This and That and Stuff and Such

 Lately I have been interested in how the ancient books of the Bible have been translated. The original Hebrew and Greek contained a poetry and beauty of words may be a bit lost. Of course some people prefer the King James Version for that reason, but I have found it to be hard to understand. Maybe because it reminds me of my high school Shakespeare class. That it was difficult for me is a total understatement. I like to read the same verse in the New International Version and the New Living Translation to somehow try and capture more of essence the writers originally put to pen and paper. 
The following is Philippians 1:9
NIV And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.
NLT I pray that your love for each other will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in your knowledge and understanding.  
 This verse reminds that often the best way to infulence someone is not by talking to them, but by praying for them. We would do well to remember this in regards to our children. I know I keep reminding myself of that. As children become adults, we must interact differently with them. Paul's letter to the Philippians reminds me that when we pray for our adult children, we ask that they grow in Christ's love and that their heart and mind grow together.

I really enjoy reading Christian Blogs and there are a few that just touch me right there. You know that spot in your soul where someone else just 'gets you'? I connect with these blog authors so I thought I'd share them with you. I'm a member of the United Methodist Church, and I do read about authors to see where their religious points of view are coming from. For the most part, if they are Christian, I'm good with that. I learn from many other denominations protestants and Catholics alike. However, I do stop reading if the writer's beliefs are too far from mine for my comfort. For example, as a Methodist, I am not a Calvinist, nor do I identify with any self purported Christian group that has altered or added to scripture. Now that the disclaimer is made, here are some great blogs that I would like to share with you:

Living On Tilt by Katherine Harms http://livingontilt.com/ 
Thorns And Gold by Tanya Marlow http://tanyamarlow.com/
A Potter's View by Tim McClendon https://wtmcclendon.wordpress.com
Fueled by Grace, Caffeine, and Laughter by Bronwyn Lea http://bronlea.com/
1-Minute Bible Love Notes by Gail Burton Purath http://biblelovenotes.blogspot.com/
Author Chris Tiegreen's blog https://www.chris-tiegreen.com/blog