My Worn Out Bible

Hello beloved friends! I hope all is well with each of you, and that your week is treating you well. My week is crawling by, but it may actually be a good thing. For some reason I am as motivated as ever this week and I am being impressively productive. I think I am going to begin my huge exegesis final paper later on this week! I was also able to get some pretty darn sweet books at our Bookstore's 50% off overstock sale, so I might get crackin on those as well! Anyway, today's post stems from a question I was asked a few weeks ago:

How many times have you read the Bible? I don't have a number waiting proudly in response because I don't know the answer. The whole thing? Cover to cover? ...or sections? Gospels? Letters? Narratives? Prophets? Law? Pastorals? Apocalyptic? New Testament? Old Testament? Apocryphal works? I've read it a lot of times, and some sections more than others; but in order--cover to cover? I don't know. Between just reading, devotionals, reading for class, getting caught up in readings, filling in the contexts of sermon scriptures, exegeting, writing papers, reading for reading's sake... I have read enough to have very little room left in the margins for additional comments, ripped and scruffled pages, water damage, coffee stains, rips and tears, and a severely worn out binding. Let me put it this way: I have read the Bible enough times for it to be tired and worn out... enough times to justify actually buying another one of the same translation. 

Hannah, Paul, and the Psalms. My Bible has really been getting a work out this semester, especially recently! Despite doing the assigned readings for New Testament and my daily devotionals, I have also been spending a whole lot of time in I Samuel reading about Hannah. I am preparing a Bible study comparing her song in Chapter 2 to Mary's Magnificat (Luke 1:46-1:56), and writing my exegesis paper on her story. Next, I've been spending a good deal of time with my beloved friend Paul. Other than reading all of his letters for NT, I also did an exegesis paper and several speech readings from Romans. Finally, the psalms--I have been wrestling with these all semester long in my psalms class. I will be sure to write a post when I finish singing and journaling through all of them.

Paul

I must say, it has been good to expand my biblical knowledge this semester! I'm very grateful! I hope to see all of you very soon! Peace be with you. =)