Today I am beyond excited to introduce you to one of my best friends and favorite people in the world, Tara Leigh Cobble. Tara Leigh is such a role model to me, and I have learned so much from her over the past few years. My dream was to visit Israel last June for my high school graduation trip, Tara Leigh guided my family and I to see the Bible come to life. Tara Leigh taught us about the journey of Jesus and gave us so much insight into different stories in the Bible. The trip was not only a life-changing experience, but it was also such a blast because Tara Leigh  became apart of the McGuire fam! Tara Leigh has an amazing podcast called The Bible Recap which walks you through the Bible chronologically. The Bible Recap has become my favorite way to start my day. I asked TLC a few questions, and today she is answering them below… lets get into it!

♡I get so many questions about The Bible Recap how would you describe it? Do you have to start January 1st?

It’s an 8-minute daily podcast for those of us who have a hard time understanding what the Bible means and why it’s important. We walk through the whole Bible in a year! And you can start any day! TODAY is always the best day to start! 

♡Why is it so important to read the Bible chronologically?

The Bible is laid out like a library, where books are gathered by sections (history, poetry, etc.). That makes it kind of confusing to understand when we read it front-to-back, because our brains are drawn to stories, not categories. Reading it chronologically just means we read the story in the order it happened. It helps it make SO much more sense!

♡God Shot is such an amazing way to summarize the podcast. How did you think of that?

We end each episode with the God Shot, which is the snapshot/picture of God’s character that we saw in that day’s reading. I wanted to remind people that the purpose of Scripture is to reveal GOD to us. Most of us tend to read the Bible as though it’s about us, so we look for a “to do” list or our application points. When we do that, we miss the beauty of seeing who God is! Talking about my God Shot and asking the listeners to find their own is one helpful way to remind us what we’re looking for in the reading!

♡Can you tell us about D-Group and how it started? 

D-Group (Discipleship Group) is a weekly Bible study that meets in homes and churches around the world. While The Bible Recap podcast does a big overview, D-Group is a way to really dig deeper in certain parts of Scripture and learn more. I started it because I wanted people to study the Bible with but most of the Bible studies I joined were focused on the lives of the members, not on the BIble. They were “community groups” more than Bible studies. People have jokingly referred to D-Group as “the CrossFit of Bible Studies” because it can be intense but you build such great community as you encourage each other through the hard parts!

♡How many times have you been to Israel? And do you still lead trips to Israel if so how can one join?

The last time I went was when I took your family there in July, and I think that trip was Lucky #13! 🙂 I try to go 1-2 times per year because I miss it so much when I’m gone! If someone is interested in joining one of our group trips, they can visit mydgroup.org/israel. If they’re interested in a private boutique trip, they can email me through that website! 

♡What’s a fun fact about you?

I don’t care for most music but I LOVE Coldplay. One rainy night in March 2016, I slept on a New York City sidewalk so I could see Coldplay sing 3 songs on the TODAY show. This may not sound fun to most people, but it was a BLAST for me! 🙂

♡You are so intentional with how you spend your time & who you spend your time with. Have you always been like that?

Even since I was in high school, I remember seeking out wise people. I joined the Sunday School class with all the women in their 50s and up, because I wanted to learn from them. Since I spend much of my time pouring out to others, I need to be filled up by my time with God and His people! I once heard someone say, “You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with,” so it also became important to me to seek out friends who are encouraging, kind, and who love Jesus. People like YOU, Sophie! I’m so glad we’re friends! I have so much respect for your message and the way you point people to what matters and always leave people better than you found them. Thanks for what you do and for letting me be a little part of it! 

Much love

Sophie & TLC