I Need My Bible

Since I was starting to go to church again, I wanted to also start reading the bible. I can honestly admit that I'm not much of a reader. I love listening and I take in so much more that way, but reading can seem tedious to me.  I do, however, love a good book from time to time. I guess more so that I have a lack of time that makes me feel reading isn't a top priority. I can say that I've never really read the bible. I have had several over the years, but I can't say I've sat down on a routine basis and really read it.  I'm sure I had to read passages as a kid, or even in church camp, I probably read more then.  I did read in 2006 for a few months, but it ended. I had this urge to get my bible and be dedicated to learning more about it.  My boss had given me a bible the first month that I started. It was an NIV Application bible that I did read for a small time, but it was packed away in the move.  So I went downstairs and started digging through boxes and bins.  I was so desperately wanting to find my bible and not have to go out and buy another one, although I would have.  I opened one box and I thought to myself 'yay, I found it', but to my surprise and amazement, it was a bible that my step-dad had given me the Christmas before he died of Cancer. It felt so good to see that bible and it felt perfect for me to use this as my 2011 go-to bible.  It was meant to be!  What is amazing to me is that it is an NIV bible and if I remember correctly, my step-dad was Catholic, so how perfect that he bought me one that related to me. Of course, it still had the paper wrapper and I don't think I ever read a single line.  Knowing myself, I needed something more that just the bible. I needed to hear it and with technology, there had to be some good, free apps on my iPad that I could find.  I was searching and found some apps where you actually have to read it and I found a few that read it to you, but then low and behold, The Daily Audio Bible.  A journey through the entire bible in one solid year. I was so excited to find this and although it was January 17th, I was determined to catch up. I downloaded every single podcast for the 17 days I missed and started listening. I would then read, via their reading guide, the scripture that I had just heard.  An absolute blessing to find this fellowship and I can tell you that I love it!  My goal wasn't to really understand the bible in its entirety. My goal was to read it, listen to it, and get familiar with it.  I know from setting goals that you have to make them realistic or else you'll fail before you start. So I just want to get to know the bible...hear what it is about and then next year dive more into it.  What I was amazed about and excuse my ignorance, but the bible is not a pure, all is good, everyone in the bible are saints, type of book. To my amazement, the bible is an Epic story, that has good, bad, ugly, and so much more in it that I could have ever imagined.  I will say that for a lifetime of hearing bits of pieces of bible scripture from seeing the movie Year One (a pun type movie) to seeing Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat to just knowing some of the bible verses, it was all coming together for me. Finally, I was really getting it all for the first time in my life.  All of these instances where I had heard things were coming to life as I was hearing/reading it all in the bible.  A book I've had with me my entire life, but never took the time to read. Wow!  I'm blessed for my new adventure into the best book ever written.