What is this blog?

In 2008 I stumbled upon a blog organized by a woman who wanted to read The Bible each day through the year and then comment and receive comments about the reading assignment. I decided to join and I really enjoyed the experience of discussing the passages. I wanted to continue that. I thought I would start a blog that follows the LDS Sunday School lessons, not in any way replacing them, but just to offer a venue to comment on the readings for those who don't like to/get to comment in class or don't get to go to class at all, or just anybody. 2009 was my first full year with this blog, reading the Doctrine and Covenants (all archived in 2009). 2010 I did my best to discuss the Old Testament but fell off in the fall. 2011 is a review of The New Testament, but I was even less successful in continuing with that year, but I hope to fill those in during the year! During 2012 we discuss The Book of Mormon. I will post at least once for the week's readings. I will not post on General Conference weeks and will probably be behind your current reading due to our church schedule, but hope you can still find relevancy. Also, I probably won't proofread much, so please forgive me for errors, I'll be lucky to just get a post each week in. Feel free to comment on my current week or your class' current week. Enjoy! I do!

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Another iron in the fire

When I was young, I used to have a school for the neighborhood kids. I made up worksheets like mazes and simple addition and dot-to-dots for the kids. I don't know what gave me the idea that I could actually handle it all, but I did it and at the very least the neighborhood parents enjoyed their children being supervised by a nine-year old (which in today's standards could be reported to Child Protective Services probably). I have always been like this. Starting some big project, teaching something, figuring that if I have a need, someone else might too. I don't report this as a boast, but just an admittance that I'm this way and I've decided to embrace it. We all have our different notes to play on, this is one of mine I suppose. Read on.

Last year at this time I was reading a blog that I frequent, which directed me to another blog called Engage the Journey. When I clicked on the link I discovered that it was a year long Bible study and for some reason I really felt like I should do it. So, I started a chronological reading of the Bible and participated in almost daily discussions of the reading. The blogger kept a calendar for the readers to keep up with and made a general post for the reading of the day. I enjoyed contributing my thoughts on readings and did so regularly until school started in the fall. I learned a lot by reading the Old Testament, which I hadn't done since Seminary, and feel greatly enriched by the experience. The blog went on to read the New Testament as well, but I couldn't keep up through the fall busy-ness. I'm just now finishing the Old Testament.

During this experience, it occured to me, through converstation with some of my friends that perhaps other people might benefit from this, within the LDS realm. There are those who just need a little push, those who need a little accountability, those who need a schedule (me), those who need it at their fingertips and those who really want to talk about what they read but lack time, a person to talk to or have a calling that keeps them away from Sunday School. So, I thought I might start a blog that coincides with the Sunday School reading for the year. We are reading the Doctrine and Covenants this year, with a supportive book "Our Heritage." It is my intent to post the readings a week at a time, as well as links to all of the readings, so my blog/computer addicted friends can look it up quickly. I thought about dividing the readings out day by day, but some weeks have very short readings. So I think I will do it like this:

Every Sunday I will post the break-up for the week and I will post a daily blog for each reading (this is mostly for my benefit, as I will be able to journal my thoughts - at least the ones I can share on-line). Some weeks will have daily readings, some weeks will only have a few days of readings that follow the SS lessons. I will not have a sign-up sheet or anything and even if you decide to start and then stop or comment and then never comment again, I will still look you in the eye and be your friend, so don't feel like you can't look me in the eye if you decide not to join in. It may very well be that I will be the only one interested in my little project, but like I said above, if I need this, maybe someone else out there needs it too. Feel free to invite whoever you think might need it. Please write comments about what you read and your insights, so we can all learn together. This blog is not a substitute for Sunday School, just something to get us reading and then commenting to help us remember what we read.

Happy reading!

2 comments:

  1. Lisa, this sounds fun to me! I'm in the Primary Presidency now so I don't get to be part of the reading/discussions and I miss that so much! I'd love to follow along and share in the comments and discussions. I'll tell a couple of people about it that I think might be interested.
    Oh and I totally see you in the first paragraph, you are right, that is your personality. You are for sure a teacher type. ~JenK

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  2. Hi fellow organized harebrain. I'm going to say I will probably participate. I've already started reading the D & C to see if I can stay with the reading for this year. We'll see. I have a stake calling and will miss SS every so often so this might be a good substitute. Or a better substitute since I can't stand our every other week SS teacher (I like the guy on the other weeks). I'll have to remember to look at the blog or have Andrea show me how to make it pop up magically like all of her do. Good luck - I'm with ya for now!

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