December Check-In

What Bible(s) did I read from this month?
How many books by J.C. Ryle did I read this month?
Favorite quote(s) by J.C. Ryle:
Am I keeping up with my Morning and Evening devotional by Charles Spurgeon?
Favorite quote(s) by Charles Spurgeon:
How many books by R.C. Sproul did I read this month?
Favorite quote(s) by R.C. Sproul:
Did I read any Puritans or Reformers this month:
Favorite quote(s):
Did I complete at least one book from the TBR Pile challenge? Which one?
Other Christian nonfiction books read this month:
Christian fiction books read this month:
How many "new" books did I read (published 2000-present)?
How many "old" books did I read (published before 2000)?
Which book was my overall favorite?

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

November check-in

What Bible(s) did I read from this month? I finished two Bibles this month. And I'm reading in a third. The one I'm currently reading is the ESV Systematic Theology. The ones I finished are:

• The New English Bible. Oxford University Press. 1970. 1502 pages. [Source: Bought]
•  KJV Single Column. 2010. Thomas Nelson. 1632 pages. [Source: Bought]

How many books by J.C. Ryle did I read this month? I finished one and started another. I'm currently reading HOLINESS. I finished Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Matthew

•  Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Matthew. J.C. Ryle. 1856. 432 pages. [Source: Bought]

Favorite quote(s) by J.C. Ryle:

No doubt men may easily think too little of God the Father, and God the Spirit, but no man ever thought too much of Christ.

Am I keeping up with my Morning and Evening devotional by Charles Spurgeon? YES
Favorite quote(s) by Charles Spurgeon:

• Make God your only object. Depend upon it, where SELF begins—sorrow begins!

How many books by R.C. Sproul did I read this month? one

• Taste of Heaven: Worship in Light of Eternity. R.C. Sproul. 2006. 173 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Favorite quote(s) by R.C. Sproul:

• The single most important thing to understand about worship is that the only worship that is acceptable to God is worship that proceeds from a heart that is trusting in God and in God alone. (38)

Did I read any Puritans or Reformers this month: A tiny bit. I read a few chapters in a Matthew Henry commentary. But I didn't share any quotes online.
Favorite quote(s):

If we work only for our fellow human beings, our works at best will die with us; if we work for God, they will follow us (Rev 14:13).

Did I complete at least one book from the TBR Pile challenge? Which one? No.
Other Christian nonfiction books read this month:

•  Thru the Bible: Genesis 34-50. J. Vernon McGee. 1975. 180 pages. [Source: Bought]
• Exodus 1-18 (Thru the Bible #4) J. Vernon McGee. 1975. 170 pages. [Source: Bought]
•  Exodus 19-40 (Thru the Bible) J. Vernon McGee. 1975. 156 pages. [Source: Bought]
• Leviticus 1-14 (Thru the Bible #6) J. Vernon McGee. 1975. 192 pages. [Source: Bought]
• Leviticus 15-27 (Thru the Bible #7) J. Vernon McGee. 168 pages. [Source: Bought]
• Numbers. (Thru the Bible #8) J. Vernon McGee. 1975. 204 pages. [Source: Bought]

Christian fiction books read this month: 2

•  Season of Grace. (Under Northern Skies #3) Lauraine Snelling. 2018. Bethany House.  320  pages. [Source: Review copy]
• River to Redemption. Ann H. Gabhart. 2018. Revell. 336 pages. [Source: Library]

How many "new" books did I read (published 2000-present)? 5
How many "old" books did I read (published before 2000)? 7
Which book was my overall favorite?

• Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Matthew. J.C. Ryle. 1856. 432 pages. [Source: Bought]

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

October Check-In

What Bible(s) did I read from this month? I finished TWO bibles this month. The Rainbow Study Bible NIV 2011 and the NASB 1971 First Edition. I then began two new projects: the KJV and the New English Bible.
How many books by J.C. Ryle did I read this month? I am still working on his Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Matthew.
Favorite quote(s) by J.C. Ryle:

• Let it be a settled principle in our religion, that men's salvation, if saved, is wholly of God; and that man's ruin, if lost, is wholly of himself. The evil that is in us is all our own. The good, if we have any, is all of God.

Am I keeping up with my Morning and Evening devotional by Charles Spurgeon? Yes.
Favorite quote(s) by Charles Spurgeon:

• Once let the truth of God obtain an entrance into the human heart, and subdue the whole man unto itself—no human or infernal power can dislodge it! We do not entertain it as a guest, but as the master of the house. He is no Christian, who does not thus believe. 

