Quiet time files - new year edition

Resolutions, fresh starts, new beginnings.  Those ideas are often tied to the turning of the calendar page, closing out one year and starting another full of possibilities and promise.

The end of December is when I plan my devotional readings for the next year.  It's a personal quirk, but I find that if I have a plan as a framework, I'm much more likely to be faithful in my spiritual walk, even if the form of my daily devotions ends up veering (wildly, sometimes) from the plan.

Half a dozen years ago or so, I began keeping a journal in my devotional time (versus my personal journal, which is something else entirely).  It's reserved solely for that purpose: insights gleaned from Scripture reading and prayer, as well as on ongoing list of prayer concerns. It's a way of remembering lessons learned, a reference for future years and a record of progress.

In 2011, I plan to read through the entire Bible.  Having done it before, I'm well aware of the time commitment and effort involved.  Once again, I'm following the chronological plan laid out by Back to the Bible - the link to the daily readings (with an audio option!) is in the sidebar.  If a chronological reading isn't your cup of tea, check out the other types of read throughs here. 

Being a girl, I like to have a pretty place to record my thoughts - so I tart up a Moleskine datebook.  In the end, the 2011 book looks like this:

Shown here with a fraction of the plethora of pens, pencils and markers I use. As usual, the colors in the photo are a bit off; the main ribbon is actually bright blue-teal, the green a vivid apple.

A shot of the homemade tag on the included address book insert that becomes the prayer journal (1 Thessalonians 5:17 - Pray without ceasing.

One of the lists I paste in each year's journal. In this photo is the seventeenth century list of things for which to repent (full list here) that goes at the very front.  Amazing how relevant that list continues to be.

While the decorations are fun to do, I'm very much a words/content girl.  As in prior years, I'll occasionally share bits and pieces of my reading here, under the title The Quiet Time Files.  If you decide to read along, or use an alternate read through, please feel free to stop by and leave your insights, or drop me a line via e-mail (addy on the "Who am I?" page).