Bibles

As any good Southern Baptist girl does, I have Bibles all over my house from my whole life, because I just don't know what to do with an old Bible. I would never be able to get rid of one. I'm sure I could give it to someone who needs one, like some powerful moment in the airport or something, but that's never happened to me, so my Bibles pile up in a bookshelf. I have my pink Precious Moments Bible from Elementary School. My beautiful green Bible from high school that the cover came off of so its in a green Bible cover. I have a Women's Devotional Bible that was given to me from a sweet family I babysat for as a high school graduation gift. We have a huge Family Bible that was given to us as a wedding gift. I have a couple of tiny Bibles that I bought throughout the years to travel with because I thought it would be easier, but the font is so small, how can anyone read those things. My current Bible I take to church is a fairly recent purchase before Lifeway stores went out of business (don't get me started on that, that's for another blog post.). I love it, my current favorite color of turquoise and in the same version our pastor uses to preach out of. But this post is really about my favorite Bible.

Jason's first church as a youth minister was Trinity Baptist Church in Henderson, TX. When he was interviewing with them he took me with him on the interview, and we weren't even engaged yet, but close. While we served there, we got engaged and married. The church pianist and organist played at our wedding and their kids were our ring bearer and flower girls. (Goodness, those kids are in their late 20s now!) And our sweet pastor did our welcome. And every Sunday while we attended there, Jude and Gaynell Glascock sat behind us in church. They were the sweetest older couple who I know genuinely prayed for us and our ministry there.

When I graduated from college, Jude asked me what I wanted as a graduation gift, and I said a new Bible that had my new married name on it. He brought me money and told me to go pick out a new Bible. I picked out a navy NIV Study Bible and was so proud to engrave Christy Gadman on the cover. I remember how excited I was so show it to them and wanted them to sign the inside of it, but they were afraid their elderly handwriting wouldn't look good, so they watched me write in the cover that they had given it to me on that date.

I still use that Bible for most of my quiet times in the mornings, 22 years later. Because its so big, I haven't taken it to church very much, so its still in good shape. But it has so much underlined in it. I did use it in Seminary and so the 20 verses I had to memorize in my Biblical counseling class are underlined in a different color. I'm not one to write too many notes in the margins, I fill up journals instead, so you won't find too much written there. But if I only had time to grab one Bible if we had to leave quickly that would be it.

I did a search of those sweet people awhile back. Jude passed away in 2004 at 89 years of age. He had been a Baptist pastor. He had married Gaynell after his first wife died and they had been married 14 years when he passed, but when you met them, you would have thought they had been married forever. Gaynell passed away in 2007 at 91. I will always remember their kindness and support of this young newly married couple at their first church who didn't know what they were doing. And I treasure that Bible they gifted me. I hope I can pass on that kindness to the next generation.