Birgittaville: Recent Episodes
Dan Anderson
Riffing on Eckhart Tolle's best seller book, "A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose". I critique its philosophy, using the passing of my pet of fourteen years, Augi, for emotional examples.
My Notes on Ralph Martin’s Book: “Fulfillment of All Desire”
Pages: 2, 153: Holiness is willing as God wills; that’s our life goal.
3, 141, 231: Now that Christendom is no longer a dominant force in western civilization, Christians must live their faith deeply and deliberately. Eliminate non-essentials to make room for God; this detachment isn’t an end in itself, but prepares one for a greater love.
7, 8, 57, 58, 97, 215: Sin is the source of our unhappiness. Union with God is the purpose of our existence–the fulfillment of all our desires. Our human relationships will be deeper in Heaven. Losing inordinate desires for things allows us to enjoy them more. Pleasures are shadows of the pleasure of knowing God. As ends in themselves, pleasures make us less than human.
21, 23, 95, 113, 119, 155, 156, 158, 217, 218:No deliberate sin is little. Our affection for venial sin offends God. Avoid whatever leads to temptation. Temporal goods aren’t sinful; being attached to them is. Disordered desires enslave us. An illicit attraction must be countered by a greater attraction.Immediately reject temptation; don’t linger on it. Avoid whatever leads to a temptation.
24, 122, 125, 126, 127, 134, 135, 152, 163, 174:Wherever and whenever, follow promptings to private prayer.Be aware of what you’re praying, and realize to Whom you’re praying. Interrupt your verbal/written prayers with mental/personal prayer, at the Spirit’s leading. Practice Lectio Devina, interrupting your readings with mental prayer. Prayer is sharing between friends; it’s a relationship. Practice solitude, even in a crowd, by making light of slights and losses. By hanging on to grievances, one might be in a crowd while alone. Practice ejaculatory prayers, like repeating Jesus' name. Continue praying, even when there’s no pleasure in it.
28, 43, 51, 59, 91, 114, 138, 145, 151, 187: Inaccurate knowledge about God impedes one’s conversion and faith. Salvation and growing in holiness is from God’s grace. They aren’t rewards for our good works. One ends in Hell by rejecting God’s mercy, by choosing it. We should have a burning desire for the lost, allowing God to love others through us. Don’t be too disturbed by your imperfections; have confidence in God’s mercy. He knows our weaknesses. Indescrete zeal, overdoing sacrifices, leads to burnout. Rejecting God’s mercy leads to depression and despair.
46, 82, 234:We must not credit ourselves for the good we do. Titles and wealth are vain, as is everything apart from God.Humiliation can lead to humility, but only if we handle it well.
55, 190, The fear of God is learned by experience, not by lectures. It frees us from fears and leads to loving God.
164, 169, 170, 172, 236, 244, 416, 418, 423:In sickness, one desires to be healthy for service, but offer up the pain and be prepared for death. Even in the dark night of the soul, we can know an underlying peace and joy and develop a deeper desire for God. Whatever the suffering, it doesn’t compare to that of Jesus or to that of martyrs. Our virtues are tested and developed by the vices of others. We are proved by trials and abuse, leading us beyond a mercenary love (of loving God only for His benefits). We find God in forgetting ourselves.
I read the album's lyrics and briefly discuss my purpose and songwriting approach for this album.
Here's a link to my Blog post on my RCSS 6 release. It has related links.
I reads selections from the Westiminster Catechism, as a Catholic, in a friendly and unstructured manor.
This is based on my blog post about my plan for RCSS 4. I mostly talk about the physical being related with the spiritual, though.
https://birgittaville.com/2025/05/31/strategy-for-my-fourth-album-release/
I go a bit into the weeds about using chord progressions, DAWs, Ace Studio, Berlin Symphonia with MuseScore, Hub with Reaper...but also read the song titles and choruses on my soon released third album: "Relevant Christian Song Sketches".
This YouTube video shows my recording setup. Here are a couple streaming platforms carrying my album: Apple Music Spotify
Links to the audio tools I used:
DistroKid (distributor) Reaper (digital audio workstation) MuseScore (notation software with midi player) Berlin String/Winds/Brass (Berlin Symphony Orchestra, modeled instruments) Ace Studio (modeled and AI human voices) Labs (suite of midi instruments) Garage Band (modeled drummers)
I read Bible passages for overcoming naivete in evangelizing those whom God lovingly gave his Son for:
Romans 1:28-32; 2 Timothy 3:2,3; Jude 1:23; Mathew 7:6; Proverbs 9:7,8; 23:9.
