In Honor of my Bibles

So since I have actually read farther in the Bible in 90 Days program than before, I wanted to do a post about the Bible I was considering buying to read next. And it got me thinking about my other Bibles. And I decided to do a post in honor of my Bibles. :) And I have several!! LOL So here we go!!

This was my very first Bible ever given to me, by my parents. I was eight years, and it was Easter. I took Communion for the first time that year. :) This Bible was my primary companion, Bible-wise, for several years.

My next Bible, which I do NOT have a picture of, was a devotional Bible given to me on my 16th Birthday. I used it a little, but it wasn't the Bible I needed at that time.

Shortly after I was given that Bible a friend gave me a Student Bible in NIV. I found it SO much easier to read and understand, so for the next couple of years it was my primary Bible. And it would be until I drifted away again.

For my high school graduation I received this little Bible. Although I didn't use it much at time, it would serve me well nearly ten years later when i went to Basic Training and could only have a Bible with me. I didn't want to bring my first Bible, which was already showing signs of significant wear. My other two Bibles were larger, and my recruiter had said to be sure it was SMALL. So, this was the Bible I brought. It was comforting to have God's Word near me during such a challenging time.

When my now ex-husband and I married, we received a large Family Bible, a traditional gift from a certain family member. I was excited to have it to carry on the tradition, even though I was in such a state of uncertainty spiritually. When my ex-husband and I separated, he told me to keep it, as he knew it meant more to me, and would mean more to the girls. :)

For many years between high school and the military, I didn't even bother. My spiritual life was dead basically. I wandered a little but really just didn't try. When I went in the military I finally started coming back, it took me a while. And when my heart and soul finally found it's way home, in the midst of my world shattering, I bought a new Bible.
I wanted the readability of NIV, and something that felt nice in my hand. I wanted something pretty, because right then, nothing in my life felt pretty. One of my best friends had just died, and I knew my marriage was in bad shape. In the middle of ALL of that, and the girls "terrible two's" I found God again. And this time for good. This Bible has been used pretty heavily in the last year or two. I have used it for reading the Bible in 90 Days, TWICE. (even though I didn't finish the first time). It has traveled from Massachusetts where it was purchased, to Oregon for a funeral, to Kentucky/Tennessee where I lived at the time, and back and forth between TN and MA several times, before I finally moved permanently to MA. I have read it and marked it, and loved it. It has gone camping with me, it has gone to church with me, it has gone to work with me. I know this Bible with wear out one day, but that is okay. :)

Last October, I told BFF that I wanted a study Bible. As much as I LOVE my nice NIV, I wanted a Bible with more notes in it, or a Parallel Bible. I liked the idea of being able to compare versions more easily. BFF bought me one, and was planning to give it to me for Christmas. Except God had other plans :D I was baptized on November 21, 2009. She decided to give me that Bible for my baptism instead.

This parallel Bible is WONDERFUL. It has KJV, NKJV, NIV, and New Living Translation. There is just some times when I really need to see the differences. I love this Bible. There is just one minor problem with it. It's kinda big and heavy!! :) It's hard to carry around and it's REALLY HARD to find a Bible cover to fit it. SO...

In my continuing search for a good study Bible...

Not two months after BFF got my parallel Bible for me (and one for her too), a publishing house associated with the SDA Church released what is called The Remnant Study Bible. I fell in love with it, so did BFF. But we both felt a little bad having JUST gotten the new Bibles. BFF's DH and I though, we KNEW how bad BFF wanted it. So we were sneaky and got together. We split the cost and bought her her's for her Birthday. Except that our church then announced a Bible Marking Seminar, for a month BEFORE her birthday. And they recommended a new Bible, since we'd be doing so much marking in it. What a quandry right? Well, wrong. We decided the best way to keep this a true surprise was to just give it to her as soon as it arrived! LOL And we did. But since I was ordering hers, I went ahead and ordered my own to!!

The day both Bibles arrived, I rushed them upstairs to be sure the imprinting was correct, then I put them in HER OWN CLOSET on the floor! LOL She certainly wasn't going to go SNOOPING there! And that evening her DH and I snuck away and wrapped it in Christmas paper (best we could do on short notice), and handed it to her. She was DEFINITELY surprised, and pleased. Mine is the one in the picture. Her's is burgundy and black. I haven't used mine a TON yet, because I am doing Bible in 90 Days, and use an NIV for that. This Bible is NKJV. When I am done with NKJV, I intend to switch and make this my primary Bible, I think. :)

Now then... what Bible do I want next?? Well... I have been considering doing the reading in chronological order. I think it would be a very interesting way to read after having read cover to cover in order. I know there are plans out there to read your OWN Bible in Chronological order, but I LOVE the faster pace of 90 Days. So I think I'd like to get an actual Chronological Bible so I could read it faster. I really like the size and portability of this one which is an NIV translation. This one is NKJV, and it a little pricier, but is full color and seems pretty amazing. I have some thinking to do. :)

I hope you have enjoyed this journey through my Bibles, and a little bit of my life. :)