"Look At Me..."

And Moses answered, “Look at me. I stutter. Why would Pharaoh listen to me?”

God told Moses, “Look at me. I’ll make you as a god to Pharaoh and your brother Aaron will be your prophet."

(Exodus 6:30-7:1, MSG)

Love this exchange...and love how the same sentence can be said in such different ways...

Moses said "Look at me." All he could see were his faults and shortcomings. God had asked him to lead the Israelites out of captivity, but that wasn't enough. God promised to give him whatever he needed to do it...but that wasn't enough. Moses thought so little of himself and was so trapped by the guilt and shame of his previous sins that he didn't think God could use him at all. With that one pleading sentence, Moses begged God to take one more look at him and see the mess that he saw in himself.

God said "Look at me." He had forgiven Moses's past sins. He had restored him in those years away from Egypt. He had spent all that time since his trip down the Nile in a reed basket preparing him for this very moment. God saw far more in Moses than he saw in himself...and in that moment He needed Moses to hear just that. When my kids are sad or feeling bad about themselves, I try to reassure them. One of the things I do is force them to make eye contact with me when I tell them how much I love them and how special they are. I feel like God was doing just that to Moses...and telling him "Trust Me. Just follow Me and I'll lead you home."

To Moses, that seemed like an impossible task...but to God, it's just another day. I'm glad Youversion had this in my reading for today...because with all the craziness and uncertainty in my life today, I needed to hear Him say, "Rob, look at me..."

That's pretty cool.

God Understood...

Many years later the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery and cried out. Their cries for relief from their hard labor ascended to God:

God listened to their groanings.

God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

God saw what was going on with Israel.

God understood.

(Exodus 2:23-25, MSG)

God understood.

So often I don't give Him credit for this. When I'm caught up in all my stuff, all the drama in my life, my health situation, and lots of other stuff, it's easy to think that God's just busy taking care of stuff in places that really need Him, like Africa and other places, and He just doesn't have time for me right now. In those moments, it's easy to feel really alone and abandoned.

In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. The Bible isn't just throwing around name tags when they call God "Abba", or Father. God loves us like a father, and His heart breaks like ours when we are hurting. He cries for us when we are broken....and He painfully waits for us when we lose our way and stray far from His loving arms.

In fact, God wanted us to know that He understood so much He sent His son here. Sure, He died on the cross for our sins...but He didn't need to live here for 33 years to do that. He did that so that we would know that He faced everything we did. He felt joy, sadness, anger, disappointment, loss, love, and happiness. He wanted us to know and remember that He knows exactly how we feel, and that He is right there and has a plan for us, even when we can't see it.

God understood.

God understands....and right now, that's enough for me. When you feel like He just doesn't get it, remember these wise words from the songs of Rich Mullins:

There's bound to come some trouble to your life
But that ain't nothin' to be afraid of
There's bound to come some tears up in your eyes
That ain't no reason to fear
I know there's bound to come some trouble to your life
But reach out to Jesus, and hold on tight
He's been there before
And He knows what it's like
You'll find He's there...

Attitude of Gratitude List...

I know my posts lately have been on the heavy side....full of confession, angst, and conflict. When I got back to writing this again, I didn't want it to be all about that...I wanted to be able to just write silly and freely, too, because that's part of who I am also. While reading my friend Nic's blog this morning, I saw a post of things she's thankful and/or grateful for. She does this every Monday, and I always enjoy reading it. Today, I decided to make a little list of my own to remind me just how blessed I am...some serious, some silly, but all little rays of sunshine in my life.

...my God. He loves me even when I'm unlovable. That's pretty cool.

...my wife. She loves me even when I'm unlovable. That's commitment..and cool.

...my kids. Sure, sometimes they are a trial...but watching and listening to them play so nicely together as they made silly videos with my camera was a thing of beauty to behold. Those are the moments I'd like to freeze in time forever.

...my house, enough food, and warmth. It's easy to take for granted...but I need to remember to be thankful for it each day. I'm so blessed...but it's easy to get caught up in what I want instead of focusing on what I need that's already there.

