Wednesday, June 29, 2022

11. Revised Version (1885)


Holy Bible: (English) Revised Version 1885. God. 1963 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 

I loved, loved, loved, loved, loved this translation so much. IF ONLY it was available in a print format. What I loved about this one is that it has ALL THE THINGS I love, love, love about the King James Version minus a few of the things I don't love. For example, Osee becomes the familiar HOSEA and Esaias becomes the familiar ISAIAH. I am sure there are more changes if I was to read chapters parallel to one another. 

There is something so beautiful, so smooth, so magnificent about the King James translation. This translation retains all of that. 

I bought the e-book edition YEARS ago. I also discovered recently that it was on YouVersion. Since YouVersion doesn't have page numbers, I am reviewing the e-book edition that I own. I used the 30 day Shred Bible reading plan. Start date June 1, 2022, and end date June 29, 2022. 

I do recommend this translation. I think it is under-appreciated. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Impressions of the 30 Day Shred Reading Plan


YouVersion has thousands of Bible reading plans. Quite a few of their plans cover the whole Bible. But they have three reading plans that are sink-or-swim. They have a 90 day plan (well, actually they have two different 90 day plans), a 60 day plan, and a 30 day plan. It is this 30 day plan that I'm going to be talking about today. It is called the 30 Day Shred.

Have I used this plan to read the Bible? YES. I used it in October 2021 with the Revised Standard Version. And just now in June 2022, I used it to read the English Revised Version of 1885. So while you can certainly form strong opinions about the plan just by looking at it, I have actually read the Bible through with this plan. 

Does it really cover the whole Bible Genesis to Revelation? YES. This isn't an overview of the Bible spanning thirty days. I think the Student Bible has a handful of these kinds of plans. 

So the whole big-mission goal of the 30 Day Shred is to have YOU the reader grasp the BIG PICTURE of the Bible. It is rush, rush, rush, rush, rush, rush, rush. Think LUCY and ETHEL in the chocolate factory episode of I Love Lucy. 

The author of this plan is very blunt--for better or worse. "The point isn't to find some verse that speaks to you--don't read the way you usually do. The point is to see the BIG PICTURE. If you have to, SKIM! It's more important that you finish each day and see the BIG PICTURE than not finishing each day, giving up, and complaining." 

I say for better or worse because to be honest his words can be shocking and even daring. Isn't the whole reason a Christian reads the Bible is to spend time with God. To spend time learning, praying, listening, growing, thinking??? If you're just going to skim every verse, every chapter, every book, what is the point exactly? Who are you trying to impress? Let that sink in a minute. Yourself. Your family. Your friends. God. Is this promoting an irreverent attitude towards Scripture? Is this fast-forwarding through the Word so you can get all the check marks healthy? 

I do believe strongly that every single believer needs to have a big picture idea of the Bible. I believe that having a big picture foundation is necessary. Big picture foundations can help balance our theology. Having a big picture view of the Bible is like having a picture on the puzzle box. It is something that you can use/utilize AS you're piecing the actual puzzle together. It is a framework. You still have to do the actual work of building the puzzle. And it is the actual doing of the puzzle that is the HARD WORK but also the most rewarding and satisfying.  

It is a time commitment. For thirty days, you are going to sit down with the Word of God and read, read, read, read, read, read, read. There will be days you think it is UNFAIR or even a bit insane. You are building the habit of reading the Bible (awesome, fantastic, wow) but you're also building the habit of skimming what you read (not as fantastic). This is a habit you'll need to break. (NOTE TO SELF, break this habit!)

Day 1
Genesis 1- Genesis 42
Day 14
Psalm 19 - Psalm 78
Day 26
Luke 16 - Acts 2

I don't think this plan is for everyone. I think it can be used sometimes by some people with great benefit.



© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Saturday, June 25, 2022

2022 Bible Reading #25


Bible reading week of 18 - 24 June 2022

I am reading the NASB 1977 for my Book of Common Prayer daily offices. 

