I Keep Going Backwards!

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So, I decided that I would start in Isaiah and study it the way Kay Arthur recommends.  HA!  That lasted about 5 minutes.  Anytime I read in the Old Testament, I am all over the place!  The minute I read a name or a place or a people group I want to know where they came from, or where that place is...so out come the maps and any chart I can find that will help me know who/where I reading about.  If you have ever tried to study the Bible you know what I'm talking about.  

I will admit here that when I read the Bible I tend to hear a verse somewhere that makes me feel good so I will go to that book and if it is small enough read the whole book, but most times I'll just read the chapter (for context) or maybe a little more, and read it like any other book .... I can then put a check off of my "to-do" list.  But, anytime I try to read in the Old Testament I get really bogged down in wanting to know the details.

Well, the other day I went from Isaiah, to Kings, to 1st and 2nd Samuel and finally threw up my hands and went back to Genesis to start with Noah!!!  I sat there and tried to map out all the "begats" on a "family tree"... Talk about an eye opener!

Here it is.... I'm probably the only one that can read it but I keep it in front of me now while I'm reading just so I can see who people are or where they came from.

Notice the little color dots?  Those are the enemy "ites".  I am placing the same color dot on maps and near the name in the text so that I can make that connect.  Like this morning I was so excited when one of the preachers I was watching on tv was talking about Ruth and the family moving to Moab and the  two Moabite daughters in law... I could actually visualize who/what/where without looking at it!!!  YES!!  

.... Remember? Lot gets rescued from Sodom before the destruction,  wife into salt, daughters got him drunk and had sex with him (UGH! UGH! UGH!) and one has a son named MOAB.... MOABITES!  Ruth was a MOABITE!... and the pink dot is across the Dead Sea from Judah.  GOT IT!!!

Draw your own tree... I totally recommend it!

I think I might go back and do it again with little pictures of major events that happened to each person but that will probably take more than an 8.5x11 sheet of paper!

Notes about the little colored stickers:
I decided that I needed little stickers ready for sticking ...mainly because the pages in my Bible (Hardback Inductive Bible) are SUPER THIN and I know the markers will bleed through to the other side.... so I took a 8.5x11" label sheet and cut TONS of little ovals using my vinyl cutter.  I then colored some with markers

Yes, I did think about making little crowns and triangles and other shapes but if I use too many labels I'll start making my Bible too thick!...because KA uses A LOT of markings!  I'll have to think about what will be the best use of labels.... But I have to say I reeeeally want to make some little crowns!  ha!