...good books. Be it a exciting work of fiction, or a non-fiction one that probes my soul and expands my mind, I love a good book and the escape it gives me.

...music. Dialysis can be really long some days...but I can hit shuffle on my Ipod, grab a book or magazine, and the clock speeds up. I love the effect music can have on me....and glad to have so much to be able to listen to.

...The History Channel. This is one I never thought I'd cop to...and one of the channels I always used to skip over. Now, it's home to two of my favorite reality shows, Pawn Stars and American Pickers. I just can't not watch when I know they're on. Alternately funny and informative, it's just some good mindless TV when I want to unwind.

...my IPad. I got it this summer, and it's been the single best time-killer at dialysis. Full of games, music, books, puzzles, and other stuff, it's always something new to do each time. Being a completist, I have plenty of time to play all the way through things...silly, yet fun for me. Bonus: it's a great electronic pacifier for the kids on trips.

...warm, dry winter boots. I've got a great pair, and they make all the difference on these cold, wet days we've been having lately.

...chipped beef on toast. A simple meal I haven't had in a long while...made it last night and it hit the spot. Also, had some great Chinese food at our Sunday School party this past weekend.....so gooooooooood.

...watching sports. I don't drink, smoke, or do drugs. I don't have many vices, but watching sports is one of them. It's been a great run lately, with the exciting NFL playoffs and an unexpected run of good play by my Irish on the basketball court. The Super Bowl is in two weeks, and college basketball is over in March...thank goodness for NASCAR, or I may have to actually go outside. ;)

...people God has put in my life. The last six months have been crazy...but looking back, I'm amazed at how God has led me to many people in my life to help me walk through this valley. Some new, some renewed, but all put into my life at the time I needed them. That's pretty amazing, and not a coincidence.

...hoodies. I used to hate them for years and years...now I can't get enough of them. Maybe it's my proclivity to get cold easier now, or maybe I'm just finally OK with them...but nothing beats coming home and slipping into a nice, warm hoodie with with my sweats. Sometimes, it's the little things.

...Sweettarts. I don't know why, but I've really been on a kick for them lately. We bought some for my son's stocking...and I ate all of them before he even got any. (I know, I'm a terrible dad...) They are just so good!

...grace. Enough said.

...my church. When we started attending NMC this summer, it was hard. Going from a church where we knew everyone and had attended forever to a much larger church was difficult, but after 9 months, it feels like home. We love the pastor and his sermons, challenging us each week. We've found a small church we enjoy and have connected in, and the kids are loving the groups they are in. The change was just what we needed....before we knew we needed it.

...that I'm not Jay Cutler right now. You think you're having a bad week so far?! Yeowch. I almost feel bad for him...almost. (Full disclosure: I HATE the Bears.)

...sports talk radio. I gave up my XM radio this fall, and have come back to local sports talk radio and am really enjoying it. I love the back and forth, the opinions, and the analysis. It really makes my commutes much shorter.

...heated mattress pads. I got this for my wife for Christmas...but I'm loving it. There's nothing like sliding into your bed and immediately being toasty warm. It's like a hug with pillows.

...musicals. I'm a sucker for musicals of any kind. I watched "Mamma Mia" on TBS this past weekend and really enjoyed it. Twice. Don't judge me.

That's just a few things I'm thankful for today...and feeling pretty good about my life right now. Thanks, Nic, for the idea and encouragement...and here's hoping you are reminded about some things you're thankful for today.

I Am New....

If you know me, the guy you probably see is someone who looks like he has it all together...occasionally funny, friendly, helpful, and confident. If that's what you see, good, because that's the imagine I tend to want to project. Inside, though, I'm a person that's easily broken, with a poor self-image, and one who has trouble not feeling responsible for every bad thing. Even though you may see that I'm always smiling and laughing, inside I've always been someone who barely feels like I can hold it all together.

