Margin Notes and Milestones: A Journaling Gift for Our Children’s 18th Birthdays
One of the greatest desires of my heart is that my children would grow up knowing and loving the God of the Bible. I want them to see that Scripture is not just a book of rules, but the living Word of God—speaking, guiding, shaping, and transforming us as we walk with Him. Over the years, my husband and I have talked about what it looks like to tangibly pass down our faith to our three children. How could we leave them with something that shows, in ink on paper, the testimony of God’s work in our lives and His Word applied to our everyday?
This year, we landed on a tradition we are prayerful will do just that. We purchased three ESV Heirloom Bibles—one for each of our children. These aren’t just beautiful, durable Bibles, but they’re the kind that can stand the test of time, meant to last a lifetime and more (you can sometimes find them on sale here). Our plan is simple: we will each take turns reading through one child’s Bible, journaling in the margins as we go. When one of us finishes, we’ll pass it to the other parent to do the same. By the time our children turn eighteen, each of them will receive a Bible filled with notes, reflections, prayers, and memories from both of their parents.
Our hope is that this tradition will be more than a gift; it will be a living testimony of God’s Word alive in our lives, a tangible record of our faith, and a treasure they will carry into adulthood.
How We Write in the Bibles
One of the most freeing choices we made early on was not to be “too precious” about what we wrote in the margins. This is not meant to be a flawless project or a polished commentary—it’s a glimpse into our real-time walk with the Lord. Sometimes that looks like underlining a verse and jotting a short phrase like, God’s faithfulness never ends. Sometimes it’s circling a verse number and writing the lyrics of an old hymn it reminds me of. Other times it’s simply highlighting a passage that stirred my heart that morning.
The goal is not perfection, but authenticity. I want my kids to look at these notes one day and see the thoughts that ran through my mind as I read Scripture. I want them to know that their mom and dad wrestled with God’s Word, delighted in its promises, and anchored our lives to its truths.
Weaving in Personal Stories
Every so often, I’ll come across a verse that brings to mind a moment in my own life. Instead of just letting that thought pass, I write it down in the margins. For example, while reading Proverbs, I remembered a season in high school when I desperately needed wisdom in choosing friends. I wrote a short note:
“When I was in high school, this verse helped me choose my friends wisely. It wasn’t always easy, but God honored those choices.”
Just a few sentences, along with the year of my life I was in, but it connects the timeless truth of Scripture with the very real experiences of my story. My hope is that these little windows will remind my children that their parents weren’t perfect, but that Scripture mattered deeply to us—and that it can speak to their real lives, too.
Celebrating Their Growth
Another way we’ve been filling these Bibles is by recording how we see God working in our children’s lives. When I read a verse about joy, I might pause and think of Elliot, whose name was chosen because of the joy she brought into our family. I’ll write something like:
“I see God growing joy in Elliot’s heart. Even when things don’t go her way, she brings laughter and light into our home. May her joy always be rooted in Christ.”
Sometimes I’ll add the date to mark the moment. These notes not only connect Scripture to their lives but also celebrate the work of the Holy Spirit in them. What a gift it will be, I hope, for my children to look back and see the ways we recognized God’s hand shaping them.
Writing Prayers for Them
Perhaps the most meaningful part of this tradition has been writing prayers for our children directly in the margins of Scripture. These are not long or elaborate—just heartfelt petitions to the Lord on their behalf.
When I’m reading through the Psalms, I might write:
“Lord, give Emerson eyes to see what is true and help her cling to it.”
In the wisdom books, I might pray:
“Lord, give Oliver a soft heart toward Your Spirit and wisdom for each choice he faces.”
Or in the New Testament letters:
“Lord, grant to Elliot all that she needs for a life of godliness as she walks with You.”
These prayers feel like planting seeds that I may never see bloom, but I trust that God hears them, treasures them, and will answer them in His time.
Looking Ahead
When our children turn eighteen, we plan to gift them each their Bible. By then, they’ll hold in their hands not just a copy of God’s Word, but a testimony of how that Word shaped their parents’ lives. They’ll see our prayers, our struggles, our joys, our reflections. They’ll be reminded of who God is and how He has met us in both ordinary and extraordinary ways.
We hope these Bibles become something they cherish, carry with them, and continue to write in themselves. Our dream is that this gift won’t just be a keepsake but a living tool—a Bible that continues to be marked up, prayed over, and filled with their own notes as they grow in Christ.
An Invitation
I wanted to share this glimpse of our tradition not to suggest that everyone needs to do it exactly the same way, but to encourage you to think about what faith legacies you want to leave for your children. Maybe for you it’s writing a yearly letter of blessings, or keeping a prayer journal for them, or even recording short voice memos of prayers and reflections. The form doesn’t matter nearly as much as the heart: showing our children that God’s Word is alive, active, and deeply personal.
Our prayer is that when our children look back on these Bibles, they won’t just see notes in the margins. They’ll see evidence of God’s steadfast love, His promises fulfilled, and His Word interwoven into the fabric of our family.
And, Lord willing, they’ll treasure the Scriptures not only because they carry their parents’ words but because they are ultimately God’s words—the words of life.