(I couldn't resist playing with MuseScore Studio and Ace Studio.)
I read a couple pages from "Acts of the Apostles, Catholic Commentary of Sacred Scripture".
(I'm using this for learning to use Spitfire Audio with Reaper DAW.)
We casually mention some positive and some negative aspects of AI, like ChaptGPT and NotebookLM, for culture and for the Christ's Church.
Follow this link to my Blog post, giving the links I mention.
https://birgittaville.com/2024/11/24/st-larry-norman-vs-big-eva-muzac/
I explain myself--why I haven't been uploading for the last six months:
* I've done eight podcasts with Rev. David Minard (see link from Birgittaville.com)
- I've completed two albums, "Relevant Christian Song Sketches" 1 and 2 (find them on iTunes and all major music streamers).
- I've had outings, doing Saint Paul Street Evangelization (see Birgittaville.com/SPSE-GR)
- I've begun playing piano and viola for fun....
Enough with my excuses! I chilled and enjoyed myself--OK!? haha
Reading excerpts from "The Iron Sceptre of the Son of Man," Alan Fimister.
On Catholic eschatology
In case I don't make it to ICU at the hospital, in time to see my big brother Steven John Anderson, here's my goodbye. I love you Steve! Thanks for always being there for me. I've looked up to you and relied on you all my sixty one years. Until we meet again.
Listen to all podcasts of Pastor David Minard at:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLekXlfn-2GlCRw_Rl3735IiYEKhBpo-Iv&feature=shared
Pastor Ron Charles gives the alter call and Timothy Brewer leads worship, after my sermon on Love. This is from my Assemblies of God days, as a 25 year old Youth and Associate pastor at New Life Assembly, Oregon, OH.
I rant about the popular trend of women dressing immodestly and Molech worship.
My brief guitar playing brakes up the talking segments.
As a practicing Catholic, how does one negotiate large family gatherings in our time of Wokism?
We consider various Bible study tools to use in daily reading: ESV Study Bible, Bible Knowledge Commentary, Erdman's Bible Commentary, and Unger's Bible Handbook.
I read from "The Catechism of the Catholic Church" and from Scripture passages, relating to remembering my son on the first year anniversary of his passing.
From Verbum to BibleHub to Bible commentaries, encyclopedias, translations...I casually introduce helpful Bible study tools.
- Do I really live in a country of those who slaughter their children?
- How did it become American
- To pump our kids with psychotropic drugs and other big-pharma poisons?
- To publicly celebrate grave sin?
- To sit our toddlers on mommy's lap, before perverse dancers in clown-face?
- To create trans-humanist Frankensteins?
- To worship Moloch?
- To party before the Golden Calf, with pornography and promiscuity—amusing ourselves to death ?
- God's wrath, I suppose, soon will fall.
- May America's chastisement lead some to repentance and deliverance from bondage to sin.
The Jesus made in your image, a "cosmic christ", is not the Second Person of the Trinity.
I noodle on the #5 scale between comments about maintaining one's integrity in our culture.
I'm goofing off, here, playing with the idea of intermingling music with making brief statements--a poor rendition of 1950's hippsters, I suppose.
David and I spoke for almost two hours on various topics around Wokism. Here's the audio recording from my end.
Reading excerpts from "Smith Wigglesworth, The Complete Collection of His Life and Teachings". I comment on these, from my Catholic perspective.
My Brother-in-law, Rev. David Minard, and I discuss the movie "Jesus Revolution" and it's relation to today's church for Evangelicals and Catholics.
I demonstrate the frustrating process a newbie like myself might experience in beginning to use this full-spec breviary from the Frank Gavin Liturgical Foundation, Inc.
I explain how I'm moving through the ribbons in my breviary as I pray the office of Vigils. This will help you decide if you want to pray the Divine Office through each day, perhaps using the breviary I'm praying from.
https://www.amazon.com/Benedictine-Daily-Prayer-Short-Breviary/dp/0814637027/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3471S6NZG9ZZO&keywords=benedictine+daily+prayer+a+short+breviary&qid=1671734383&s=books&sprefix=Benedictive+daily%2Cstripbooks%2C159&sr=1-1
For anyone having lost a loved one this past year. My son, Micah Philip, passed six months ago (within this hour).
I pray the Litany of st. Joseph, after expaining how my son's passing led me to realize St. Joseph's significance in my life as a father.
