Photo by Dawid Zawila

As we enter 2021, I’m reminded that each new year brings new opportunities to…

trust the Lord
be faithful in our callings
seek first His kingdom
be merciful, gracious, and kind
forgive and be forgiven
assume the best
practice self-control
be joyful in all circumstances
weep with those who weep
rejoice with those who rejoice
refine our theology by digging deeply into God’s Word
(because what we believe matters!)
and more.

I normally feel excited for a new year to come, but the flip of our virtual calendar to 2021 felt somewhat anticlimactic and a bit nerve-wracking this time around. There was no New Year’s Eve party with friends to close out 2020; we were in bed at our normal time. On New Year’s Day, I received a message from my mom, letting me know that my grandfather, who was put on hospice at his home a couple of weeks before Christmas, would likely not live through the next 24 hours. 2020 didn’t feel like a great year, and 2021 didn’t seem to be starting off on the right foot either. I felt grief as I reflected upon the brokenness of our world and how far it has fallen from what the Lord had originally created.

It’s okay and good to feel grief at the brokenness of our world. This isn’t what the Lord had originally intended. We were made to live in perfect peace and communion with Him, but sin entered the world through Adam and Eve and we currently live in the midst of its repercussions, adding our own sin to the mix along the way. This truth weighed heavily on my heart as I was confronted with my grandfather’s death on January 4, 2021. Humans weren’t meant to die, but the rightful wage for sin is death.

It was in my grief that the Lord met me - through Scripture, through friends and family, and through the truth He has stored in my heart over the years. I was reminded that 2020 was not all bad; the Lord provided and sustained and blessed in many, many ways!! And while the Lord never promised for 2021 to be better than 2020 - it most certainly started off on a sad note for my family and there’s no guarantee it will get better with time given the political, social, economic (and on and on) state of our world - I can live in hope, knowing that God promises to continue to provide, sustain, and bless His people. Even more, I can rest knowing that one day, Christ will return and make all things new! My biggest need has already been accounted for by Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. New life is found only in Him.

So friends, as we enter this new year, I do honestly pray that 2021 will be better than 2020. I pray that life would be preserved, that God’s justice would be enacted, that Christ’s kingdom would reign. But since we still live in the “already, but not yet,” I pray most of all that the Lord would use this year to grow us, sanctify us, and help us to take all of the new opportunities I listed above, knowing that all that we do has eternal consequence. May we make sure to put our hope in the right things (the right One, in fact), storing up our treasures in heaven and not on earth.

Happy New Year, friends!

Much love until next time,
Christy

I started a Bible reading plan over the summer which completed at the end of August. Since then, I’ve started another reading plan that spans September through May. Something that I learned early on in my reading plan journey is that in order for me to successfully complete each day’s reading, I need to be creative in keeping my little girl busy while I read. Bible reading looks very differently for me right now than it did before I became a mama. This isn’t a bad thing though! Completing Bible reading with an infant is sure to look differently than completing it as a parent of an older child too. If you’re finding yourself in the same season as me or just need some inspiration on how to make Bible reading a priority, this post is for you! Here are my top 5, go-to strategies to help me complete my daily Bible reading. :)

1. Time It Thoughtfully

   This one seems kind of obvious, but it’s much harder than it sounds at times. ;) Timing makes a huge difference in helping me to complete my Bible reading. I’ve done different things over the course of the past several months as Madeline has grown and her attention span and abilities have changed. The idea with timing, though, is to plan your reading so that you do it when your baby (or child) is most content. I often read right after Madeline wakes up from a refreshing nap or when she is taking a nap. She is the least fussy during these times and I have the best chance of focusing on and remembering what I’m reading. If your kids are older, maybe it would work best to time your reading before they wake up so the house is quiet. Arranging your reading around events and activities that are more set-in-stone is also a good way to ensure that reading doesn’t get pushed to “tomorrow.”

2. Try Multi-Tasking

   Back in June when I started my reading plan, my baby was only 6 months old and couldn’t quite grasp toys by herself without quickly dropping them. She needed me next to her to hand her toys for entertainment. During that period of time, I would set her up in her Bumbo seat next to me and gather several of her favorite toys. I’d sit next to her and do my reading as I’d hand her toys every time she’d drop them. It was a constant cycle of reading sentences quickly, diverting my attention to hand her a toy or praise her for playing by herself, and then finding my spot in my Bible to continue reading. I experimented with location and would shift our reading/playing spot if she needed a change in scenery. Over time, this cycle became our routine and, since we both became accustomed to it, my Bible reading felt relatively easy to complete.

   She’s now 10 months old and much more able to entertain herself for short periods of time; however, I still find myself taking breaks from my reading to comfort her, read her a board book, or reposition and train her when she tries to touch something she isn’t supposed to touch. Motherhood is sometimes full of interruptions, but they’re not necessarily bad; the Lord uses these to grow us in patience, selflessness, and kindness toward our children.

