So I have a confession to make… I haven’t read the Bible since Sunday. That is so sad and embarrassing to say and a huge setback in my goal to read the Bible in 90 days. Monday night I dropped the boys off at my inlaws. On the way home I participated in the tweetchat and was so excited that I was participating in this huge challenge with such a wonderful group of moms. Then I came home and decided to have couple time since Sinisa was off of work and he is rarely off. I told myself I would do the reading Tuesday, that I would catch up by reading extra. I thought that surely I could do the reading because I had two whole days off of work, without the boys. TWO WHOLE DAYS. What most moms would do for two days of peace and quiet and how much reading they could do! Well, I was blessed with them and I didn’t do my Bible reading. Not a page. Not a word.
That doesn’t mean I did nothing. I got a lot accomplished around this house and am very close to having unpacked everything from my move. I also spent a lot of quality time with Sinisa. I did things that needed to be done but I just wish that I could have done my Bible reading, too.
I have decided that as hard as it is going to be I am going to wake up 45 minutes early for work (6:15am) everyday to complete my reading before I go to the office. I am not a morning person at all but I have found that if I wait until the end of the day I am always tempted to put it off and then I either 1) wait until 1 or 2am to read it or 2) tell myself that “tomorrow” I will catch up. This has obviously not worked for me so I need to change what I’m doing.
What works for you? If you are reading the Bible when do you read it? Do you keep your schedule consistent or does it vary by day? Any ideas or encouragement you can give me would be appreciated!
Thanks for the honesty and good for you! You can do it! My schedule varies but I usually read as much as I can in the morning then whenever I can during the day. Some days I finish in the morning, other days not till after my bed time.
Good luck Alicia! I can’t read at night because I’d fall asleep and can’t get up any earlier because the kids get up WAY too early! You can do it!
You’re human. It’s ok. I still say if you’re more than 2 days behind, don’t catch up, just stay on schedule. Then when you have time, backtrack.
Well I have a varied schedule. I started off reading ahead awaiting the Tweet chats. When I realized most folks were chatting about the day before, I slacked a little. Now, I’m back on schedule reading a day ahead (day 7 tonight).
I was going to do S.O.A.P.s each day but I’m already studying 1 psalm each week & breaking into daily applications with the Homiletics Bible Study Method.
Therefore I just commit myself to reading, highlighting and chatting with others.
If I don’t get up early, I don’t read it. Sad, I know. Early HAS to be my priority. And I’m not a morning person! :)
I was doing better when I read it during nap/lunch time. Now, I am reading it before bed and it is harder to keep up.
I’m now 4 days behind in my Bible in 90 Days reading. I wish I could say I rise at dawn and get all my reading done before the kids wake up. But I don’t…ever. Every time I get up early, it wakes up the kids, and then there we all all awake too early and no quiet for me, so I stay in bed!
The days I’ve completed my reading, here is what I’ve done. I read while I eat breakfast (after the kids have already eaten). Then I read some after lunch and have a coffee break. Then I read some right after the kids go to bed. I’ve found that breaking it up throughout the day works for me. It’s easier than doing a huge block of time, and I also like the way it feels to have Bible reading throughout the day. So no huge formula or anything, but I’ve found I just have to stay pretty flexible or it doesn’t work for me.
I am reading with my 2 yo son during the day. We sit on the bed, and I stack a bunch of books around him. He loves to read, so this is working for the moment. You can do this!
My schedule is varied, but I don’t think that’s ideal: it does sometimes get lost in the busyness of everyday stuff.
I’d encourage you to keep with the challenge, though. It’s kind of like being on a diet: if I have a bad day and eat three bowls of ice cream, that’s no reason to quit altogether. My perfectionism makes me feel as though one little slip ruins the whole thing, and that’s simply not true. Every day is a fresh start.
Right now I am 1 day behind. I am planning to read yesterdays and todays reading today. I am not a morning person at all, I do my reading in the evening and that works for me.
I did not purchase the special bible for this so I have actually been reading it on biblegateway.org using the NIV translation. The font is larger than my bible print and it seems to be much easier for me.
