How to Read the Whole Bible in One Year

Have you ever wanted to read through the Bible, but have been intimidated at its length? You can read through your Bible, and it will only take one year. It does take some consistency though. If you have fifteen to thirty minutes a day, you will be able to read through the Bible in a year.

1. Choose how you want to read through your Bible. The most common ways to read through the Bible are to read it straight through, or to read a little from the Old Testament and a little from the New Testament every day.

2. Find out whether you want to read a certain amount of chapters, or a certain amount of pages, every day. In general, if you read 3 chapters from the Old Testament and 1 chapter from the New Testament every day, you'll finish in a year, with a little bit of time to spare. It may be easier, however, to read a certain amount of pages per day. Dividing the amount of pages in your Bible by 365 will give you a good idea of how many pages you should be reading every day.

3. As an alternative to figuring out on your own how many pages you need to read in a day, you can use a Bible reading chart. Your church may have them available, or you can download them off the Internet. Most charts either go through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, or read a little from the Old and New Testaments each day. Some charts are divided by subject.

Tips and Warnings:

- Choose a version of the Bible that you're comfortable with. You may want to choose the version of the Bible that your church uses, or you may want to choose a translation that is easier to understand.

- Pick a time of day that works well for you. If your mornings are hectic, you may want to read at lunchtime, or at night. If you find yourself nodding off when you read at night, try to read earlier in the day.

- Consider listening to the Bible if you have trouble reading the Bible. If you drive or take the bus to work, you can listen to the Bible during your commute.

(Source: ehow.com)

Fun (and Cheap) Ways to Build Friendships

Here are a few ideas to help your friendships grow!

1. People watch at the airport.

2. Use a sunny afternoon to wash your cars. (If you don't have a car, wash your parents' cars!)

3. Challenge each other to a taste test with various colas (regular and diet Coke, regular and diet Pepsi, generic brands, etc.) The one who guesses the most correctly wins, and whoever burps the loudest gets "special recognition"!

4. Collect all the pictures you have of one another and make a scrapbook.

5. Build something—like a model airplane. Or if you're ambitious, a treehouse for the neighborhood kids.

6. Go apple picking. Or blueberry, or strawberry, or raspberry … 

7. Go for a bike ride. When you find a cool spot, in a park or by a lake, stop and have a picnic.

8. Play "Name That Tune." Using a CD player with a time display, see who can name well-known songs the fastest.

9. Spend an evening watching for falling stars.

10. Play a game of basketball—dribble and shoot with the opposite hand you write with.

11. Borrow a video camera and spend the day making your own movie.

12. Cloud watch. The first to find the elephant in the sky wins.

13. Go to a thrift store, buy the goofiest, oldest (and cheapest) clothes you can find and then wear them to your favorite fast-food restaurant.

14. Build a kite from scratch, using stuff you have around the house. If it doesn't fly, at least you'll get a good laugh!

15. Write a short story together, starting with this: "It was a dark and stormy night when sweet Old Maude, innocently crocheting her granddaughter's new sweater, was … " Take turns writing one sentence apiece until the story is finished.

16. Make root beer floats. See who gets the ice-cream headache first.

17. Take turns finishing this sentence: "If I had a million dollars, I would … "

18. Skip rocks on the lake, ocean, swamp, mud puddle—whatever is closest to home.

19. Tell your friends how much you care about them, and tell them often. Tell them they've helped shape who you are today. Then thank God for blessing you with one of his greatest gifts—friendship.

(Source: www.christianitytoday.com)

A True Friend

A good friend looks a lot like … 

… Ruth, who was loyal even when times got tough. When her mother-in-law, Naomi, lost her husband and both sons (one of them was Ruth's husband), Naomi decided to move far away to deal with her grief. She told Ruth to stay behind, but Ruth said no way: "Don't urge me to leave you … Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay." (See Ruth 1:1-22)

A bad friend looks a lot like … 

… Pharaoh's cupbearer, who didn't have a clue about showing appreciation. While in prison with Joseph, the two became friends. Joseph promised the cupbearer that he would soon be freed from prison and given a new chance at life—great news indeed! But when the cupbearer got out of jail, he "did not remember Joseph; he forgot him." (See Genesis 40:1-23)

A good friend looks a lot like … 

… Jonathan, who would do anything, even risk his life, for a friend. Jonathan's dad, King Saul, was jealous of David, Jonathan's best bud. When Jonathan heard his dad wanted to kill David, he hatched a plan to save his friend's life. Jonathan modeled the ultimate friendship when he told David, "Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it for you." (See 1 Samuel 20:1-42)

A bad friend looks a lot like … 

… Ahithophel, who betrayed King David by befriending an enemy who wanted to overthrow the kingdom. Ahithophel was supposedly David's trusted counselor, but he gave lousy advice and spread vicious rumors about the king. He was the kind of "friend" David likely had in mind when he wrote Psalm 35:12-15: "They repay me evil for good. … Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting … I went about mourning as though for my friend. … But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee." (See 2 Samuel 15:12-17:23)

A good friend looks a lot like … 

… Paul, who was great at helping friends grow in their faith—not only by encouraging them, but also by being bold enough to tell them when they'd messed up. One side of Paul would say (as he did to his friend Philemon): "Grace to you and peace … Your love has given me great joy and encouragement" (v. 3-7). Another side of Paul told friends when to shape up, but always with grace: "I always thank God for you … I am not writing this to shame you. … It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you. … Flee from sexual immorality … Honor God with your body." (See 1 Corinthians 4:14-6:20)