  • Psalm 90- Psalm 119:1-32
  • Proverbs 18-24
  • Ezra
  • Nehemiah
  • Exodus 
  • Leviticus 1-7
  • 1 Corinthians 6-16
  • 2 Corinthians
  • Mark 1-6


I finished the New English Bible I was reading for morning devotions.
  • Romans
  • 1 Corinthians
  • 2 Corinthians
  • Galatians
  • Ephesians
  • Philippians
  • Colossians
  • 1 Thessalonians
  • 2 Thessalonians
  • 1 Timothy
  • 2 Timothy
  • Titus
  • Philemon
  • Hebrews
  • James
  • 1 Peter
  • 2 Peter
  • John
  • 1 John
  • 2 John
  • 3 John
  • Jude
  • Revelation

I started reading the NLT Beyond Suffering Bible. 

  • Job 1-31
  • Luke 1-5

I am reading the Revised English Bible for my afternoon devotions. Using the Horner plan (modified):
  • Genesis 20-50
  • Exodus 1-2
  • Joshua 9-24
  • Judges 1-12
  • Psalm 19-43
  • Proverbs 4-9
  • Joel
  • Amos
  • Obadiah
  • Jonah
  • Micah
  • Matthew 4-9
  • Mark 4-9
  • Luke 4-9
  • John 4-9
  • 1 Corinthians 4-9

I have TWO ongoing year-long 30 Day MacArthur plans going.
  • In June I will be reading Genesis 37-44 thirty times: BSB, NASB 77, Darby, ESV, NASB 95, ESV,
  • In June I will be reading Isaiah 28-33 thirty times: BSB, NASB 77, Darby, ESV, NASB 95, ESV, 

Revised Version 1885 -- I am using the 30 Day Shred reading plan.

  • Isaiah 40-66
  • Jeremiah
  • Lamentations
  • Ezekiel
  • Daniel
  • Hosea
  • Joel
  • Amos
  • Obadiah
  • Jonah
  • Micah
  • Nahum
  • Habbakuk
  • Zephaniah
  • Haggai
  • Zechariah
  • Malachi
  • Matthew
  • Mark
  • Luke


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Thursday, June 23, 2022

25. Long Way Home


Long Way Home. Lynn Austin. 2022. [June] 391 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: "I know it looks hopeless," I told Jimmy Barnett's father. "But we can't give up until Jimmy is better. Until he's home again."

Long Way Home is an intense, compelling read set during and shortly after the Second World War. There are two narrators to this historical novel. 

Peggy Serrano is a young woman from a broken home. She's found solace in a neighboring family, the Barnetts. For years, they've made her feel welcome, and at a time when her own home was anything but welcoming. She works for Mr. Barnett, a veterinarian, as his assistant. She's great with animals, perhaps not as great with people. Their son, Jimmy Barnett, has returned home from the war a broken man--deeply depressed and troubled. He attempts to take his own life which leads to his hospitalization in VA hospital. But Peggy (and his parents) refuses to give up on him. She'll do ANYTHING to help Jimmy. And she is the mastermind of quite a project to help him regain his mental health. She'll follow any and every clue to figure out what happened to him during the course of the war. 

Gisela Wolff is a young Jewish woman fighting for survival and to keep her family together. Her story begins in 1938, I believe. (Peggy's story begins in 1946.) The Wolff family is able to emigrate out of Germany to Cuba--however, the St. Louis, the ship which is carrying around 900 Jews, is not allowed to land in Cuba or in any other port. They plead with the world, and the world printed the news but no country, no government, stepped up and welcomed these people who were essentially running for their lives. The ship returns to Europe and its passengers are dispersed to Belgium, France, England, (and maybe a fourth country that I can't recall???) The Wolff family is sent to Belgium. On board, Gisela met the love of her life, Sam Shapiro, and his family. These two both make their homes close to each other. 

Both stories are well-peopled. There are SO many characters that play a role in both stories. And the characterization is so well done. This is a novel with depth, substance, and heart. It is INTENSE. It is impossible to not care about these characters. So as the war progresses--and its aftermath--it's TOUGH emotionally. I do think this one could be triggering. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. It's just that war is UGLY and horrific and atrocious. In a different degree, different way, the WAY that doctors and psychiatrists handled veterans' mental health was horrifying and heartbreaking. This is clearly depicted in the novel.

I was hooked from the first chapter. I was. I read it in two or three days. I never wanted to put it down. I always wanted to keep reading more, more, more. I was so invested and engaged with both stories, both narrators. My review will never do it justice. It couldn't. Even though I'm trying my best to talk about how HUMAN the characters are. It is both character-driven and plot-driven. There is plenty of suspense. 