Last night, as I laid in bed, wide awake, watching my wife sleep, I could feel it coming. It's usually proceeded by an eerie, prickly feeling, followed by a blanket of dread. Quietly at first, then with the force of a tidal wave, my mind was overwhelmed with a fury of negative thoughts:

"You're a mess. No one can ever love you."

"With what you've done, God will never forgive or use you again."

"Your kids will be a wreck because of you."

"Those relationships you hope to be restored? Never going to happen, because you've messed them up way too bad."

"You'll never change...just give up trying...you'll fail like always."

"If people knew the "real" you, they'd want nothing to do with you."

"Hoping for good news about your health? You don't deserve to be well."

As I laid there, like so many nights before, the attack continued. Accusations, guilt, and shame poured on me in buckets, driving me down into the depths of my soul. In the past, this would've started a downward spiral of self-loathing and feeling like I was all alone, trapped in my bad decisions and sin with no way out...and that even if I ever found my way out, that no one would want anything to do with a mess like me.

It was exhausting. Nothing I did or tried seemed to work. I would feel OK for a day or two, then back down in the hole again. As I felt worse and worse about myself, I did more and more for others, hoping that their praise and validation would somehow counteract the voices in my head that kept pushing me down in the mud. That didn't work either.

I didn't find relief and release until I read this great book, "The Bondage Breaker" by Neil Anderson. In it, I found that those attacks weren't from me at all...but from the enemy trying to keep me away from the saving grace of Jesus Christ. The victory was won at the cross...all I had to do was claim it! How incredibly wonderful and freeing it was to claim these verses and fend off that attack last night:

Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it!
(2 Corinthians 5:17, MSG)

You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, “Papa! Father!” Doesn’t that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you’re also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance.
(Galatians 4:6-7, MSG)

We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.(I John 5:18, NIV)

I recited these and many other promises of God from the Bible as the thoughts continued to fall at terminal velocity...and slowly, the tide began to turn. I claimed His words, His victory, and eventually all I was left with was the quiet of the night....and a song in my heart.

Music has always been a part of my life, though I can't play anything or sing to save my life. God has been great at putting songs in my life at a time when I can claim them as my anthem for that part of my journey. You can see what songs He's used in the past by clicking here.

My song for this time in my life? "I Am New" by Jason Gray. Everytime the enemy tries to work his way back into my heart and mind and fill me with his many lies, the words of the song help me to win the battle before it ever starts. Here's some of the lyrics:

Now I won't deny
The worst you could say about me
But I'm not defined
By mistakes that I've made
Because God says of me

I am not who I was
I am being remade
I am new
I am chosen and holy
And I'm dearly loved
I am new

I am forgiven.

I am restored.

I am different than I was.

I am His.

I am new....Praise God, I am new.

"Beautiful Things"...

I just saw a recent tweet by my friend Derry about the band "Gungor" and their music. I have to say that I don't know if he's ahead of the curve, or if I'm way behind, but I've never heard of them...so I Googled it, and this Youtube video came up first. It's an acoustic rendition of their song, "Beautiful Things". It's beautifully played with just 3 instruments....but the lyrics moved me to tears:

All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

I can't speak for you...but I sure needed to hear that today.

Click and see if it moves you...

"Real Rest"...

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.

“The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen. “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

(Matthew 11:26-30, MSG)

I've got to say...only 15 days into my third journey through the Bible, and I've already had a year's worth of experiences. There have passages that have made me laugh, made me cry, challenged me, broke me, and just reminded my of God's love, grace, acceptance, and forgiveness. Like I said, I've done this twice before, but this time I really feel like God has written all of this just for me...and I like it.

