new Bible projects

I was planning on NOT reading through the Bible again right away, but I changed my mind. I read through the KJV, and now I've started on the NKJV. They're basically the same except the newer version has changed the archaic language (such as "thee," "thou," etc.) to more modern usage. That makes it a little less poetic, but easier to read and understand. There are quite a few words in the KJV that have changed meaning since the 1600's, I guess. My original plan was to read through it, then go through it again with the Strong's Concordance handy to look up any words that I thought might mean something different from what it seemed. If I get to live a long life, I'll get to that eventually, I'm sure. So now I'm trying to do a two-step Bible reading. I read a suggested passage and a "devotional" page from my NIV Women's Devotional Bible in the mornings and a chapter from the NKJV in the evening, highlighting the green and orange like before. I'm also writing down what I learn in a morning notebook and evening index cards. This is something I've tried before, but always failed. I'm "try, try, try-" ing again. It's always exciting to start a new project, but it's even more rewarding to actually stick with it to the end.

I always thought that I'd be able to appreciate Alaska forever. I'm afraid that Jason was right when he said that everyone complains about the weather sometime. It's only November, and we have super-frosty trees. If I remember correctly, that doesn't usually happen until about the end of January. So does this mean we're going to have an even colder, snowier winter than normal? That's a depressing thought. I'm not the best driver in normal conditions. Let's not even discuss my abilities (or lack thereof) on snowy/icy roads. Then there's the sun that seems to always be stationed right below the sun visor of the van so that it's right in my eyes, blinding me and starting a good headache (not good points adding to my already not-so-good driving). It really is best for me to just stay in the house until winter is over, but that's not possible. So I have to pray and trust that other people are better drivers than I am and that God will somehow protect me. Then there's the messiness that winter brings into my miniature entryway, causing me to freeze my poor little children because they MUST remove their shoes outside and THEN step into the house so that I don't have to get out the dustbuster and Clorox wipes every time we come into the house. And then there's also the extra time and toting of coats and shoes. But none of this is following Preacher's "complaining fast," is it? I can't change the weather, and I don't feel like moving, so I'll praise God for the beauty of winter, the safety that He provides, the warm house and good winter clothes that we have, and the hope that winter doesn't last forever.