A bad friend looks a lot like … 

… Judas, who often acted like a friend, but put his own self-interests above everything else. He followed Jesus everywhere, yet was often guilty of faking it. Even when Jesus said Judas would betray him, Judas essentially replied, "No way! Not me!" He continued his charade to the moment of betrayal, by giving Jesus a kiss on the cheek, to which Jesus said, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" (See Matthew 26:15-17, 25; Luke 22:47-48)

A good friend looks a lot like … 

… Jesus, who was the ultimate friend to everyone. He was compassionate, encouraging, patient, loyal, understanding, loving. The best way to be a good friend is to be like Christ, to "clothe" ourselves with the things of God, as it says in Colossians 3:12-17. That's the ultimate definition of what a good friend looks like.

(Source: www.christianitytoday.com)

6 Gifts That Always Fit

1. A Smile. 

Hey, it's one of the easiest ways to show you care. It doesn't have to be big and grinny, just genuine. It can show a lonely person you care, it can lift somebody's spirits, and it's just a small way to give little glimpse of God's love.

2. A Listening Ear. 

The world's full of advice-givers and people who love to hear the sound of their own voices. But listening is a rare and valuable gift in any friendship. When you listen carefully, you silently communicate: "You're important. I care about what you have to say because I care about you."

3. Encouragement. 

Cheer on a friend. Let someone know when they've done a good job. Give a little encouragement to a friend who feels like a failure. Here's how to take this whole encouragement thing up a notch: Make an Encouragement Book for someone who needs extra support. Paste uplifting pictures, quotes and Bible verses into a notebook or inexpensive journal. Decorate the cover—wrapping paper is optional.

4. A Helping Hand. 

Let's imagine a tough situation. You have a friend whose parents are going through a divorce. With all the hurt he's experiencing, he's also got a lot more responsibility around the house. Maybe it's babysitting a little sis. Or possibly, he has to help cook meals or clean the house more than he used to. Offer to help out. Look for ways to put hands and feet to your concern and love for another person—especially someone who's hurting.

5. Volunteering. 

Talk to your youth pastor about places where you could serve over the holidays. Maybe you could visit lonely people at a nursing home. Possibly a local food pantry needs extra help. Just do something to demonstrate your concern for others less fortunate than you. And don't just make it a holiday thing. Plan regular times throughout the year to reach out and help others.

6. Your Talent. 

Play the guitar? Lead worship for children's church. Handy with a camera? Take photos of your family's holiday gatherings. Got a knack for fixing something old and broken down? Then turn to page 16, and find out how one guy's fix-it skills bring a lot of smiles to faces of hurting children.

(Source: www.christianitytoday.com)

A Cheerful Heart Is Good Medicine

How are you feeling today? 

Maybe you need a cheerful heart to help you feel your best. 

When we laugh we can't help but feel good. Unfortunately as adults we usually don't laugh enough and our bodies pay the price. 

It would be a good idea to add this page even if it only brought a smile, a giggle or a chuckle to your life. At least, adding something of value that will do you a bit of good. 

These verses are excellent examples of the need we have to include humor in our lives. 

Our God created humor and laughter and our prayer is that you will always have a heart of cheer! 

Proverbs 17:22
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. 

Proverbs 15:15
All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast. 

Proverbs 15:13
A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.

The Lord's Prayer

In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 11, we see that Jesus was praying with his disciples. On that day one of them asked, "Lord, teach us to pray." And so he taught them what almost all Christians have come to know and even memorize, The Lord's Prayer. It is one of the most commonly prayed prayers by people of all Christian faiths in both public and private worship.

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, 
Hallowed be thy Name. 
Thy kingdom come. 
Thy will be done, 
On earth as it is in heaven. 
Give us this day our daily bread. 
And forgive us our trespasses, 
As we forgive those who trespass against us. 
And lead us not into temptation, 
But deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, 
and the power, 
and the glory, 
for ever and ever. 
Amen. 

God & Google

Have you googled today? If so, yours was one of the 150 million searches on the world's biggest search engine. Did you find what you were looking for? Google will always give you something. Sometimes the results are, "like, totally wacked." Sometimes they're "way tight." (I googled "modern slang.")

Do you ever approach God as if he were a giant search engine? You tell him what you want and expect instant results. What if God doesn't give you what you're really looking for? That's OK. There are lots of other "search engines" out there: parents, friends, the mall.

But God isn't the big search engine in the sky. And if he has something in mind for you, he won't substitute it for something that's second best—even if it's something you really want or think you need. Here are some things to remember about God:

God knows your deepest desires—and motives—before you ask: "O Lord, You have searched me and You know me. … You perceive my thoughts from afar. … Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely" (Psalm 139:1-4).

Even though God already knows your thoughts, don't skip prayer: "How much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him" (Matthew 7:11).

Didn't get what you asked for? Maybe it's not good for you: "Every good and perfect gift is from above" (James 1:17).

Your ultimate search should always be for God himself: "Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always" (Psalm 105:4).

God isn't like Google. He won't give you something substandard just to satisfy your immediate desires. So keep asking, and seeking, and knocking—and know that he wants to give you the very best he has to offer.

Think about it:
What am I searching for?
Why should I pray?
How do I know God answers prayer?
What are three things I should pray about today?

(Source: www.christianitytoday.com)