Lisa notes

2-Year Bible Reading Plan {Updated}

By LisaNotes December 26, 2022 Bible 85 Comments

Do you struggle to finish a 1-year Bible reading plan?

Trying to squeeze all 66 books of the Bible into 12 months of reading is no easy task, especially if you don’t want to just speed through.

Here’s an alternative option:

Use this 2-year Bible reading plan instead.

5 days a week (no weekends)
Alternate 2 weeks in the Old Testament/1 week in the New Testament
No dates; start anytime
Take several weeks off per year as needed (total schedule=95 weeks)
Basic chronological order within each Testament
Psalms and Proverbs sprinkled throughout

With this plan you only read 5 days a week and take the weekends off. Two weeks in the Old Testament alternate with one week in the New Testament. The blocks aren’t dated so you can start anytime. You can also skip days here and there and still finish on time. Or read straight through and finish in less than 2 years.

I created this two-year plan based on a chronological timeline of the Bible, with the exception of Psalms and Proverbs, which are interspersed throughout the plan.

If you try it, let me know what you think.

We should never have to rush as we read through the Bible. We benefit more from a steady, smooth pace.

Reading the testimonies of others’ encounters with God can awaken us to our own encounters with God.

(not dated, so start anytime)

Download the plan here.

* * *

Do you have a daily Bible reading plan you like? Please share in the comments.

republished from the archives

Share Four Somethings—December 2022

By LisaNotes December 23, 2022 Life updates 20 Comments

Near the end of each month, I share four somethings at Heather’s. (This is her last month to host. Beginning in 2023 we’ll be hosted by Jennifer.)

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Something Loved

AIRPODS

AirPods have been around for about 6 years. I was late buying in. Why would I need wireless earbuds? Oh, how little I knew.

Not a profound choice for this “something loved” category, but of products I’ve purchased in the past year or two, my AirPods have become one of my most used and treasured (and most easily misplaced) items. I use them daily with my phone to listen to podcasts, to audiobooks, to talk and to listen to Marco Polos, have phone conversations, etc. I use them often to watch TV at night if Jeff wants to sleep (although that doesn’t happen too often). I use them for Zoom calls so I can temporarily step away from the laptop and still participate in conversations. They pair easily with all my other tech and stay solidly in my ears. Ahhh.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Something Gleaned

THE WONDER AHEAD

I love this quote by John Green in his amazing new book, The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet, in which he gives ratings to a variety of random things from Piggly Wiggly to sunsets to Scratch ‘n’ Sniff Stickers:

“You can’t see the future coming—not the terrors, for sure, but you also can’t see the wonders that are coming, the moments of light-soaked joy that await each of us.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Something Braved

CHRISTMAS WITH COVID

If I’d known at the beginning of December that I’d end the month with lots and lots of downtime at home, I might have skipped some of the anxiety I felt dreading the hustle and bustle I thought was ahead.

But as usual, it was probably best I couldn’t know the future, that I’d finally get my first case of Covid. It hasn’t been too terrible. I’m on the upswing now. Even though I’ve missed out on activities I wanted to attend, I’m grateful my body won the fight for me. And my husband Jeff kept me well-fed.

My heart aches for those who lost loved ones to Covid or other reasons. Christmas feels different with an empty place at the table and an emptier hole in your heart.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Something Achieved

SURVIVING ANOTHER YEAR

So to be alive at the end of another year feels like quite an accomplishment once again. Give yourself a hug for making it, for still being here, living, breathing, loving, as best we can.

One of my most cherished highlights has been this little guy. Our grandson has made me laugh this year more than anybody else. He has quite the zest for life. I’m so grateful for his consistent presence in my life (and to Jenna for making sure it happens). Thank you, God, for love like this.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

What has been a highlight of your December? Of your year?

Share in the comments.

Rate Your One Word 2022. Join a Small Group for 2023. {December One Word Linkup}

By LisaNotes December 22, 2022 One Word Community 14 Comments

Share Your One Word Update

If you chose One Word of the year for 2022, congratulations! You made it to the end of the year.