We buried our son, Micah, this morning at Graceland Cemetery in Grand Rapids, MI. His brother, Fr. Nathanael P Anderson presided. Micah's Grandfather, John H Anderson, read. His Uncle Todd H Anderson read for his father, Daniel. His Uncle David S Minard read for his Mother, DeeDee. Kevin spoke regarding Micah. Then, Micah's Niece, Hannah M Anderson spoke.
I read from my diary entries written each day of the week following my son's death. Micah Philip Anderson was 28. His obituary is found on MLive.com, Grand Rapids, MI.
Being labeled a racist, homophobe, transphobe, and domestic terrorist, do you, Conservative, expect to keep you job?
McDermit's scholarly and readable work challenges "replacement theology", regarding the Chruch being the new Israel.
If Trump wins or loses, dark days lie ahead.
https://birgittaville.com/2020/12/18/the-fateful-lightning-of-his-terrible-swift-sword/
Scriptural truths hold now, as they always have and always will, despite the luciferian NWO oligarchy/technocracy.
Social Justice and Rioting (Tweets on a Blog)
Moral Theory
Without a universal, absolute, transcendent basis for morality, what basis do we have for stating that the action of another is unjust, whether the action be that of a police officer or of a rioter? Perhaps the morality they act from is rooted in their culture (Cultural Relativism) or in their subjectivity and feelings (Subjectivism) or in their will to power (Nietzscheism) or in their considered opinion about what action likely leads to the greater happiness for most sentient creatures (Utilitarianism). This simply is how my people behave; I do what I feel like doing; I’m progressive, evolving humanity; sometimes we must break a few eggs to make an omelet. Before a moral conversation is possible, parameters and principles must be established.
How can we value human life for any group while we do not value the lives of the most innocent among us--while we even celebrate butchering them? Where is room for respecting life, any life, given this barbaric reality? How is one to believe that ANY lives matter, while more Black babies are aborted in NYC than are born there? The right to life, respecting equal dignity among persons, is an essential principle for beginning to discuss our current crisis involving police brutality, systemic racism, and rioting.
While believing “by any means necessary”, even placing this dictum on plaques outside public institutions, why blame people for resorting to violence, looting, and vandalism? These are the means they deem necessary for establishing social justice. If this motto appeals to you, you might want to imagine your opponent acting on it as well. What means might they deem necessary for establishing their vision and goals: arson, murder, internet hacking…? Anarchy!
If you don’t want a hasty generalization or a rush to judgement applied to you and yours, don’t apply them to others. Do bad actors exist in about any large group? This hardly is a serious question. What percentage of members of a given race are racist? What percentage of police officers (or Republican or Democrat Senators and Representatives) are sociopaths and narcissists? What statistical data supports your claim? What studies support it, and how were those studies carried out? Without answering these questions, we’ll fall into scapegoating, blind hatred, irrationality, anarchy.
Evaluate from a Higher, Broader Perspective
If you think our police force, generally, is dangerously unjust, try mob-rule, or consider policing as practiced in China or Russia or Mexico. View our policing and our injustices against minorities, in a broader context, regarding a variety of societies and how they treat their minorities.
News flash: there’s injustice in the world—always has been. Focusing only on certain injustices, without a broad understanding, sews division and unrest, not for solving these problems but for exacerbating them. This is not to minimize or to defend injustice.
Allowing evil to fester and grow is cowardice and harmful to everyone. Perspective is essential, though. While we do have a long way to go in understanding and respecting minorities, in establishing peace and justice for all, America has come a long way; and our nation does fly, morally speaking, far above many nations.
At one point, the French acted heroically in arming themselves and killing troops from their rooftops; their situation warranted that. We’re not there. Injustice in America, now, hasn’t reach such depths. Injustice is certainly present, but certainly not to that extent. So, given the amount of injustice present now, just remain silent and idle? No! So, shoot from the rooftops? No! Perspective, please.
Are there highly relevant factors to consider, other than police brutality and systemic racism, concerning the plight of minorities? Perhaps fatherlessness (single parent households) plays a role, among other issues, in youth turning to substance abuse and crime, leading to poverty. Police brutality and systemic racism are real factors that must be weighed and corrected. Ignoring other relevant factors, though, helps no one. Again, evaluate from a higher, broader perspective.