It is not necessarily an easy read. One of the themes is loss of faith. How do you hold to faith--be it Jewish or Christian--when the world is falling to pieces. When you have witnessed with your own eyes truly horrific, atrocious, heart-breaking, scarring, haunting scenes. When you have experienced great loss again and again. There is no way to be prepared for what it is like to be there, to be surrounded, to have all these experiences to process. There seems to be no going back. So multiple characters do have really tough, really honest questions. And this book does not shy away from God-talk. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Wednesday, June 22, 2022

10. New English Bible


New English Bible. God. 1972. Cambridge University. 1407 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: In the beginning of creation, when God made heaven and earth, the earth was without form and void, with darkness over the face of the abyss, and a mighty wind that swept over the surface of the waters.

Start date: April 30, 2022
End date: June 22, 2022

The New English Bible isn't readily available...new. But it is somewhat, relatively available used. I found my copy at one of my local used bookstore. It is a CAMBRIDGE bible. It is water buffalo calfskin. 

It is a TINY bible. I love the quality of the paper. NO bleed through whatsoever. You just need to be prepared for tiny print to go with the tiny size. 

As for the translation, I do like it. I'm not saying the New English Bible is my absolute favorite translation, it isn't. I am not scholarly enough to read it and give you a list of all the places it differs in its translation process (or philosophy) from more traditional, more well-known translations. Perhaps there are places that do differ and would cause alarm especially if I knew Hebrew or Greek. But I don't know the original languages. And this will always be a translation that I refer back to when I'm taking a break from my regular, more mainstream translations. (For example, I JUST finished the King James Version of the Bible. And sometimes it's just refreshing to go from something like the KJV to something like the New English Bible. 

 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Saturday, June 18, 2022

2022 Bible Reading #24


Bible reading week of 11 - 17 June 2022

I am reading the NASB 1977 for my Book of Common Prayer daily offices.

  • Psalms 56-89
  • Proverbs 11-17
  • Genesis 26-50
  • 1 Chronicles 
  • 2 Chronicles 
  • Matthew 16-28
  • James
  • Galatians
  • 1 Corinthians 1-5

I am reading the New English Bible for my morning tea devotions.
  • Mark 
  • 1 Chronicles
  • 2 Chronicles
  • Ezra
  • Nehemiah
  • Esther
  • 1 Samuel
  • 2 Samuel
  • 1 Kings
  • 2 Kings

I have finished the King James Version.
  • Ezekiel
  • Daniel
  • Hosea
  • Joel
  • Amos
  • Obadiah
  • Jonah
  • Micah
  • Nahum
  • Habakkuk
  • Zephaniah
  • Haggai
  • Zechariah
  • Malachi
  • 1 Peter
  • 2 Peter
  • 1 John
  • 2 John
  • 3 John
  • Jude
  • Revelation


I have started the Revised English Bible for my afternoon devotions. Using the Horner plan (modified):

  • Genesis 1-19
  • Joshua 1-8
  • Psalm 1-18
  • Proverbs 1-3
  • Hosea 
  • Matthew 1-3
  • Mark 1-3
  • Luke 1-3
  • John 1-3
  • 1 Corinthians 1-3



I have TWO ongoing year-long 30 Day MacArthur plans going.
  • In June I will be reading Genesis 37-44 thirty times: BSB, ESV, ASV, NASB 77, REB, NASB 95, ASV, NASB 77,
  • In June I will be reading Isaiah 29-33 thirty times: BSB, ESV, ASV, NASB 77, REB, NASB 95, ASV, NASB 77

Miscellaneous Bibles

Revised Version 1885 -- I am using the 30 Day Shred reading plan. 
  • 2 Kings 9-25
  • 1 Chronicles
  • 2 Chronicles
  • Ezra
  • Nehemiah
  • Esther
  • Job
  • Psalms
  • Proverbs
  • Ecclesiastes
  • Song of Songs
  • Isaiah 1-39


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Friday, June 17, 2022

24. Laura's Shadow


Laura's Shadow (Doors to the Past) Allison Pittman. 2022. [August] 256 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence from the prologue: The schoolhouse was nothing more than a shack, with sunlight and drifting snow blowing through the spaces between the thin, rough-cut slats. 