If you’re choosing One Word of the Year for next year and don’t receive our monthly emails already, .

Keep reading to the end of the post to join a Small Group for extra encouragement and accountability.

Link your One Word blog post below. Share an update about your One Word in the comments.

Evaluate Your Word

1. RATE YOUR WORD

What star rating would you give your One Word 2022 from 1-Lowest to 5-Highest (by whatever measure you want to use)? Did it live up to your expectations? Why or why not?

I give 4 stars to my word RELEASE. It was quite challenging in many ways, but God did teach me a lot through my experiences with it. I never did forget about my word, so that counts for something, too.

2. FREQUENCY

How often did you notice your One Word in other places this year?
1-Rarely, 2-Now and again, 3-Often, 4-All the time

I noticed RELEASE (or its synonym “letting go”) all around me this year, in books, in songs, in sermons, in conversations, etc. It ranks a top 4 on this scale.

3. APPLICABILITY

Was your One Word relevant to your life this year? Why or why not?

My word was definitely relevant to my everyday life this year. RELEASE came at me from two angles. In some ways, I felt I was involuntarily released from positions I didn’t want to lose. It hurt and still does. I couldn’t control that, but I could attempt to intentionally release some things myself that were no longer healthy, useful, or loving in my life and my attitudes. I’m still not finished, but I trust God to continue this work with me long after this year ends.

4. GROWTH

Did you learn more about yourself or your relationships this year through your One Word? Would you want to repeat this word in another year?

I did learn a lot through my One Word, sometimes more than I wanted to know. I hope to carry the lessons of RELEASE with me the rest of my life to use in positive and productive ways, even if somewhat painful at the same time. Would I repeat this word? Well, I won’t agree to that just yet. But time will tell.

Join a One Word Small Group

Our larger One Word community provides lots of encouragement and ideas to each other throughout the year. But if you’re looking for more personal contact and accountability, sign up to be in a Small Group for 2023.

Each group will have 4-5 people who commit to communicate with each other at least once a month for the year (each group chooses its preferred format).

Link Up Now

This December linkup will remain open through Saturday night, December 31.

Our first linkup for One Word 2023 will open on Monday, January 23. All linkups will begin the 23rd of each month during 2023.

Remember to add discussion in our One Word Facebook group too. Each link shared here will also be shared there throughout the following month.

Leave a comment here about your One Word.

Find 7 tips here for how to choose your One Word of the Year.

Get more One Word ideas here

Link Up About Your One Word!

17 Lessons I Learned About Letting Go {Release 2022}

By LisaNotes December 21, 2022 Release: One Word 2022 23 Comments

I thought I might be the last person to get it.

But I’m having to release that delusion. I finally caught COVID-19 for the first time this week, or else it finally caught me.

Hopefully the coronavirus will be gone from my system by the end of the year, which is also when I’m letting go of my One Word for 2022, RELEASE.

I’ll be glad to see COVID go. But frankly, I’m also kinda glad to let go of RELEASE, too (no pun intended). It was a challenge.

But it was also a blessing. (Why does life often, but not always, work that way? sigh)

Here are 17 things I learned about letting go from my experiences with RELEASE this year.

1. The more you accumulate, the more you have to release.

I’ve piled up a lot of tangible and intangible things in my 60 years. I’ve had to mentally release a lot this year. Some things fully; some just partially. It’s been difficult. But clearing out the clutter (if it’s really clutter) of your life creates more breathing space.

2. Releasing can be a spiritual discipline.

An intentional release can be spiritual offering. Even when it’s hard, voluntarily releasing something unhealthy is better than having it snatched out of your hand. If you have a choice, give it up yourself when it’s time to let something go.

3. Practice by releasing small things.

Get in some practice with the easy things. Like a measuring cup. Letting go of unimportant things that no longer belong to you can prepare you for letting go of more important things if they are wreaking havoc in your life.

4. Everyone doesn’t have to understand.

I like being understood. About everything. But it’s impossible. Let go of the fallacy that everyone will understand you. You might find freedom in releasing the need to give lengthy explanations.

