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?
Take a look at this list of values. Pick your top ten values and rank them based on how important they are to you. Then, write about the values you chose and if any have changed throughout your life.
Honestly, 400 personal values is a lot to go through, so I'm going to take a bit of a shortcut. A few years ago, I did a Strengths Finder in connection with a job application, which is an assessment that asks you a bunch of questions and returns a list of your top five "strengths" that you should supposedly lean into when it comes to professional endeavors because you're naturally gifted in those areas. So I'm going to start with those five values, or their closest approximations from this list:
Adaptability
Organization [Arranger in Strengths Finder]
Inquisitiveness [Input in Strengths Finder]
Thoughtfulness [Intellection in Strengths Finder]
Dependability [Responsibility in Strengths Finder]
Adaptability. One of my most prized skills is my ability to adapt to different circumstances. Whether it's the ever-changing needs of the business at work, incorporating a set of script notes into one of my screenplays, or figuring out how to handle a flat tire on a road trip hundreds of miles from home, I have a natural inclination to look at a set of needs or circumstances and do what needs to be done to get everything to work out.
Organization [Arranger]. Along those same lines, arranging or organizing things is also a strength of mine. Need to fit as many items in the freezer or as many bags in the trunk as possible? I'm your guy. Need to come up with a way to methodically solve a puzzle? I'm also your guy for that too. Combined with my tendency toward adaptability, it makes me really good at taking a bunch of pieces of things and putting them together. I have a natural affinity for things like assembling tax returns or figuring out which item to buy out of all the options, because I have a natural inclination to adapt to whatever the circumstances require, and then figure out how to optimize for best results.
Inquisitiveness [Input]. Based on the last two, it shouldn't be any surprise that input is on my list too. In Strengths Finder, it means I like to accumulate data and information. The closest thing I could find on this list was Inquisitiveness because I'm totally the guy that will fall down an internet research rabbit hole on Wikipedia, or find my mind wandering and then need to look up a random piece of trivia that I want to know.
Thoughtfulness [Intellection]. I also like to think about things a lot. I process a lot of information in my head, pretty much all the time. Again, that can probably be attributed to the other values on this list... I'm constantly thinking about how to adapt and rearrange and optimize and get more data to make the best decision possible. And then I mull all that over for a while.
Dependability [Responsibility]. I hate letting people down or disappointing them. I'll go to great lengths to inconvenience myself before I let down other people, and it's really stressful and anxiety-inducing for me when I do let them down.
The last five values I'll choose are odds and ends that are important to me for various reasons:
Confidence.
Connection.
Gratitude.
Honor.
Humor.
Confidence. I find confidence as alluring as it is elusive. I'm attracted to confidence because I have so little of it myself, at least in the spur of the moment. My confidence comes from knowing the meticulous details of a thing from top to bottom, whether that's in the form of extensive research or years of professional experience. I really admire people who can exude confidence on the fly or in an area they're not actually very knowledgeable about.
Connection. The way we're all connected to one another is something that I feel is incredibly important. Regardless of where we come from and what communities we're in, everyone is sharing the same planet and, in a lot of ways, an interconnectedness to each other. I really value other people who see that same connectivity and can act in a way that's respectful of that connection.
Gratitude. Gratitude is such an important posture to have that informs so much of who we are. I admire people who can experience true gratitude even in the face of adversity, and see that there's always something in life to appreciate.
Honor. I really believe in honoring your obligations, and respecting others. People who have a high sense of honor are people I naturally gravitate toward, because I know that I can trust them to treat a relationship with the same sense of responsibility that I bring to it.
Humor. Life is really boring and sad without a sense of humor. It's important to me that both myself and the people I surround myself with don't take themselves too seriously all the time. We all need to know how to laugh and find humor in the everyday.
Adaptability
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