How many books by R.C. Sproul did I read this month? 1
Surprised by Suffering. R.C. Sproul. 1989. Tyndale. 214 pages. [Source: Bought]

Favorite quote(s) by R.C. Sproul:

• God was asking Job to exercise an implicit faith. An implicit faith is not blind faith. It is a faith with vision, a vision enlightened by a knowledge of the character of God. If God never revealed anything about Himself to us and required that in this darkness we should trust Him, indeed the requirement would be for blind faith. We would be asked to make a blind leap of faith into the awful abyss of darkness. But God never requires such foolish leaps. He never calls us to jump into the darkness. On the contrary, He calls us to forsake the darkness, and enter into the light. It is the light of his countenance. It is the radiant light of His Person, which has no shadow of turning in it. When we are bathed in the refulgent splendor of the glory of His person then trust is not blind.

Did I read any Puritans or Reformers this month: I read a book about the Reformers.   Reforming Joy: A Conversation between Paul, the Reformers, and the Church Today. Tim Chester. 2018. Crossway. 112 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Favorite quote(s):

• There were two breakthrough moments for Luther. The first was when he realized that the righteousness of God is not just a characteristic of God (that he judges justly) but also a gift from God. God gives righteousness. Luther’s second breakthrough moment was when he realized that God’s righteousness is not just a boost to help us become righteous. First and foremost, it’s the declaration that we are righteous.

Did I complete at least one book from the TBR Pile challenge? Which one? Yes. Dear and Glorious Physician. Taylor Caldwell. 1958. 560 pages. [Source: Bought]

Other Christian nonfiction books read this month:

• In the Year of Our Lord: Reflections on Twenty Centuries of Church History. Sinclair B. Ferguson. 2018. Reformation Trust. 229 pages. [Source: Review copy]
• The Rule of Love: How the Local Church Should Reflect God's Love and Authority. Jonathan Leeman. 2018. Crossway. 176 pages. [Source: Review copy]
• Thru the Bible: Genesis 1-15. J. Vernon McGee. 1975. 204 pages. [Source: Bought]
• Thru the Bible: Genesis 16-33. J. Vernon McGee. 1975. 188 pages. [Source: Bought]

Christian fiction books read this month: 3

• Dear and Glorious Physician. Taylor Caldwell. 1958. 560 pages. [Source: Bought]
• Agnes Grey. Anne Bronte. 1847. 224 pages. [Source: Bought]
• Where Did You Come From Baby Dear? Poem by George MacDonald. Illustrated by Jane Dyer. 2018. Random House. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

How many "new" books did I read (published 2000-present)? 3
How many "old" books did I read (published before 2000)? 6

Which book was my overall favorite?

The Rule of Love: How the Local Church Should Reflect God's Love and Authority. Jonathan Leeman. 2018. Crossway. 176 pages. [Source: Review copy]

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

September Check-In

What Bible(s) did I read from this month?

NIV Rainbow Study Bible. 2015. Holman Bible Publishers. 1632 pages. [Source: Review copy]

New American Standard Bible Reference Edition. 1971. Lockman Foundation. 1730 pages. [Source: Bought]

How many books by J.C. Ryle did I read this month? I'm still reading Expository Thoughts on Matthew
Favorite quote(s) by J.C. Ryle:

• The flesh must be daily crucified. The devil must be daily resisted. The world must be daily overcome. There is a warfare to be waged, and a battle to be fought. All this is the inseparable accompaniment of true religion.

Am I keeping up with my Morning and Evening devotional by Charles Spurgeon? YES
Favorite quote(s) by Charles Spurgeon:

• When a man sees himself to be altogether lost and ruined, covered all over with the defilement of sin, and no part free from pollution; when he disclaims all righteousness of his own, and pleads guilty before the Lord—then is he clean through the blood of Jesus, and the grace of God. Hidden, unfelt, unconfessed iniquity is the true leprosy—but when sin is seen and felt—it has received its death blow, and the Lord looks with eyes of mercy upon the soul afflicted with it. Nothing is more deadly than self-righteousness, or more hopeful than contrition. We must confess that we are “nothing else but sin,” for no confession short of this will be the whole truth.

How many books by R.C. Sproul did I read this month? 1
The Soul's Quest for God. R.C. Sproul. 1992. 266 pages. [Source: Bought]
Favorite quote(s) by R.C. Sproul:
"The Christian who seeks a deeper experience of God by ignoring the hard sayings of Scripture gets nowhere. The full nourishment of the soul requires feeding on the whole counsel of God."