3. “Read” Using the Method that Works Best

   Sometimes Bible reading doesn’t look much like “reading” at all, and that’s okay! Whether your soul is consuming the Word by means of a physical Bible, an app on your phone, listening to an audio Bible, or another method, you’re still being filled with God’s truth. One of the things that I’m learning to embrace in motherhood is flexibility! Some days, I read my Bible plan in my physical, She Reads Truth Bible. Other days, I read my plan via a Bible app on my phone because simply turning the pages of my physical Bible risks waking my baby sleeping next to me (I can’t really complain; I’m a light sleeper too! ;) ).

   It’s also so important to know what works well for you. I’ve tried listening to audio recordings of the Bible multiple times in the past, and I always end up zoning out. Long before I realize it, my thoughts are on dinner plans, what’s next on my to-do list, and on and on. Listening to the Bible is difficult for me. Add the brain-fog of having a newborn or being short on sleep, and I’m sure it’d be extra challenging. With that said, I know many women who love completing their Bible “reading” by listening to audio recordings. It helps them to focus and they can multi-task as they do it. Often times, they complete simpler tasks, such as a load of dishes or folding a basket of laundry as they’re listening. It fills their soul, ends in completed chores, and passes the time! Win-win-win!

4. Read Together!

   Before beginning my Summer Bible Reading Challenge, I had assumed that my Bible reading could only meaningfully be done during my ideal “quiet time.” Since I envisioned my ideal quiet time as a period where I could be by myself in a quiet home without interruptions so that I could fully remember what I read, my Bible reading rarely happened. ;) A couple of times, my husband took our baby for a daddy-daughter outing on a Saturday morning while I got to read my Bible and pray in our quiet home, but that quickly became a bit cumbersome for our busy schedules. My reading just wasn’t happening that way.

   It was around this time that I remembered a couple of moms I follow on Instagram who read with their children each day. Sometimes they also read Scripture by themselves during a “quiet time,” but if that doesn’t happen, they know they will at least be filled with the Word when they read with their children. The bonus is that their children are fed by the Word as well! I’ve tried this a few times with Madeline, and while she’s definitely too young to be grasping and taking in what I’m reading, she is entertained by my reading aloud and stays calm for me to finish at least some of my reading.

   Another great thing about reading aloud with your children is that they absorb way more than we often think they do. Even if they’re too young to comprehend what you’re reading, it trains them to learn to sit quietly and to listen. For little hands, you might consider giving them some laundry to fold as you’re reading. This time also shows them that you value God’s Word and the importance of consistently coming before it. For older children who can read, you can take turns reading aloud. Stopping to explain concepts to them, ask them comprehension questions, make connections, and answer any other questions they may have is a great way to go about your family reading time too! Not only will you all be filled with the Word, but it will be a sweet time of bonding as well.

5. Be Flexible

   Flexibility encompasses the other four creative solutions that I mentioned. Be patient as you persevere through your reading plan! Some days will go more smoothly than others. If you end up missing a day (or more!) of reading, simply jump back in the next day. There’s no condemnation for missing your scheduled Bible reading; instead, there’s so much grace when you faithfully and joyfully (albeit, sometimes exhaustingly) come before the Lord’s Word with a quiet spirit and desire to be fed. On most days, I start my reading, need to take a break to nurse my baby or play with her, and then I continue on after she’s content again. Sometimes, I start by reading in my physical Bible and then part of the way through, I switch to my phone app. However you need to flex to read God’s Word, you’re guaranteed to be blessed by regularly coming before the Lord. Flexibility on one day might look totally different than flexibility on another day. It’s all good and the Lord uses this stretching to grow and sanctify us!

Well, there you have it! These are my 5 creative solutions to reading my Bible as a mama. Have you tried any of these solutions? Do you have any others I can add to my list? Share with me in the Comments!

Much love until next time,
Christy

If you’ve been following along on my Instagram lately, I started a summer Bible reading challenge this past June and have been sharing my assigned reading in my Stories each day. The reading plan follows a schedule that completes the entire New Testament in three months, with reading assigned Monday through Friday and an optional reading on Saturday. This plan leaves Sunday open so that readers can meditate on the scripture preached at their church that day.

Although the daily reading is going exceedingly better than anything I imagined, I wanted to share the fears, encouragements, practical workarounds, and fruit that I’ve experienced with this reading plan with the hope that if you’re a new (or seasoned) mom and are struggling to commit to reading God’s word each day, this might encourage and motivate you. I decided to break my post into three parts. This one will be focused on the fears I had and encouragements I received prior to starting the reading plan. :)

Some Background

I’d like to start by sharing that my friend has been inviting me to join this reading plan for more than a year. In the past, I had passed on the opportunity, because I was happily committed to the reading plan in the back of my She Reads Truth Bible (my husband gifted me the coral-colored one for Christmas a few years ago, and it’s still my favorite!). However, when I got pregnant back in March 2019, and subsequently began feeling the all-the-time nausea and extreme exhaustion that can come with the first trimester, I pretty much stopped my Bible reading plan altogether and didn’t pick it back up for the rest of my pregnancy. I was lucky to simply read one day’s scheduled reading a week, but I often missed more than seven days in a row.

