It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Yes, I am one of the nutty ones who gets out and starts shopping at 5:00am the day after Thanksgiving. I have done it for years. It is a tradition. Me and my BFF Christie begin strategizing Monday prior to Thanksgiving when the stores make their Thanksgiving Day sales flyer available for viewing online. We call each other and talk about what we like and who has the best price. Then on Thursday she sits at her house with her flyers and makes her list. I sit at my house with my flyers and make my list. We call each other one last time to finalize our meeting time and place. Lights out.

3:40am~my alarm sounds

I jump in the shower then get dressed in the clothes that I laid out the night before. I quietly tip toe out into the black of night and take off. "Oh what fun it is to shop on the day after Thanksgiving" (My car was packed with flyers, coat, and shopping purse before I went to bed. I make less noise in the morning if all this is already done.)

This year was just as wonderful as I ever. Did we get everything we went for? No. Did we get upset? No. Did we see things we were not expecting and delighted with the price? Yes.

We have been doing this for years. The secret to enjoying the day is not to take things too seriously. For us, it is really about being together. The moments we share are precious, even after 40+ years of friendship.

What happens the day after Thanksgiving?
The Pope family tradition is to put the Christmas tree up the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It is so much fun! We open the ornaments slowly and talk about each one. (This year we missed it by one day. We put it up Sunday.)

Signing off to go experience another Pope tradition: Extreme Makeover Home Edition while snuggling in Mom and Dad's big bed.

Share some of your family traditions, Thanksgiving, Christmas or other.

Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart

The blessings are too numerous to tell, don't you think? I grew up on the old the hymns. We used to have hymn night at least one Sunday a month. Did anyone else have hymn night? The worship leader (a.k.a choir director) would allow individuals to call out the number of their favorite hymn. We would quickly turn in our hymnals (Remember those?) to the number that had been shouted. We would sing the first verse then eagerly await the next number. One of the favorites was always Count Your Many Blessings. (...name the one by one) I am singing the song in my head as a write.

My blessings on this Thanksgiving Eve are too numerous to tell. Can I get witness? I would be afraid to even begin to list them as I might leave something out. But I will list one that is at the top: my husband's health. If you have followed my the story you are familiar with my husband's battle with the an unknown health problem for over 2 years. One year ago this month, in a "hail mary" effort, Scott went to the Mayo clinic for tests in hopes of a diagnosis and treatment. Many from near and far covered us in prayers. God heard and with great mercy answered those prayers and today, Scott's eye infection is stabilized and he his receiving treatment for RA. He is now enjoying good health and new appreciation for life.

Yes, today I have many blessings to count and give thanks with a grateful to my Lord and Savior for His constant attention to my life.

Hear and join in my worship:

Immeasurably More

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Ephesians 3:20-21

Well, He did it again. God surprised us, caught us off guard, blessed us with more than we could have asked for or imagine.

Months ago when God laid on my heart to invite women to read through God's Word with me I went to LeAnn and told her about how God was leading me. I assured her that if she would invest the ministry in buying some Bibles that God would sell them. God set the schedule for the running of the devotion. (His timing is always perfect and on time.) He and I set down to write. I submitted the devotion and waited.

The Bibles arrived, 20 of them. I will admit, I panicked a little. The day the devotion ran I went to work. I walked back to the resource room (Contrary to what most people think, we have a resource room, not a resource warehouse.) and counted the Bibles again. One had sold already. I told the the Lord (Did you catch that? "I told the Lord.") that we (We? What we? What was I thinking? I am so fleshly.) had to sell those Bibles. Then I saw the error of my ways and restated my position, "Lord, you only have to sell 19 Bibles." He was probably looking right at me with a grin on His face that went from ear to ear. He probably wanted to say, (with a little sarcasm) "OK, Wendy I will make sure the 19 Bibles move out of here."

The rest of the story has to be told in a picture:
Well, actually this is not the rest of the story, this is only about 450 of the 743 Bibles that have sold at the time of this post. Isn't God amazing? 743 women (and men) have committed to read through God's Word in 2009. Watch out world, change is coming. We packaged, mailed, and prayed over all the Bibles before we "sent the Word forth."


I will be adding a new link to my blog called "Wordly Wise" because those who read will be becoming wise in the Word. In 2009, we will read the Word together; posting our thoughts, fears, frustrations, excitement, fresh insights, basically holding each other up during the adventure. Through out the year, I will refer to those who are reading as "The W2s."

How do I feel about all this? I still can't believe it. Not that "I" wrote something that led to this movement because apart from the Holy Spirit's inspiration, I can write nothing. I can't believe that over 700 people will be joining me in this great adventure. Wanna Come? Here is the link to the Bible and this link will take you to the devotion that started it all.

A picture is worth a thousand words:

Did you know that I am crazy about this book?!

Change is Coming

The election is over. The President-Elect is beginning transition and change is coming for 2009. I am sure there will be political, economic, national, and international change but these are not the changes I am referring to. I am referring to hearts, homes, relationships, communities, and well, maybe even the nation.

