In the early years of living on our ten acres our spring would go dry every summer, requiring us to haul water from a neighbor’s well in five-gallon buckets. How I learned to appreciate those buckets! Without them I’d have no water to cook the spaghetti or wash my children’s faces, or even flush the toilets.
On hot days I’d assign one bucket of water per child for cooling off. We have a photo of the four of them bent over their buckets with their heads immersed. It’s pretty funny, but I don’t want to give the impression we were destitute or anything. You might say we were living the homesteader’s dream – following our heart’s desire to live in the country and see how we’d fare.
I need to keep my bucket full
My morning walks were a refreshing time, a renewing time, and it was apparent I functioned a lot better when I spent consistent time alone with God.
Though it required rising early to tiptoe out the front door while the children slept, the reward was worth it. I found I could maintain my focus on things that really mattered throughout the day, and my joy was less likely to evaporate.
What I’m offering you
I blog because I want to share what’s in my bucket. I hope to give my readers a boost in their spirit and motivate them to spend time with God. I’d like for everyone to experience moments of refreshing and renewal that fill them up and sustain them through the day.
When is a good time?
You might follow a link to my blog from Facebook during your break at work, or bookmark it for your long wait at the doctor’s office. It’s also easy to subscribe to receive these posts in your inbox every week. You can find the subscribe button in the side bar. My posts are usually a quick read, an investment of a few moments that feed the spirit, calm an anxious heart, or perhaps bring enlightenment from a new perspective. This can help sustain you till your next opportunity to fill your bucket.
Where I’m headed
I like to keep things simple, so I won’t bog down my posts with ramblings and side trails. I’ll share a story and include Bible verses that relate to it.
If reading the Bible is like eating a meal, I offer some appetizers. I want to keep them brief and tasty, between 300 and 500 words, with the aim that you’ll want to sit down to the full-meal-deal and enjoy the feast on your own.
Kathy’s quick tips for Bible reading
- Read. Look it over carefully, word for word. It may help to pray before you start, asking God for wisdom and to reveal what he’d like to show you.
- Listen. Go back to the part that spoke directly to you, or that you otherwise found interesting, and try to figure out why it captured your attention.
- Meditate. Think about what caught your eye as you read, and consider how it might apply to you today. Also, ask yourself questions, like “what is this NOT saying?” This will help to avoid misinterpretation or misunderstanding.
If you’re interested and it’s still available, here’s a link to a video from Anne Graham Lotz on how to study the Bible.
by Kathy Sheldon Davis
*this post is from the Notes on Reading the Bible page
kathysheldondavis.com 