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Intention

We live in such a crazy, fast-paced world.  The very things that were created to help us slow down and enjoy life have, in fact, complicated and compounded our busy-ness.  While thankful for technology and the conveniences of the time we’re living in, I sometimes long for the unplugged version.

It’s so easy to be cooking dinner, doing laundry, listening to a podcast or music, and checking e-mails or social media all at the same time that I can miss an opportunity to interact with a real live person right in front of me, exchanging that soul connection for a digital one.

One word that has been running through my mind lately is intention.  Living with intention frees us up from being tossed around by the circumstances of our daily lives.  It causes us to gravitate towards and focus on the things in our lives that we deem priority, which will help us to keep the secondary and lesser priorities in their place.

I certainly don’t have it figured out, and I know that I miss opportunities to speak into other people’s lives because I allow the secondary things to squeeze out the most important things.

So, for me, I’m setting my sights on being more intentional in every area of my life.  It means setting down my phone and making eye contact in my interactions with others.  It means scheduling my personal quiet time and sticking to it.  It means scheduling and keeping a regular date night with Todd.  It means being present with what is in front of me with laser focus.  I’m not talking about a schedule so rigid that it feels like bondage, but a schedule that prioritizes the things with the most meaning in my life so that I have freedom in those scheduled times as well as the unscheduled times to live fully present.

I realize I’m processing this for myself as I write this.  Hopefully you’re able to follow along and make sense of it all.  Welcome to my brain…

One of the areas I mentioned above was my priority for quiet time which for me consists of reading my Bible, journaling, and prayer.  Last summer I purchased a new Bible which I love.  It’s called the She Reads Truth Bible, Christian Standard version.  In the back is a one-year Bible reading plan that I have been using to supplement my own independent Bible study.

Read Scripture

This past Sunday, our pastor Tom proposed a Bible reading app and had us download it during church so we all would have it.   It’s called Read Scripture.  If you don’t have a smart phone or prefer to read it online, the website is www.readscripture.org.   I’m three days in, and I love this app!  It does a great job of giving history and breaking down the Bible into sections.  There are short, informative, well-done videos, and then it takes you right into the Scripture.  Each day you finish with a Psalm for meditation and prayer.

Tom encouraged each one of us to follow the daily reading plan, and then we would all be reading and learning the same things together.  Great idea!

I want to extend the same invitation to my family and friends!  It’s not too late to get started and join me.  I think it would be fun to be reading the same thing in community and be able to share how God is using it in our lives.

Once you have the app, go into settings, and you can set a time for a daily reminder and then to either read at your own pace or read every day and choose your start date.  I chose to read every day starting on January 1st.  You can also choose font size if you prefer larger print like me 🙂

So what do you think?  Will you join me?  The Word of God is living and active and powerful!  And who doesn’t want more power in their lives?

Comment below if you’re going to join me!

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5 Comments

  1. Carol Mosolf on January 3, 2018 at 12:15 pm

    Yes, I want to join you and friend on this journey. I will have to do it later. My friend will be here shortly to help me work on my book.

    • joymclaughlin on January 4, 2018 at 3:58 am

      Carol, I’m so glad! Let me know what you think!

  2. Lani Huskisson on January 3, 2018 at 12:24 pm

    I’m in…really appreciate you sharing this!
    The app is incredible????????????????????????

    • joymclaughlin on January 4, 2018 at 4:00 am

      Hi Lani! Great to hear from you! Yes, it is! I appreciate the time and effort that has gone into this app! Let’s stay in touch!

  3. Carol Mosolf on January 6, 2018 at 12:11 pm

    I started reading it. I think I am caught up. I was given a book called WHEN HEAVEN MEETS EARTH by the BIBLE PROJECT. So I am familiar with the format.

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