I loved forrest's post. I had a lot to say on the subject...So I blogged my comment. Here it goes!
I don't read the Bible like I should, I have found it difficult. As a child I would hear my brother in the next room reading (3 years younger then me) and I would think, man I wish I could do that. I would try but I didn't get things out of it then. I was not a history buff at all.
As an adult I get more out of the Bible now when I do read it in larger portions. I just read Acts in 2 sections. N's trying to read the NT for Stars and getting stuck in places. So I agreed to read it at the same time so when we were done reading it on our own we could talk about it together. I took notes from each Chapter and I really got a lot out of it. I realize I have been more exposed to Acts with the different classes I've had, so I am sure that helped also, but the interesting part is as I went through my notes, they were the same points (almost verbatim) that N was getting at the age of 10. We're on to Romans Next!
I am not sure if she'll finish to be an honor star or not, I don't really care about that. I want her to read and study the Bible for her personal growth, not a trophy. I think she is using the honor star as motivation and I can understand that. I want to encourage her because of that, but I don't want her to not enjoy the Bible anymore because it was a checklist she had to do once. She has always loved the Bible since she was very young. She has read or listened to the Bible being read on tape and her knowledge is very deep of the Bible and Bible history (she gets into the begats! and knows a lot of the "family lines"--at least she did a few years ago...put me to shame listening to her and dash...) I will be reading forrest's blog to her when she gets home. I think it will be good for her to hear that (for some people) the checklist idea of the Bible is harder. She has really struggled with that for her Stars reading.
Here is something she's struggled with. She read all of the gospels and then felt guilty saying "I don't think I really retained the information from them. I think I read them too fast." So then she began to re-read the gospels. She has read, as I mentioned a lot of the Bible, Old and New, because she likes it. She always has. I think she personally likes the Old better, she shares more of her knowledge from it. I think she is comfortable with the history part and really understands the depths of the stories. She knows Moses time line and names of mom's and dad's. It sticks with her.
When she wanted to do a Bible study at school 2 years ago I encouraged her. I did not write the lessons for her, she did this with a set of friends, on her own. She created the lessons, someone else did songs, someone else did art lessons related to their story (I think? :) ) But they included everyone in the club to have a "teaching" part of their "Bible Club" and N made sure that they were teaching things that they did well naturally. She taught the Bible lesson. She would spend time in her room preparing and would talk to me about the lesson and why she chose it. He depth and knowledge was awesome. God did use her. She gave NT to kids in the club that didn't have their own Bibles and one of the girls says her brother that's 2 years older (7th grade now) reads hers all the time! How awesome is that!? This same girl has tried to get her parents to take her to church and they have tried different churches in the area, largely because of her relationship with N and the Bible club.
I guess after reading forrest's blogs I am hearing myself say over and over to N "You like the Bible, why are you having so much trouble with this?" "Just go read it." But in her mind, she's still trying to check the box and that's putting the Bible in a box that she's not comfortable with. I am glad that she and I are reading together, and if that helps her and she wants to do that we will continue. But I don't want her stressing either. We are trying to find the balance because no trophy is worth losing such a deep love of the Bible as she has.
5 comments:
[I don't read the Bible like I should, I have found it difficult.]
That is me and I totally relate to all you have said. I want to read for pleasure and not duty.
The Stars bible chapter checklist needs to be burned! It is too confusing for the girls. I would tell the girls to just start in Matthew and read at your own pace.
N is awesome!
I tried to tell T that I was waffling on this one .. but she said I had to comment here (not to her).
The reason for the waffle is this: while I agree that reading largeish sections of scripture is the way to go ... and the fitting your devotions to a timetable has a way of chore-a-fying the experience .... I also know that often I need something to kick my but into reading, or I spend no time in scripture at all.
To be honest, I had a very difficult time getting excited about Bible reading for a while. I really did get into it in high school because I got an NIV study Bible and all of a sudden understood what I was reading.
I don't really retain the historical stuff well, and I have a difficult time getting through a lot of the OT still because I have a hard time realistically applying what I am reading to modern life.
Hi all! I think I mostly read because I'm supposed to, but still I have mornings where something plonks me over the head. I use a one year Bible, but I gave up several years ago trying to stay on track with each day. I read whatever sections I have time for that day (not everyday...) and eventually I'll get through the whole book. It may take me years but I get there. The "one year Bible" just helps me know where I'm at and to know I actually did the whole thing.
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