starting the morning

the alarm goes off. turn it off, snooze it, or hide under the pillow? get out of bed or stay tucked in? go to work or play hookie?

from the moment we wake up, we are faced with choices. many times we just follow our usual routine and thoughtlessly start the day. some of us have children that make each morning a challenge. some of us even have pets that dictate what happens each morning, yet even pets follow routines.

how do i start my morning? usually, the alarm on my phone goes off and i stay in bed. i choose whether i'll play on my apps or read my bible. on my quest to read through the bible from cover to cover in a year has its downfalls every several days for me, then i force myself to catch up. skipping my morning reading is all about the choices i make when i wake up. sleep in or wake up and read? selfishly do what i feel like or work on that relationship with the Almighty God? it all depends on what day it is, how much rest i got the night before, and what the plan is for the day.

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,    for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning;    great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;    therefore I will wait for him.” ~Lamentations3:22-24 NIV

renew yourself every morning by spending time with your Creator God. he wants a closer relationship with you and He wants to bless you with heavenly blessings. new to reading the bible? a great place to start is not page 1, actually, it's in the gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. the first three basically have the same information from their own perspectives. the Book of John actually shares the life of the Son of God here on earth. i've often heard that this is where beginners should start. John has 30 chapters, so if you read a chapter a day, you'll be done in 30 days.

prayer before reading is highly recommended by many. ask God to clear your mind and speak to you during this time you want to get to know Him better. and when you're done reading, pray again. this time, share with God what you got out of it, what you learned, how it affects your current situation or helped you realize something from the past, whatever comes to mind.

if you're willing to go through the Book of John with me, i'll be starting it again on december 1st. feel free to subscribe or stop in to see how this book speaks to me and share your own thoughts as well. i'd love to hear your thoughts!

winnond: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1970