Day 1

"He will render to each one according to his works..." (Rom 2:1-4)
"God judges the secrets of men..." (Rom 2:16)

No work today!
Woke up early to read the bible, played with the kids, tried to serve my wife more, tried to have more patience with my kids, gave a stranger in the cold a ride home.

Beginning this journey I realize just how hard it is to talk about Jesus. On this day I was off from work so my opportunities to help others and praise the Lord were limited. I don't feel as though I behaved any differently today. I may have mentioned God or Jesus to my wife a little more than usual but nothing to brag to God about.

I started the day by getting out of bed before the kids began to stir so that I could have some quiet time reading the bible. This was something I've never done before and I really enjoyed it. Ask any writer and they agree that the morning is the best time for writing, creativity and just thinking in general. Taking that morning time, before any thoughts, ideas or concerns are in my head, and devoting it to reading God's word made a big difference in my attention to His word. My usual bible time is about thirty to sixty seconds on the toilet every morning, but this full twenty to thirty minutes was a great improvement. Now, I'm not "knocking" the toilet time, and will still read a verse or two while I'm there, but it has always scared me a little. If God wants you to do something you will do it. If he wants me to read the bible and the only time I choose to read it is on the toilet, well, he will make sure I am on the toilet to read. My fear is being struck down with some awful bowl syndrome that plants my cheeks firmly on the seat for an extended period of time...

I started reading Romans this morning and made it to chapter three. These are letters from Paul to the Romans and it is a great read. In fact, all of Paul's letters are perfect for any new or seasoned Christian as they discuss problems newer Christians are having and some detailed explanations of Jesus' teachings.