It’s that time of year again… time to start thinking of New Year’s Resolutions a WORD for the new year coming up!
Each year I pray about one word to focus on. I display my word where I’m reminded of it often, learning and growing in that area all year long.
I explain the why & how on a previous blog post. You can find it HERE. I hope you are intrigued and join in along with me!
~Shannon
This is a perfect time to start in on the Bible Challenge if you haven’t joined us already. You are definitely missing out if you aren’t reading your bible this way!
Are you a young single gal or guy? Are you a mom, a housewife, a grandma? Are you a pastor, a teacher, a husband, a dad? Are you a skeptic who thinks people like me are crazy and need a crutch? This challenge is for you! I double dog dare you to try it.
If you have had the Bible Challenge change you, post a video on Facebook or Instagram sharing about it… or leave your story in the comment section below. Others need this and you might be the one to help them join in and start on their way to big changes!
Would a French version be helpful for your family and friends? Bam! Here ya go…
No matter what’s going on in your life… good, bad, or ugly.. this is what you need. Give it a try.
~Shannon
We’ve been preparing for and enjoying lots of Christmas here at home. From my youngest’s artwork I share above, to cookies upon cookies on cooling racks, and wrapping a billion presents… I’m loving the thoughts of all my kids being home and together again for the first time since May. I want to relish all the Holiday season brings and pack in as much as we can to enjoy together. But while all that is happening I have the constant thought in the back of my mind that January is coming quickly and how much I’m looking forward to another fresh start. I want you to look forward to it, too!
The year 2020 is upon us and I’d love for you to join me as I embark on my New Year’s traditions for yet another year. If they hadn’t made such a big difference in my life and completely changed everything for me I wouldn’t bother continually passing on this advice over and over and over… But seriously, it’s just too good not to share. Honestly, my mind is exploding with all the things that I, my family, and friends have learned through these five things this year as we muddled along and laughed and cried together! Hopefully there will be time to share some of them here on the blog, but start in on them yourself by joining in on these simple life changing ideas and your 2020 will be different than you ever thought it would be!
1. Take the Bible Addiction Challenge and have your life changed in ways you didn’t know was possible. Prepare yourself, though. It’s going to rock your world! Check out the Bible Reading Challenge HERE! And for a visual reminder you can print this photo off and stick it in your Bible:
And thanks to a fabulous friend the Bible Challenge has been translated into French! Thank you so much, Krystle!!!
2. Listen to a Life changing sermon from John MacArthur that completely turned my world upside down. Not even joking. You can listen in on how John MacArthur studies his Bible HERE! I double-dog dare ya!
3. Pick out 5 topics to become an expert in. Watch for these as you study your Bible. Get yourself a cute binder and dividers and get ready to start making notes on it all as you dive into Scripture. You can become an expert on these topics faster than you ever would have imagined! Elizabeth George suggests this in her book, A Woman After God’s Own Heart. I obeyed her suggestion and it CHANGED MY LIFE!
4. Pick out a new Bible to use for 2020. Underline, highlight, write in notes… MARK IT UP!! This idea was passed on through one of our favourite Bible teachers at church, Mr. Steeves. I was hesitant to do this because I fall in love with my Bibles and ‘just know’ where everything is and they become like an appendage. But, after taking his advice I was sold. So each year I start in with a new Bible that is fresh with no marks in it and begin to devour it all over again.
5. Pick a theme word for the new year. This idea was passed on through a random blog somewhere once upon a time. Say good bye to New Year’s resolutions and hello to progress! Read up on the thoughts I shared in THIS ARTICLE.
Sound like a plan? Excited? You should be. Let’s do this! And if I don’t get back on here on the blog before the new year,… MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
~Shannon
Is your Bible woven intricately into every area of your life? Does it consume you? Do you understand the thoughts of the Psalmist saying ‘As the deer pants for the water so my soul longs after you’?
That phrase used to confuse me. I’d think to myself, “I’m not desperate for my quiet time with God like a thirsty deer hunting for a stream.’ I figured the Bible teachers I’d heard mention it must be faking that feeling….
At that same time the thought confused me I was starving for help and life was getting to be way more than I could handle. I hadn’t realized yet where my nourishment came from and I was bordering on spiritual anorexia.
As my hubby says, if you’re not going to eat your spiritual food don’t complain about your hunger pains!
When was the last time you devoured your Bible? Not a Bible study book…. not a commentary… not a Christian living or devotional book… but the tried and true Word of God all on its own? … for more than 5 or 10 minutes???
We are pretty big on getting people into Scripture in these parts because many of us have experienced the awesome consequences time after time in our own lives, and we are so excited to pass on the simple advice that will change other’s lives, too!
We’ve watched as prison walls have been torn down in lives over and over. We’ve also had to watch the consequences of many who don’t love on their Bibles, too… and it ain’t pretty. Hard to witness such things, but praise God for the many who He teaches to ‘pant for the living water’ and those that are washed by the Word daily!
As you pick up your Bible today, and every day, think of these words I found in my bible study notes from a couple of years ago (I preach to myself CONSTANTLY 😅) because maybe you need this reminder, too?
Always be willing to revisit the word of God. He is constantly revealing more of himself to the christian through it. Always ask Scripture good hard questions, it can handle it. Whether you will bear it or not may be a different story. Ask God to help you handle it.
Prepare yourself to be cut and maimed and destroyed every time you open the Word. God uses it to cut away every bit of self government and reason humanly speaking, and works to bring you under the subjection of the One who holds the sword, no matter what He may say.