Laura's Shadow, the newest novel by Allison Pittman, has dual timelines: 1891 and 1974. One story (the 1974 story) focuses on Trixie Gowan, a young cartoonist (and an ad writer), her cartoon "Lost Laura" may be on its way to becoming syndicated. It is about a "prairie girl" living in the big city. The other story focuses on Mariah Patterson, a devoted sister who's about to face a major personal challenge when she gives her heart (and body) away to the super dashing yet elusive "Cap" Garland. 

The premise of this one is that Trixie's great grandmother (the 104 still very much living great-grandmother, GG Mariah) was one of Miss Ingalls' pupils. She was renamed Martha in These Happy Golden Years. And Mariah did NOT like how Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about her teaching days. For as long as Trixie can remember, Mariah has hated Laura Ingalls Wilder. But is there more to this story than just how the pupils were depicted? Now that Mariah is dying (in 1974), she's trusting one woman--her great-grand-daughter, Trixie, with her closely held secret... She's not ready to reveal all to her daughter-in-law, Eugenie, or her granddaughter, Alma, just her great-grand-daughter, Trixie. 

Dual timelines, dual narrators, alternating chapters. Usually I hate, hate, hate this technique. But in this case, it worked for me. I actually was enjoying BOTH timelines equally. 

I loved Trixie going back to her family home in De Smet, South Dakota, and spending time with her great-grandmother. I loved Trixie's romance. I loved the family dynamics. I almost wanted *more* of the family dynamics. We *really* get to know two of the four generations. But I would have loved to see more of how Eugenie and Alma fit into the family's legacy. Another thing I loved was all the culture/music references. Pittman does a great job with bringing to life the 1974 setting. I especially love that the book ends with the whole family (minus one) watching the premiere of the television show Little House on the Prairie.

I was enjoying Mariah's narrative...until I wasn't. I would say for 80% of her chapters I was like THIS IS SO GOOD. Mariah is 100% fictional. If there was a Charles and Martha (I can't remember if These Happy Golden Years gave them a last name) in history, they faded out of the records quickly. Perhaps they were composite characters. Maybe first and last names were changed. Because they are record-less, Pittman has taken full liberties with their characters, their stories. "Cap" Garland (Oscar Garland) is NOT fictional. He was a real person. There are real facts and details actually known about him. (Including HOW and WHEN he died.) 

For better or worse, I made the mistake of looking up Oscar "Cap" Garland about halfway through the book. It changed how I experienced the rest of the novel. On the one hand, I think it prepared me. On the other hand, I knew what was coming. For the faint of heart, I do recommend knowing before you get to the END. 

Side tangent: This is definitely published by a Christian publisher--Barbour--BUT I feel that 99.99% of this one could have been published by a secular publisher for a secular audience. Other than the fact that the 1891 characters go to church (mostly) every week, there's not one iota of this one that makes it Christian. This could be seen by readers as GREAT news or horrible news. On the one hand, there are hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of readers who wouldn't touch Christian fiction with a ten foot pole. They may have an interest in the subject--Laura Ingalls Wilder's friends and family (we see Pa Ingalls playing his fiddle at a couple of community events), but no interest in reading a "Christian" book...ever. On the other hand, Christian readers who actually read Christian fiction on purpose and know that Barbour is a Christian publisher who specializes in feel-good Christian romances, may be confused by the lack of Christian content or any actual moral. (Again the lack of a moral may be hooray!!! for some readers.) 

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SPOILERS PAST THIS POINT

I hated the liberties Pittman took with "Cap" Garland. She may have been in love with him since she was a girl reading the "yellow" books (aka Little House books), but that isn't a good enough excuse, in my humble opinion, to make him an immoral cad. It was like she was using her love for him as an excuse to write a "steamy" scene in a historical book. 

Quote from "The Wanderer"

Oh well, I'm the type of guy
Who will never settle down
Where pretty girls are
Well, you know that I'm around
I kiss 'em and I love 'em
'Cause to me they're all the same
I hug 'em and I squeeze 'em
They don't even know my name

Quote from "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me"

Girl, don't let your life
Get tangled up with mine
'Cause I'll just leave you
I can't take no clingin' vine
Baby, baby, don't get hooked on me
Baby, baby don't get hooked on me
'Cause I'll just use you then I'll set you free
Baby, baby don't get hooked on me

Quote from "Angel of the Morning"

There'll be no strings to bind your hands
Not if my love can't bind your heart.
And there's no need to take a stand
For it was I who chose to start.

