Milestones...

It's a tradition in our family that when someone has learned to read they receive their very own Bible.  Warren and Brent are both reading well enough now, that they were presented with theirs.  We've made a point of purchasing leather ones rather than the hardcover pew version which tend to fall apart easily.  We want them to treasure their Bibles and we expect them to handle them carefully.  I told the boys this yesterday while they listened, a little awed by the momentous occasion.  They looked a little confused when, after saying that, I told them we wanted them to wear them out. I explained that I've had these Bibles sitting in my closet, still in their boxes, for years, and of course, they were still in pristine condition.  And they would have no problem keeping them that way if they just kept them in a box on a shelf.  But a Bible is not meant to sit on a shelf.  For it to be of benefit, it must be read, studied, and meditated upon often.

I remember when I was in grade 4 that some men came to our classroom, handing out Bibles from the Gideon Society.  One of the men asked us, "What colour should a Bible be?"  Some kids said, "Black." The man replied, "It doesn't matter what colour it is, as long as it is read."

The boys have been working hard at wearing them out. :)  We find them reading on their bed, the stairs, the couch, the floor...

And then, "Mom, what does m-i-d-s-t spell?" :)