Millions of Bible Translations.

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How much do you know about the different Bible translations?

Here's Philippians 4:6 in 9 different translations and a few facts about each translation...

King James Version (KJV)

Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Origin: The King James Version was first known as the Authorized Version. A Committee was formed with six subcommittees. There were 47 scholars, all approved by the king, who worked on the version.

Published: 1611

Derived From: Bishops’ Bible was the basis for translation, examined in the light of the Hebrew and Greek, English versions were also consulted

Translation Type: Formal Equivalence

Reading Level: High School

Unique Features: It greatly impacted the English-speaking churches and it was a great literary work

English Revised Version (ERV)

In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Origin: A committee of 65 British scholars from various denominations and 30 American scholars acting as advisors worked on this version.

Published: 1885

Derived From: King James Version was made into contemporary English

Translation Type: Formal Equivalence

Reading Level: High School

Unique Feature: It had good marginal notes and was textually superior to the KJV

American Standard Version (ASV)

In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Origin: The American advisory committee of the English Revised Version had to wait 14 years after it’s publication before publishing another revision. They wanted to eliminate archaic words and phrases that the ERV retained from the KJV.

Published: 1901

Derived From: English Revised Version

Translation Type: Formal Equivalence

Reading Level: High School

Unique Feature: It translated YHWH as Jehovah

Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Origin: 32 American scholars hoped to make the most of modern scholarship to work on a version in modern English for both public and private use.

Published: 1952

Derived From: American Standard Version

Translation Type: Between Formal Equivalence and Dynamic Equivalence

Reading Level: Middle School

Unique Feature: It translated YHWH as LORD

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Origin: The Lockman Foundation hoped to revive the American Standard Version. 16 Old Testament scholars and 16 New Testament scholars worked on the Bible. The goal was to stay true to the original Hebrew and Greek texts and to be grammatically correct while making it understandable and glorifying to Jesus Christ.

Published: 1971

Derived From: American Standard Version

Translation Type: Formal Equivalence

Reading Level: High School

Unique Feature: The pronouns for God were capitalized and italics were added

English Standard Version (ESV)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Origin: James Dobson called a meeting in response to gender-neutral Bible translations. Wayne Grudem, John Piper, and R.C. Sproul played a big part in this version. There were 12 translators (led by J.I. Packer), 60 scholars as translator advisors, and 60 evangelical leaders as advisors working on the ESV.

Published: 2001

Derived From: Revised Standard Version - only 5%-10% was changed from the RSV

Translation Type: Between Formal Equivalence and Dynamic Equivalence

Reading Level: Middle School

Unique Feature: Not gender-neutral

New International Version (NIV)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Origin: It was initiated by the Christian Reformed Church. They met with the National Association of Evangelicals. There were 15 scholars on the Executive Committee, which was led by Edwin Palmer. There were 100 scholars from the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. These 100 scholars were from 20 different denominations.

Published: 1978

Derived From: None - it was a completely new translation

Translation Type: Dynamic Equivalence

Reading Level: Middle School

Unique Feature: This version has the most thorough process of review and revision of any Bible translation

New Living Translation (NLT)

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Origin: It started as a simple revision to the Living Bible, but changed into a new English translation. 87 translators worked on it.

Published: 1998

Derived From: The Living Bible, but also the Greek and Hebrew texts

Translation Type: Paraphrase (somewhat a Dynamic Equivalent)

Reading Level: Middle School

Unique Feature: It was a fresh and new translation, the Old Testament reads very well

The Message

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.

Origin: Eugene Peterson worked for over two years writing the New Testament into contemporary English. He wanted to capture the tone of the text and the original conversational feel of the Greek, but in a modern language.

Published: it was published in segments between 1993 and 2002

Translation Type: Paraphrase

Reading Level: 5th Grade

Unique Feature: It was written for people who felt that the Bible was irrelevant and for people who had read the Bible all their lives and found it old and boring.

Pretty cool, huh?!

G.O.S.P.E.L.

G.O.S.P.E.L. from Humble Beast Records on Vimeo.

Freedom that Friday

Good Friday 2008. I remember it in detail.

That particular Friday started out like any normal Friday, but ended unlike any other day I had experienced.

Earlier that day I had spent time with Trina and told Kendra about my indecisiveness in going to the service at church that evening. Trina is the darling girl that I nanny and Danny and Kendra are her parents. At this point, I had been with them for about a year and they quickly became like family to me. I was comfortable around them and often went to them for advice. We decided that I would go to the service and, although I was fully capable of driving myself, Kendra and Trina were going to pick me up. And Danny had gone over earlier because he was part of the service.

