My mother gave me my Bible when I was thirteen. It has a black pleather extreior with many crinkles and lines down the front and back of it from constant wrangling (a nasty habit I have when thinking about spiritual things). The title, "Holy Bible DICTIONARY CONCORDANCE" appears in gold on the front cover. "Holy Bible, RED LETTER EDITION, KING JAMES VERSION, NELSON 162" appears in gold along the spine. The top and bottom of the spine are worn away, showing cloth material of alternating red and yellow stripes. Pieces of the cover edges are torn and parts of the edges have fallen away. The visible pages are worn and a lighter pink then when I first received it. The lower right corner of the front cover is bent upwards by about half a centimeter.

On the inside of the front cover is a photo of a standing on a small boat, rowing his way to shore as the sun sets (or rises) behind him in varying shades of yellow, orange and black. On the first page is the outline of a vine and the words,

This

Holy Bible

presented to

Corey

by

Mommie

date

Christmas Day 1986

On the inside back cover are two ancient maps of the Middle East and Israel, entitled "THE JOURNEYS OF ST PAUL"

Within my Bible itself, many verses are highlighted in yellow, green, blue, purple, and pink. Red and blue ball-point pen underlines many verses I deemed important while I taught English in Korea. Notes, in both red and blue pen are scribbled (some unintelligable even to me as my handwriting is atrocious). My favorite books are Isaiah, Ezekial, and Matthew and it shows by all the highlighting and notes in those three monumental books.

My bookstop is an antique gold-plated metal cross that bends into a flat bookmark. The cross itself is intricately designed and I often "stick" the bookstop to my finger (which fits right in the top groove) and flick it back and forth whenever I'm agitated with a certain scripture (and have almost poked myself in the eye with it a few times).

The LORD has taught me to kiss my Bible after I pray, or even when I just see it and feel the need to express my love of the LORD.

I love my bible! She's so exquisite and faithful and has been with me longer than any friend. She's always there when I need it. We've had our disagreements, but my Bible's the better half. She cries with me and laughs with me. She always has a kind word when I feel like I'm at the end of my rope. She embraces me when the world shuns me. When people lie to me, and I lie to myself, She's truthful. I often sleep with my Bible in my bed and She's always smiling in the morning.

My Bible's introduced me to all Her friends and Her Brothers and Sisters. She introduced me to the LORD with whom She's intimate. She's jealous of my relations with the world as the LORD is jealous for us all. She demands my intimacy, love and attention. She's older than any man alive and yet I always seem to find new wonders within her. She's existed since the beginning of time and will be forever young. My Bible's devoted to me and I'm devoted to Her.

Oh, LORD of heaven and earth, bless you forever for bringing me my Bible!

-Corey