The change or transformation will begin on January 1, 2009 when over 600 women (I am not sure if all are women.) will join me in reading through the most influential book I have ever read, in fact that has ever been written, The Bible.

Proverbs 31 Ministries Resource Center was caught off guard by the truly overwhelming response to the devotion posted on November 4. Teri has already inlisted her army of helpers to package and ship the over 600 Chronological Bibles that have been ordered.

I believe that God wants to bring about change in our nation and He wants to start with individual hearts who are willing to invest some time each day in getting to know Him.

It is not too late for you to participate in the adventure. I will be posting on my blog about our readings. We will be holding each others hand while holding each other accountable for pressing forward to toward our goal. The adventure starts January 1, 2009.

I sat at my desk and wept at the response to the devotion. I kept saying, "600 people are going to read through God's Word next year. God, over 600 people will be reading your Word. Thank you for letting me be part of it." God is so precious to invite us into His story, isn't He?

You can follow this link to purchase the One Year Chronological Bible we will be reading. This post will be buried in my archives soon but I going to make some changes to the sidebar to encourage more women to participate.

Have a great day. "This is the day the Lord created, rejoice and be glad in it."

Read Through The Word

Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

Make sure to watch Wendy's instructional video-part 1 and 2. In these videos Wendy goes over the how-tos and other details of the class. You don't want to miss it!

Read Thru the Word Bible Study consists of three parts.

1. Daily reading in the One Year Chronological Bible-NLT
2. Daily video teaching by Wendy-Monday through Friday on Walking With Women through The Word
3. Daily response journal

Each day subscribers to Walking with Woman through the Word will receive the daily teaching through email. In this email you will see Wendy's key verse for the day and her personal responses to the journal questions. (see below) Follow the link on the email to navigate to her site to view Wendy's teaching video. (The video is not come on the email.) After viewing the video you have the opportunity to share your thoughts about the video and day's readings in the comments section of the day's post. Wendy teaches Monday-Friday only. Weekends are reserved for refueling and family time. Wendy posts Open Blog Weekend on Saturday and Sunday. These gives the class a place to comment about the reading as well as a place to uphold accountability.

The Journal

Your journal is a crucial part of the Bible study. Please purchase a 5-subject, college-ruled notebook. This notebook will be home to what the Lord is teaching you. Answer the following questions each day and watch the Word come alive right before your eyes.

1. Something Old:
   Something that you read today that was familiar but "heard" in a new way.
2. Something New:
   Something that you did not know before today's reading.
3. Something to Do:
   Your action response to one truth or "nugget" from today's reading you can apply to your life.

Websites for additional information

I am student myself. Digging around to find the meaning Hebrew or Greek word. It is also very interesting to read commentaries on subject matter I don't fully understand.

• www.biblegateway.com
• www.studylight.org
• www.easyenglish.info
• www.biblos.com
• www.ewordtoday.com/comments

The Bible

The Bible we use for our study is unique in design. It is chronological. This means it is written in the order of which the events occurred. For example, in the middle of the book of Acts, you will find Paul's letters to the Thessalonians. You will live David emotions with him as he runs from Saul and hides in the cave. The Psalms that David authors are in the story of his life written in Samuel. It is not the Bible you grab on your way out the door on the way to church, this Bible is made for study. We are reading the easy to understand, New Living Translation. Click here to see and purchase the One Year Chronological Bible. Let me speaking candidly, I did not have love the Word of God or have a passion for it that I do now until I read it in this chronological format. It reads like a story, a story you want to finish. I can't imagine where I would be in walk with the Lord if I had not purchase and read this Bible.

If your are unable to purchase a Bible you can still participate in the class. The reading schedule can found at: One Year Chronological Reading-NLT daily reading schedule.

The daily readings can be completed in 15-20 minutes.

To Leave a Comment:

1. Click on Leave a Comment.
2. Type in your comment
3. Submit your comment

Here are few helpful hints to help you get started:

Be Creative

The first time I read through the Bible, I intentionally went to sit in carline 20 minutes early each day so that I could complete my reading. You may not have a carline to go to but maybe your have a lunch hour. Perhaps you don't work outside the home, turn off Dr. Phil or one of your other favorite shows to complete your daily reading. You can make up missed reading waiting at the doctor's office or ballet class.

Set Boundaries for Yourself

Determine a time and place that your will do your reading and do your best to stick to it. Protect your reading time and place within reason. It is important to be flexible in order to accommodate your responsibilities. The daily reading should take you 15-20 minutes, depending on how fast or how slow you read. Me? I read slow.

Give Yourself Grace, Grace, Grace

I am really hard on myself when it comes to goals. If I seem to be "slacking off" or not quite as excited about the goal as I once was, I am likely to quit. Start this goal with this in mind, "I am going to do this and quitting is NOT an option." There will be times that you miss, life happens, so expect to and extend yourself grace. "There is not condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Either on the inside cover or an index keep track of the date you miss and make up the reading when you have the opportunity. If you don't get the opportunity, don't sweat it. God is looking at your heart's desire not a checklist. He will not stop working through His Word just because you miss a day or two.

