It’s very early to write about 2024 plans, but have you ever read the Bible in a year? If you haven’t, have you ever wanted to? I’ve read, or at least listened to, all of the Bible in some years and find it a valuable practice. In addition to doing it myself in 2024, I’m considering blogging each Sunday what I plan to cover the following week in case anyone wants to follow along.
If you cover 3 chapters a day on weekdays and 4 on weekends, it almost exactly comes to the 1,189 total chapters over a full year. 2024 is a leap year, so there’s an extra day. My personal approach is to study 2-3 per day with a study bible or commentary, and just read or listen to audio for the remaining chapter. It doesn’t always work out that way, but that’s the plan.
Readers could follow along any way they want. They could just read the one chapter per day (the “PM” reading), or just the 2-3 chapters (the “AM” reading). They could use an audio Bible for all or part of it. They could swap the AM and PM times if that’s a better schedule. Everyone knows best what works for them and what they’re likely to stick with, even if it’s not the whole Bible in a year.
Daily: Mon, Jan 1: Psalm 1, 1 Samuel 1, Genesis 1 Tue, Jan 2: Psalm 2, 1 Samuel 2, Genesis 2 Wed, Jan 3: Psalm 3, 1 Samuel 3, Genesis 3 Thu, Jan 4: Psalm 4, 1 Samuel 4, Genesis 4 Fri, Jan 5: Psalm 5, 1 Samuel 5, Genesis 5 Sat, Jan 6: Psalm 6, 1 Samuel 6-7, Genesis 6 Sun, Jan 7: Psalm 7, 1 Samuel 8-9, Genesis 7
Once the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon are done, the AM reading would come from only one book. If anyone thinks this would be helpful, I can work up or find a schedule and make this a regular post in 2024!
Today I’m answering another writing prompt: “Why do you blog?” This is a great question, because I shouldn’t be spending so much time on this blog without good reasons! But first, a broader question is: “Why write at all?” After that, choosing to blog is a second issue.
Why I write First, we are made to be creative. We are not random accidents with no creator and no purpose. Before man existed, the Bible describes God Himself as creative, taking a universe that was “without form and void”[1] and making it into something orderly. Then He put mankind in a garden, which was meant as a model for what we should turn the rest of the world into. Writing is a way to take formless ideas and turn them into something orderly. Creativity goes beyond what we typically consider art. It is using our God-given abilities to make this world more like Paradise.
Second, we are told to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God.”[2] Writing is a way to force myself to think through ideas I have or that I’ve come across. Everyone has in their conscience a variety of voices, or influences, that they follow. If we don’t take intentional time to consider why we believe what we believe and do what we do, we aren’t testing the spirits. We’re just doing whatever seems to come naturally, which isn’t the best approach.
Lastly, I write because I enjoy it and want to get better at it. Saint Augustine wrote: “I endeavor to be one of those who write because they have made some progress, and who, by means of writing, make further progress.”
Why I blog Many people write things and keep them private, and I also keep some of what I write private, but the only way writing can be useful to others is to write publicly, and blogs are about as public as it gets – I don’t filter who reads these. It also forces me to put things in a more “final” form than I otherwise might.
Christianity includes “speaking the truth in love.”[3] If I’ve found something truthful and beneficial to me, it could be beneficial to someone else, and I should share it. My writing motto is to be compelling and clear, but most of all charitable, meaning written for the benefit of the audience. Hopefully what I write here is worthwhile to others!
When writing, I keep in mind:
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” – Colossians 3:23-24
It’s amazing to think it’s been two years since Driving Toward Morning’s first post! Thank you to everyone who has read, liked, and commented on the blog. A special thank you to anyone who has shared it with their friends or used what they found here to encourage others.
Looking back on my 1-year anniversary post, here are some thoughts on how I’ve done with my year 2 goals:
Re-blogging old posts to get closer to posting something every day: I posted almost twice as often, and almost a third of the posts were repeats. Still not every day but moving in the right direction.
More predictable post length: Most posts are now in the 3-to-4-minute read range, with less variation. Again, progress!
More posts on history, holidays, groups of quotes, and other topics: I think this has been the same in year 2 as in year 1, and I want to work on these more in year 3, especially moments from history.
Also, I’m learning that a blog is not good for: Writing serial posts. There’s no way to know what order people are reading things in, and whether they remember what was in an old post (especially if it takes me a while to continue a series!). So, I’m working harder on making each one stand on its own.
The Big Picture Although each year seems to have its own goals, I don’t want to lose sight of why I started this in the first place. Right after I launched the blog, I decided each post should meet 3 criteria: every post should be Compelling, Clear, and Charitable, meaning:
Is it about something that matters eternally, and is written in a way that connects emotionally and is worth reading? (Compelling) Is it logical and makes sense, or is it likely to be misunderstood? (Clear) Is it written in love, to build up whoever reads it? (Charitable)
In a way, these are just a modified version of Ephesians 4:15-16, which says:
“Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”
The compelling and clear parts are the “speaking the truth,” and the charitable part is the “in love” part. However, the three criteria are not equal. If I am compelling and clear, I might come across as clever, smart or a good writer, but without charity, “I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1). Without love, I’ve done it wrong, and therefore being compelling and clear should be tools used in service of being charitable.
I am still thrilled to be writing and am encouraged by the impact it’s had on my life, from challenging me when I am complacent, from encouraging me in my faith, and from growing deeper connections with friends and family, plus new connections with other bloggers.
Working on this blog has encouraged me, and I hope it has encouraged you as well. Every one of us has something important to offer for God’s glory and for the benefit of the world around us.
Please leave a comment on what you’ve liked and what you’d want to see more of!
