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Keith asked me why did you sign up and what’s happened? Peer group pressure of course! I saw my wife sign up and thought, here we go, better join the programme…..

No…actually it was my choice…I felt I needed a kickstart to get back into it. I would call it a nudging from God.

Having more structure has always resonated with me. When I was single, living in an apartment closer to work, I had more of my life controlled by me, I could carve time off to read the Bible, pray and discuss stuff. Fast forward 10 years--married, 3 kids, 7, 6 and 5, living on the North Shore, now with a longer bike commute to work--I feel I have very little time controlled by me. It's so much harder in the early mornings to have some God time, I always pick hanging out with one of the 3 early risers.  

So when the pastors spoke on the topic and hearing Ken Shigamastu speak, it was more a question of why wouldn’t I do this?

I wanted to start small, something not overwhelming, so I decided to sign up to a Bible reading plan on my phone.  I went with The Essential 100.  It’s a passage a day, starting in Genesis and working thru the Bible, focused on the key passages. I decided to use the Message Translation, as I have liked the accessibility of that.

I have really enjoyed it, I haven’t got bogged down and I have had the flexibility to read my passages at work or on my phone.  It’s helped me at work, where I always seem to be charging around at a frenetic pace, just to have a time out, and reflect.

What’s been great is how I feel God has spoken to me in little ways thru these passages. I’m thinking more about what it means to have God in my Everything, in the ordinary things of life.  In our Monday lunchtime business group, we have been working thru Luke. These discussions have come more to life, as the themes in my Old Testament passages have been intersecting with the themes in Luke.  

I feel I started small but it’s just part of a bigger journey. Maybe I am hearing more of those God nudges, I am thinking of other small disciplines, things to incorporate, specifically, allowing more time to just listen. 

Ben hails from London, England and is an endangered species, a Crystal Palace fan. When he is not too depressed from seeing their results, he works as an accountant at a local construction company. His wife Brenda and their 3 kids, Josh, Alison and Sarah live in Lynn Valley and try to be outside on their bikes, or exploring the trails as much as possible.