5. Unrealistic expectations are killers.

It’s normal to hope for things, but it’s unhealthy to cling too tightly to results out of your control. Releasing Plan A expectations leads to a more contented life in the long run.

6. Protecting your reputation is futile.

You can never fully control what people think about you. It’s safe to let go of their opinions, and live true to your values. It matters more who you really are than who others think you are.

7. Acceptance is active, not passive.

When you stop fighting against reality, and accept things as they are, maybe they’ll change. Maybe they won’t. But the release will change you, one way or another.

8. Holding too tightly causes extra pain.

A death grip can squeeze the life out of you. And is painful in the process. Lose a level of unnecessary suffering by loosening your grip on control.

[read more: Why I Need This Release]

9. Not everything is important.

Don’t take everything so seriously. Not everything matters the same. Sometimes your attitude needs to be, “Oh, well. So what?” Reduce your concern about trivial things as quickly as possible.

[read more: Oh, Well. So What?]

10. Release one thing to receive another.

Letting go of pride, you receive humility. Letting go of the past, you receive the present. Letting go of control, you receive freedom.

11. Fill your calendar with empty spaces.

Find the sweet spot between doing too much and not doing enough. Prioritize empty spaces by releasing superfluous activity. Get comfortable with the discomfort of the unfinished. Let more things go.

12. You can’t predict the most important happenings.

Some of your “must do’s” won’t be as important at the end of the day as you thought they’d be. Let go of working your schedule exactly as planned. Live with open hands around your tasks.

[more here: What Do You Really Have to Do Today?]

13. You don’t have to know everything before you decide.

Release the expectation of total clarity and full information before you’ll make a decision. Sometimes just go with what you already know. Move forward alongside uncertainty.

14. If you don’t save it now, you won’t have to release it later.

Stop saving unneeded things in the first place. Don’t own things you can borrow or do without. End the pileups. Your future self will thank you later.

15. Let go of always being right.

You naturally see life from your own perspective. But let go of thinking your view is always the right one. Look at what others see, too, and allow their view to expand your own.

16. Think about your death.

Eventually you’ll have to let go of everything here. Your death is coming. It’s the ultimate letting go. You don’t have to dwell on it, but when you release your denial of death, you open more space for appreciating the life you still have.

17. Sometimes you need to release releasing.

Occasionally you need to let go of finishing even the best goals, like letting go. Maybe you need to hold your blankie tighter today. That’s okay. You can start letting go again tomorrow.

I haven’t mastered these lessons yet. Not by a long shot. And there are lots of things we DON’T have to let go of because they are good, healthy things.

So even though I’ll officially let go of RELEASE next week, I hope it won’t let go of me.

Did you choose One Word for 2022? Are you choosing one for 2023? Join our One Word community here for extra tips and accountability.

All my posts on RELEASE are here.

What did you have to release in 2022? Share your thoughts in the comments about letting go.

sharing at these linkups

My 20 Favorite Books of 2022—10 Fiction + 10 Nonfiction Books

By LisaNotes December 19, 2022 Books I Recommend 30 Comments

Looking back over the books I finished in 2022, the following 20+ books are my favorites. Which books would you add to your list of favorites?

My 10 Favorite Fiction Books

1. Necessary Lies
by Diane Chamberlain

In this novel set fifty years ago, 15-year-old Ivy Hart works on a tobacco farm. When she’s assigned a new social worker—the first job for young Jane Forrester—secrets begin to unravel. Such a heart-rending story.

2. The Last House on the Street
by Diane Chamberlain

Another Diana Chamberlain book (my new favorite author this year). Kayla Carter’s new house is attracting unwanted attention. When she looks back into the history of the neighborhood, she finds secrets of racism and violence. A riveting story told in 1965 and 2010 in a town in North Carolina.

3. The Downstairs Neighbor
by Helen Cooper

When a teenage girl disappears in London, all the neighbors in the apartment become suspects through individual circumstances. Intriguing and well-told, this novel kept me wondering what would be uncovered next.