Did I read any Puritans or Reformers this month: No.
Favorite quote(s): n/a
Did I complete at least one book from the TBR Pile challenge? Which one? Yes.
 The Joyful Christian. C.S. Lewis. 1977. 256 pages. [Source: Bought]

Other Christian nonfiction books read this month:

• The Hand of God. Alistair Begg. 1999/2018. Moody Publishers. 204 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
•  The Quotable Tozer. A.W. Tozer. Compiled by James L. Snyder. 2018. Bethany House. 369 pages. [Source: Review copy]
• Contentment: Seeing God's Goodness. Megan Hill. 2018. P&R Publishing. 96 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Christian fiction books read this month:

• The Love Knot. Karen Witemeyer. 2018. 140 pages. [Source: Library]
•  The Tangled Ties That Bind. Mary Connelly. 2018. 130 pages. [Source: Library]
• Bound and Determined. Regina Jennings. 2018. Bethany House. 125 pages. [Source: Library]
• Tied and True. Melissa Jagears. 2018. Bethany House. 130 pages. [Source: Library]

How many "new" books did I read (published 2000-present)? 6

How many "old" books did I read (published before 2000)? 3
Which book was my overall favorite? The Quotable Tozer

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

August Check-In

What Bible(s) did I read from this month? I finished the Living Insights Study Bible.
Living Insights Study Bible. NIV. 1984. Charles R. Swindoll. 1996. Zondervan. 1606 pages. [Source: Traded]
and I began a new project:

NIV Rainbow Study Bible. 2015. Holman Bible Publishers. 1632 pages. [Source: Review copy]

How many books by J.C. Ryle did I read this month? I continued reading his Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Matthew
Favorite quote(s) by J.C. Ryle:

• Weak faith is less comfortable than strong faith. Weak faith will carry us to heaven with far less joy than full assurance. But weak faith gives an interest in Christ as surely as strong faith.

Am I keeping up with my Morning and Evening devotional by Charles Spurgeon? Yes.
Favorite quote(s) by Charles Spurgeon:

• Do you dread sin? He has nailed it to His cross! Do you fear death? He has been the death of death! Are you afraid of hell? He has barred it against the entrance of any of His children; they shall never see the gulf of perdition!

How many books by R.C. Sproul did I read this month? 1
Knowing Scripture. R.C. Sproul. Foreword by J.I. Packer. 1977. IVP. 126 pages. [Source: Bought]

Favorite quote(s) by R.C. Sproul:

Countless times I have heard Christians say, "Why do I need to study doctrine or theology when all I need to know is Jesus?" My immediate reply is this: "Who is Jesus?" As soon as we begin to answer that question, we are involved in doctrine and theology. No Christian can avoid theology. Every Christian is a theologian. Perhaps not a theologian in the technical or professional sense, but a theologian nevertheless. The issue for Christians is not whether we are going to be theologians but whether we are going to be good theologians or bad ones. A good theologian is one who is instructed by God. (22)

Did I read any Puritans or Reformers this month: Yes. I finished Matthew Henry's commentary on Genesis. "Commentary on Genesis." From Matthew Henry's Commentary on The Whole Bible Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Matthew Henry. Updated by Martin H. Manser. 1710 for the original. [Source: Bought]

Favorite quote(s):

• Times of fear should become times of prayer; whatever frightens us should drive us to our knees and to our God.

Did I complete at least one book from the TBR Pile challenge? Which one? Yes. the Living Insights Bible.
Other Christian nonfiction books read this month:

• The Sovereignty of God. Arthur W. Pink. 1917. 272 pages. [Source: Bought]
• Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. Rachel Dodge. 2018. [Oct] Bethany House. 160 pages. [Source: Review copy]
• Bruce and Stan's Pocket Guide To Studying Your Bible: A User-Friendly Approach. Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz. 2001. Harvest House. 112 pages. [Source: Book I Bought] 

Christian fiction books read this month:

•  Love's Silent Song. June Masters Bacher. 1983. Harvest House. 186 pages. [Source: Bought]
•  Little Lips Shall Praise Thee. Emily Hunter. 1986. Harvest House. 96 pages. [Source: Bought]
• This Present Darkness. Frank E. Peretti. 1986. Crossway. 376 pages. [Source: Bought
• Piercing the Darkness. Frank E. Peretti. 1989. Crossway. 448 pages. [Source: Bought]
• Prophet. Frank E. Peretti. 1992. Crossway. 416 pages. [Source: Bought]

How many "new" books did I read (published 2000-present)? I read two new books.
How many "old" books did I read (published before 2000)? I read eight old books.
Which book was my overall favorite?  The Sovereignty of God. Arthur W. Pink. 1917. 272 pages. [Source: Bought]

