The dedication page just inside the front cover was filled in by my mother. My Bible was a gift for Christmas in 1992, making it twenty two years old. Over the course of these twenty two years, I've written many notes in the margins. This is the Bible I took to camps, on mission trips, taught from during my internships and carried to class at Harding. Many people have their own story of their Bible I'm sure.
I take my Bible to church with me each Sunday. I prefer to read along in my text so that I can underline and make notes, rather than just watching the screen. What I've noticed in recent weeks is that the notes I've made in the margins are contributing to deepening my thoughts and understanding now. I read the comments I've written before, consider what I'm presently listening to and I become a better student.
Today's sermon was from I John. One of the notes in my margin says "Bottle Illustration." You see, not only is my Bible with notes in the margin an assist to me as a student, it also serves as a time capsule. As I sat in the pew this morning, I began pulling papers out of the front cover of my case so that I could find my bottle illustration. Behind cards, bulletins, sermon notes, and remembrance brochures, I found this...
If you can't read my fourteen year old handwriting, it says, "Kristen Jones, Quartz Mtn Christian Camp 1993, July 4-9, Theme: I John "Love"." There are more notes on the back of this drawing that further explain the lesson. Among other papers in the cover of my Bible is a directory of sorts of all of those that were in attendance at that camp, that we all signed like a yearbook. Priceless memories. That was the last camp I attended with those friends, my family moved that fall and I made new friends and stored new papers.
As I'm sure everyone does, I appreciate these things more now that I'm older. I'm able to see the most frequently studied sections of my Bible, the lessons I've learned and the memories I've stored, all through the writing in the margins.
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