Don’t give up! I am a person who really does not like any reading that takes a very long time. No books or novels for me and this will be the first time I have ever completed the bible. I am determined to do it.
~Amber
Quit beating yourself up. Read when you can, a little bit here and there. I try to take my bible with me everywhere I go. You’d be amazed at the amount of reading you can get done.
I read mostly at bedtime. Everyone else is asleep and there are no distractions. It has become my time to decompress from the day.
You can do this!
The Bible in 90 Days reading can be really tough to do. Believe me, I know, this is my 4th time through at that pace and I still have trouble.
My first time through I was behind by a week at one point and I still pulled through to finish. You can do this, but it is going to take some adjusting.
Some readers find that breaking the reading up throughout the day helps a lot. Looking at smaller reading assignments rather than a huge chunk often helps.
Maybe for the next few days, try reading in 1/2 hour increments, rather than trying to get it all done at once. Then plan on a last reading session before bed to catch anything you missed.
Is there anything you can cut out of your schedule to make up the time? You can pick it back up again April 1. Reading though the Bible in 90 Days always replaces any other Bible study for me during the reading period. I’ve also given up my monthly ladies book/ discussion group until April. (And I am the host!)
Last week I posted about getting frustrated and later today I’ll post more about it. You are definitely not the only one who is having trouble. And I want to help you get back on track.
I’ll be praying for you!
Several years ago I had to start making myself get up in the morning to do Bible study, as I am not a morning person either. It took me several weeks of consistent getting up to get used to it, but now it is a habit and most of the time I get up before the alarm. :D I have a special cup of coffee with my Bible. Ask God for help with making it consistent and getting up! :D
I have to agree with Erin’s comment above about reading throughout my day or evening. I leave the book open on the table or counter and whenever I have a few moments I read. The other thing I do is read a few pages ahead whenever I can. This has helped on days when I am more busy. Lastnight,I was praying whether to keep up or read when I can because I just started an in-depth Beth Moore class at church which requires homework each day and it seemed overwhelming to do both, but I prayed on it and feel like I can do both. If I get behind on Bible in 90 Days, I know I still have two grace days. Pray on it and see how you feel about it tomorrow. God doesn’t want you to feel “quilty”. This might just not be the season in your life to read it.
You can catch up! It is possible! I skipped this past weekend, then because I was disgusted, I skipped Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week. I was 5 whole days behind. I was aggravated with myself and really tempted to give up. One of my friends recommended a series of books to me the other day and I love to read. I got them from the library last night, then decided that I will use reading fiction books as a reward. I will not allow myself to read these 6 books, until I’ve done my Bible reading for the day and only if I’m caught up. I think this is going to be the key for me. I am trying to get my Bible reading in during the day, so once the kids are asleep, I can read guilt free!
Hmm. I read intermittently during the day. So, most mornings I get a little read. Then when we have reading time, I read some more. When B is playing his computer games, I read some more. Then I finish up usually in the evening. Granted it’s not all at one time, but it’s working for me.
You can get caught up, but don’t freak out. There are built in days for catching up somewhere up ahead (from what I hear, haven’t hunted for them yet), so you’ll be able to catch up there, too.
oh my. it’s a challenge for me, i’ll admit. I just started a women’s bible study yesterday. we’re doing a beth moore study on the book of daniel. so i’m forcing myself to get up 30 minutes early to do the homework.
i’m hoping that at the end of the 12 weeks, i’ll be so used to getting up early to read my Bible that i’ll just do it all the time!!
You can do it! I’ve been reading a bit at a time throughout the day…set your kitchen timer for twenty minutes, then see how far you can get. With five kids, it’s hard for me to sit for an hour straight, but I can do twenty minutes before they’re up, twenty minutes during the day, and then twenty minutes after they go to bed. I’m sure if you pray, the Father will lead you to a system that works for you. I’m praying for you and all of us doing this exciting challenge…hang in there!
I’m doing the same challenge! Exciting, I think but can definitely be a challenge. Don’t be discouraged; you can do it!