Ann here!

My friends, I've currently got a love affair going with the Bible, big time. I've been on an adventure since February and here's how:

Over the last ten years I've had a habit of reading the Bible through from Genesis to Revelation. When I get to the end I start again at the beginning. That has been an amazing process.  But, after doing that a few times, I realized, "HANG ON, this thing is not written chronologically!"

And --

"There is a whole new way of reading this. I could rearrange the pieces into a chronological jigsaw puzzle!"

This past February, then, in a super hungry state, I began with Genesis 1:1, and this time I started to read in the manner of a museum curator wearing special gloves: I carefully made sure to read everything chronologically, which meant jumping about from book to book.

As I did, I soaked in the story.

For example --

Abraham and Job existed at the same time -- one in Saudi Arabia, the other in Iraq, so I read those at the same time. These were two righteous men, grappling with different things in different parts of the middle east. Worlds away from each other, I wonder how many in that desert actually heard God?

Some of the Psalms were written by Moses, others by David, others by Solomon. This meant I paused during Deuteronomy and took a look at what Moses sang at a given point.

The minor prophets are far more intriguing if you read them at the appropriate points of Kings and Chronicles alongside the stories of the wicked or good kings.

Oh, and the account of King David in the books of Samuel should really be read alongside 1 Chronicles, as well as the relevant Psalms. 

Every day since February, this museum curator exercise has made the Bible spring to life in new ways for me. What's more, I'm documenting it all in a MS Word table as I go.

"What are you doing?" asked Bryce one day as he walked past me to see not only the Bible, but a ruler, pen, and laptop open with a table on it. I told him. He raised his eyebrows as if to say "Fun", then walked away.

Now, months on, as he sees this going on still, he'll come over and whisper in my ear, "Nerd." Then ruffle my head and move on with his day.

LOL..

Yes, this probably does all look a little weird. Except... It's fascinating!!

Well, currently, Bryce and I are walking the Camino again in Spain, that old pilgrim route that we walked last year for ten days. We are continuing our walk from where we left off last year, and are walking for ten days. The walk itself is awesome, but my Bible project is coming with me. I am up to the story of David, and I have given myself a reading plan of four chapters a day. It starts with this:

Day 1: 1 Samuel 25-28

Day 2: 1 Samuel 29-31, 1 Chronicles 9:35-44, 1 Chronicles 10

Day 3: 2 Samuel 1, Psalms 18 & 20, 2 Samuel 2

And so on... 

God, give us constantly more hunger for your Word!

Sumites, are you hungry for the word? What have you lately been enjoying about the Bible, or how are you choosing to read it at the moment?

Lots of love

Ann