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

July Check-In

What Bible(s) did I read from this month? NIV Life Insights Bible, KJV Daily Chronological Bible

How many books by J.C. Ryle did I read this month? None. I've been reading Expository Thoughts on Matthew.
Favorite quote(s) by J.C. Ryle:

The Word is the sword of the Spirit. We shall never fight a good fight, if we do not use it as our principal weapon. The Word is the lamp for our feet. We shall never keep the king's highway to heaven, if we do not journey by its light. It may well be feared, that there is not enough Bible-reading among us. It is not sufficient to have the Book. We must actually read it, and pray over it ourselves. It will do us no good, if it only lies still in our houses. We must be actually familiar with its contents, and have its texts stored in our memories and minds. Knowledge of the Bible never comes by intuition. It can only be obtained by diligent, regular, daily, attentive, wakeful reading. 

Am I keeping up with my Morning and Evening devotional by Charles Spurgeon? YES. I am almost shocked.
Favorite quote(s) by Charles Spurgeon:

If you can wait for Christ, and be patient in the hope of having fellowship with Him at some distant season—you will never have fellowship at all; for the heart that is fitted for communion is a hungering and a thirsting heart.

How many books by R.C. Sproul did I read this month? 1

•  The Invisible Hand: Do All Things Really Work for Good. R.C. Sproul. 1996. 220 pages. [Source: Bought]

Favorite quote(s) by R.C. Sproul:

In prayer we have the opportunity to learn of the character of the Father. Indeed, prayer is one of the most effective means we have to discern the invisible hand of Providence. The more we understand the character of God, the easier it is for us to see His hand at work in our lives. 

Did I read any Puritans or Reformers this month: No. I've started reading William Gurnall's The Christian in Complete Armour and I'm still working on Matthew Henry's Commentary on Genesis.

Favorite quote(s):

The soul's strength to hear the Word is from God.  He opens the heart to attend, Acts 16:14, yea, he opens the understanding of the saint to receive the Word, so as to conceive what it means... He sits in heaven that teacheth hearts. ~ William Gurnall

Tears are a tribute due to our deceased friends. When the body is sown, it must be watered. But we must not grieve as those that have no hope (1Th 4:13); for we have a good hope through grace both concerning them and also concerning ourselves. ~ Matthew Henry

Did I complete at least one book from the TBR Pile challenge? Which one? No. But I am currently reading Heaven by Randy Alcorn, and the Living Insights Bible.


Other Christian nonfiction books read this month:

• The Preacher's Catechism. Lewis Allen. 2018. Crossway. 224 pages. [Source: Review copy]
•  Even Better Than Eden: Nine Ways the Bible's Story Changes Everything About Your Story. Nancy Guthrie. 2018. Crossway. 208 pages. [Source: Review copy]
• Deliver Us From Evil. Ravi Zacharias. 1996. Thomas Nelson. 272 pages. [Source: Bought]
• Prayer: How Praying Together Shapes the Church. John Onwuchekwa. 2018. Crossway. 144 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Christian fiction books read this month:

• With an Everlasting Love. Kay Arthur. 1995. Harvest House. 144 pages. [Source: Borrowed]
• More Than Meets the Eye. Karen Witemeyer. 2018. Bethany House. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]

How many "new" books did I read (published 2000-present)? 4
How many "old" books did I read (published before 2000)? 3
Which book was my overall favorite?
More Than Meets the Eye. Karen Witemeyer. 2018. Bethany House. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

June Check-In

What Bible(s) did I read from this month? I've read a tiny bit in the NKJV. (Okay Genesis through Numbers isn't a tiny bit. It just isn't a lot.)

My main focus has been the KJV Chronological Daily Bible.

How many books by J.C. Ryle did I read this month? 1
Old Paths. J.C. Ryle. 536 pages. [Source: Bought]
Favorite quote(s) by J.C. Ryle:

I entreat you to observe how important it is for Christians to be sound in the faith, and to be armed with clear Scriptural knowledge of the whole system of the Gospel. I fear the increasing tendency to regard all doctrinal questions as matters of opinion, and to look on all “earnest-minded” men as right, whatever doctrines they maintain. I observe how one error in religion leads on to another. There is a close connection between false doctrines. It is almost impossible to take up one alone.

Am I keeping up with my Morning and Evening devotional by Charles Spurgeon? Yes.
Favorite quote(s) by Charles Spurgeon:

Admire the grace which saves you—the mercy which spares you—the love which pardons you!