The passage above is Jesus speaking to the crowds, mostly about John the Baptist, who they had put in prison. He begins by basically chastising them for not hearing what He had to say to them...then He was so moved by their plight of unbelief He began to pray for them. After that prayer, His demeanor changed to one of just heartfelt conversation. To me, it was like a good friend grabbing me by the shoulders and saying, "Look me in the eye here, and please, please listen to what I have to say to you because I love you." It was so important, Jesus chose not to shout it...but to say it quietly enough that to you would really have to listen to hear it. Here's what I hear when He spoke to me through His word:

The "Father-Son intimacies" He talked about in the first part to me seems like a dance. With God the Father and Jesus being one, they move together in perfect synchronicity, always exactly in step, without even one mistake. Nothing they do is contrary to each other, or to the Word of God. This, in itself, is amazing enough to watch from the outside...but then Jesus says the magic words: "I'm not keeping it to myself." That, to me, is Jesus walking through the crowded dance floor, past all the other Christians so much "better" than I am, who seems to be so much more worthy of Him and His glory, and he reaches out His hand to me and says, "Come on out and join me...". Even though I step on His toes all the time, He is still patient, graceful, and willing to keep dancing with me throughout the peaks and valleys of my life. That's incredibly cool, in my opinion.

The other part that really resonated with me was this verse:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest."

I don't know about you...but sometimes, I'm exhausted. Sure, sometimes it's physical, but over the last few months, it's been more emotional. There have been times when I've felt so spent, worn out, and overcome by all that I'm facing that I don't know how I can handle it. As I talked with my friend Terry last week, I shared that God said He'd never give me more in my cup than I could bear...and he said that God just must keep giving me bigger cups! (That one made me smile...)

But over these past months, when I feel like it's all crashing down on me, I've found escaping to my Bible and spending time in prayer to be a time of "real rest". It's like I can climb up on His lap, let Him wrap me in His mighty arms, and listen to Him tell me stories, comfort me, calm me, and encourage me. Just "getting away with him" has done it. For so many years, I tried to do and fix everything myself, most often just making things worse, and increasing the load I was carrying...and Jesus just kept saying "Give it to Me, Rob. I'll take care of it, and of you. No matter what it is, or how bad it is, I'm here, and all in with you if you'll let Me." I had to hit bottom before I did...but so glad He was right there at the bottom of my pit waiting for me when I crash landed.

I used to write these little bits to share insight on Scripture I've read with those who find this blog...but so far this year, they're all for me. If God uses it to touch your heart, bonus!....but He's teaching me far more than I could ever share.

Here's hoping we all make time to get some "real rest" in God's arms today.

Sometimes, He Says It All....

That very night God appeared to him and said,
I am the God of Abraham your father;
don’t fear a thing because I’m with you.

(Genesis 26:24, MSG)

Sometimes, He just says it all.

Here's hoping that brings you at least a measure of peace in whatever you're facing today....as it did for me.

Two Little Verses....

Don’t assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!

Your body will glow with health,
your very bones will vibrate with life!

(Proverbs 3:7-8, MSG)

That's my reading in Proverbs today for my "One Year Bible" reading plan on YouVersion.

Just two little verses...yet so powerful to me.

Assuming I know it all....let me be the first to say "Ouch". This has been one of my downfalls for years. I assume that I know everything...and I know how to fix everything...and I know how everything should be done...and that I know how everyone should be.

Seriously...I honestly thought that for years. It wasn't until about five months ago I realized I really didn't know much of anything. When my life was squeezed, shaken, and torn apart, I had to come to the realization that I not only didn't know it all...what I thought I knew was mostly way off. As I really dove into the Bible again, this time with fresh, open eyes, I began to see the knowledge this book holds for the first time....and that's from someone who's read it through twice before already.

So, not only do we not know it all....I love the beauty of the next sentence:

"Run to God, run from evil!"

That, my friends, is the life goal of any Christ-Follower in a nutshell. If you're running to God, you'll have a better shot of running from evil. Conversely, if you're running from God, evil doesn't have to do nearly as much work then. Again, I've spent too much of my life pretending to play the game of following Christ...and far too little actually doing it.

Not anymore. I'm tired of letting satan get the best of me. (And yes, I didn't capitalize on purpose...it's the middle finger of grammar...ht to Jon Acuff for that one...) I spent most of this past weekend in a funk...stuck in a rut of guilt and just some really "stinkin' thinkin'", as my friend Derry so eloquently stated it. I started feeling back about myself and things I'd done, and let the enemy take it and run. I took it out on my wife and kids...and it was wrong. I finally realized that it was a spiritual battle at 3 am on Monday morning, took some time to claim the promises of God in prayer, and felt a load just lift off of me. It was great...and then I wondered why it took me 3 days to figure out what was going on.

