Dear CCPC Family,

Read Psalm 119.
Not only is it the longest Psalm and "chapter" in the Bible, it is also about reading God's Word.
And it makes you wonder, how can you make time to read God's Word on a regular basis?

I was talking on the phone to my sister last week and asked her if she knew of any good books to read. She emailed me a list off the internet entitled "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die" from a book of the same name by Peter Ackroyd. The list was broken down into sections of when the books were written -- 2000's, 1900's, 1800's, 1700's, and pre-1700's. Some of the titles I recognized immediately, others -- lots of others -- I had never even heard of!

Intrigued, I printed off the list, grabbed a big marker, and began to check off the books I'd read. I'm a little embarrassed to tell you that I have only read 247 of the 1001 books listed... only 2 books in the 2000's section! I figured it out. If I had the time and money and read one book a week, it would take me close to nineteen years to finish the list! As much as I love to read, I don't have that much time!

A recent report cited that in one year, the average American reads 3,000 forms or notices, 100 newspapers, 36 magazines... but only 3 books. This report seems to suggest that we read in spurts. It made me think about how the Bible could be read that way... in spurts... in short doses... one day at a time. And it made me think about 5 x 5 x 5 (you know... 5 minutes a day x 5 days a week x 5 ways to dig deeper).

So, this year I'm going to make the time. I'm going to join "CCPC Reads Through The Psalms" which begins Monday, January 28. I encourage you to do the same. God's Word is right there -- just pick up the Bible, pray, and read a little bit at a time. I bet you'll find that it will become one of the most meaningful short habits of your life!

Jan Cook
Communications