TWENTY YEARS!!!

It was a little over twenty years ago when Shirley Hagerty spoke at our monthly women's ministry meeting at Stillwater Church of the Nazarene.  Delores Smith was the head of the women's ministry, and she did an amazing job.  I was always really sad when I had to miss (always due to OSU athletics/aka the band).  Delores was also a really great teacher at VBS.  Her room always looked so great.  I'm pretty sure Delores is just great at everything she does! :)

Back to Shirley. Shirley was almost the first face I would see every Sunday. She taught the little kids Sunday School class. The classroom was right before you went in the sanctuary, and I usually had to go there before SS because of music rehearsal.  She was always so friendly and had a welcoming smile on her face as she would greet me! Her husband Don was our church treasurer.  And when there was no longer a college-age Sunday School class, I was in his class.  He was so wise.  Their adult son, daughter-in-law, and grandson(s) also went to the church.  

On this particular Saturday, Shirley was asked to speak at our gathering.  She shared how she and her husband had read the Bible through together for the last forty years.  40 YEARS!  That was forty times through the Bible.  And that day, I decided that I would try to do the same.

Today, I reached the half-way point.  Twenty years down. Twenty years to go (Lord willing). Some years, I start it on January 1 and I'm reading at 10pm on December 31 to finish.  One time I finished in 17 days.  But for quite a few years, my pattern has been to try to read it through in about six months. (And I try not to allow myself to read drivel until I have completed my Bible read.)  I have read a variety of versions: NKJV, Message, NLT, NIV, HCSB, and ESV.  Sometimes, I read cover to cover. Other times, I read it chronologically. And sometimes I do a mix of OT/NT/Psalms.  

I don't write this blog to brag.  (Which would be hilarious since only about three people actually read this anyway.  ha ha)  But if you might be the random fourth person reading this and don't spend time in His word...DO IT!  Your style might be to study a book for the entire year.  Or maybe you want to read the Bible though but need to take five years.  Maybe you don't even like God. I don't care. Just bust it out and give it a read.  It can change your life!

(Don has been gone quite a few years now.  Shirley is certainly not a spring chicken, and I believe she is in a nursing home.  But I often wonder...how many years did they read that Bible through? Did they always use the same one?  Did Shirley continue to read it after Don passed away?  I would assume she would be lost without her daily dose of Encouragement if she didn't.