While this blog got its name from an old twenty øne piløts song called “Taxi Cab,” my second choice would be to use something from “The Beautiful Letdown” by Switchfoot. The line – “set sail for the Kingdom come” – would have been a good blog title! I’ve intended to post about the song for some time, and it fits in with this week’s other posts, so here we are.
The theme of “The Beautiful Letdown” is that while we don’t like being let down or disappointed, it’s a beautiful and blessed thing when we are let down by the things of this world, because that is when we can find God. In Jeremiah 3:21-23, God calls His people to turn back to Him from the many temptations of the world in striking language:
“A voice on the bare heights is heard, the weeping and pleading of Israel’s sons because they have perverted their way; they have forgotten the LORD their God. “Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to you, for you are the LORD our God. Truly the hills are a delusion, the orgies on the mountains. Truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.”
The language is striking because we don’t like being told that the things we worship are a delusion, and we don’t like being accused of spiritual adultery, but regardless, being let down from the delusions of the world is a beautiful thing, because it’s a requirement for knowing God more deeply. Back to the Switchfoot song, the lyrics say it’s beautiful when we find out that “all the riches this world had to offer me would never do,” but that “we’re still chasing our tails and the rising sun.” It also says its ok to be “painfully uncool” by the world’s standards because those are the wrong standards. We are “the church of the dropouts, the losers, the sinners, the failures and the fools.”
But perhaps my favorite part of the song is the bridge:
“Easy living, you’re not much like your name Easy dying Hey, you look just about the same Won’t you please take me off your list Easy living, please come on and let me down”
Wouldn’t it be nice to be “off the list” of messages from the world lying about how amazing it is, and how easy things would be if we just bought the right products and had the right lifestyle? If only we floated along with the world’s idea of progress? However, as C. S. Lewis wrote: “We all want progress…but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.” Being let down by the world is a good thing.
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” – Philippians 3:7-8
As 2022 ends, many are posting reflections on the year, including book lists. Figured I’d jump in, even though I am a slow reader, prone to distraction, and have a job that requires multiple hours per day of reading. So, when I see others listing 70+ books read in 2022, I tell myself that 22 books is enough, since the year was 2022.
A range of history books: Clouds of Witnesses by Mark Noll and Carolyn Nystrom The Residence by Kate Andersen Brower The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne by David Starkey The Offshore Islanders: A History of the English People by Paul Johnson
The first two of these made appearances in the blog, referenced in the Bibliography. Clouds of Witnesses, which could be included in other categories, is an excellent collection of stories about Christians in Asia and Africa, giving a great perspective away from my local, American one. More history posts will be coming from that book. The Residence is a collection of stories from workers in the White House, from cooks and valets, and many other roles. It ranged multiple decades of presidents and their families, with interesting takes on these very real people.
The Devil in the White City is my favorite book by one of my favorite authors, and likely will be covered as the blog’s first book review soon. Erik Larson writes history that reads like a novel and picks amazing stories as topics.
With a family trip to England and Wales on the 2022 calendar, both history and fiction books on this list revolved around the U.K.
A range of fiction books: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John LeCarré The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain Life, the Universe, and Everything by Douglas Adams So Long and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams
It’s only now that I realize all of these books involve England. “Tinker” is one of my dad’s favorite books and I’d put off reading it for a long time but am glad I finally got to it. It’s a fascinating and complicated story about a mole in the British spy network, and I picked up great quotes like “All power corrupts, but some must govern,” and “Learn the facts…then try on the stories like clothes.” “Hound” is one I read as a teenager and picked back up for something quick and light to read, and the other 3 were new to me. This blog began with a Douglas Adams reference, and there will likely be more to come!
Only one non-fiction book: King’s X: The Oral History by Greg Prato
This ended up featured in two blogposts and tells the story of one of my favorite bands that never quite “made it big,” but gets a ton of respect from other musicians. Part of the problem was that they couldn’t be pigeon-holed as either a “Christian” band, or not.
Plus some Christian commentary and devotionals: In addition to regular Bible and study Bible reading, in 2022 I read:
4 books by Warren Wiersbe: Be Alive (John 1-12), Be Transformed (John 13-21), Be Wise (1 Corinthians), and Be Encouraged (2 Corinthians). 4 books by C.S. Lewis: That Hideous Strength, The Weight of Glory, The Abolition of Man, and The Great Divorce. Encouragement: The Key to Caring by Larry Crabb and Dan Allender Everyday Prayer with the Reformers by Donald McKim Tapestry: The Book of Revelation by Glenn Parkinson
A fan of C.S. Lewis from childhood, in 2022 I aimed to read several of his books I hadn’t before, which include the last 3 above. I love finding familiar Lewis quotes in their original context, which brings out even more meaning. A few of these ended up in the blog. In 2023, maybe I’ll get to Surprised by Joy, The Four Loves and all of God in the Dock.
I picked up Wiersbe’s entire “Be” series in 2021 as part of a digital subscription and am working through it over time. A long time. I like his overall approach and the books are a great source of thoughtful stories and quotes.
Encouragement and Everyday Prayer both ended up in the blog. The first I had read many years ago and rediscovered ideas in it that I had forgotten the source of. Everyday Prayer was a gift and is a short devotional covering segments of prayers from the Protestant Reformation, with related stories and Bible verses.
Lastly, I just finished Tapestry earlier today. Glenn Parkinson is the retired former pastor of my church, and the book provides a very helpful overview of the book of Revelation, making a great case that John “did not intend to give us a puzzle no one can solve,” but intended to reveal (as in a revelation) a tapestry of images designed to encourage Christian faithfulness and perseverance in the time between Jesus’ first and second comings.
Will I read 23 books in 2023? Who knows…in the meantime, have you read any of these 22? What books did you enjoy in 2022?
Driving Toward the Morning Sun 