Conspiracy Theory, Useful Idiots
To what extent might Communist, Maoist, and Anarchist groups, including complicit government officials, be involved in today’s riots? Who are they, and who backs them? A theory of conspiracy to riot? Absolutely! Call me a conspiracy theorist. (If you don’t realize that conspiracies against governments and institutions are, and always have been widespread, please pick up a history book—any history book.) If we can get beyond inane name-calling, uncovering the financial backers and the instigators of today’s destructive social upheaval would prove most helpful. Who is traveling beyond state lines to riot, and who is funding and training them? Are there police, mayors, representatives, or senators receiving funding and political support from treasonous organizations or billionaires? Clearly, the riots in our major cities are organized—who is organizing them? It’s certainly not any of the many Americans from a wide variety of ethnicities or religions that I often interact with (I’m thankful for having lived and worked in a diverse part of Grand Rapids, Michigan for over 20 years).
On to another conspiracy theory. Perhaps the federalized, militarized approach one might cheer on now (understandably, given the mayhem) is exactly what those against our Constitution and our democratic republic want citizens to beg for. Take care that you don’t become someone’s useful idiot, helping to establish a police state. Some have praised China for its handling of Covid19—perhaps they would prefer having a federalized police force? Totalitarian regimes are so efficient and effective in handling rioters! Whichever side one tends to favor, then, law enforcement or rioters, be careful not to be another’s pawn in a game you don’t understand. If this involves too much thinking, bring on a headache, just laugh it off, calling it a conspiracy theory, and take two aspirin (the blue pills).
Racist groups will endlessly loop video of the acts of rioters and of the acts of police brutality, for propaganda. Such propagandists are useful idiots to their puppet-masters who seek chaos before exacting their own new order. The puppet-masters advance their unique agenda on the back of any convenient movement, especially when that movement consists of many outraged activists.
Idolatry of the Family
Stop sheltering and supporting your domestic-terrorist children, parents. Arson, looting, and attacking innocent protesters are not actions where “go along to get along” is an acceptable strategy for happy homemaking. Imagine your living in 1860; you’re a Unionist while your 26-year-old son, living with you, is a Confederate. He seeks the dissolution of the U.S., believing slavery to be a valuable institution, that African slaves are less than human. “Time for dinner, honey”! Really? As thick as blood is, as important as domestic tranquility is, turning a blind eye to the evil under your roof only harms your son or daughter. Hopefully, by courageously being intolerant of their self-righteous virtue signaling, of the harmful actions they’re perpetrating against others, you’ll pull them back from the brink of hell and spare others of becoming their hapless victims; at least you’ll no longer be party to their crimes.
Destruction or Salvation
In several ways, we Americans are destroying ourselves from within. Keep it up and China, Russia, and/or Iran gladly will, sooner or later, take us over. Police brutality we sometimes witness now wouldn’t be worth mentioning, compared to what witnessing a conquering enemy would look like. God was our only hope at the birth of our nation. He’s our only hope now. Let’s try getting on a knee or two, bowing in repentance, worship, and intercession.
Rules for Retrogrades: Forty Tactics to Defeat the Radical Left Hardcover – March 20, 2020
by Timothy J. Gordon (Author), David R. Gordon (Author)
My rant against an over-the-top fear-mongering Christian book used by home-schoolers to indoctrinate their children
Use a VPN, encrypted email, a safe browser and search engine, Linux, a LAN connection, a faraday bag for your cell phone, and don't have sensitive conversations near Alexa or a T.V. or your cell phone.
Douay, KJV, RSV-CE, ESV, NABRE, NCV, Monastic Diurnal, Christian Prayer. How might one read through the Psalms?
At the bottom of this page, find my document listing readings for all prayer hours from the Benedictine Monastic Diurnal and Matins: https://birgittaville.com/audio-reading-excerpts-from-st-birgitta/
Video of the books discussed: https://youtu.be/rqjNcWOgfjU
https://birgittaville.com/2019/12/01/a-brief-examination-of-conscience-especially-for-millennials/
Reading from "Manual of Prayers", NAPC.
Businesses have successfully conducted Buddhist and Hindu meditation sessions for their employees and customers for decades (leaving explicit references to "The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali" aside). Marketing might run along these lines:
"Our meditation sessions benefit mind and body, soothing, quieting, calming, and relaxing them. The practitioner gains a sense of loving kindness, connectedness, gratitude, inner strength, stability through challenging circumstances, and stress reduction"! Drop off the Christian particulars from this podcast, "The Sacrament of Penance, Guide for a Good Confession", to market this religious practice at your business or public institution (equal or better results--guaranteed)!
