A New Year's Scripture Challenge

Counting from New Year's Day, there are 97 days until Easter! What better way to prepare than to read the four Gospels of the New Testament?

I found this printable reading schedule that puts all the events of the NT in chronological order, making this idea very easy to accomplish:

http://www.n2worship.com/are-you-for-real/easy-to-print/pmod-chronological-reading-plan-nt01.pdf

The idea: print off the schedule and read each page of it for about two - three days (ie read page one of the guide from Jan 1-2). There are 35 pages to the guide, so, be on page 35 on April 8, 2012.

Additionally, for the overachievers, try adding Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage to your reading. Here is a link to it from the Gutenberg Project where you can download the book to your choice of eReaders for free or read it on-line.
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22542

I found a reading schedule to finish Jesus the Christ in a year. I might do this! This way, it's just a chapter every couple of weeks.

Jesus the Christ by Elder Talmage

Jan: Preface, Chapter 1
Feb: Chapters 2-3, 36 (4 optional)
Mar: Chapters 5, 7, 8 (6 optional)
Apr: Chapters 9-12
May: Chapters 13-16
June: Chapters 17-19
July: Chapters 20, 21 (22 optional)
Aug: Chapters 24-27, pp 490-496 (23 optional)
Sept: Chapters 29-31
Oct: Chapters 32,34
Nov: Chapters 35, 37
Dec: Chapters 41-42 (38 & 40 optional)

from: http://ourliveshavemeaning-reading.blogspot.com/2011/01/jesus-christ-by-elder-talmage.html

One year for the Christmas season, on the mission, we read had to read the four Gospels with Jesus the Christ everyday to finish both between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. It literally took all of our study time (scripture and language) everyday and time at night to get it done. I haven't read either book all the way through since, which is why I've decided to try it this year by Easter. There is something really special that happens when you read about the Savior everyday, and I'd like that feeling as I begin this new year. 

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On Christmas Eve, during our traditional reading of the Christmas prophesies and scriptures, my dad talked about how important it is that we prepare for the Second Coming, just as all the prophets and people following the signs prepared for the First Coming. He also said that since Mom died, he's been noticing that a lot of really good, righteous people having been dying before their time and he feels like there is a  lot of work going on on the other side that requires the help of these good people. (This idea made me think of Elder Cook's talk in General Conference, "The Songs They  Could Not Sing", and added validation to the idea that people are dying before their time to help the work)

 Dad also said that we need to be anxiously engaged in doing our part on this side so that when the Savior returns we are ready,  prepared and worthy to be there. Inspired by these thoughts, I want to read more about the Savior in the days leading up to the celebration of the Atonement and Resurrection-- the reasons for His birth!