How many books by R.C. Sproul did I read this month? 1
The Holiness of God. R.C. Sproul. 1985/2012. 226 pages. [Source: Bought]
Favorite quote(s) by R.C. Sproul:

The false conflict between the two testaments may be seen in the most brutal act of divine vengeance ever recorded in Scripture. It is not found in the Old Testament but in the New Testament. The most violent expression of God’s wrath and justice is seen in the Cross. If ever a person had room to complain of injustice, it was Jesus. He was the only innocent man ever to be punished by God. If we stagger at the wrath of God, let us stagger at the Cross. Here is where our astonishment should be focused.

Did I read any Puritans or Reformers this month: Yes.
 Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. Martin Luther. 1954/1976. Kregel. 224 pages. [Source: Gift]
Favorite quote(s):

In this life we never reach such perfection that we fully possess God, but we must continually seek after Him; indeed we must seek Him evermore, as the Psalmist says in Psalm 105:4. Those who do not make progress in seeking after God, are bound to retrogress;... We must never stand still in seeking after God. (71)

Did I complete at least one book from the TBR Pile challenge? Which one? NO.

• Other Christian nonfiction books read this month:
• Finding the Love of Jesus From Genesis to Revelation. Elyse M. Fitzpatrick. 2018. Bethany House. 160 pages. [Source: Review copy]
• Journeys with Jesus: Every Path in the Bible Leads Us to Christ. Dennis E. Johnson. Abridged by Richard B. Ramsey. 2018. P&R Publishing. 192 pages. [Source: Review copy]
• Expository Exultation: Christian Preaching as Worship. John Piper. 2018. Crossway. 336 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Christian fiction books read this month:  Maggie's Dare: The Great Awakening (Sisters in Time #3). Norma Jean Lutz. 2005. Barbour. 144 pages. [Source: Review copy]

How many "new" books did I read (published 2000-present)? 4
How many "old" books did I read (published before 2000)? 3
Which book was my overall favorite? Old Paths. J.C. Ryle. 536 pages. [Source: Bought]

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Second Quarter Challenge Check-Ins

2018 52 Books in 52 Weeks
Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks (about) (links post)
Link back EVERY Sunday
# of books 52

I don't have a problem reading--even reviewing--a book a week. But oh the REMEMBERING to share the review link on the site. That is what will do me in. I have listed twenty-six books. 

Author Love Challenge
Because Reading (sign up)
January - December 2018

I have read fourteen books so far.

2018 Cloud of Witnesses Reading Challenge
Host: Operation Actually Read Bible (sign up)
January - December 2018
# of books: 24 is my goal

20 books--unless I miscounted which is entirely possible. 

Host: Becky's Book Reviews (sign up)
Duration: January 2018 - December 2018
Inspiration: It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between. If that is too much for you, you should at least read one old one to every three new ones. C.S. Lewis
# of books: readers decide

I've read 46 Christian nonfiction books. I've read 15 Christian fiction books. As for old/new 

January: 12 new; 3 old
February: 7 new, 2 old 
March: 7 new, 1 old 
April: 8 new, 2 old
May: 8 new; 3 old
June: 4 new; 3 old 

2018 Mount TBR Reading Challenge
Host: My Reader's Block (sign up)
Dates: January - December 2018
# of Books: I'm committing to the reading level Mt. Ararat--48 books from my TBR pile. My TBR pile is on GoodReads. I will continue to add to it throughout the year, but only books added before January 1, 2018, will count towards this challenge. Right now there are just over 800 books.

I've read twenty-five books. So I'm halfway to my goal. 

Operation Deepen Faith
Host: Operation Actually Read Bible (sign up)
January - December 2018

I've read three bibles so far. The KJV Readers Bible, the NASB Quick Study Bible, the NLT Beyond Suffering Bible.

I've read 46 Christian nonfiction books.

Reformation Reading Challenge
Host: Operation Actually Read Bible (sign up here)
Duration: October 31, 2017 - December 31, 2018
# of books: minimum of 1 book OR 1 sermon series

I've read sixteen books.

The Official 2018 TBR Pile Challenge
Host: Adam (Roof Beam Reader) sign up here
Dates: January 2018 - December 2018
# of Books: 12 (+2 alternates)
Note to self: MONTHLY CHECK-INS ON THE 15TH
Another note to self: On Social Media, please use #TBR2018RBR

I've read five books.

Victorian Reading Challenge
Host: Becky's Book Reviews
Duration: January - December 2018
Goal: Read a minimum of 4 Victorian books

I've read four books.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible