How I did it: I purchased "The Message" translation of the Bible which is written in contemporary language and which I felt might be less difficult for my first read-through. I didn't have a particular reading schedule, I just tried to read some every day (which I didn't always do!), but I did my best. I never pushed myself too far. I only read as much as I could actually absorb. I didn't want to just plow through and not really consider and have time to think about what I was reading.

During certain, more difficult parts of my reading, I supplemented actually reading with listening to a Bible on CD, which I was able to listen to while driving, and helped me get over the Old Testament hump.

After about a year and a half, I finally finished! I am so glad I did, I feel that I have better understanding of my faith as a Christian than ever before, and I am blown away by the beauty of the Bible, and the way it all comes together as one complete story from start to finish when read in chronological order. In my opinion, no one should reject Christianity outright without actually turning to the Bible and reading what it really has to say about God, Jesus, forgiveness, love, and true freedom. It will change your life!

Lessons & tips:

• Try reading from a translation like "The Message" if it is your first time. It is translated in a way that is very easy to understand for someone unfamiliar with Christian lingo or who has never read the entire Bible before.
• Hang in there! There will be tough times, such as certain segments of the Old Testament! However, plow ahead, listen to those sections on CD if you have to, read them aloud, have someone read them to you... just don't give up! It gets better! Once you get to the Psalms you're home free : ) And once you hit the New Testament, you'll breeze right through

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Jul 10, 2010, 12:35PM PDT | 0 comments | 2 cheers