Logocentric (adj).Regarding words and language as a fundamental expression of an external reality (especially applied as a negative term to traditional Western thought by postmodernist critics).
Sometimes I just write whatever I feel like. Other times I respond to prompts, many taken from the following places:
I have always enjoyed the longer distance running and skiing. The Marathon in Summer Olympics and the 50km Mass Start in the Winter. My wife can't understand how I can watch the same race for several hours. But they are fascinating to me. I like the Downhill Slalom, Bobsled and Luge sports. Attending a Winter Olympics remains on my bucket list.
My favorite sporting events in the Winter Olympics are the Luge, Bobsled, Figure Skating and curling. Initially, I thought I would be bored with curling but I'm not. It's fascinating how they determine each glide's angle and potential score.
When my children were younger we built them a luge course, they loved it. We were lucky that winter to have lots of snow to build up the walls and with some help with pallets that we covered with snow, it kept them and the neighborhood kids busy until it warmed up and melted. I was a lot more at ease with the luge course than I was when they decided to try arial jumps off our house roof. Never a dull moment when you live in Maine.
I am reading ESV through the Bible this time. Like you, I've explored a bunch of translations. My church uses NIV but my women's Bible study group (part of the same church) varies based on what Bible study we're doing.
Hope you enjoy the Olympics! I agree that the every four year thing makes them feel more special.
I read the New American Bible, which is a Catholic Bible. (NABRE) They include Tobit, Judith, 1 & 2 Maccabees, which generally aren't included in other versions of the Bible. I would be curious to read an orthodox bible or the Ethiopian Bible as I hear they have differences as well.
As for the Olympics, I love the Winter Olympics. I'm just crossing my fingers I have time to watch!
In terms of the original texts the NASB has the best reputation among conservative scholars. It looks at more translations, has a sensible hierarchy of text selection and the best principles for approaching the translation task. It favors original texts when possible. The ESV and NKJV are on a similar level. The Net Bible gives the best overview of the discussions in its commentary. The NIV renders the original text to make it more readable. It is a more functional text which is why many churches use it but it is also less precise. Greek or Russian orthodox are more Septuagint orientated and there is a considerable amount of ethical or emotional rendering to the text.The disadvantage of the NASB is that it loses much of the Hebrew poetical style in its effort to be precise as this does not translate into the English
I'm very fortunate to have met some practicing and humble Christians. Truly humble people seek to serve, not attain power and influence. The actions of many Christians make me run the opposite way... as fast as I can.
In his book, Sit, Walk, Stand, Watchman Nee states: "Nothing has done greater damage to our Christian testimony than our trying to be right and demanding right of others. We become preoccupied with what is and what is not right. We ask ourselves,' Have we been justly or unjustly treated?' and we think thus to vindicate our actions. But that is not our standard. The whole question for us is one of crossbearing".
Jeff, this is an excellent book. Perhaps one for your reading list?
NONFICTION PROMPT for 1/6/17: Several writers have had their careers made when a famous person read their work, notably when President Ronald Reagan praised Tom Clancy's first book and catapulted Clancy to international fame. If that were to happen to you, which celebrity would you want to be the catalyst, and why?
As much I'd love the praise of a literary hero of mine or someone super-successful in publishing would tell the world how great my stories are (my list in that category include, among others, Joe Abercrombie, Lawrence Block, Lee Child, Ernest Cline, Michael Connelly, Janet Evanovich, Neil Gaiman, John Grisham, Stephen King, Scott Lynch, George R.R. Martin, James Patterson, Patrick Rothfuss, and Brandon Sanderson), I think I'd want my celebrity advocate to be someone who isn't known for their connections to literature.
A head of state or other world leader would definitely be cool... not our incoming President-Elect necessarily, but I would be totally floored if President Obama or Angela Merkel or Pope Francis said they enjoyed one of my works. Hey, as long as we're dreaming, why not have newly-appointed United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres start up a General Assembly book club to read my work?
If not a world leader, a movie star would be pretty cool too. The paparazzi endlessly follow around A-list celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence, George Clooney, Harrison Ford, and Scarlett Johansson... it'd be really fun to look on TMZ one day and realize that Chris Pratt and Anna Faris took their family on a vacation and were photographed buying a copy of my book at the airport, or reading it on the beach.
So without naming specific names and only narrowing it down since there are so many choices, I think I'd go for a world leader first, then a movie star celebrity second. Basically, I just want someone not known for reading and/or writing to say, "I'm not known for being a voracious reader, but I simply couldn't put this book down!"
***
NONFICTION PROMPT FOR 1/7/17: If you could afford to live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
If I could afford it, I would live in multiple places throughout the year. The Pacific Northwest of the United States is probably my favorite region that I've visited so far, and I could easily see that being my regular home throughout the year. But as much as I love rain and overcast weather, I worry that I'd get tired of that weather the same way I get tired of the sun and lack of seasons living in Southern California. So I'd want to have a couple other options where I could live for parts of the year when I wanted a break from the Pacific Northwest.
Of all the places I've been, I'd love to have vacation homes on the island of Maui in Hawaii, and Paris (mostly for the history and the food). There are a bunch of places I've always wanted to go but have never been... I have a feeling that I'd probably be pretty excited about living in Italy (again, the history... and the food!), Australia or New Zealand, or even Japan or Thailand. Part of me thinks it would even be fun to live on a remote island nation, like Seychelles or the Maldives or Iceland or Fiji... although, who knows, I could go stir-crazy after a few months.
Based on where I've been and what I've already seen of the world, I think it's be the Pacific Northwest for me.
Comment 
