On Study Bibles

Have you ever looked at the area in a bookstore or catalog devoted to Bibles?

Well, it’s not a little spot with the King James Version and the later translations. Oh, no.

There are rows of different Bibles.

Some seem useful. Large Print for instance. They definitely have their place. I’ll probably be needing one of those before too long.

And children’s Bibles. They’re good. Small children can’t really handle Leviticus or the “begats” – so a book of Bible Stories is nice.

But, there are Women’s Study Bibles, Men’s Study Bibles, Catholic Study Bibles, Life Recovery Bibles, Christian Basics Bibles, Action Bibles, etc. etc. etc.

The Women’s Study Bibles are usually pink, whereas the Men’s Study Bibles are brown leather. (Do they include a cigar-scented option?) I’d like the brown one, please.

And what’s the difference inside? I’d like to know what the Men’s Study Bible has to say that’s so different from the Women’s Study Bible. Is there some secret that they are keeping from us?

I understand footnotes can be helpful. I’m not really fluent in dealing with cubits, shekels and talents. But often, footnotes can be commentary – and that’s just one point of view. It’s not “bible truth”, if you know what I mean.

Recently my husband showed me a catalog with study Bibles.

“Look at this one,” he said.

The Jesus-Centered Bible.

What? There is a Jesus -centered Bible? Have I been missing something all along? Isn’t my Bible a Jesus-Centered Bible?

With these study Bibles, even if the commentary and footnotes are excellent, even if I agree with the point of view, I don’t want them in my Bible.

Because what if I picked up the Action Bible when I really need to be still or picked up the Be Still Bible when I need to take action? I could get the wrong message.

God help us.

Icelandic Cooking

When we went to Iceland we rented an apartment. The cost was reasonable. We rented a car also. The cost was reasonable.

Then we went out to eat. The meal was fantastic. It will probably be the only time in my life I’ll eat whale meat. But the cost was, let’s just say, not in accord with our budget.

Food in Iceland is a huge expense. Except for fish and lamb, most things are imported.

The restaurants are expensive. Every restaurant, with the possible exception of the Famous Hot Dog Stand, is pricey.

We cooked most of our meals in the VRBO apartment we rented after a day of exploring the island.

Grocery shopping, though, was not as straightforward as you might image. There wasn’t a good supply of fresh vegetables. We couldn’t decipher the ingredients by looking at the packaging. None of us could read Icelandic. So we wandered aimlessly around the grocery stores.

The first night we made a meal with what we thought was a jar of béchamel sauce. The meal might have been fairly tasty had it really been béchamel sauce. But it was sweet, hazelnut sauce which changed the outcome considerably.

Another afternoon I decided I would be the typical American tourist and ask a guy at the store if he spoke English. He answered me, without any enthusiasm whatsoever, that yes, he spoke English.

“Can you please tell me what kind of fish this is?’ I asked.

“Cod,” he said.

“How about this one?” I asked. (It looked totally different to me).

“Cod.”

I pointed to one more – with my best smile.

“Cod.”

Well, there was cod, cod or cod for dinner that night – without sweet, hazelnut sauce.

We managed to make reasonable meals. I know an onion when I see one. And if we added one or two mystery ingredients, so be it.

Iceland is incredible. The landscape is amazing. It is well worth the trip. Just be sure to budget the cost of food- otherwise it will be all cod and fish jerky.

Politically Correct Girl Scout Cookies

I was at the desk in the library minding my own business. A man came in carrying a box of girl scout cookies. He offered them to us.

“Samoas,’” I said. “Those are good.”

He then proceeded to lecture me. He was Samoan. From Samoa. How dare the Girl Scouts name their cookies after the people of Samoa. It was degrading.

“At least they are really tasty cookies,” I said with a smile (trying to lighten things up a bit). “They are many people’s favorite kind of girl scout cookie.”

He did not like this observation. He found it very offensive. Could I not see the problem?

I wasn’t quite sure how I ended up in this conversation. Suddenly, I seemed to be defending the Girl Scouts of America.

“Well,” I said, “with the coconut and all, maybe it is a tribute to the culture of Samoa.”

He dismissed this with a sneer. He seemed to suggest that there was a much darker side to all this. (In all my years of eating girl scout cookies, I can honestly say that this thought had never crossed my mind).

I tried another tack.

“There are other foods associated with places: Brazil nuts, Canadian bacon and French fries. I don’t think those people are particularly upset about the names.”

He had an answer for me. Those are adjectives. This is a noun! You are actually calling the cookie a national name. You don’t say we are eating Brazils or Canadas.

He had me there.

“Ok,” I said. “It’s different.”

I wasn’t sure I had the energy to deal with it. Should I be protesting the cookies this Samoan was handing out to anyone who would listen to him?

At the risk of further offending him, I think I’ll save my protesting for something else.

Besides, I’d just as soon eat Thin Mints.

Life in Economy Class

We’ve gotten bumped to first class before. It’s a different world up there. If we traveled a lot for business, we’d probably be business class travelers. But we don’t, so we are economy class travelers. It’s not as straightforward as it once was.

First, we must decide how to pack. Because, depending on the airline, there are many questions to consider. Do they charge extra for a checked bag? Extra for a carry-on? Extra to choose a seat? Do they feed you or only give you a cup of water?

This leads to various packing scenarios, almost all of which include the use of a huge “personal item” – which might contain a meal. This is no great loss. I like my sandwiches more than their sandwiches anyway.

If we travel internationally, we usually take a carry-on. We’ve had our luggage lost before. The airlines will provide you with an emergency kit to use until your luggage is found. It includes a toothbrush and comb, with tiny little containers of soap and toothpaste. But as for socks and underwear, you’re on your own. I hate to send everything I need for a week or two down that belt at check-in into the dark abyss of the airport.

With a carry-on, you hope it fits in the compartment overhead. Sometimes you get to the gate, and surprise, you can’t carry on your carry-on. Other times the compartment over your seat is full and you have to stow your bag in the back of the airplane. This makes getting a book out mid-flight difficult. Plus, you will definitely be the last person off the plane when you land.

We are supposed to be at the gate 45 minutes or so before take-off. Somehow, though, it’s always a rush when we board.

Sometimes the flight will be late. We’ve been waiting at the gate an extra hour. As we board, the crew will announce something like, “If everyone will take their seats quickly, we can take off as soon as possible.” This announcement is unnecessary. We are all rushing. No one is playing solitaire in the aisles.

You settle into your flight, snugly seated next to a total stranger. Usually, there is a small perfunctory conversation at the beginning (or end) of the flight about travel, weather, etc. This is sufficient. You don’t really want more than this.

If you are lucky, you can sleep straight up, or at a mere ten-degree angle. If you can do this without your mouth hanging open it is a bonus.

The main issue during the flight is having to use the tiny, little restroom at the back of the plane. Various circumstances come into play. Timing is essential.

If you are in the window seat, you must ask the other passengers permission to use the facilities. They must unplug their devices and fold up their little trays and get up to allow you by. It seems an imposition.

While doing this, you must also check that the crew is not blocking both ends of the aisle with carts of food, drink, or trash. And you must check that there are not more than a couple of people waiting in line.

If all these circumstances correctly align, perhaps you can get to one of the tiny, little restrooms.

Just hope there is no turbulence.

Upon landing, everyone rushes to deplane. They stand in the aisles even though this does nothing to help move things along. The first passengers off get to wait longer in the baggage claim area.

Unless, of course, you’ve managed to pack everything in your carry-on which is conveniently stowed at the very back of the plane.

This is why some people prefer road trips.