About the Author

Mary is a writer and speaker who lives for good books, spicy queso, and television marathons – but lives because of God’s grace. She writes about giving up on perfect and finding truth in unexpected places at MaryCarver.com. Mary and her husband live in Kansas City with their two daughters.

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things we love
& you will too!
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  1. Amen! Thank you for this. God has been nudging me to spend more time reading and absorbing His actual Word. Even though I may read 4 or 5 really good devotionals every day, they shouldn’t replace actually reading the Bible. Devotionals are good and God can speak to us through other people’s words, (like today), but I should not neglect reading and heeding the words of God Himself! I pray that as each of us continue to open the Word of God, He will make it come alive and real in our hearts.

  2. Oh, dear Mary! Amen amen amen! I confess I’m days behind on my daily reading plan & your post makes me want to take the day off work & get caught up yet I know it’s not about checking off the boxes but the spending time with God in His Word. Seeing the character of our Lord. Drawing me to reverence & worship that is the beginning of wisdom. Thank you for spurring me toward seeking true wisdom!

  3. AMEN! Our pastor said something last night that really stuck with me and this reminded me of it. He said “God will set your field on fire to get your attention”. We’re in 2 Samuel and Absalom set Joab’s field on fire to get his attention and Brother Skip said God does the same thing sometimes in ways to get our attention; to wake us up. Anyways I thought it was cool and wanted to share! 🙂

  4. Mary thank you for this. What you said was so true. We can become to use our as an idol. That we spent more time on them that with God. When something happens like it do you. You lost Mary all your apps on your phone because you hit the wrong bottom. How we panic. Oh oh why did I hit the wrong bottom why I not more careful. We then go in a grief mood. As all our important stuff is gone and think we thought would be safe on our phones. Nothing is safe in the world. Not even in our phones. We come we rely on them and things in this world that our temporay. As nothing in this world is made to last not even life it’s self. So we have to get back to basics God has said when we did without phones before they were invented. In thoes days we did manage very well. If saved in thoes days of no phones or internet. We got we were not looking up Google for the answer to our problems and other be things. We would go to God all the time and read his word and say our prayers. Listen to his Holy Spirit for the answers and wrote important things down and kept notes from important and photo from people and we have taken. Let get we spend less time of our phone and the internet more time with God. Love Dawn Ferguson-Little

  5. Yes, Mary, I hear you loudly. I remy on those articles and others too. Byt my problem is probably because I don’t understand so much. I read my Bible every day but feel like I am going through the motions. To be honest, I rarely get it. What am I supposed to learn from the passage, what is it telling me? So I find it easier to go to other sources to fill the void. I appreciate what you wrote. I am going to try harder, I hope!

    • Madeline, I wonder if the reading plan and app I’ve been (slowly) using might be helpful for you. It’s called The Bible Recap, and after reading 2-3 chapters of the Bible, you listen to a short (less than 10 minutes) podcast episode that explains what you just read. The host is really smart and pulls out wisdom that I would never have gotten on my own! You could even start in the New Testament, if the Old Testament is tricky for you.

  6. Thank you for this write up. I have actually had to shut my phone off after six pm or I would be scrolling etc. In the mornings I have to keep it off or I could not focus on the scripture. The enemy tries to distract us with all this information, but we need to come humbly before the throne and worship the Lord.

  7. Mary if I was sitting with you as you shared these words and prayer, you’d notice I had a blank look on my face. “Is she listening?” Then you’d come by my side with a kleenex because the tears would be running down my face. I’m sure there would be a hug as well. I feel like I’m in neutral in so many areas of my walk and life. Just going through the motions like I’ve lost my thirst for God. What happened!? Lucretia’s message yesterday really resonated with me too. The garden, the growth, the waiting…saying yes but doing nothing!
    I can’t remember a time so neutral. So disconnected, but connected????
    Time to unplug everything and get back to the basics! God’s word. Stop talking. Listen. Listen to the wise women God has put on my path and in my life.
    Thank you Mary

    • Janet, I’m so grateful our words are encouraging you this week. You’re not alone in needing to unplug and connect more with the Lord. We’re in it together!

  8. Mary,

    I don’t use apps. My phone is only used for talking, texting & listening to music at work some. That said I’m behind on my Bible reading also by 89 days. It is easy to slip into “worldly wisdom” mode. Face book is my nemesis. I can scroll through it for hours, thus taking time away from God & His word. May God help me crave His word more!

    Blessings 🙂

  9. I’m also trying to read my Bible in a year again, this time chronologically, which has proved to be a good method for me. Alas, I’m also a few days behind and hope to catch up over the next couple days. The plan I’m using is 6 days per week so theres a built-in buffer for procrastinators like me, yet sometimes I still fall behind. Electronics are a pitfall for me as well. I read the chapters for the day first, then go back and read the study notes, which are really good (so I’m reading double!). Praying it will help me retain God’s word!

    Blessings and prayers for good reading habits to us all!