This Blog is Rated PG

According to the site that does the ratings:

This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:
death (6x) hell (1x)

By including that information above, the counts for “death” and “hell” jump to 7x and 2x respectively. Actually, 8x and 3x because of that sentence. Anyway, I wonder if that bumps me up to PG-13?

I’d Like to Thank…

My esteemed colleague Joanna has awarded me with the prestigious Blogger Reflection Award.

I remember the first time I heard of the Blogger Reflection Award, as though it were yesterday. Actually, more like the day after yesterday. I was sitting at my desk this morning, reading my usual blogs (see the sidebar on the right; note to self – update the sidebar). And I read the above-referenced post from Joanna, where she was awarded the Blogger Reflection Award herself. (To keep from typing that over and over, I will hereafter refer to it as the “Reflecty.”)

After gushing over the honor of being a Reflecty recipient herself (“Thanks, Ashley!”), Joanna proceeds to nominate others for this prestige, along with the “Rockin’ Girl Blogger” award which, sadly, I did not qualify for. Some sort of technicality.

Writes Joanna,

James, a coworker, has a blog that he fills with book reviews, links, and very reflective thoughts on faith. His deep thought always challenge me to examine my own heart and beliefs, and I appreciate it.

Thank you, Joanna, for this award. Part of me wonders if the award is to put pressure on me to come up with more deep thoughts. I shall certainly try to live up to the challenge. In the meantime, there’s always this.

Note: Part of receiving this award is to then pass on to others. I will therefore also be trying to come up with other reflective blog favorites to nominate.

Birthdays in Ancient Israel

This past weekend, in Sunday school, we were studying the return of Israel after the Babylonian captivity, and the huge celebration they had in Ezra 6. One of the students, a young lady, asked how they celebrated birthdays back then. So…

There are two references to birthday celebrations in Scripture. The first is Pharoah’s, during the time of Joseph, when he restored his cupbearer and had his baker killed:

Genesis 40:20-23

20 On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. 22 But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. (ESV)

The second is Herod’s at the time of Christ, when he beheaded John the Baptist:

Mark 6:21-29

21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison 28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. (ESV)

According to Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary:

BIRTHDAY — the day or anniversary of one’s birth. The word “birthday” is used three times in the Bible: once of Pharaoh (Gen. 40) and twice of Herod Antipas (Matt. 14:6; Mark 6:21). The birthdays of kings and other high officials were regularly celebrated, especially in Egypt and Persia. But the anniversary of a common person’s birth apparently was not celebrated as much as it is today.

So the verdict? Yes, birthdays were celebrated, but mainly for royalty and “other high officials.” And judging from the biblical accounts, the celebrations were elaborate. But the “common person”? Probably not so much.

Random Thoughts, 07/20/2007

• Steven Kreloff, guest blogging at Pyromaniacs, wonders Is “Messianic Judaism” a Good Idea?
• Chez Kneel asked recently asked why the priests were allowed to eat the breast and thigh of the Peace Offering, and answers it today.
• Peter Mead makes some very good points about sermon points (or teaching points) in Pointers for Points
  (so point your browser on over there)
• Lifehacker gives us, courtesy of the New York Times, 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less
• Irish Calvinist (who also recently updated his site) reminds us that God is near, and [we] need to act like it. (Erik has a way with titles. Check out his tracts, also.)
• Mark Dever is exploring the reasons behind the surge of interest in Calvinism.
• John Piper explains why parents must be united in front of their children.
• And Josh at Desiring God reminds us to READ. So, read something this weekend!

SHAZAM! Or, Now, I Can Be President!

I turned 35 yesterday. What does this mean?

According to the very first line of Dante’s Inferno, it means that I am “Midway in the journey of our life,” a reference to Psalm 90:10.

According to the U. S. Constitution, it means I am now eligible to become President of the United States.

Shazam Cake

But in our household, it means one thing bigger than both of those…

It means SHAZAM CAKE!

Blowing Out the Candles

Yep, that’s right. Shannon made me an awesome Captain Marvel cake
for my birthday. This is, of course, the DC Captain Marvel, not the Marvel Captain Marvel. She did an outstanding job on the cake, and as I ate his head, I was taken back in time to Saturday mornings, when I would watch Billy Batson transform himself into Captain Marvel by saying that magic word, Shazam!

Eating Shazam

So, what did I get? Well, having the awesome wife that I do, she knows I love books! So, she got me a bunch…

In addition to the video Amazing Grace: The History and Theology of Calvinism, and a really nice new ESV Single-Column Reference Bible, she got me the following from the Puritan Paperbacks series:

• Dying Thoughts, by Richard Baxter
• The Spirit and the Church, by John Owen
• Communion With God, by John Owen
• The Art Of Prophesying, by William Perkins
• The Acceptable Sacrifice , by John Bunyan
• The Godly Man’s Picture, by Thomas Watson
• A Sure Guide To Heaven, by Joseph Alleine
• The Doctrine of Repentance, by Thomas Watson
• All Loves Excelling, by John Bunyan
• The True Bounds Of Christian Freedom, by Samuel Bolton
• The Sinfulness of Sin, by Ralph Venning
• Christian Love, by Hugh Binning
• The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, by Jeremiah Burroughs
• The Glory of Christ, by John Owen
• Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ , by John Bunyan

Wow. How cool is my wife?

Well, I’d talk more, but obviously, there’s plenty o’ reading to be done! I better get crack-a-lackin!

(Side note: How sad is it that this is my longest post in a while? Sorry!)

How Cool Am I?

How cool am I? The cow is my friend Russ’ son, Ryan, who was wearing the suit for the first time. Good job, man!