As I met with my friend Jeff yesterday, he shared a similar story of battle himself. Thankfully, he introduced the book, "Bondage Breakers" by Neil Anderson, to me, which gave me the scriptures and tools to break out of bondage from of the enemy that I use on almost a daily basis. I'm also thankful to have a friend like him to share the load, encourage each other, and lift each other up in prayer.

This has turned into a long post on just two short verses...but it just reminded me of how simple the battle really is. News flash: God won when Jesus died on the cross and rose again....all we have to do now is claim that victory as our own as a child of God.

Meanwhile, words to live by...

Don't think you know it all.
Run to God.
Run from evil.

Here's hoping I can do a decent job of following the One who knows it all today.

Pride and Babble...

Then they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower that reaches Heaven. Let’s make ourselves famous so we won’t be scattered here and there across the Earth.” God came down to look over the city and the tower those people had built. God took one look and said, “One people, one language; why, this is only a first step. No telling what they’ll come up with next—they’ll stop at nothing! Come, we’ll go down and garble their speech so they won’t understand each other.” Then God scattered them from there all over the world. And they had to quit building the city. That’s how it came to be called Babel, because there God turned their language into “babble.” From there God scattered them all over the world.

(Genesis 11:4-9, MSG)

I loved this story as a kid in Sunday School...people trying to build a tower to reach heaven? What little boy wouldn't want to do that? And I thought it was cool how God handled it...by garbling their speech so the couldn't communicate. I've often wondered if it was how we began all the different languages of the world.

As I got older, though, this story took on new meaning to me. It's a story of pride and vanity. The people thought that they were living and doing so well, they didn't need God's help anymore. They not only wanted to be equals with God, but to be famous and renown for just how great they thought they really were. God wasn't a fan of that....not a big fan of pride in general, and He put a stop to it. As I read through my Bible, you never see an instance of pride in the life of Christ. There's a guy who had ever reason to be prideful...but chose to be humble instead. He chose to be beaten and nailed to a cross when He could have ended all of them. He chose to live a nomadic life when He could have created the most magnificent palace. He wasn't about being popular...He was about being real.

My reading today lead me from here in Genesis to Matthew 5, more commonly know to us as "The Beatitudes". I've read them before...but seeing it written in the context of this translation really hit me hard...

“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.

“You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.

“You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘carefull,’ you find yourselves cared for.

“You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

(Matthew 5:3-8, MSG)

My takeaway from today's reading? Well, for quite a while I was just like the people of Babel...thinking I could do it all on my own, that I didn't need God or any help, and that my decisions based on pride, vanity, and selfish desires were right, only because I wanted them to be. God didn't make me start speaking Greek....but He did allow me to fall off my tower....hard. That wasn't fun....still isn't, as a matter of fact...but like Matthew said, sometimes you don't really give it all to God until you have nowhere else to turn. I was at the end of my rope...and I cried out to Him. God had every reason to leave me there...but in his infinite grace, love, acceptance, and forgiveness, He met me there and has been carrying me as I rebuild who I was into who He wants me to be.

I'm not perfect...SO very far from it...but in reading that passage today, I have a goal I want to strive for. I can't change my past...but I can change my future, with God's help. Here's hoping I "babble" less and show more of Him today.

Rainbows....

God continued, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and everything living around you and everyone living after you. I’m putting my rainbow in the clouds, a sign of the covenant between me and the Earth. From now on, when I form a cloud over the Earth and the rainbow appears in the cloud, I’ll remember my covenant between me and you and everything living, that never again will floodwaters destroy all life. When the rainbow appears in the cloud, I’ll see it and remember the eternal covenant between God and everything living, every last living creature on Earth.”