Fast forward to December 2019, when I gave birth to our beautiful baby girl. Motherhood felt easy and natural at times, and at other times, overwhelming and challenging. With taking in all of the “firsts” and my need to learn how to rest (I’m almost done writing a blog post about this topic ;) ), consistent Bible reading felt like too much to try to accomplish. I’d read a few chapters every once in a while for the first few months of motherhood. After that, I got into a little bit of a routine of doing my Bible reading during our 2am nursing sessions. My thought process was that if I was going to use my phone to try to stay awake while nursing anyway, I might as well try to fill my head and heart with God’s truth, instead of fill the time by playing a game. ;)

Reading my Bible at 2am went surprisingly well on some nights, and other nights, I was so tired that I ended up defaulting to a game on my phone in an effort to stay awake. (Side note: I do know how to nurse while lying down so that I can sleep while nursing, but my girl spits up less when I nurse her while I’m sitting in a semi-reclined position. :) ) Anyway, all that to say, by the time I was 5 months postpartum, I still wasn’t consistently reading God’s Word, but I so desired to do so! It was at this time that my friend who had invited me to participate in this Bible reading plan in previous years had invited me to participate once again. As I considered her offer, my heart felt nervous and fearful about committing.

My Fears

I was filled with worry and fear that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the reading, that I would get so far behind that I’d end up giving up altogether, and that I’d eventually just fail. I feared that even if I kept up with the reading, committing to the plan maybe still wasn’t worth it, because my mind felt so foggy from the little sleep that I got sometimes. I knew it’d be hard to remember what I had just read. Furthermore, I couldn’t imagine how I’d manage to have a “quiet time” with the Lord when my little girl was making noise (sometimes happy, sometimes fussy) in the background. Have you found yourself thinking any of these things too?

I missed regularly reading God’s Word though, and I thought that if I committed to this plan, knowing that other friends (and moms) were also committing and reading each day, maybe I’d have an easier time staying on track. I waffled back and forth between my fears and thoughts that maybe this time would be different. Out of curiosity for what would be required for the reading plan, I visited the plan’s website to learn more. The Lord was so kind to lead me to this website and to keep me from quickly declining my friend’s invite, because the website was where I received my first light-bulb-moment encouragement.

The Encouragements

On the plan’s website, the creators of the plan explain that a fear many people have when committing to a Bible reading plan, regardless of being mothers, is that they will fall behind, give up, and fail. The creators then point out that there’s no such thing as failing when you read God’s word! When I read that statement, all I could think of was, “Oh, duh!!” haha. Of course, I couldn’t fail if reading God’s word; it’s the living word after all, right?! The Lord isn’t limited by my ability to read His word daily. I realized that my unbelief and maybe lack of maturity in this area had been keeping me from reading and meditating on God’s Word all this time. Whether I stayed on track with the daily reading or got behind, either way, I’d be reading God’s Word and I could trust Him to grow, change, and sanctify me through coming before Him in faith.

A few days later, I shared how the plan’s website was encouraging to me with my friend. She shared another encouragement that has stuck with me. As I explained my worry about not being able to remember what I read in detail (or at all), she explained that there are seasons of life - motherhood, for instance - where the Bible is taken in more broadly. Instead of reading, studying, and remembering every detail, scripture is taken in faster and in larger chunks at a time. Both types of reading have their benefits. One of the biggest pros of reading scripture fast and in large sections is that you don’t have an opportunity to focus on the details and are, therefore, forced to take in the bigger picture. You get an overall flavor for the Lord and His character instead.

Being a month and a couple of days into the reading plan, I can fully say that this is true! It has been such a pleasure reading scripture with the big picture of salvation in mind. I definitely don’t remember every detail of the usually four chapters that are assigned each day, and some days, I have to read so quickly to finish before my baby gets too fussy that I don’t really remember what I read at all. Even so, I already notice so much fruit from the regularity of coming before God’s word each day. Reading has been so worth it, friends!

Closing Thoughts

Okay, so maybe you can relate to the fears and encouragements that I encountered prior to beginning this reading plan. I’m sure you’re also wanting the fruit that comes with regularly reading God’s Word, but maybe you’re struggling to figure out how to practically make daily reading fit into your schedule. I definitely don’t have all of the answers or even just a single, one-size-fits-all answer, but I have found some things that have served me well and helped me to complete my reading each day with a 6-month-old by my side. I’ll share those creative tips in my next post. :)

Are you currently committed to a Bible reading plan or do you want to jump into one? What obstacles and encouragements have you experienced with your reading?

Much love until next time, friends.
Christy