FridaySaturday in the wild - Mar. 26, 2005

Held up a day this week because of Good Friday.

It's a couple years behind the fashion curve, but Lars at Brandywine Books has weighed in on Bruce Wilkinson's The Prayer of Jabez:

And that’s the secret to the passage. Jabez is the son of a mother who doesn’t love him; who blames him and holds a grudge against him. And that’s a big deal, especially in Jabez’ culture. Not getting a blessing from your parents was a major setback for an Israelite. To actually be cursed by a parent was horrific. You might as well just go hang yourself now. Your life is not going to be a pleasant one. You are a luck-repellant.

But Jabez, we are told, took his problem to God. He apparently asked the Lord to give him a blessing that would counteract his mother’s curse. “And God granted his request.” (verse 10) His brothers, not as honorable as he, very likely let their mother’s judgment be the last word on their destinies, and lived lives that were nasty, brutish and short.

[Read Jabez 'n me]

Darlene of Blogger, can you spare a dime? is responsible for my nearly spewing Kraft Dinner all over my desk with this story of heroism in the face of animal attack:

As the water rose higher and higher, Michael moved faster and faster. Running. Plunging. Sweating. Swearing. The mouse realized it was his last chance at freedom as he struggled against the current and clung to the plunger that jostled him to and fro. If only he could manage to climb up the handle, he could run up the man’s sleeves and start clawing at his face. But the water pulled him down hard and soon he lost hold of the dome of salvation.

[Read Man against Nature]

Finally for today, ever heard the Leonard Cohen Song "Seems So Long Ago, Nancy"? Tim Challies shows in this must-read post how small our world is:

Over the years I have had a fascination with this song. It is an awful song, in many ways, leaving Nancy a legacy that few would want - a legacy of promiscuity and self-loathing. I have often felt such pity for Nancy as I can almost feel her sadness and pain through the song. I have wished that someone could reach through the sadness and bring her some measure of peace.

But the peace never came. Lost in her despair, Nancy took her own life.

How do I know this? Nancy was my aunt.

[Read Seems So Long Ago, Nancy]

Meanwhile, over on the search engine front, someone Googled me looking for freaky bible passages. Not sure I can help with that.

But that's not half as disturbing as the guy who was looking for pastor gene scott porn. I'm afraid to ask what this guy's kink is.

Someone else wanted to know why arizona doesn't care how I stand on public issues as long%2 . . . What? What? Don't leave me in the dark, man!

Till next week.