Quotations from "Gay daughter sent bishop back to Scriptures"
By Bishop Richard Wilke
Aug. 21, 2019 | WINFIELD, Kansas (UM News)
That is why the current divide in our United Methodist Church over homosexuality breaks my heart. I have given my life to revitalizing the church and bringing people to Christ. I want to say that allowing this issue to separate us seems incomprehensible....
The young woman before us that night wanted to be loved and accepted, but she wasn’t a troubled, tortured soul. She was happy and whole, and Julia and I believed that her sexual orientation was how God had made her.
Still, I knew I had some work to do. I needed to reconcile my commitment to scriptural authority with loving and accepting my daughter.
There is a reason many Bibles use red letters to set Jesus’ words apart: The color highlights their importance relative to the surrounding text.
Remember, too, that Jesus is the Word made flesh. He is Lord, even of the Bible!
Neither Jews nor Christians obey the Holiness Code today. Christians eat shrimp because Jesus said, “It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.”
But Jesus and his ministry concern me most. Time and again, he deliberately focused on the marginalized. He healed the crippled, the demon-possessed and the sick. He performed miracles in the synagogue, although religious leaders scolded him that the labor and healing violated the Sabbath. A desperate woman, bleeding for years, an outcast, touched the hem of Jesus’ cloak and was healed. Our Lord forgave the prostitute who wept at his feet. He cured a Roman soldier’s servant, though the Jews despised the oppressive Roman occupation.
Samaritans were even more detested than the Romans. Yet Jesus upended all convention when he cast a “good Samaritan” as the hero of his parable.
The hatred and condemnation of others all seems to be the very opposite to both the action and the teachings of Jesus. He laid the groundwork for the church to accept Gentiles when he said, “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.”
Again and again Jesus placed kindness and acceptance over custom and social norms. “Love one another,” he commanded, “as I have loved you.” He also emphasized hospitality: “When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. And you will be blessed.”
If we are to be Christ followers, how can we reject the LGBT community in light of Jesus’ ministry?
Nothing in my 70 years of ministry would lead me to believe that The United Methodist Church would or should divide over these few misunderstood passages of Scripture. I am offering this message because, I believe that Jesus is Lord of the Bible, and all of his teachings direct us to create a loving and inclusive community of faith. I ask for your prayers for the church. Lift your voice in affirmation of our great tradition and help us to find a way forward to heal, and not divide.
https://www.umnews.org/en/news/bishop-gay-daughter-sent-him-back-to-scriptures?fbclid=IwAR2kRrkJC9TCitWUA2O1sIH5s7eE0plP_K36XquWzIjPNj_P_FSwEpyFzsw#.XWPOforP1mF.facebook
Marcionism:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09645c.htm
Appeal to Pity:
https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/tools/lp/Bo/LogicalFallacies/39/Appeal-to-Pity
Conflating the Jewish civic, ritual, and moral laws:
“We must therefore distinguish three kinds of precept in the Old Law; viz. ‘moral’ precepts, which are dictated by the natural law; ‘Ceremonial’ precepts, which are determinations of the Divine worship; and ‘judicial’ precepts, which are determinations of the justice to be maintained among men.”
Summa Theologica, Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
What is the difference between the three types of law found in the Mosaic Covenant?
Moral Law – this is law which reflects God’s character and his design of this world. Examples of this law would include but are not limited to commands regarding murder, children honoring and obeying their parents, adultery, covetousness and theft.
Ceremonial Law – this was a brand-new set of laws that God gave to Moses that were specifically for the nation of Israel as a theocracy. These laws dealt with the qualifications for priests, requirements for how and when to perform sacrifices, cleanliness laws, dietary laws, festival laws and tithing laws.
Civil(Judicial) Law – All nations must have civil laws to help deal with disputes between their citizens as well as to enforce the morals of the people. While not all of the Mosaic civil laws dealt with moral issues, a great deal of the Civil laws for Israel did in fact deal with how to punish or make restitution for violation of God’s moral laws. So, when we examine the Old Testament to search for the moral law of God – we must look for moral laws that stand alone as well as civil laws which prescribe punishment and restitution for breaking God’s moral laws.
( https://biblicalgenderroles.com/what-is-the-distinction-between-the-moral-ceremonial-and-civil-laws-of-the-old-testament/ )
Wesely's quadrilateral – Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience.
