The Psalm Project

If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that this week last year I posted about my New Year’s Resolutions. Six months later, I checked in on my goals to see how I was progressing so far. It was the first time I’d set “real” resolutions in the new year.

I set 15 goals in 2019 and some of them were more manageable than others. I hit some of them and failed miserably at most.

For 2020, I honestly have ONE goal…to fall more in love with Jesus and to run deeper into His heart than I ever have before.

Enter: The Psalm Project.

When Brittney first mentioned this idea, I was immediately hooked. I’ve wanted to learn more about the Psalms for a long time so this seemed like the perfect way to do it. To dig in on my own, but to also have other people to talk to who were reading the same text.

We read Psalm 1 as an online community yesterday, January 1, 2020. Many people have reached out with questions about how to join us, so we thought it’d be helpful to provide a concise way to get all of your questions answered here.

Friend, I honestly hope and pray you’ll consider joining us as we journey through the Psalms this year. I don’t know what the next year holds for us, but one thing I want to be true is that we read more of God’s Word in 2020 than we ever have before.

The psalms were written to be sung. The early church gathered frequently to recite and sing their passionate lyrics. Will you join us as we “gather” as one church online? Even if you can’t sing. Even if you’ve never read one chapter in the Bible. Even if you feel like you don’t (or can’t) understand the Bible.

Will you give it a try?

Read a little bit about the three women who will help to lead and facilitate this study below.

Brittney Closner, Oregon

It’s seriously hard to believe that I’ve only “known” this girl for a few months. I say “known” because we’ve only met online, but I can’t wait to meet her in person in March! Eeek! Brittney has a heart of gold and she has this incredible way of calling out the beauty she sees in others. Her relationship with Jesus is inspiring, to say the least. The way she communicates with Him, listens to Him, and draws near to Him is just infectious. She has prophesied some of the most incredible words over me since I’ve known her and I hold each one so close to my heart. The Father is using her to grow things within me and the women around her. Things we’ve been scared to claim or walk out. Another one of Brittney’s gifts is her incredible ability to communicate the Word of God in a way that anyone can understand. During our study together this year, Brittney will be sharing videos of what she’s learning as she feels led, along with Instagram posts and stories. You will be blessed if you take the time to check out her Psalm 1 video, which can be found HERE! I’m so grateful that she was obedient to the calling the Father put on her heart to lead us in this study.

Website: www.brittneyclosner.com/

Instagram: @brittneyclosner

Facebook: Brittney Closner

Kelsey Knodel, North Dakota

Kelsey has the most precious heart. I know that’s something people say (especially us southerners), but it’s so true. I met Kelsey almost a year ago through my friends from Moms in the Making. We’ve chatted on Voxer since then and she has blessed my life in so many ways. She kept saying that I reminded her of her friend Brittney and how much we had in common and how we needed to meet each other. It is because of Kelsey that the three of us connected to form this beautiful community. But of course, it was God’s plan after all. He’s just so good. Kelsey is an army wife, a dog mama, an incredible writer, and she oozes purity, gentleness, and humility like no one else I’ve ever met. Brittney said it best when she said, “I believe in Jesus more when Kelsey writes.” Kelsey is urging women to jump into this study. To grab a Bible, a journal, nestle in, and get ready to share and be changed. Kelsey and her husband are currently in the waiting period to adopt their first child. She is going to be the most incredible mother, and she already is. She has shown women how they can wait well and seek Jesus first and foremost even in the midst of heartache and setbacks. Follow Kelsey during this study to read the beautiful ways she processes God’s word!

Instagram: @kelseyknodel

Facebook: Kelsey Knodel

Julie hills, Texas

If you’ve been around here for a while, I don’t need to necessarily introduce myself to you. But, for those of you who may have stumbled across this blog through another site, I’m happy to tell you a few thaaaangs! It is a complete honor and privilege to share a space like this with the two women I just described to you above. I never dreamed I’d be a part of something like this. It feels so sacred. Our heart behind it isn’t to reach hundreds of women, although that would be amazing, but it’s just to reach the ONE. The one woman who might be changed - not because of us, but because she took the time to dig into the scriptures on her own and God met her there. I love how the Father is placing each of us in positions where our gifts can best be used. I will mostly contribute by sharing what I’m learning through writing and journaling. I’m not as gifted in speaking or processing orally, but I feel Him calling me to share what I’m personally learning through my words. I’ll be posting on Instagram stories with each Psalm and a multi-photo post on Saturdays to recap the Psalms we read that week.

Website: www.juliehills.com

Instagram: @juliehillsphoto

Facebook: Julie Hills

faq’s

How will this study work? How do I know what to read?
The beauty of this type of study is that it is not restrictive or too structured. There are 366 days in this year’s calendar and there are 150 Psalms. This means we’re not even reading one every day. Some are longer than others, so we’ll take our time with many of them. (Hello, Psalm 119 - we see you.)
Feel free to read as fast or as slow as you need to. This is not a study where you should ever feel “behind.” Even if you’re still on Psalm 2 by March, that is ok! Dig in and read as much or as little as you have the time and space for. Can you commit to reading at least five minutes a day? He will meet you there, even if it’s just a few minutes here and there.
how can i join #thepsalmproject?
Joining is super easy! Simply follow the hashtag #thepsalmproject on Instagram so you can see what other people are posting. Brittney, Kelsey, and I will be posting at least every few days, so it’s probably a good idea to follow one or all of us if you want to stay in touch with where we are in the study and what we’re learning as we go along. You can follow us on Instagram by clicking on the links in our bios above.
what study/journal/books would you suggest using?
We highly suggest that you have a separate journal to track what you’re learning in this study. I ordered this journal on a friend’s recommendation, but any journal would work! What I love about this one is that the text is written on the left pages and blank pages are included on the right for notes.
In addition to a journal devoted to Psalms, you’ll need a Bible, obviously! We’re all reading a variety of translations so we can learn from one another. If you don’t know where to start, can I suggest the ESV, NIV, The Passion Translation, or the CSB? If you Google any of those, you’ll find many options on Amazon. You can also download the Bible app on your phone where you can read several translations at once.
Another resource we’ve found to be very helpful in this study is the Enduring Word Bible Study. Feel free to check it out as you’re working your way through each psalm!
is there a facebook group i can join?
There isn’t a Facebook group or a page to “like.” Instead of being a passive observer, we want to encourage women to dig in and do the work themselves. The days of watching from the sidelines are oooover! We will never grow if we don’t take claim of the Word for ourselves. You will get out of this study as much as you put into it, so you will be blessed to put in the time this year - however much time that may be.
is this just for women?
Not necessarily! Anyone is welcome to read and enjoy God’s Word. With that being said, the messages shared will most likely be geared towards women. But, men may absolutely follow along!
Will you study psalms on sundays, too?
No, we will take a break from posting about the Psalms on Sundays. We will consider Sunday to be our “off-day” to be with families. We’ll still be reading and delighting in His word, but we want to be intentional about putting our phones down more on that day. We hope you’ll join us in resting on Sundays!