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?
Start your entry today with the words: “I used to believe...”
I used to believe that I was the exception to the rule.
I used to believe that I would be that one-in-a-million success story.
I used to believe that my talent would just naturally be discovered and I'd rise to the top.
But that was a long time ago and, I suppose, not so different from a lot of young people when they first graduate and set off into the world on their chosen career path. The assumptions that the world would just somehow recognize how talented we are, and that success is something to be stumbled upon. Being born at the crossroads of Generation X and the Millennials, I got a lot of the "participation trophy" stuff growing up. At the pinewood derby car race in Boy Scouts, they had trophies for the winners and literal participation ribbons for everyone else. For Little League, everyone on every team got a trophy regardless of their performance or the team's ranking at the end of the season. For schools plays, everyone got cast in some role, even if most of us were relegated to the background because we didn't audition well enough to land a more prominent role.
In a way, I understand the impulse to make every child feel like they're special and meant for great things. The positive reinforcement can be very inspiring and comforting to one's ego. However, I can also see how damaging it is, especially with kids younger than me who were a little more firmly in the Millennial generation and graduated at the height of the Great Recession, to be convinced that you're entitled to rewards just for being you, and then to land hard in the real world and have to discover on your own that advancement and success are earned, not handed out.
Convincing your kids that they're unique snowflakes destined for greatness just because they are who they are is a really dangerous approach to parenting, because the kids hit the real world hard and many don't have the skills necessary to cope with rejection and a world that isn't inclined to give you anything unless you fight for it. On the other hand, it can be devastating to a kid's self-esteem and sense of self in their formative years if you constantly reinforce that they're ordinary, nothing special, etc. As with most things, I think moderation is the key. It's important to figure out what things about a kid are special and encourage and promote those hobbies, interests, skills, etc. And it's equally important to teach them that they're not going to be great at everything, that they're probably not going to be that one-in-a-million exception to the rule, that they're going to have to work hard and fight hard to be successful and stand out from a crowd.
I spent a lot of years just assuming success would come to me, and I think it probably cost me some opportunities when my grades in school were good, but not great, when my work ethic in the early years was decent but not terribly strong, and even now when I have a natural inclination to just assume everything's going to work out in my favor before I have to remind myself not to rest on my laurels and that I need to push ahead and define my own success.
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