Category: Uncategorized

I’m pretty stoked to be living in this generation. Namely because of how much the Internet and technology has improved our lives. This is especially true when it comes to being more engaged in the Bible.

At the intersection of technology and the Bible is the YouVersion Bible App.

[clickToTweet tweet=”The @YouVersion Bible App is the only resource you’ll ever need for Bible reading plans.” quote=”The YouVersion Bible App is the only resource you’ll ever need for Bible reading plans.”]

Whatever your heart is looking for in a reading plan, you’ll be able to find it in the Bible App. Are you looking to read the Bible in a year? Or looking for just an Old Testament or New Testament reading plan? How about Bible reading plans that touch on certain topics like forgiveness, parenting or trust? 5 day, 2 week, 30 day reading plans?

The Bible Apps got ya covered!

There are over 600 reading plans available, but I’m just going to highlight a handful of them from some of the available categories.

If you have a smartphone or iPod Touch, be sure you download the app so you can read your plan wherever you go. And you’ll be able to take advantage of the built-in audio Bibles. Perfect for your daily commute!

No need for a printable version because it’ll always be in your pocket (or on the website).

Let’s Read the Bible Together (Bible in a Year)

From the Whole Bible category, this plan (smartly) has you focus on reading one month at a time. Because we all know the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time, right?

The first month has you reading in Luke, Acts, Daniel and Genesis. It’s a great reading plan to invite some friends to read along each month for accountability!

View a sample.

My Utmost For His Highest (30 days)

Check out some of the daily devotionals written by some well known folks such as John Piper, Joyce Meyer, Rick Warren, and others.

This plan from Oswald Champers is probably the most read devotional ever. It’s a classic!

View a sample.

Temptation (7 days)

The Topical category has pretty much every topic you could imagine (e.g., anger, doubt, addiction, relationships).

If this one on temptation doesn’t float your boat go check out the 170 other options (as of this post).

View a sample.

The Essential 100 (100 days)

Found in the Partial Bible category, this reading plan helps give you an overview of the Bible using 50 Old Testament and 50 New Testament passages.

View a sample.

Elsewhere in this category you’ll find plans that take you through a specific book of the Bible or ones that take you through portions of the Bible (varying in length from a few days to a year).

If you’ve seen God work in your life through reading Scripture, do me a favor and share this post with your friends.

The Bible App makes it so easy to engage in Scripture. Let’s use technology to become the most Bible-engaged generation ever.

Now holler at me in the comments!

What’s your favorite Bible App reading plan?

I couldn’t fall asleep last Thursday.

You’d think it was because I was feeling the pressure of performing not just my first wedding ceremony, but the wedding ceremony of my little sister (picture) in less than 48 hours.

Nope.

Sleep eluded me because I was thinking about an article I read about gossiping positively (read the sixth point). There were no witnesses so I cannot confirm or deny if a few tears were shed as I lay there restless in bed.

My spirit was burdened by one thought.

Why is it so easy to tear down those closest to us with our words?

Is it just me or is there a point in most relationships (friends, spouse, co-workers) where you become more comfortable talking about a person’s weaknesses or the negative aspects of their habits/personality?

You’re always late. You get your feelings hurt too easily. You only think about yourself.

That point in a relationship is a potentially dangerous crossroad.

One path has you continually speaking negatively about a person which (guaranteed) breeds mistrust, resentment, bitterness, annoyance and the like (on both sides).

This path truly frightens me.

It has the potential of leading a relationship to the point of no return.

Negative words are like jabbing a fork at someone. It doesn’t matter how thick a person’s skin is. If kept up, eventually your words will draw blood and the wound will scar. You’ll have left permanent damage on the relationship.

The other option is you fight hard, often and diligently to replace your negative words with why that person is valuable to God. What makes them unique? What strengths do they have that you lack?

Proverbs 18:21 (NIV)
The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.

I have been on the receiving end of negative comments. I like to think I have thick skin and am not easily offended. But I found myself wincing when I heard negative things said about me. Words that became hurtful even though they were true and things I already knew about myself. They made me more insecure and self-conscious.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Negative remarks have a tendency to land right where a person is most vulnerable and insecure.” quote=”Negative remarks have a tendency to land right where a person is most vulnerable and insecure.”]

I shed some tears (wouldn’t call it a cry…) the other day because I saw the negative affect words had not only on me but those closest to me as well.

Everyday we eat the fruit of our words.

Use words that bring life.

Please.

Thoughts? Please share in the comments.

Photo courtesy of lauralewis23.

When I swim, I sink like a rock.

I’d like to think it’s because I’m a solid mass of muscle. Isn’t it common knowledge fat floats and muscle sinks. ;)

But lately I’ve been trying to counteract that tendency. I’ve been going to the local swim club to improve my swimming technique.

One of the biggest hurdles I’ve encountered is how terrible my breathing becomes when I start to get tired. I can feel my body tense up. I start to panic. The mechanics of my stroke start to change. Overall, everything about what I know to do starts collapsing.

So often we can get overwhelmed with life.

You can’t find a job. You don’t know how you’ll pay the bills. The kids are driving you crazy. A past relationship is throwing you in a frenzy. You’ve been breathing from your reserve oxygen tank, but you sense it’s starting to run out.

It’s getting harder to breathe. You’re losing faith and trust in God.

But you know what was interesting about my swim practice the other day? You’d think my breathing would become more labored as I progressively got more tired. But it actually improved.

The reason?

I got better at staying calm when I got tired. I kept myself together instead of collapsing. I remembered to breathe.

That’s exactly what God wants us to do when we feel overwhelmed, confused or in a world of chaos. To remember to breathe.

But not on our own.

God wants us to increase our capacity to breathe through Him.

Rather than struggle and fight through a seeming lack of oxygen, we need to realize we have a God who will breathe for us.

Daniel 10:17-18 (NIV)
…My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe.”

¹⁸ Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength.

Just as I learned to breathe when I wanted to panic, we need to learn to rely on God whenever our current situation has us scrambling for breathe. We need to learn to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.

Sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and say “God, I trust you” with my current situation. (Click to tweet.)

When you want to quit, learn to take a deep breath, exhale and say “God, I trust you.” Deep breath. Exhale. “God, you are the source of my strength.”

Photo courtesy of ontwerpplus.