Kendra and I sat in the back right side of the solemn and still room. The stage of the sanctuary was dark with just a few dim lights illuminating Pastor Pedigo as he gave the sermon. After sitting through the sermon fairly emotionless and uninterested, the closing songs didn’t seem important. I just wanted to leave. We sang the song Nothing but the Blood and the words “what can make me whole again” caught my attention. Good question. I was sitting through this service angry and bitter at God and myself. The next line brought the sweet and well-known answer: “nothing but the blood of Jesus”.

Until this point, I hadn’t seen God as a healing God before - always a judging one. I grew up at Cedar Grove Community Church and had heard the story of Christ’s sacrifice too many times to count. How had I missed the part where He’s loving, merciful, and compassionate?

The song eventually ended and I sunk down in the pew and cried. Kendra sat with me until I was ready to leave. The last thing I wanted to do was actually process what was going on inside me. My plan was to go home and sleep, but God had different plans. Danny drove me home, since I didn’t have my car.

I climbed in Danny’s truck, as I had done numerous times before, but this time I sat silent and motionless.

“What’s going on?” was his first question of many after a few long moments of daunting silence.

“Um, nothing much,” was my evidently false response.

I eventually dumped my heart out with a lot more tears on the short drive to my house. We ended up sitting in his truck for a while longer and talked about what was going on. Without coming to any resolution, I decided that I was done talking. Before leaving, Danny asked if I wanted to pray. I looked up at him and shook my head no. So he prayed.

After giving him a hug, I climbed out of the truck and went inside. I bypassed my family and went straight to my room and quietly shut the door. Danny had prayed and now it was my turn.

“God, I don’t know if You can hear me, but I’m broken, hurting, and empty and I know You’re the only thing that can make me whole.”

And that was the first of my many “God, I need you!” prayers.

After praying, I curled up on my bed and just listened. I wanted to hear God speak like He had spoken to the prophets. Although an audible voice never came, I felt His presence. Peace and joy were two feelings I hadn’t felt in a long time, but I felt them that evening. About an hour later I pulled my worn yet dusty Bible and started looking for underlined verses. I flipped through the pages and was eager to relearn all the stuff that was incessantly drilled into my head growing up.

I learned a lot that evening.

Ephesians 1:4 - I’m chosen to by holy and blameless.

2 Peter 1:4 - I have been given great and precious promises.

Colossians 2:10 - I am made complete by Christ.

Psalm 32:7 - I am hidden with and protected by Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:32 - I will not be condemned with the world.

Hebrews 4:16 - I can bravely come before the throne of grace.

Hebrews 6:19 - I have a hope that is secure and steadfast.

The last verse I read late that Friday night was an all inclusive conclusion.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. -Romans 15:13

The Past Few Days...

...have been a BLAST!! And I know, more pictures. :)

Heidi and Laura

The 3 of us got a little bored and were feeling adventurous at JSB, so we decided to try to get to the roof of the Marriott Hotel. Mind you, there are 46 floors to that building and we started on the 7th one. We climbed 25 monotonous flights of stairs before succumbing to the elevator. After we made it to the top floor, the door to get on to the roof was locked!

Carley and Andrea

Carwee and A, as Trina calls us. I love having a good friend from back home here at Moody with me!

Andrea and Annie

Can you say "trouble"? Cause we think you should :)

Annie, Jake, Matt, and Lauren

Post-flagpoling. These 4 people make 2 of the sweetest couples EVER.

Roo's 20th B-Day!

Larissa Joy. Larissy. Rissy. Rissy-Roo. Roo.

That's how she ended up with the nickname "Roo".

It's hard to believe that my little sister is 20 years old today!

Happy Birthday, Roo!

This is Community.

I saw this advertisement on the train yesterday on my way back to campus from babysitting.

It's not all about you. This is community.

A lack of unity at a critical point has often decided the outcome of battles. The victorious army is the one which, despite the situation, maintains itself as a dedicated and cohesive fighting force. Its members do not simply run away or defect to the other side when confronted with danger or when it all seems like an uphill struggle. A loyal soldier serves both the commanding officer placed over him as well as his fellow comrades. He puts aside his personal conflicts with others so that they may fight together as one unit. The army which will lose, however, is the one where soldiers desert and fail to lend their aid when it is needed most. Such an army will never win if its members fail to rally together and fight so that they may carry out their mission.

As children of Christ, we’re called to stand together in one spirit, serving each other just as Christ serves us. We need to realize that our days are limited and that we cannot waste time arguing and pulling ourselves away from each other. Rather, when His love is showing through us, we will be able to love and encourage those around us so that we can be the unified Body that Christ called us to be.

Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

-2 Corinthians 13:11

Think Happy Thoughts - Part 2

I didn't realize my "Think Happy Thoughts" post would become a multiple-post kind of a topic...but it did! I’m trying really hard to have a good attitude and to focus on positive things rather than be negative and cynical. You know, still fighting for joy and trying to see the happy little things in life. So here are the next 5 things that make me smile! :)

6. Black tea and black nail polish. Uh, I realize how depressing and dark that sounds, but it really isn’t! Aside from purple and orange, black is my favorite color. I think it’s classy. And black tea is just really good hot or cold. So naturally black tea and black nail polish work well together!

7. Cute children’s movies. Have you seen Tangled? If not, you really should.

8. Nancy Drew books. Srey, the sweet 11 year old girl I nanny loves Nancy Drew! She has lots of her books, so when she’s working on homework (and I should be too), sometimes I read an old Nancy Drew book. I read the entire series during my 4th, 5th, and 6th grade years and enjoyed them and was excited to find out that Sray reads them, too!

9. Time with little kids. Little kids are cute and fun and sweet and have seemingly endless amounts of energy! I love seeing the world through their eyes...the things that make them laugh, how they react to situations, the things that scare them, the things and people that they cling to. I also love their innocence and curiosity.

10. Snuggly blankets. I really like to sleep and snuggly blankets accompany that quite nicely.

Good Grief!

It’s been a long week. And a sad one, at that. Death is something that’s hard for me to process, especially being so far away from everyone close to the loved one who passed away.

Although it’s been sad, there have been many happy and hopeful moments this week as well. I had 5 class cancelled this past week and the professors of both my Tuesday/Thursday classes let us out early! Having some extra time to think, as well as sleep, was greatly appreciated. And I got to spend extra time with some good friends.

Super early this morning I woke up thinking about a verse, but I couldn’t remember the exact words or where it was. At breakfast this morning, Allie and I flipped through the book of Matthew and found it.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

-Matthew 5:4

How simple is that? Those who mourn will be comforted. SO much hope can be found in that sentence spoken by Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount.

Then in chapel today we sang a hymn I had never heard before. Which is no big surprise; I don’t know very many hymns because we typically sing the same handful of ones over and over. Anyways, there was a line in the first stanza that caught my attention...

Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul

by Kevin Twit

Dear refuge of my weary soul,

On Thee, when sorrows rise

On Thee, when waves of trouble roll,

My fainting hope relies

To Thee I tell each rising grief,

For Thou alone canst heal

Thy Word can bring a sweet relief,

For every pain I feel

But oh! When gloomy doubts prevail,

I fear to call Thee mine

The springs of comfort seem to fail,

And all my hopes decline

Yet gracious God, where shall I flee?

Thou art my only trust

And still my soul would cleave to Thee

Though prostrate in the dust

Hast Thou not bid me seek Thy face,

And shall I seek in vain?

And can the ear of sovereign grace,

Be deaf when I complain?

No still the ear of sovereign grace,

Attends the mourner’s prayer

Oh may I ever find access,

To breathe my sorrows there

Thy mercy seat is open still,

Here let my soul retreat

With humble hope attend Thy will,

And wait beneath Thy feet,

Thy mercy seat is open still,

Here let my soul retreat

WIth humble hope attend Thy will,

And wait beneath Thy feet

Life and death. God controls them both.

"It is hard to have patience with people who say 'There is no death' or 'Death doesn't matter.' There is death. And whatever is matters. And whatever happens has consequences, and it and they are irrevocable and irreversible. You might as well say that birth doesn't matter."
- C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed

I don’t like death. I don’t like hearing about it. I don’t like feeling the pain from it. And I don’t like trying to explain how it makes me feel. Because I just can’t.

I’m still learning about God being in control and my lack of being in control. So...

Life and death. God controls them both.

Psalm 103:15-18

As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.

Even though we’re not here forever, God will be. And in that, hope can be found.

Marco Floris. You’re one of a kind. My favorite racecar driver. An important person in my life. Thanks for your endless supply of love, encouragement, and support since I met you 5 years agos. You are missed and loved. I’ll see you in heaven!

Writers Journal

Beautiful blank pages kiss our imaginations with backgrounds that demand precision.

Our black letters cross on tightrope lines, curving without wavering across deep, invisible currents.

These beautiful blank pages are promises of our reflections. Our gentlest strokes of darkness upon light.

Blank Beauty

-anonymous

San Francisco

I spent some time in San Francisco with my parents while I was home for spring break. Here's a few of the many pictures I took!

Forbes Island

San Francisco Bay

Sea Gull with Alcatraz in the background