4. True Biz
by Sara Nović

As a deaf child, teenage Charlie never learned sign language or about the deaf culture. When she transfers to a boarding school for the deaf, a series of events provide quick introductions for her into the deaf community. I learned a lot of valuable lessons about it, too.

5. Sing You Home
by Jodi Picoult

Through story, Jodi Picoult dives into the middle of the ethical and legal dilemmas surrounding pregnancy and family in modern times. Music teacher Zoe Baxter saves her fertilized eggs when she and her husband can’t get pregnant, but they later divorce. The plot gets complicated as the book unfolds.

6. Apples Never Fall
by Liane Moriarty

Where has Mom gone? After Joy Delaney suddenly disappears one morning, her husband Stan and four grown children are left to figure out where she is. Liane Moriarty never fails to tell an intriguing story with interesting plot twists. Very good.

7. The Four Winds
by Kristin Hannah

Set in Texas during the Dust Bowl/Great Depression, young Elsa—later a wife and mother—fights her way through poverty in a man’s world and through extreme conditions. Her difficult life choices involve staying on the family farm pelted by disastrous storms or move west to California in search of a better life and the American Dream.

8. Wish You Were Here
by Jodi Picoult

This novel hits close to home. It was written during and set in the Covid-19 pandemic. The main character Diana is planning to travel abroad with her surgical resident boyfriend when the coronavirus comes to New York City. The book takes a major plot twist halfway in. I didn’t see it coming at all (I love when that happens).

9. Anatomy of a Miracle
by Jonathan Miles

Based on a true story, this novel is about an Afghanistan veteran who returned home paralyzed from the waist down. Until a “miracle” occurs at the Biz-E-Bee convenience store in Biloxi, Mississippi. What accounts for it? A very interesting and unusual plot.

10. Sins of the Tribe
by Mark A. Salter

Wally is thrilled to join the Bastille University Tribe football team. But as the plot unfolds, he sees behind the curtain of tribalism that often surrounds college sports. As a college football fan myself, I appreciate the plot line as well as the moral implications hidden in this story.

[My review of Sins of the Tribe: “How Loyal Are You to Your Sports Team?”]

My 10 Favorite Nonfiction Books

Because there are so MANY great nonfiction books available, I’m actually recommending more than just 10 books. With each suggestion below, I add a loosely related bonus recommendation.

1. Nonviolent Communication
A Language of Life
by Marshall B. Rosenberg, PhD

This book explains how to talk in clear and simple ways to be better understood and to better understand others (even though it still requires self-discipline and thus is hard; sigh). It’s full of great sample conversations. If we could be this compassionate, direct, and gentle, we’d eliminate so many problems. One of the bottom lines for me: Be more aware of the NEEDS (both my own and others) underneath our words.

Bonus Recommendation: The Dance of Connection
How to Talk to Someone When You’re Mad, Hurt, Scared, Frustrated, Insulted, Betrayed, or Desperate
by Harriet Lerner

2. Do I Stay Christian?
A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned
by Brian D. McLaren

Written with great humility, curiosity, and research, McLaren walks us through 10 reasons why someone might not want to be a Christian (part 1), then 10 reasons why someone would want to be a Christian (part 2). For himself, McLaren concludes he’s staying Christian. But regardless of your own answer, McLaren then offers 10 excellent pieces of advice to everybody (part 3) on how to be a more loving human being in this world, Christian or not.

[my review of Do I Stay Christian?]

Bonus Recommendation: God Can’t
How to Believe in God and Love after Tragedy, Abuse, and Other Evils
by Thomas Jay Oord

3. This Chair Rocks
A Manifesto Against Ageism
by Ashton Applewhite

At least in the West, there’s a large bias against the aged. We often depict older people as out of touch, annoying, and just in the way. But Applewhite refutes these myths about later years in a refreshing way, while also staying realistic about the genuine trials. We don’t have to dread getting older.