I think even with the turn that this one took--and it was a choice, to be sure--I think with a couple hundred more pages it could have been redeemed. Cap Garland may have met his end--dramatically and 100% true to life, but, it wouldn't have had to be end for Mariah's story. Again, a choice on Pittman's part. Personally, I would have loved to see Mariah's story REDEEMED by a second chance and a discovery of what love actually means (as opposed to lusty-lust and puppy love). We've had plenty of stories of women finding love again after disappointment or heartbreak or whatnot. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Tuesday, June 14, 2022

9. King James Version


Holman Rainbow Study Bible KJV Edition (New, Improved User-Friendly Design) 2013. B&H Publishing Group. 1632 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

I started this Bible on April 19, 2022. I finished this Bible on June 14, 2022. I want to be completely honest. I switched between the KJV Rainbow Study Bible and the KJV Creeds bible often. I'd read a few days in one, then change over to the other. I flip-flopped back and forth between these because I just couldn't make up my mind which was my preferred physical bible to read from.

When I first received this Bible as a review copy back in 2014, I reviewed it after reading about a dozen books. (If my memory serves.) I did read more in this one this time around. (Though like I mentioned above, I didn't read it cover to cover in just one or the other. I read every word of the KJV just split between two physical Bibles). 

The introduction states,
"The Holman Rainbow Study Bible is a simple yet thorough Bible based upon the premise that every verse of every Bible falls under one of twelve thematic headings. Each of the twelve headings is assigned a different color; then each verse of the Bible is color-coded to the heading to which it is most closely related…The Holman Rainbow Study Bible allows the serious Bible student the opportunity to study and teach the great Bible themes while avoiding a time-consuming or complicated system."
How is the Rainbow Study Bible different from other Bibles? Is it a necessary or beneficial publication? Who is the best match for the Rainbow Study Bible? I hope to answer these questions in this review of the Rainbow Study Bible.

The Rainbow Study Bible is certainly different from other Bibles. There are two things which make this Bible unique. 1) Every verse of the Bible has been color-coded. There are twelve themes and colors. The themes are: God, Discipleship, Love, Faith, Sin, Evil, Salvation, Family, Outreach, Commandments, History, and Prophecy. Each theme--or subject--covers many sub-categories*.

Examples of the twelve themes:

God

Discipleship

Love 

Faith

Sin

Evil

Salvation

Family

Outreach
5 OT: Ex 20:221 Samuel 7:3Ps. 19:1-6, Ez. 33:1-9, Jonah 3:4

Commandments

Prophecy

History

2) This Bible also uses underlining to emphasize the word of God. When God--Father, Son, Spirit--is speaking, his words are underlined in both testaments. Yes, some Bibles offer readers "Words of Christ in Red." But this Bible goes beyond that.

Genesis 1:26-31:

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Acts 13:13

Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

So the Rainbow Study Bible certainly is unique. It is not just another Bible. 

Is it a necessary or beneficial publication? The second question is definitely trickier. The Rainbow Study Bible is perhaps a little too different to be a great fit for every believer. I could see how some would LOVE it and others dismiss it. (About the color-coding: Too distracting, too overwhelming, too intimidating. About the KJV: too hard to understand, too intimidating.)  

Did I find things to love about the Rainbow Study Bible? Yes. 
  • I loved the size of the font. 
  • I loved the weight of the Bible.
  • I loved how it opens and holds. The pages lay very flat. The margins are wide. No text is hard to read.
  • I loved that it was easy on the eyes. Some might find the colors distracting. I found them soothing on the eyes. 
  • I liked the book introductions. They were concise, but on task.
  • I liked the visual drama. For example, there are a few places in the Bible, where the drama of the story itself is communicated by the colors. Like in Job. Like in Revelation.
  • I liked some of the supplemental study aids. One is called "365 Popular Bible Quotations for Memorization and Meditation." I liked this idea very much. I think it is a good resource. As is the "Harmony of the Gospels." 
Who is the best match for the Rainbow Study Bible? 

I think a love or appreciation for the King James Version of the Bible is a must, if, and only if you choose the KJV Edition of the Holman Rainbow Study Bible. In February 2015, the Rainbow Study Bible will be released in a NIV Edition. 

I think you have to have an open heart/mind to thinking about reading Scripture in a new way. You have to relax a bit. At first it may seem odd and confusing. And even after you get used to it, you may find yourself at times questioning how a verse is color-coded. Scripture is complex. Verses have layers of meaning. One verse might clearly fit one theme and only one theme. But more often verses could fit several themes all at the same time. Some patience and understanding is definitely a good thing. 

