New Year’s Challenge

So, Tom gave me a new set of scriptures for Christmas this year.  I’m sad to be moving on from my old set, but the cover has come off in the back despite a couple of attempts to repair, and there are scribble marks and even a tear or two (although writing it down makes those scriptures seem charming!).  Anyhow, I requested the large print version since my eyes will only be getting worse as the years go by – and the margins are larger so I can make more notes!  I thought about what I want to mark in these new scriptures … I don’t really want to duplicate all that I have in my old scriptures … but I do want things like seminary scripture mastery scriptures marked.  In my old set I also marked scriptures from the missionary discussions, which was nice when I was studying those topics.  Anyhow.  I have marked the scripture mastery verses.  But the last time I marked scriptures, I was a missionary and I was reading them a hour or so a day – I worked through the whole set in less than a year.  The way I read now, I’ll mark the Book of Mormon – and then I’ll go through and read it again.  Meanwhile, the other books will be pristine … hmmm.

Then, a few weeks ago I ran across a blog post which referenced a reading plan to read the New Testament in 30 days.   It was intriguing, so I went to the website and read about it.  You can do the same by going here at New Thru 30.  It’s been a few years since I have read the complete New Testament, so after thinking about it for a few days I decided to do it.

If you’ve gone and looked you’ll notice that the program started yesterday.  I forgot to read yesterday.  Already I was 12 chapters behind when I woke up this morning!!  I decided I didn’t have time to procrastinate, so I got up this morning and started reading.  It’s amazing how quickly you can move through the gospel of Matthew when you aren’t focused on finishing up just one chapter.  This afternoon I finished up the assignment for day two.

There’s a short study guide with a thought for each week and some key scriptures.  This week the thought centers around the question posed by the Savior:  “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” and “Whom say ye that I am?”  The Book of Matthew is continually answering that question.  One of the most interesting things that Matthew does is refer to the prophecies of Christ.  Again and again he says, “spoken by the prophet” and then quotes scripture prophesying of Christ.  Reading it quickly like this, I’ve been able to see some of these types of patterns.

So, by the middle of February, the New Testament will have some markings (though I’m trying to do less marking – my old scriptures had so much red – everything seemed “markable”).  Then the question will be, “What next?”  Stay tuned …