(Genesis 9:12-16, MSG)

This verse was in my Youversion Bible reading plan for today...and it was just so appropriate for me I had to share it. Yesterday, I joined my wife to for an appointment with a specialist. We left with some serious options to consider for her, and we had alot to think about, and think through. On the way home, she spotted a tiny rainbow up ahead. It hadn't been raining at all, as far as we knew, and the sun was beginning to set in the sky. There was really no scientific reason for it to be there...just that God put it there for her and for us. Just as it was a sign to Noah and his family that God wouldn't destroy the whole earth again, it was a sign to us from God that just said "I know you're worried. I know you're overwhelmed. I know you don't know which way to go...but know I'm here, and I'll be here to walk with and carry you through whatever you will be facing. I love you." It was just what she needed to see, and such a comfort to both of us.

God does give us rainbows in the sky...but He also places them in unexpected places down here, too. My great friend and mentor, Denny Owens, called yesterday morning to wish us well and let us know he and his wife, Jody, were praying for us that day. He asked what doctor we were seeing. I told him and didn't think anything of it...but when we walked out of the examination room, who did we see sitting there waiting for us,but Denny and Jody. It blew us away. They live almost 2 hours away, and drove down there just to be there to give us a hug and help carry the load of these decisions.

This is was amazing...yet nothing new. Denny was a former pastor of mine. He not only was a great leader, but showed me, for the first time, that a pastor is not on a pedestal, but a regular guy just like me. We shared many common interests and became good friends. They left and moved away, but the friendship never waned. We walked through many trials and troubles together, and keep encouraging each other all the way...but he encouraged me much more, and was a great sounding board and mentor for me through the years. As my wife and I have walked through our most recent struggles, they have been right there beside us to support, pray with, and counsel us. We are so proud to have them as friends.

Yesterday, God gave us a rainbow in the sky to remind us that He is there...but he also gave us a rainbow in the surprise visit of our good friends to remind us of the love and support we have from those that love us as much as they love Him. Sometimes, in the midst of our hardest times and lowest moments, it's hard to see God's hand...and I'm always grateful to be reminded of it like I was yesterday. Here's hoping that God sends a rainbow your way today.

Won't You Join Me?

TAWG.

Time Alone With God.

Anyone that professes to be a Christian knows what this is...the quiet time of reading, prayer, and study of God's Word. We know how powerful this is, and what an impact it can make in our lives...but how often do we really do it? I know, for me, every year I resolve to do a better job of having TAWG more often and more in depth, then it often falls by the wayside as other things take priority over it, and I decide my time is better spent doing things of less worth.

I know the power of TAWG in my own life. I know when I'm in the Word consistently, I have a lesser chance of falling to the traps of the enemy. Conversely, I know that when I don't have this time, I leave myself open to the attacks on my mind and heart. I'm not professing to be any great Christian, believe me...I'm just a guy with many faults and flaws that knows TAWG is like excercise: if you make it a daily habit, you'll feel better, live better, and act better.

My church, Nappanee Missionary, is starting a new series called "Radical" about the life of Jesus, and how we can mirror His example. I've also been recommended a book of the same name by David Platt by both my pastor and also by one of my most trusted and closest mentors. I haven't got a chance to dive into it yet, but I've heard it'll mess me up....and believe me, I need to be messed up.

So, to have a consistent plan for TAWG, I'm jumping back into an old favorite, YouVersion. It's a great way to study and hold yourself accountable, along with having others help do so if you choose. I've decided to do the "One Year Bible" plan, and I've chose The Message as my favored translation. You can choose other year long plans or find shorter ones to do, and you can choose from many different translations. You can bookmark verses, journal notes for yourself, or share those notes with those reading the same passage.

The sharing feature is what makes YouVersion special, in my opinion. Reading what others have to say about the reading for that day has brought new insight into the Word of God for me. So, I'm going to do this...and you're welcome to come along if you wish. Just click here and sign up and get started. If you wish to come along with me, we can hook up on the site, hold each other accountable, and encourage each other along the way.

Whether you do or not, remember to take some time each day to spend with Him. You'll be a better person for it. Here's hoping you find something new about God in your study today.