*Some of the subcategories:

Love: joy; kindness; mercy; mourning; lament; comfort; compassion; peace; sympathy; humility; charity

Faith: prayer; miracles; courage; confession; repentance; fasting; healing; hope; confidence; conviction; belief

Discipleship: obedience; praise; service; worship; spiritual formation; commitment; fellowship; spiritual gifts; fruit

Salvation: blessings; deliverance; holiness; Heaven; the tabernacle; angels; eternity; resurrection; second coming; judgement of the godly; grace

Outreach: teaching; counseling; questioning; instruction; testimony; ministry; preaching; evangelism; gospel; doctrine; sayings

Commandments: offerings; law; priesthood; feasts; Sabbath; tithing; baptism; Lord's supper; church; deacon; growth

Prophecy: promises; covenants; revelations; vows; visions; dreams; oaths; pledges; inspiration; fulfillment; future

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Monday, June 13, 2022

23. A Time to Bloom


A Time to Bloom (Leah's Garden #2) Lauraine Snelling. 2022. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Has it been an entire year? Delphinium Nielsen thought in surprise. She and her three sisters were gathered around the table in their sod house.

A Time to Bloom is the sequel to The Seeds of Change. Snelling does a good job in catching readers back up to speed in just a few pages. The sisters--Delphinium, Larkspur, Forsythia, and Lilac--are settling into their new prairie home. The choice to move may have been very sudden, but, they are making the absolute best of what has happened. Delphinium is the town's teacher, for better or worse. And the sisters--in addition to homesteading--are looking to open up a boarding house... But life has its challenges...always. And rejoicing in the Lord always isn't always easy...especially for our heroine Delphinium. 

RJ Easton is a civil war veteran who is struggling to adjust to live after the war. Namely he lives in near-constant pain since he lost an eye. Opium offers limited relief, but, it is a beast as well. The thought of needing it every day for the rest of his life disturbs him--and rightly so. The pain makes him act (and feel) like a monster. He hates how the pain is warping or tainting his personality, his character. He hates who he has become since the war. He has newly come to town and his skills (prior to the war) make him a great candidate for leading building projects in town--including the boarding house for the Nielsen sisters. 

The story focuses on all the sisters--even Forsythia who married in the first book. So much more than just a romance. I for one thought the book had a lot to say about attitude. What I enjoyed most was the school teacher aspect of it.

I enjoyed this one. It did not have a lot of melodrama--which I appreciated. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Saturday, June 11, 2022

2022 Bible Reading #23


Bible reading week of 4 June - 11 June 2022

I am reading the NKJV Single Column bible for my Book of Common Prayer daily offices. I finished it on Tuesday.
  • Psalm 19-36
  • Proverbs 4-7
  • Ezekiel 
  • Revelation
  • Hosea
  • Joel
  • Amos
  • Obadiah
  • Jonah
  • Micah
  • Nahum
  • Habakkuk
  • Zephaniah
I started reading the NASB 1977 for my Book of Common Prayer daily offices.
  • Psalm 19-55
  • Proverbs 4-10
  • Genesis 1-25
  • Matthew 1-15

I am reading the New English Bible for my morning tea devotions.
  • Acts 18-28
  • Proverbs
  • Deuteronomy
  • Joshua
  • Judges
  • Ruth
  • Ecclesiastes
  • Song of Songs

I am reading the King James Version for my afternoon devotions.
  • Isaiah 40-66
  • John
  • Jeremiah
  • Lamentations

I have TWO ongoing year-long 30 Day MacArthur plans going.
  • In June I will be reading Genesis 37-44 thirty times: BSB, Darby, NASB 95, NASB 77, NASB 2020, NIV 2011, NASB 77,
  • In June I will be reading Isaiah 28-33 thirty times: BSB, Darby, NASB 95, NASB 77, NASB 2020, NIV 2011, NASB 77, 

Miscellaneous Bibles

Revised Version 1885 -- I am using the 30 Day Shred reading plan. 
  • Leviticus
  • Numbers
  • Deuteronomy
  • Joshua
  • Judges
  • Ruth
  • 1 Samuel
  • 2 Samuel
  • 1 Kings
  • 2 Kings 1-8


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible