Challenge worth accepting:
The 90 Day Chronological Bible Reading Plan
I accepted this challenge as a way to become more disciplined in 2025. I just finished the challenge and it has been significantly more rewarding than I could’ve imagined. I had more fun reading the Bible this way than any other way I’ve done. You cover so much territory that it’s impossible to be bored. It gives you such a big picture view of the Bible that it makes all the stories flow like never before. When completed, you actually feel proud of yourself that you did something that you set your mind to. The key to completion is to make your self accountable to friends. The peer pressure really is the key.
Scripture worth pondering:
II Samuel 13:39 And the soul of king David longed to go forth unto Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.
This changes the narrative of the entire story. David wasn’t angry. David wasn’t chasing Absalom. Absalom left because he had ambitions beyond revenge. He “fled” because he needed an excuse to do whatever he wanted to do anyways. We must be careful that we don’t use circumstances where we are right to justify ambitions where we are wrong.
Item worth buying:
These Japanese pens are amazing. Very smooth writing, strong ink, and fine writing style. They look excellent when writing personal notes and signing things. Just a simple pen but you’ll find yourself using it over any of the others in your collection.
Great quote worth repeating:
“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.”
— Martin Luther
Writing that changed my thinking:
COWARDICE AS A DESIGN PROBLEM:
“Life without a design is erratic. As soon as one is in place, principles become necessary. I think you’ll concede that nothing is more shameful than uncertain and wavering conduct, and beating a cowardly retreat. This will happen in all our affairs unless we remove the faults that seize and detain our spirits, preventing them from pushing forward and making an all-out effort.” —SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 95.46 The opposing team comes out strong, establishes an early lead, and you never had time to recover. You walk into a business meeting, are caught off guard, and the whole thing goes poorly. A delicate conversation escalates into a shouting match. You switched majors halfway through college and had to start your coursework over and graduate late. Sound familiar? It’s the chaos that ensues from not having a plan. Not because plans are perfect, but because people without plans—like a line of infantrymen without a strong leader—are much more likely to get overwhelmed and fall apart. The Super Bowl–winning coach Bill Walsh used to avoid this risk by scripting the beginning of his games. “If you want to sleep at night before the game,” he said in a lecture on game planning, “have your first 25 plays established in your own mind the night before that. You can walk into the stadium and you can start the game without that stress factor.” You’ll also be able to ignore a couple of early points or a surprise from your opponent. It’s irrelevant to you—you already have your marching orders. Don’t try to make it up on the fly. Have a plan.” - Ryan Holiday, The Daily Stoic