It was helpful to have a visual to see my progress. If you’d prefer to use a poster with a thermometer where you color in your progress a la Jump Rope For Your Heart style, by all means do it!

#9 Tell Someone About Your Ultimate Goal
There were periods of time where I went a day or a few days without reading the Bible at all. What really helped me get back into the Word, was talking to my friends that knew of my goal. Every so often, they would casually ask me where I was in the Bible. Sometimes my answer would be the same as the last time they asked me. However, most of the time, I couldn’t’ wait to tell them where I was so they could hear of my progress!

#10 Have Fun
Reading the Bible shouldn’t be thought of as a chore, or something you dread doing. Reading the Bible should be something you look forward to. Yes there were some slow parts, cough cough [genealogies throughout the first 9 chapters of Chronicles] cough cough, but overall it’s a thrilling, exciting, and an adventurous read. And, huge bonus, you get a small glimpse of how awesome the creator of the universe is!

If you think you are up for the challenge, let me know and we can make a thermometer chart together!

Cheescake Factory, Quarter Life Crisis, and The Bible.. Oh My!

Is it possible to love and hate something at the same time? Absolutely. If you don’t believe me, take a trip to The Cheesecake Factory next time you want to go out to eat. I love Cheesecake Factory because it offers my all time favorite dessert (cheesecake), the portion sizes are gargantuan (re: 1lb box of pasta which serves 8 normally is used for 1 order of spaghetti with meat sauce), it can please any crowd because the menu has options from nearly every type of cuisine (American, Asian, Italian, Mediterranean, Mexican), and I have the comfort of knowing that when I order Chicken Picatta in Chapel Hill it will taste the same as when I order it in Clarendon (thank you quality control!) . Despite the many positives of Cheesecake Factory, I can’t help but also hate it at the same time. Why? Because as soon as I sit down at the fine establishment, the waitress hands me a menu, which based on the unusual shape tricks me into thinking I was handed a wine list menu. WRONG. As soon as I open the menu I see 200+ menu items spread across 20 PAGES. Forget pre dinner conversation. I need to spend the next five minutes carefully reading over the novel I was just handed. And while normally I like options, there is a point where lots of options becomes more stressful than beneficial. Think about it. When was the last time you ordered something after careful deliberation, only to fall into food envy? You are content with your order until the flatbread pizza glides by, giving off an aroma of fresh basil, only to be delivered to the neighboring table in which man has huge smile on his face. Sometimes I wonder if man sees my envy and then purposely tries to rub it in by exaggerating his facial expressions while eating… I mean really no normal person smiles while they chew on pizza dough!!

Now maybe I’m the only one with this, eh hem ‘problem’, but at least I’m not in denial. And you know what? I would be willing to bet that our parents (baby boomer generation) love the Cheesecake Factory menu with seemingly endless options. Lots of baby boomers came from humble backgrounds. They worked so hard, and they had ‘nothing’ relative to our generation. Some baby boomers grew up on a farm, while others lived in the city where their parents worked in a factory or manufacturing plant. Their activities as kids were very limited. They didn’t have private tutors, personalized piano lessons, or travel soccer teams at their disposal. It was more play stick-ball in a back alley and using cardboard boxes as bases. Vacations consisted of getting together with the local extended family every other Sunday for polka and potato salad. As adults, there also tended to be limited paths to pursue. Many were the first in their family to attend college. For some, the first time they left the state they were born in didn’t happen until college. And for others, after graduating from college they took the first job they were offered and ended up staying with that same company for their ENTIRE CAREER!

So then, naturally, when said baby boomers had some kids of their own, of course they were going to want their kids to have a “better” life. I remember from a young age my Dad always told me, “Chess, I just want to be able to create more options for you” . Well, I’m not sure if you know this, but my Dad created the internet. Just kidding that was Al Gore. But seriously, think about how technology has exponentially increased our options. Gone are the days when folks in their 20s relied on paper business cards, phone books, land-line phones with answering machines, and newspaper ads to find a job. Today, we have information and communication at our fingertips thanks to fax machines, emails, online college classes, online alumni databases, Career Builder, Indeed.com, Linkedin, company websites, Facebook, etc. These technological advances have no doubt helped to create more options because they have made it much easier to switch careers, take advanced classes, move to a new city, and find a different job. While there is a large sense of freedom that comes with taking on the mindset that the world is our oyster and we can really chase after almost anything we want, it can also be really stressful. I do enjoy my job most days, but am I in the right job? Can I really do this forever? Is there a better job out there that uses my FULL skill set? My college friends are going back to B-school and having a blast… maybe I should too?

{STAGE DIRECTIONS} Cue thunder bolts and lightning.

Enter quarter-life crisis.

Protagonist : AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!


