J. Howard Cobble was a venerable Baptist Minister of a generation ago. Back in the day, he shared a short piece titled “THE DIARY OF A BIBLE”. Following up on my previous post about worthy New Year’s resolutions, I thought it appropriate to post it here today…
THE DIARY OF A BIBLE
JANUARY: A busy time for me. Most of the family decided to read me through this year. They kept me busy for the first two weeks, but they have forgotten me now.
FEBRUARY: Clean-up time. I was dusted yesterday and put in my place. My owner did use me for a few minutes last week. He had been in an argument and was looking up some references to prove he was right.
MARCH: Had a busy day first of the month. My owner was elected president of the PTA & used me to prepare a speech.
APRIL: Grandpa visited us this month. He kept me on his lap reading for an hour each day. He seems to think more of me than do some people in my own household.
MAY: I have a few green stains on my pages. Some spring flowers were pressed in my pages.
JUNE: I look like a scrapbook. They have stuffed me full of newspaper clippings – one of the girls was married.
JULY: They put me in a suitcase today. I guess we are off on vacation. I wish I could stay home; I know I’ll be closed up in this thing for at least two weeks.
AUGUST: Still in the suitcase.
SEPTEMBER: Back home at last and in my old familiar place. I have a lot of company. Two women’s magazines and four comic books are stacked on top of me. I wish I could be read as much as they are.
OCTOBER: They read me a little bit today. One of them is very sick. Right now I am sitting in the center of the coffee table. I think the Pastor is coming by for a visit.
NOVEMBER: Back in my old place. Somebody asked today if I were a scrapbook.
DECEMBER: The family is busy getting ready for the holidays. I guess I’ll be covered up under wrapping paper & packages again … just as I am every Christmas.
Dr. Cobble concluded this article with a single question: “Should you make a commitment to reading your Bible through this year?”
I conclude this post with a similarly piercing one: “What would the diary of your own Bible read like this coming year?”
SOURCE:
The above piece was published in Volume XXXIX, No. 52, of “The Trumpeter”, The Severns Valley Baptist Church Newsletter, dated December 31, 1992. I do not know Dr. Cobble’s original source. But variations of the above piece are available widely today on the internet. See, for instance:
http://www.grandoldbook.com/diary_of_a_bible.pdf; and
https://inhispresencedaily.com/index.php/2014/03/09/the-diary-of-a-bible/.
MORE ON DR. HOWARD COBBLE:
https://subscriber.thenewsenterprise.com/content/friends-remember-late-severns-valley-pastor-cobble.
THE DIARY OF A BIBLE
JANUARY: A busy time for me. Most of the family decided to read me through this year. They kept me busy for the first two weeks, but they have forgotten me now.
FEBRUARY: Clean-up time. I was dusted yesterday and put in my place. My owner did use me for a few minutes last week. He had been in an argument and was looking up some references to prove he was right.
MARCH: Had a busy day first of the month. My owner was elected president of the PTA & used me to prepare a speech.
APRIL: Grandpa visited us this month. He kept me on his lap reading for an hour each day. He seems to think more of me than do some people in my own household.
MAY: I have a few green stains on my pages. Some spring flowers were pressed in my pages.
JUNE: I look like a scrapbook. They have stuffed me full of newspaper clippings – one of the girls was married.
JULY: They put me in a suitcase today. I guess we are off on vacation. I wish I could stay home; I know I’ll be closed up in this thing for at least two weeks.
AUGUST: Still in the suitcase.
SEPTEMBER: Back home at last and in my old familiar place. I have a lot of company. Two women’s magazines and four comic books are stacked on top of me. I wish I could be read as much as they are.
OCTOBER: They read me a little bit today. One of them is very sick. Right now I am sitting in the center of the coffee table. I think the Pastor is coming by for a visit.
NOVEMBER: Back in my old place. Somebody asked today if I were a scrapbook.
DECEMBER: The family is busy getting ready for the holidays. I guess I’ll be covered up under wrapping paper & packages again … just as I am every Christmas.
Dr. Cobble concluded this article with a single question: “Should you make a commitment to reading your Bible through this year?”
I conclude this post with a similarly piercing one: “What would the diary of your own Bible read like this coming year?”
SOURCE:
The above piece was published in Volume XXXIX, No. 52, of “The Trumpeter”, The Severns Valley Baptist Church Newsletter, dated December 31, 1992. I do not know Dr. Cobble’s original source. But variations of the above piece are available widely today on the internet. See, for instance:
http://www.grandoldbook.com/diary_of_a_bible.pdf; and
https://inhispresencedaily.com/index.php/2014/03/09/the-diary-of-a-bible/.
MORE ON DR. HOWARD COBBLE:
https://subscriber.thenewsenterprise.com/content/friends-remember-late-severns-valley-pastor-cobble.