Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Cleland Boyd McAfee - Study of the King James Bible

 I ordered 8 of these, free shipping. I will send them to you (no cost, no shipping) due to a gift given for that purpose.

I thought a few people would like this book, which just arrived. I began reading it today and - WOW! - this is a well known classic, a brilliant discussion of the religious impact of the KJV, especially in literature.

Cleland Boyd McAfee was a Presbyterian, so WELS should devour this book. He wrote it for the 1912, 300th anniversary of the KJV. A century later, the job was given to idiots, braggarts, and court fools - because they wanted to sell their ESVs, RSVs, and NIVs - for some extra cash.

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 Bethany was about 1 year when we propped her up against the couch so she could sit. She could smile, giggle, and laugh. Her eyes were not supposed to work but she had perfect vision and following. They were her main tools. 

I was thinking today - as I arranged some favorite photos - that life would be meaningless without the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is why the arts are so obsessed with the meaninglessness of life and the need to use expletives for everything, even the titles of articles in tony magazines. They are fighting against the nihilism of their own vacant minds. 

Smile for the camera? Always. Bethany captured everyone's attention with her natural curls and her eyes looking for faces to light up with grins. Who was the perfect mother for Beth and Erin? Christina.

America's nostalgia movies and books are shockingly gross, as if we are little more than beasts foraging for some food, but less choosy in mates. God drops special children into our lives, and we get to see the miniature miracles of being different in many ways, such as being short-changed in one area and astonishing in another. There are two responses - one is to look away and pretend the non-compliant child does not exist. The other response is to enjoy the rare and beautiful nature of a child watched over by special angels, an extra battalion or so, and loved by a motley crew of fans. "I had 10 children and your child taught me the meaning of love."

 Erin Joy lacked the curls, the perfect teeth, and the radar eyes, but she lived her middle name and filled her world with laughter - hers and the audience.