My Mondays are now for Bible study.
Studying the word of God, I’m ashamed to say, is not something I have made a priority until recently.
I now set time aside for coffee, prayer and Bible study on Monday mornings.

I’m not putting this out there to try and impress anyone and I don’t want you to think I am under any impression that I’m better than or holier than anyone. Quite the opposite actually.

As a Christian for most of my life and being raised in church, I will be the first to admit that I am lacking in some deep studying of the word. I’m knowledgeable in what the Bible says, but haven’t done a lot of in depth study sessions on my own.

Growing up, I was never very fond of studying, reading, homework or school in general. So you can image after the required school work that I didn’t want to do, I wasn’t about to add to that list with non-required Sunday school reading. I received decent grades throughout school, with the exception of math, but was never what anyone considered bookish. I was jealous of those who were naturally academic or learned. I brushed it off as a lack of interest, an unimportance and with a “who cares” attitude. I think school and learning just come easier to some and I just happened to not be one of those people.
It hasn’t been until the last few years that I have started to enjoy reading. I wish I could have possessed this earlier in life, but for me it has been a slow, ailing acquired taste, but it is a characteristic that I am now proud to have obtained.

It’s still a challenge for me to set aside time to read and to study. Sometimes, in the evenings after work, it is easier and more appealing to turn on Netflix to watch another episode of Friends. For this very reason, I have set aside my Monday mornings. In the mornings or early afternoons, I am in a more motivated state of mind than say 7:00pm after a full belly and a long day of emails, shooting, and editing.
I treat myself with a good cup of coffee and start digging into my grandfather’s Bible that I received after he passed away. It’s old and falling apart, but it gives me warmth to see his handwriting in the margins, highlighting on scriptures he found particularly important and finding little bookmarks he left behind.
It motivates me to flip the pages he thumbed through and read what he read.

What I’m trying to get across I guess, is that it doesn’t matter how long it takes for you to start doing the things you need to do, and want to do. Whether it be Bible study, exercising, mending a relationship, quitting a bad habit, or simply remembering to wash your face before bed. It is so much easier to do nothing rather than starting something new. The trick is to set time aside, make it a priority and be consistent. Try to set yourself up to succeed and to grow.
You’ll be so happy you did.