“The resulting four components or "sides" of the quadrilateral are (1) Scripture, (2) tradition, (3) reason, and (4) experience. For United Methodists, Scripture is considered the primary source and standard for Christian doctrine. Tradition is experience and the witness of development and growth of the faith through the past centuries and in many nations and cultures. Experience is the individual's understanding and appropriating of the faith in the light of his or her own life. Through reason the individual Christian brings to bear on the Christian faith discerning and cogent thought. These four elements taken together bring the individual Christian to a mature and fulfilling understanding of the Christian faith and the required response of worship and service.”
http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/wesleyan-quadrilateral
The Catechism of the Catholic Church 2357
Chastity and homosexuality
2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,140 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."141 They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.
( http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P85.HTM )
I select several passages from Chan's book that practicing Catholics likely will appreciate.
I read this Bible's commentaries on passages from Leviticus, Psalms, Mark, and I Corinthians, giving you an idea of the type of commentary offered.
A Call to Form Catholic Men’s College Employee Clubs
Meet at a Eucharistic Adoration chapel or before the Tabernacle, for twenty minutes of silent prayer and adoration.
Decide where to go for coffee, from there, to discuss for twenty minutes something from the day’s Missal or Breviary readings.
Then, after informally chatting for twenty minutes, close with a Litany.
Hang around, as time allows, talking over whatever.
This casual and flexible approach helps insure a worshipful and relaxed atmosphere, away from the workplace. We’ll encourage ourselves and our colleagues in the faith, establishing camaraderie and accountability, countering the marginalization of Catholicism in our increasingly intolerant campus culture.
Please pass this along to Catholics in your institution, encouraging them to form like cells. As these groups randomly form across your college or university, perhaps they’ll form into larger units. This open and organic approach skirts the red tape and bureaucracy of various institutions. I encourage women and Protestants to form similar clubs.
In diserning how to deal with the rampant filth within the Catholic Church hierarchy today, listening to this 14th C. saint serves as a helpful model.
I read from my blog www.birgittaville.com and expound. Using special pronouns in all their cases, for 50 gender-identities, isn't really so easy.
Considerations in Purchasing a Bible
A large Bible requires one to look further to the top of the page. This, like too small a font, creates eye strain. For younger readers, this isn't an issue.
A softcover Bible keeps shifting, requiring reading curved pages. Picky personal preference, perhaps.
Whiter paper, without much bleed-through, gives greater contrast and less distraction. Some readers easily ignore seeing text from the opposite side of the page they're reading.
Reading a version one is familiar with aids memory, but an unfamiliar version fosters thinking. Here's a tough consideration! I've read each of many versions at least a couple times, or extensively: KJV, RSV, NIV, Amplified, New RSV, NASBRE, J.B. Philips, and, to a lesser extent, many other translations. The result? While I'm aware of differing shades of many to passages, I don't have verses well ingrained to memory, as, say, one faithful to the KJV or Douay would. Nonetheless, currently I'm reading two translations new to me, and quite different from one another: The New Jerusalem Bible and the Knox Version; sometimes I'll read the same chapter in each--loving it (but not aiding memorization)!
One can’t take seriously a pop-style paraphrase. Many modern translations are written at a child’s reading level. This simplistic style is bland and uninteresting, tedious. Any day, I'll take the KJV, with its archaisms, to The New Living Bible.
Passages put to verse formatting breaks up the reading, perhaps, as opposed to paragraph formatting. Likely, paragraph style makes for reading paragraphs rather than phrases (where each phrase is given its own line, as in prayers and songs, Psalms, etc.). Some find verse numbering within the text, rather than in the margin, distracting (picky).
A study Bible is a good source, but for daily reading it’s distracting and makes for added weight and size. Use study resources for studying. If you're reading four chapters a day, to read through each year, you likely don't have much extra daily study time.
Perhaps a casual textbook cover doesn’t give scripture its do dignity. Maybe gold leafing and fine leather aren't suitable for a backpack or for reading at coffee shops, though.
Follow this video for a comparison of several Catholic Bible translations: https://youtu.be/c4fkD2voXy4
Reading from Ephesians, 2 Timothy, 2 Thessalonians, from Confraternity Edition of the Douay Version, J.B. Phillips' The New Testament in Modern English, and Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition
Prayer from "Manual of Prayers," Pontifical North American College, with my comments following.
I pray throught the Morning Prayer of the Breviary for the day, adding some explanation of the form.
Provocative tongue-in-cheek call for Christians to meet in small groups for discussing salt and light approaches.