Now what if during said quarter-life crisis when you are looking for direction, purpose, meaning, answers, clarity, you seek advice from someone whom you have tremendous respect for. Someone that knows you almost as well as you know yourself. Someone that has your best interest at heart, and who you think can surely just provide you with the right job suggestion that perfectly aligns with your personality and skill set. When they reveal to you this perfect job suggestion you will go “ah ha! “ and all will be normal again. Now what if that person after you finish sharing your frustrations, doubts, confusion, and plea for guidance simply says back to you " I don’t have an answer for you. What I can tell you though, is the most important thing you can do in life is to Love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind.” Initially, I was furious when I heard this. That is not at all helpful! Of course I Love God… I think?! After taking some time to cool off, I stared asking myself if I really truly loved God. The conclusion I came to was “I want to, but I honestly can’t say I’m there yet”. Yes, I knew that as Christians we love Him because He loved us first, and I have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of my life. However, I couldn’t undoubtedly say that I was madly and passionately in love with God. I remembered hearing in a sermon that God’s love language is obedience, so I thought well surely since I try to follow His commands, that produces love for God? WRONG. Obedience doesn't produce love. Love produces obedience. Okay next strategy: try to develop strong feelings. (1 week passes and nothing changed) Final solution: maybe I can develop love for God by getting to know Him.

It was during this simple yet profound realization that I started on the best journey of my life to date…. the journey of reading the word of God (the Bible). [Ironically enough, the person who spoke such wise words to me, also happened to be the same person that gave me my first Bible.] I’ll admit that at first I was hesitant and scared. I was afraid that reading the Old Testament would make me think God was full of wrath and not at all loving. I started in Exodus (2nd book of the Bible), read the entire Old Testament (read Genesis last), and soon thereafter read the entire New Testament (Matthew- Revelation). During my reading of the OT, I surprisingly did not come away thinking God was 100% wrathful. In fact, I think the most significant aspect of God’s character that was revealed to me during my reading was how unfailing God’s love for His people was. I got to know a God who was steadfast in mercy, abounding in love, and quick to forgive His people who for generations kept making the same mistakes over and over again.

Additionally, reading the Bible brought a tremendous amount of peace into my life. It was almost as if a switch in my brain turned back on that allowed me to be at ease, rest, and stop stressing 24-7 about attempting to figure out my ‘life plan’. I can’t even give you an analogy to illustrate the peace I felt during the 5 months it took me to read the bible simply because I have never felt this peaceful before. The Bible gave me incredible wisdom, helped refocus my life, and understand what actually matters in this life and what doesn’t.

Now, let me clarify, the Bible isn’t going to have a verse in there that says “Yes (your name), I think you should take job A because it only has a 25 minute commute” or “No (your name), don’t apply to graduate school, I think you would be better suited programming computers” or “Move to San Diego! I give you 4 thumbs up!” , or “Yes, you getting laid off is a sign that you should switch careers to pursue your true dream of working in the FBI” , etc. The Bible was written by God for EVERYONE, regardless of age, sex, gender. It also was written so that it would transcend time. Anyone, anywhere, anytime, in any environment, can relate to it and come out with a significant amount of wisdom.

If you think you might be having a quarter-life crisis, I still think you should continue to take career personality tests, network, shadow people who have a job you are interested in, and apply for jobs online. However, I also strongly recommend reading the Bible. It’s much better than the alternatives: overeating (you’ll spend more money and get fat), getting wasted (you’re just avoiding dealing with problems), or working out (who needs to work out when you have the Shake Weight?) The Bible is not detrimental to your health. You can easily find one for free or at the very least under $11. So why not give it a shot? All the cool kids recommend it.

• “The Bible is the best book in the world. It contains more than all the libraries I have seen.” -John Adams
• “The Bible makes the best people in the world.” -Thomas Jefferson
• “The Bible is the Anchor of our liberties.” -Ulysses S. Grant
• “No educated man can afford to be ignorant of the Bible.” -Theodore Roosevelt
• “The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and the next.” -John Jay First Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
• “Education is useless without the Bible….God’s word, contained in the Bible, has furnished all necessary rules to direct our conduct.” -Noah Webster
• “The Bible is worth all the other books which have ever been printed.” -Patrick Henry
• “In the formative days of the Republic the directing influence the Bible exercised upon the fathers of the Nation is conspicuously evident.…Our enemies are guided by…unholy contempt of the human race. We are inspired by a faith that goes back through all the years to the first chapter of the Book of Genesis: “God created man in His own image.” “Franklin D. Roosevelt

I read the New International Version (NIV) Study Bible. The study Bible was fascinating because it has introductions before each book of the bible that tells author, date of writing, background, purpose, themes, theological significance etc. Also, most verses have footnotes to show other verses in the bible aka ‘cross references’ where similar content is discussed.