Which Bible version should I use?

Which Bible version should I use? is a common question in these days.  I took a course in biblical interpretation and the instruction spent some fair amount of time discussing the popular versions of the bible.  The biggest objection with the King James version is that it is written in a way as to make it difficult to understand.  I will admit that we say "you and instead of thee or thou and there are better choices for some words.  In one verse, for example , the translators of the KJV used the word "meet" but a better choice would have been "right".  Paul is translated to have said "If you etc" but a better translation would have been "Since"  In II Corinthians 5:17  the verse reads "all things pass away, all things become new".  A better translation would be to have used "becoming" and "passing" as we don't go from a new born convert while we are praying and a fully mature Christian as soon as we say amen.  It takes 24 years for the average human being to reach full maturity but if someone calls themselves a Christian everyone expects them to be an Apostle Paul from the get-go.
   The professor went on to discuss the various classes of translations, giving us their strengths and weaknesses.  At the end of his discussion he made this statement " The King James version is a very good translation."  What this professor and many others like him are saying is that as far as being true to the original transcript, the King James version is the best translation out there.  Our problem is not with the age of the language used in the translation.  If we could but know the original language then we could have a greatly appreciation of the poetry that many sections of scripture really are.  If we could but have an appreciation for the culture that the writers of the various books lived in then we could better appreciate their viewpoints.  If we just knew the questions that Paul was answering from the various churches then we could have a far better understanding of the answers.
  If you think I am just blowing smoke consider the instructions on many devices we buy today.
I recently purchased a smart band.  Instruction one reads as follows:  The smart band need to pair with smart phone through app.  Before downloading please refer to working condition for mobile."
That is very poor English even though it is an accurate translation When I first read this I had no idea what the manufacturer was trying to tell me.  One can translate the manufacturers words several different ways but one will never understand what he is trying to say unless you understand his way of thinking.  I have learned that what was meant to be conveyed was that if you have an Android phone that is a version 4.4 or less the smart band will not work.  Required is a version 4.5 or newer.  Most people understand what a 4.4 or 4.5 version means.  If you don't know then you will need to do some additional research.
  The same thing is true of scriptures.  It takes study and research to fully understand what the bible is teaching us.
  If I do not own a smart band or a Android smart phone then the instructions will never fully make sense.  If you have not accepted Jesus as your savior and Lord, then the bible  will never make sense.
Some parts are written to the lost and those parts everyone can comprehend.  You are lost,  Jesus is the savior.  Accept Jesus and live.   That is simple.   Have smart phone of a 4.5 version or greater, have a smart band, download app for smart bands.  You are good to go.

That's not right

From an MSN article "In Maine, Christmas directions should be taken down before January 14th. After that, it’s a law violation."

  Maybe the article meant to say decorations.

Confederate flag and southern soldier statues.

  Many Southerners, especially conservatives,  want the right to fly the Stars and Bars claiming it is their heritage and that flag wasn't the battle flag.    When I was in high school, back before integration, the school band played  "Dixie land" after every touchdown our school scored. The year the school integrated that practice stopped.  The song was about regional pride and had nothing to do with slavery but I suppose certain people found the line "in the land of cotton" offensive but it is hard to find a rhyme for forgotten.  At first I thought it was wrong to quit playing that song and I have never been to see my high school play another game.  It was a matter of school pride.  Somehow I thought that if we accepted some of their culture then they should accept some of ours.
  Being white, I know how others were treated and how we think  of other races.  It is okay to dislike another person for whatever reason you find to dislike them.  We don't like all our co-workers, our neighbors, our associates, or even our family. Many times we don't even like ourselves.   What is not okay is to act on our dislikes to the harm of that disliked person.  It is wrong; legally, morally, and religiously wrong.
  Over the years I have come to appreciate the value of symbols.  I'm  old school when it comes to dressing for church and I have a different lapel pin for each of my suits.  I have an American flag, a fish, a cross, praying hands, a song note, and other symbols.  A cross represents what Christ did for us at Calvary, the flag represents the ideas and ideals that this country stands for, at least in principle.
Symbols are an easy way to convey a message.  I think the swastika was once a peace symbol but after it was adopted by the Nazi party it has become to stand for white supremacy and hate.  The Bars and Stars once stood for Southern Pride but as the country has tried to move beyond the thoughts and fears that divided us, certain segments of society  has adopted that symbol as a rallying point for keeping alive the old ways and wrongful thoughts.  That symbol once stood for pride, and for a few it still does, but for the most part it stands for hate, white pride, or just plain refusal to let go of the past.    To be honest, statues are more than just symbols.  They are a larger than life tribute to a person's life and to what they stood for.  To a southern white Robert E. Lee was an honorable man of great character, a brilliant mind, brave, strong and true.    To a black person, he represents the mindset that wanted to keep them in slavery forever.   If the circumstance had been reversed, I don't think whites would like seeing statues to the person who wanted to keep them in bondage either.

   Most white people claim they aren't prejudice but that just isn't so.  They are just as prejudice as I am.  So are blacks, Asians, and every other person walking the face of the earth.  We all prefer to be with people that are similar to us in age, looks, values, income levels, education levels, and race.
  Dixie once represented the best of my high school, the confederate offered a sense of pride in my identity, and Robert E. Lee was a good man and a great leader. I no longer listen to Dixie, pat homage to the Confederate flag,  nor do I look with pride at Robert E. Lee.  He was a good man and a great leader and he may have been against slavery.  I don't really know.  But I do know that now his likeness represents southern pride.  I'm still a proud southerner but not of the all  things  Southern.
 
