Bible 365 - Done!

I tried to find the post I wrote about how I was reading the Bible in one year.  I know I wrote it... but I guess I didn't.  Not sure what happened there.  I alluded to it in this post, but apparently that's as far as I got.  I ordered a One Year Chronological Bible sometime in 2009 and decided that 2010 would be the year I read it.  Up until April, I'd been really good about reading it either ahead or right on time and then got a little behind - and caught up.  In June when we found out we were pregnant, I fell behind.  I caught up and fell behind again... I was determined to finish before 2011 though - some days I'd read two weeks worth of readings... two days ago - I finally finished! 

I plan to read it again in 2011 and this time I plan to underline, take notes, and use my reference book as a parallel to NLT.  Thankfully, Chandler is a super geek smarty pants and retains all sorts of information so I've been able to ask him lots of history questions this year - he is equally excited about my enthusiasm about using a reference book this next year of reading.  See, you'd think it's because I wouldn't bug him with questions, but when I announced my plan his response was, "Oh that's great, I love looking at the maps from back then..."  Super geek Smarty pants indeed!

I think after 2011's Bible 365 plan of NLT, I may get another version to read for 2012.  In 2009 I read The Message translation - if you aren't familiar with it, I highly recommend it.  I bought a small faux leather copy from the bookstore and took it with me in my day bag pretty much everywhere so I could read it - if you can find a chronological version do it - mine was a regular version and I would have loooved a chronological one! I had a blast reading The Message (seriously!) - many parts of it read like a soap opera, no kidding.  The Message is more or less the most opposite of King James as you can possibly be - unlike most translations, The Message takes the theme or idea and rewrites it in everyday language.  Or street lingo is probably more fitting.  There are some parts that would definitely be rated PG-13 if not R.  It was a great introduction to reading the Bible though and the gospels were very vivid and made it easy to relate to what Jesus was experiencing.

So 2009 - read The Message, 2010 - read New Living Translation, 2011 - NLT again, 2012 - ?.  I've already been scoping out children's Bibles for a good One Year/365 version.  I have two contenders, but haven't decided yet.  I figure I have until 2012 since OP will be so young next year.  And even though I doubt he'll really be paying much attention in 2012, it's never too early and he must love books - it's not optional at our house. 

What are you reading?