Bonus Recommendation: The Wisdom of Your Body
Finding Healing, Wholeness, and Connection Through Embodied Living
by Hillary L. McBride

4. Plays Well with Others
The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know about Relationships Is (Mostly) Wrong
by Eric Barker

This is a fantastic book. Based on scientific data, Barker writes with wit and clarity to debunk false theories we inherently believe about relationships, and confirms several theories we intuitively believe already. It’s very enjoyable and informative.

[my review of Plays Well with Others is here, Two Things Your Friendships Need to Survive]

Bonus Recommendation: Platonic
How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make—and Keep—Friends
by Marisa G. Franco

5. Constructive Wallowing
How to Beat Bad Feelings by Letting Yourself Have Them
by Tina Gilbertson

While we’re often told not to wallow in our emotions, this book says that if we’ll just feel our feelings when they arise (before acting on them), they’ll serve their purpose and move on. We don’t have to minimize what we feel or pretend like we’ve got it all together—that’s unhealthy. I found this information very enlightening and helpful.

Bonus Recommendation: Permission to Feel
Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive
by Marc Brackett

6. It’s OK That You’re Not OK
Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn’t Understand
by Megan Devine

When I began this book, I had no idea how great it would be. If you are experiencing grief (from any kind of loss) or you’re in close relationship with someone going through grief, this book is very beneficial. Megan reminds us that grief is normal; it’s not a problem in need of a solution. Stop trying to “solve” grief. As the title says, it’s okay that you don’t feel ok.

Bonus Recommendation: The Grieving Brain
The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss
by Mary-Frances O’Connor

7. Rules of Estrangement
Why Adult Children Cut Ties and How to Heal the Conflict
by Joshua Coleman, PhD

Dr. Joshua Coleman is a leading expert on the complex topic of family estrangement. In this book he shares practical advice to help heal the open and painful wounds based on his years of work with parents and adult children. Excellent resource.

Bonus Recommendation: When Parents Hurt
Compassionate Strategies When You and Your Grown Child Don’t Get Along
by Joshua Coleman, PhD

8. The Happiness Trap
How to Stop Struggling and Start Living
by Russ Harris

The content of this book is extremely practical and helpful. Russ Harris teaches Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in an easy-to-understand way to counteract cultural myths about happiness. ACT stands for Accept your thoughts and feelings, Connect with your values, and Take effective action. I highly recommend this book to help you live according to your values.

Bonus Recommendation: Good Inside
A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be
by Becky Kennedy

9. Atlas of the Heart
Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience
by Brené Brown

With her usual insight and wit, Brené Brown walks us through 87 emotions that we all feel, but we don’t all recognize. She uses language as power to define our experiences. Recognizing and labeling our feelings is a critical step in knowing how to handle them.

Bonus Recommendation: Bright-Sided
How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America
by Barbara Ehrenreich

10. How to Keep House While Drowning
A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing
by K.C. Davis

This book reminds us that you don’t exist to serve your space; your space exists to serve you. And that means you don’t always have do everything in the most efficient way (my personal struggle), but in whatever way you can get the job done. Davis’s philosophy is very freeing: “Anything worth doing is worth doing partially.”

Bonus Recommendation: Someday Is Today
22 Simple, Actionable Ways to Propel Your Creative Life
by Matthew Dicks

What is a favorite book you read this year? What book do you want to read in 2023? Share in the comments.

sharing at these linkups

Do You Regift?
—Grace & Truth Linkup

By LisaNotes December 16, 2022 Grace & Truth Link-Up 1 Comment

Grace & Truth Featured Post

Do you regift? I occasionally do. But with fear and trembling. I don’t want to regift a present back to its original giver and embarrass us both.

But there are some gifts that are always safe to regift. Our featured post this week is from Calvonia. She writes that God gives us so many gifts that they often overflow.

So what can we do with these extra gifts? We can regift them to others.

Read all of Calvonia’s post here at her blog, then link up your own blog posts below.

“It Is Really Okay to Regift”

Review the rules here about adding your most recent Christian Living posts and how to be the Featured Post. Visit all four hosts social media here or websites here: Maree Dee, Lisa notes, Lauren Sparks, Tammy Kennington.

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