   I can also embrace Malcom X and Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, and David Barr who invited me to share Thanksgiving with his family when I was having a hard time with life, and to Geneva Brown who taught me the evil of discrimination and Junior Dula who taught me the value of all people.

Car Problems

My wife and her granddaughter went to the beech for several days back in June and on the trip home the check engine light in her car came on.  We took the car to the repair shop the next day and except for 5 days it has been at the repair shop.  The check engine light is still on.  Every time on part is replaced the codes indicate there is another problem.  The entire computer system has been replaced but the car still says it is still having problems.
  I told the shop not to worry about it. I'll pick up my car this morning.  It's not fair for the repair shop to keep chasing non existent problems around and the expense is to the point that the car is no longer worth it.

Shrinking Crocs

  It took a lot of convincing before I wore my first set of rubber shoes with holes, known as crocs.  I wear them as water shoes when I go to water aerobics three times a week.  I have my own water weights and stuff my crocs into a bag with the water weights and leave them in the back seat of my car.  Apparently that wasn't a good idea as the crocs are now too small for me to wear.
   I never really thought about the crocs shrinking  but they do.  My wife ordered me a new pair and they are the same size as the ones I have been using but comparing the two pairs, the new ones are a full two inches longer than the old pair.  The crocs themselves are in good shape with no cracks or tears or obvious signs of wear: they just shrank.
  I suppose that is the way with most things.  Eventually everything will let you down .  Everything but Christ.  My savior is one thing that I can always depend on.   If you haven't accepted Jesus yet please do so.  You are also welcome to come worship with me at Academy Street Baptist in Randleman.

Family turned away from airport lounge for wearing Minnie Mouse t-shirts

How and why did this story make the news?  From the headlines one would think that the lounge had a stupid discriminatory policy  or was just being plain  mean by denying a cute little girl access to a lounge her parents had already paid t enter.
  I'm sure the lounge didn't call the press and I doubt the press had reporters there waiting for a big story.  The whole problem is the lounge had a policy in place which is provided to all customers and this lady choose to ignore it assuming that she is the exception to the rule.
  What is really difficult is for the lounge to make a policy that clothing with offensive pictures or language is prohibited.  What one employee of the lounge would determine to be offensive would be okay with another and maybe what would be acceptable to the lounge would be offensive to a customer.  The lounge decided it best to prohibit all clothing with writing and/or pictures.  I know it is just Mickey and Minnie Mouse but Mickey has been banned in some countries because he doesn't wear pants.
  What the headlines should have stated was "Woman's children banned from airport lounge because the Mother neglected to read or decided not to follow lounge policy."  The truth is you are really not that special and the rules do apply to you.

Work postponed

I didn't get to mow last week as I was away at summer camp and couldn't mow until today because my mower was in the shop.  Of course, with all the rain today mowing is also out until tomorrow or Friday (I'll be in Hickory Thursday, I suppose).  My car is still in the shop.  The replacement part came in and has been installed but the check engine light still came on indicating one of the parts recently replaced is now not working.  Hopefully I'll get it back to my wife can go to the doctor and I can go see my mom.
  My wife got home from the beach on the 15th of June and I took it to the shop on the 16th.  I got the car back on Monday June 26th and had to take it back on June 30th I got it back the second time on July 14th and put it back in the shop July 16th.  It was in the shop until July 28th and I had to take it back on the 30th.  It like I'm borrowing my own car every two weeks to go to Hickory to see Mom. It's getting rather old.  My other car just received a recall notice and the way things are looking I may be without a vehicle.  At least I could drive my mower, if only it were legal.

Getting it back together

Yesterday, my first day back from camp, was a good one.  I went to the lawn mower repair shop, paid the charges and arranged for delivery then by the barbers for a haircut.  Met people at the church to help a widow move and afterwards went to the store and purchased a new phone and got it programmed.  I also took care of the financial situation.  Hopefully I'll get my car back Monday or Tuesday.

  It certainly will be good to get things back on track.  I will still be minus a TV set but it was a free one although a nice one so I don't feel like I lost monetarily and it was one I never watched (which was the reason I was moving it to begin with).

Finally made it back

  I dropped a TV set and broke it, then my check engine light came on in my car so I sent it to be fixed.  It was the computer system that needed replacing.  My rider mower kept throwing the belt off so I sent it to the shop.  Being the first of the month I had a lot of bills to settle up on and other financial problems to deal with  but I was off to summer camp for the week.
  The first day I was in a canoe which sank.  it was bad enough being drenched in stinky stagnant pond water and sucked into the thick murky bottom but I realized once I was out that I still had my phone with me.  It lasted another day before it gave up the ghost.  Three days later I broke my Kindle and it had to be disposed of.
  Yea, it feels really good to be back home and now I can start taking care of things.  I can now handle the financial problems, deal with the medical appointments, and get the mechanical problems
fixed.   I do have a lot of work to do to get my life back on track but at least now I have the time.
  The fun and games were great and the food was descent but the sleeping conditions were horrible.  I'm glad I finally had the camp experience but I don't think I will want to repeat it, especially at my age.