I was reading Richard Foster last year (I am not sure which book) and he suggested a form of Bible reading where you take a short passage (10-20 verses) and read it once. Then read it a second time highlighting in some way the words, phrases, sentences, passages where God seems to be speaking to you. Then go back a third time just reading those passages. As I began to do my devotions this way I realized that doing it all on the computer was the best way. So I went to Bible Gateway each morning and copied and pasted the scripture passage.  

        I added a fourth and fifth step along the way as I began to do this daily. I chose one phrase or verse and added it at the end of the reading and enlarged it and changed the font to have a greater visual impact and to more firmly plant it in my heart for the day.. After doing that for a few months the LORD gave me the idea of finding visual images to go with the scripture passage I was reading that morning. That proved to be of great meaning and as I googled images to copy and paste it leads to much reflection and thought about the passage itself. An added benefit is that the images often lead me to wonderful blogs by other believers and the discovery of amazing artists both historical and contemporary. 

       Some days when I read something in a blog where I find the image I will copy and paste something from the blog or sometimes when I am reading some other devotional book I will put in a meaningful passage from the book. 

        Right now I am reading One Thosand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. If you haven't read it it is a wonderful book. I think it may become one of my all time favorites.

Judas hangs himself.

January 31, 2013 Matthew 27:1-10

Matthew 27

New International Version (NIV)

Judas Hangs Himself

27 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. ² So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

³ When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. ⁴ “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”
“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”
⁵ So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
⁶ The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” ⁷ So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. ⁸ That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. ⁹ Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, ¹⁰ and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”^[a]