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December 29, 2011 in Bible Reading 2012 5 Comments

Bible Reading Group Launched

It looks like there will be a bunch of us who will be reading the Bible together over 2012, and I hope that we can add more over the next couple days. Below you will find the next steps to join in on what we are doing. From this point out most, if not all, of the communications will take place over at the Facebook group.

 

Facebook Groups – We have created a Facebook group. Click on over there and join the group. Also feel free to share the group with other people so they can join in this community journey of reading the Bible in 2012.

Facilitators – One of the hopes with the Facebook group is that we would have some discussion on the group wall. To help do this I have asked a couple of my friends, Bryan Page and Tim Sewall (become friends with them, I promise they will not bite*) to help lead discussion, along with me. Our hope in plan is to post thoughts, quotes or meditations from the passage for that day. By all means we hope that you will join in on the conversation and post your thoughts from the daily passage.

Accountability – Now if you are like me one of the reasons you are excited about this whole process is that you will have a group of people to encourage you and hold you accountable (ie. the FB group). Now even though this goes far beyond simply attempting to read through the Bible on your own, I would still encourage you to find a couple people who you can see face-to-face and ask them to do this with you. Have them join the group also!

Chronological – The Bible reading plan we will be using is the Chronological Bible reading plan. Here is the description from the creators.

 This plan does not read straight through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Rather, these readings are compiled according to recent historical research, taking into account the order in which the recorded events actually occurred. This is a fantastic plan to follow if you wish to add historical context to your reading of the Bible. If the schedule provided is followed, the entire Bible will be read in one calendar year.

You can use a couple different methods for reading through the Bible.

  • PDF – Click here to download a .pdf of the reading plan. May I encourage you to print it off so that you can stick it in your own Bible for easier reading.
  • YouVerison – You can also click here and sign up for YouVerion, which is free, and read what ever translation you like from there. If you sign up, you can actually sign up to read this very reading plan, and it will have your daily reading. You can also down load this on your iPad, iPhone, Android, Blackberry or Windows Mobile phone.
  • RSS – if you would like to subscribe to the passages for each day, go ahead and subscribe to this RSS feed (if you don’t know what RSS is, then don’t worry about it, or Google it).

Bible Check List – Also here is a helpful, small little check list that I have taped to the inside front of my journal. You can use it to simply ‘check’ off the passages as you read them each day. Download HERE. 

 

[note: this post was unedited and is in the raw, so get over the grammer and delight in Jesus!]

*I simply promise that they will not bite through FaceBook, if you meet them in person, I can not promise they may not nibble you a little!

December 28, 2011 in Bible Reading 2012 15 Comments

Bible Reading in 2012

So yesterday I posed the question on Facebook if anyone would want to do a Bible in a year reading plan and use Facebook to help keep each other accountable. Much to my surprise, a bunch of people wanted to join in. So last night I spent some time thinking through some factors, and some of the different options, and here we go. Over the next couple days I will be launching a small push to get people together to read through the Bible in a year together.

However, before we do start this journey together, I want to encourage you to do a couple things;

  1. Read this post from the blog, Team Pyro on the why behind doing a reading plan
  2. If you are planning on joining us, leave a comment below, so I can make sure you get connected.
  3. Spread the word. Use the links on the left to share this project with friends and family. It would be great to get a bunch of people together to read the Bible in a year, it could be life changing!

Here are some blurbs from the team pyro blog:

Why a plan? One is mindful of the possibly apocryphal story of the evangelist who was set upon by a critic, who announced, “Sir, I do not like your methods!” The man replied, “I am always glad to hear of a better approach. What is yours?” The critic stammered, “Why, I…I don’t have one.”

This is not a process that another can do for us. My wife can’t eat for me. My children can’t drink for me. Our pastor can’t grow for us, or learn for us. Each of us must do what God has pressed on us.

I love the ending challenge they put forth -

You’ve got a good theory. Now do it. Pick a plan. Any plan is better than no plan. Play to your strength. If you’re a morning person, read it first thing (this is what I found decades ago to be my path). If not, do it in the evening or midday. There is no law for a time to pick; but there is a law to do it. Pick a plan, pick a time, and do it. Be at it. Do what works. Don’t scale the Alps in one day, but do set foot on the slope; and then another, and then another, and then another.

Amen.

Keep your eyes on the blog as I will post a link to the group and also some helpful links, including the reading plan we will be following.

[note: this post was unedited and is in the raw, so get over the grammer and delight in Jesus!]