Always be humble enough to hear other men’s views on what those inspired pages say but wise enough to honestly sift them through the whole of Scripture to see if they are in keeping with the Word – not necessarily in keeping with what you have always understood the Word to say.
Jump into your Bible today! Expect BIG THINGS!
Haven’t heard about the Bible Challenge? Here it is in a nutshell… It’s an awesome addiction.
~Shannon
Remember that BOOK CHALLENGE I mentioned in the last blog post? I’m working on it and looking forward to all the goodness I’ll discover this year as a bookworm.
If you and your children are readers, or hoping to be, you might want to print a reading log for each to keep track of each of your achievements. I’ve been keeping a log since 2015 when Cheryl shared the idea with me and I love it. It’s encouraging to track all my progress.
I looked up some freebie printables on Pinterest (one of my favourite things!) and found this simple download. Enjoy this Reading Log! 😉
~Shannon
So my Word for 2019 is Quiet.
I told my husband not to get too excited. Not the kind of quiet that keeps me from sharing my opinion, asking questions, or generally talking up a storm. That would take a super miraculous, end of times, kind of act of God 😅.
No, the ‘quiet’ I’m talking about is what Psalm 91 talks about. Be quiet and trust God to take care of things…. he is able. I need this word to be active and full force right now. So I’m working at memorizing this amazingly comforting chapter.
In December I had been thinking about how I wanted to jump out of the boat like Peter did and learn by doing. He headed into the crazy-hard, life threatening experience with just Jesus to look to and learned how capable God is of handling his storms and bringing quiet to a troubled soul…. then Nikki surprised me with the AMAZING piece of art by one of my favourite painters in the world!!! Gasp!
I now have a constant beautiful reminder of Gods sovereignty in my troubled waters, right here in my living room. I sneak a peek at it often each day. Glory.
I do not have Facebook but here is Holly’s Art page for you to check out. Let me know if the link doesn’t work! I’ll have to console myself if you buy all my favourites. 😉
What’s your word for 2019? Leave it in the comments!
Another new year kind of habit you can start is to become a bookworm. So often I meet up with a lady who says she’s not much of a reader. It makes me sad…. and frustrated for them. If you aren’t reading you are missing out! Be a reader! Be teachable! There are so many ideas to mull over and stretch your brain!
Fit To Burst is my latest read. FANTASTIC! My sister gave it to me for Christmas and it is a must read! 🙌🏻 Praise hands all around🙌🏻! You could finish it in an afternoon. Not a big book, but it is PACKED with goodness.
To help you on your way to become a lover of books here’s a link Charmin sent me just this morning that my husband and I are going to give a try.
I’m following the directions and beginning with the light list and see how far I can get. 2018 was a challenging year for me and I only got through 13 books. 😔😔😔 But maybe this year will be different.
And last but not least. Please check out this AWESOME SERMON . I laughed out loud, wanted to wave some hankies, and contend for the faith a lot more by the time all 28 min of this message were complete!
Hopefully I’ll be able to share some favourite things like in this post every couple of weeks. So if you enjoy these links make sure you ‘follow’ this site to know when more are posted!
~Shannon
At the conference last week I shared my version of how to become addicted to your Bible. I’ve had the addiction for a number of years and I was thrilled with the chance to introduce a new way to dive into Scripture to so many women all at once. Many have been intrigued by the ideas I shared.
Here is my Bible Addiction Challenge in a nutshell:
My Bible reading plan is based on John MacArthur’s sermon I listened to many years ago. It changed my life! I recently looked it up again and gave a listen and enjoyed it even more this time through. I promised to share it with you and here it is.
John MacArthur’s How to Study the Bible
I want to do what John MacArthur talked about and am concentrating on the New Testament for my Bible challenge and am starting in on reading through the Old Testament in a year using the Blue Letter Bible Chronological Reading Plan.
Let me know what you think!!!
~Shannon
Another Bible Challenge update for you. This time I’ve added one of my favourite and most helpful ideas to the video. You just might want to adopt it as well! 🙂
New here? Check out the previous videos to catch up:
Bible Challenge Introduction
Bible Snippets 1
Bible Snippets 2
Have you been trying the challenge out? I’d love to hear from you! The testimonials I’ve heard so far have been wonderful!
~Shannon
Another video about creating your Bible addiction. Talking about how to go about journalling in this one… and a new idea to add to your Bible Challenge reading.
Keep in mind that as I share these videos, they don’t have to be perfect to be encouraging. 🙂 I’m just using my iPhone and grabbing whatever quiet time I can within a 2 week period to get some fresh thoughts and ideas out to you. I try to keep them short and sweet & as to-the-point as I can, to reach as many women as I can.
Thank you to all who have contacted me and let me know you are in on the challenge and how God is working. YOU ARE ALL A HUGE ENCOURAGEMENT TO ME!!!
If this is new to you, check out the introduction and follow up post here:
Bible Challenge Introduction and Bible Challenge Snippets 1
~Shannon
So excited to hear how many are jumping in to this Bible Challenge, and the difference it’s making in their lives already! Praise God for the simplicity of reading the Bible and how He works through it!!
Here’s an update for those interested, with some snippets from my conversations with Jenn (fellow Bible Addict). Feel free to watch and stay tuned for more thoughts in this journey of loving your Bible.
Here’s the link to Video Introduction to the Bible Challenge. If you don’t want to watch the video, I’ve added the poster to the bottom of this post to give you the challenge in a nutshell.
~Shannon
Valley Women's Encouragement Conference 