Marla, Plain and Small

Tuesday, January 04, 2022

What I Read in 2021 + Not Meeting My Goal

At the end of 2020, I set a goal to read 24 books in 2021. I thought it was doable to read two books a month. I had read much more in past years and thought that would be an attainable goal. I forgot what it was like when babies start crawling and stop napping all day. I quickly realized my goal of 24 books would not be met. And I was good with that. I didn't have the time or the mental space to push myself. I read for a few minutes each day in the car line while I waited for my first grader and shushed a fussy baby who didn't want to sit in the car. When I wasn't too tired, I'd read a few minutes before bed. Those minutes slowly added up to completing a few books.

I also didn't go easy on the type of books I read. They needed concentration and sometimes had paragraphs that needed to be reread and contemplated to understand.

Before I list what I read, here's how I'm thinking I'll approach 2022-- no goal. As someone who loves goals and lists, I just don't have the motivation this year to put pressure on myself to reach a certain number. I just want to read when I can and read what I want. I have a stack of theological books to go through, but we'll see what I get to this year. I'm wanting to also add in some books that give me some mental breaks, make me laugh, and help me imagine.

I use Goodreads to track my reading, so come say hi if you use the app!

Here is what I read in 2021:

📚 Three favorite books of the year

Friday, December 17, 2021

How I Plan to Study the Bible in 2022

I’ve been reading the Bible from cover to cover for the last several years. I read it in chronological order this year and highly recommended that.

I’ve been wanting to dive deeper into what I’m reading but not get behind on a daily reading plan. I don’t have the time to do both as I’m in a phase of life where I don’t have a lot of study time. I know the day is coming when I will have that time again. So I decided to change up what I’m doing next year.

For 2022 I’m planning to pause from reading the entire Bible in a year. I’m going to study books of the Bible and take however long it takes to really soak it in, no deadlines. I’m using a planner to take notes and keep track of what I’m reading. I think it will also help me make sure I don’t miss days of study since I won’t have a daily reading plan keeping me accountable.

I’ll be reading and studying on my own and then will reference commentaries and guides to learn as much as I can. I’ll share what I’m reading along the way. You can check out the Books story highlight on my profile to see what I recommend.

If you’re trying to decide how to study the Bible in 2022, my first suggestion is to read the entire Bible if you’ve never done that. You can buy Bibles that have the daily readings lined out for you, or you can find free reading plans online. It’s a completely doable plan if you commit just a few minutes a day. If you miss a day, just find some extra time the next day to catch up. Miss a week? You can still catch up! We have the time; we just have to find it and prioritize it!