 

 

 

November 27, 2011 in Ecuador Trip 2 Comments

Ecuador Update – Megan

Here is another post from Megan, here is her other posts 1, 2 and 3. We have been getting a little behind, due to a busy couple days. Today we are off to a church service tonight, but before that we will play some soccer with the people from the church and do an outreach in the area around the church.

Two days ago we went to the food market bright and early in the morning. They had a lot of different kinds of fruit, some fish hanging around and cow and pig meat. Pretty crazy. After that some of us go to ride horses and some of us got to hike a mountain. I rode a horse down some trails all by my self for the first time! Then we all went to the equator and stood on both sides! YAY! On the way back we went to an orphanage. The kids were very clingy, all they wanted was attention. It was tiring, but well worth it.

Yesterday we went to a church that is in the pastors home. We teamed up with two Ecuadorian Christians, and two American Christians. Each group of 4 would go and hand out tracks to people on the streets. It was very challenging and HILARIOUS trying to understand each other in our, but I’m sure God had a laugh. We invited people to come watch us do a dance and a small skit about creation. We painted the kids faces and then had a soccer game. My team won! Then ended the day with a message from Josh Counsineau. He talked about how we need God to be our treasure. Looking around the room, even though I couldn’t understand the Ecuadorians, I could see in their eyes that God had spoke to them. It was amazing.

Mom! I got two other notes from you! The one in my socks and another in my pant pockets! Thank you! I love you! Tell Dad, Peyton, and Cody that I love them too! and I am staying safe. Tell Peyton that I’m having a lot of fun!

November 25, 2011 in Ecuador Trip 2 Comments

Ecuador Update – Manday!

“MANDAY! MANDAY!” The stadium boomed as the Americans (AKA Gringos) played the slick Ecuadorians. The whites panted and got sunburnt and gave it their all. The South Americans cruised up and down the asphalt, barely breaking a sweat. The players imagined they were playing as LIGA (pro Ecuador team) but were snapped back in reality as there was only one fan, who doubled as the ball boy [thanks "M"]. This intense soccer game ended in a loss for the Americans but much was gained from the shared fellowship with their new found brothers.

Without giving away the secrets of the phenomenon known as MANDAY, testimonies were shared, chest hairs were grown, God was worshipped, and a feast was had. Speaking on behalf of all our male compadres, it was a Thanksgiving to remember.

MANDAY!

To finish the testosterone pumped day, we reunited with our female teammates and watched an epic battle. A match of gargantuan proportions, LIGA beat VELEZ 2-0. To the say the least MANDAY was a great success. In the words of Jose, “We are all macho men.”

Gingers Burnt Back!

 

Sincerely Richardson Brothers!

November 25, 2011 in Ecuador Trip 3 Comments

Ecuador Updated – Megan & Beka

Here are a set of posts, one from 16 yr old Beka and 17 yr old Megan. Both were written yesterday, but we were busy having MAN DAY! Which I am hoping Jeremy Richardson will write about latter today.  We will see.

Beka Martin - 

Today (Wednesday) we taught a VBS like thing at the day care area of the dump. Where people leave there young children when they are working. But the thing that really touched me was at the end. I was handing out hygiene packs with toothbrushes, tooth paste, other things like that. This young boy was in the line, he was around 10 or 11. When I gave him his pack he looked at it like it was the best thing in the world he smiled and said very loudly “Gracias Amigo!” It really hit me. In the states if someone gives a kid healthy stuff like on halloween or something, the don’t like it and are very ungrateful for what they have been given. Here, the children are very happy for whatever they receive. Who knows? That may have been the best gift he’s ever received. We will never know. But it is still nice to see the joy on the kid’s face when he receives this small gift. It shows that we should be grateful for everything we receive.

Children at daycare.

 

Megan DeGraff - 

Yesterday (Wednesday) we went to the dump and did a dance for the kids, a skit, and a wordless book. It went well, later we had time to relax in the day.

Today (Thursday)! We got up extra early, the guys went to a Bible study for guys and played soccer. The girls went to an orphanage with about 28 kids. There were babies, toddlers, and special need kids, some in their teens. Seeing the special need kids really touched a lot if us women. For me I felt EXTREMELY blessed to be a healthy child. Made me realize that if I have the ability to see, hear, walk, talk, smell, think, understand, and love, then I need to use those abilities God has given me. The orphanage was very well kept and the workers there were very loving and kind to the kids.

Later we went to the soccer game!!

HAPPY THANKS GIVING!!!!

I am thankful to be here in Ecuador doing missions for my Savior!

Also I know that at home we had about a foot of snow, well we had some snow here also! Thanksgiving morning this was what I woke up to, a clear view of the volcano covered in snow, amazing!

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