Support

As I have already made plans to read through the Bible for 2011 I have invited some people to pray for me as I strive to meet the goal. These individuals will also be my accountability during the journey. Ask God who He would have you invite. We will also pray for each other. I will NOT forget to pray for you.

Take Notes and Highlight

In addition to the spiral notebook purchase a highlighter, pen, and sticky notes. God speaks through His Word and He will speak to you so be ready to write down what He says. I mark up my Bibles with pen and highlighters. I write prayers and praises in the margin. I use the sticky notes if I discover something that I want to research further at another time. The little yellow sticky notes come in handy when a distracting thought comes to mind while I am reading, i.e. grocery items and to-dos.

Beware

There is an enemy, a real enemy who is very happy with a believer's status quo relationship with the Living God. This enemy does not want you to become wise in the Word because then he will lose any power he may have over you. When you committed to read the Bible you added fuel to the fire of Hell and upset the enemy's plan. I have read the end of this book and you win, he loses. Don't let the enemy distract you.

What Can I expect from this site?

The number one thing you will receive from this site is accountability and support. It is comforting to know that others are on the journey with you. It is also comforting to know that others are struggling to get all the reading done. (And it will happen. Life happens.) As far as my role in the journey, I am an vessel that is willing to be used by the Holy Spirit who will set the stage of our hearts to be written upon and changed by the power of the ancient words of scripture. I too am a student with a desire to be enlightened, inspired, transformed, and surprised by what I will learn on the new journey I am taking.

Disclaimer

You have read all the above and now for the "fine print." I am not an expert in anything. I am not a Biblical scholar or person with a seminary degree who knows the Bible inside and out. Honestly, I still have to sing the books of the Bible song sometimes to remember Micah comes after Jonah. I give the stage over to the Holy Spirit who is our Counselor and Teacher. (John 14:27) The stage has been set for Him to do a work in our lives.

Who am I then? I am a little i in the story of the great I AM. I am a woman who loves Jesus and His Word and wants you too also.

What's Next?

Be sure to subscribe to Walking with Women through the Word.
Purchase your Bible through Proverbs 31 Ministries
Get your supplies.
Pray

The Most Influential Book I Have Ever Read

I can't believe that I can say that I have actually read the entire Bible. I am not bragging, well maybe a little but only about the power of the Lord within me.

If you are coming over from Encouragement for Today, welcome. My devotion touched a little on my fear of setting goals. The fear wasn't really in setting them. The fear was not meeting the goal. I never have had much confidence in myself, that is until I realized exactly where my confidence comes from. (Check this verse out-Prov. 3:26-I like the NKJV.) Anyway, after spending time a lot of time with the Lord and realizing that I could do all things because He strengthens me, I begin to set goals and go after them. Not goals that would bring me notary but would help me grow as a Believer and hopefully bring glory and honor to my Lord's fame.

I felt God nudging me to read His Word from cover to cover. I always thought only pastors and seminary students had to read the Bible cover to cover. But guess what, all Believers are called to know the Word of God and the best way to know something is to study it.

I accepted the Lord's challenge. My husband purchased a Bible for me. Honestly, it is one of my most treasured gifts from him. I had many Bibles to read but this Bible is a chronological Bible. It tells the story in the order in which it happened. It is so exciting to read. I fell in love or in rage (at times) with the characters I had heard about all my life. Reading the Bible this way and in the New Living Translation has made the Word come alive like never before. I am almost giddy about it now, just telling you.

How I encourage to purchase this Bible and read it with me in 2009. You will not regret it, I promise. Many of my posts in 2009 will be related to the daily reading of the Word. Year after year the journey through His Word shows me new things about God and His amazing plan for me. I would love to have you along for the next journey as I read through His Word again next year.

Enough with the babbling. Will you come on this adventure? Let me know your decision. Here is the link: One Year Chronological Bible

Let Us Pray

Will you join me and my sisters in ministry to fast and pray for our country's election? As I said in my earlier post, I don't know what side of the political fence you stand but in the name of Jesus our Savior let's join together to pray for our country. Not for our own personal agendas, for His will and His Kingdom to come.

Oh Uncreated One, to You and You alone we humble ourselves and pray as one today. You have blessed us with great wealth, a great nation, a bounty and we have repaid your graciousness with greed, pride, idolatry, bitterness, unforgiveness, and division. As Moses did for the Israelites after the exodus, I beg you to forgive us, your people who have fallen so far from your purpose. Help us, your church to be a cloud by day and the fire by night to lead the godless people of this world to you. Thank you for the manna and water that you provide with great abundance everyday. You hold the world's daytimer in your hand. You sit on throne ruling and reigning over all things. Your Son, the One and Only Jesus, sits beside you waiting for the command to come and rapture your church from this world. Help us, dear Father and Holy One not to forget that you are on the throne and hold all things in Your right hand of power. In this days help us trust you, lead us to worship you, call us to glorify you in all we say and do. It is in the powerful name of Jesus and God Almighty I pray these things, Amen.

Here We Are To Worship