Bible Reading Goals for 2020

I recently typed my goals in a group of friends who do Bible study together. To simplify, my main goal is to open the Bible app on my phone before opening anything else. 

But I would also like to get back to language study and there is something so beautiful about how each language relates to me in a different way and how new things show up as I read scriptures that I understand and think try to through the eyes of a variety of cultures.

This year, I would like to read:

Português - Ecclesiastes, proverbs, and a gospel (Maybe John)

Hindi - Jona, Ruth

Urdu - Listen to the Jesus movie

French - Jonah, Ruth

Spanish - Matthew

Lakota, Chinrse, Somali (or other languages that I can't read/speak) - listen to the Jesus movie, if I can find it on YouTube (I've listened to it in Hindi, Urdu, Português, Spanish, Arabic, Krio, Patois, Creole and others just for fun)

Greek - memorize John 1:1-?, and review/relearn other verses, vocab, grammar, and alphabet

Hebrew - memorize the Shema

What are your language or Bible reading goals for 2020?

*Image from a Bible inspired book I created 🖤

Why the Bible?

As I said in the first post, I wanted a Hindi/English Bible for Christmas last year.

Why the Bible?

Reading the New Testament in Spanish in high school was really enjoyable and challenging but I love that it is a book that is translated into so many languages. The Bible has been translated into over 2,000 languages, making it the most widely translated book there is (The Quran is in over 700 coming in at #2) . I like that it is a book that so many people from all over the world can and have read...Here are some more reasons...

I am a Christian, so the Bible is where my religious beliefs come from.

I was both a religious studies and philosophy minor in college (well actually both were areas of emphasis in my second major. Long story, you can watch my YT video if you want more on that)

The Bible consists of many types of writing. It has proverbs, short stories, history and lists.

I suppose these are just a few of the reasons I picked being able to read the Bible as my Hindi goal. Though I do read the Bible in Hindi and Portuguese on Regular basis, I have a long ways to go...

The water lily painting was a part of my exhibition East Meets West which was a response to my trip to India. My art is a major reason for my love of language. Check out my art blog for more art. 

Lily Pads and Lots,
from The Lily Pad Project
Watercolor
Aprox 11x15
$220

How Many Languages Do I Speak

Here is a video answering the question "how many languages do I speak?"

Hindi Bible for Christmas

Well I have officially received my Hindi Bible for Christmas!!!

I had my husband pick a verse to hear in Hindi.

He picked the common 2 Corinthians 5:17 (If you are unfamiliar with the Bible and want to read the Hindi in the photo, look for the number 17. It is the text following that which I'm talking bout.)

"Therefore if anyone is is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

I am proud to say that I was able to read through the verse, unsure about several words. 

"ma - si - ha," I was stuck on this new word for a good amount of time. 

As I read, my husband pointed out that I should take some time and listen to what I was saying with a couple of the words as I sounded out.

"ma - si - ha" I repeated....oh, Messiah! That's cool.

It was neat that he was able to understand some of the words even though I was oblivious to the sounds I was making.

Conquering the New Testament is a beast I am ready and (well not so much ready as I am) excited to take on this new task of learning Hindi while reading.