I’M SORRY. I haven’t written a blog article in nearly a month. My agent hates that. But I’ve got other stuff to do.
I ought to be able to stop explaining myself after saying I’m paraphrasing the whole doggone Bible. That’s a job.
Here has been my day today. I’ll start at midnight last night, when I was sleeping in my recliner. My workday had finished at 10 p.m. I crashed in front of the TV in my basement man cave and fell asleep about one and a half episodes into an Apple TV series I’ve been watching.
Awake at around 2:30 a.m., I slipped out into the garage to see how the stain was looking on the coffee table I’ve been trying to build for my daughter. Not good. That gel stain clumps too much. I’ll have to sand the top again.
Passing by my office on my way to the bedroom, I figured I had just enough energy to post a few more Bible intro notes for the Casual English Bible. My New York City editorial advisor, a job paid in sincere “thank you” emails, said I should add short intros for each book of the Bible. It’s not enough to paraphrase the Bible books, I’ve got to explain them. Here’s what the Matthew intro looks like.
Odd lady at 3:30 a.m.
I think I went to bed about 3:30. But only after answering a lady’s bizarre comment on one of my YouTube videos. She was arguing against wearing masks because Jesus told us not to be afraid. Here’s one of her quotes:
“I just can’t picture Jesus wearing a mask. Being afraid. Promoting fear. Especially not for a virus that has a 98.9% recovery rate.”
I told her to tell that to the dead.
And I added some facts. One in particular:
“I just checked the CDC for the latest numbers. As of July 23, and reporting since the first case of COVID in February, we have had an average of 921 people die every day of this disease–that we know of, not counting others unreported. That tallies over 330,000 deaths in 12 months. That would make it the #3 killer, after heart at number 1 and cancer at number 2.”
I also asked her a question: “Are you Russian or Chinese? It sounds like you are sowing the seeds of distraction, disunity…If you’re not purposely trying to undermine the health of this nation, I don’t understand the absence of common sense.”
I don’t have much patience for the idiocy that feeds this lady murderous ideas like this. I’ll be voting against All Things Obviously Stupid in a few weeks.
And I still hadn’t gone to bed.
A dog begins my day
Buddy the Dog woke me at 7:30 in the morning. Why does he always come to my side of the bed, when my wife goes to bed at 10 o’clock?
Here was my agenda for the day, yesterday.
- Sand that doggone tabletop again and try my own dark walnut stain instead of that hair gel coffee stain.
- Paraphrase at least one psalm, since there are 150.
- Post a few more book intros into the Casual English Bible. I think I’m up to Philippians.
- Videotape myself reading Matthew 6 and 7 for the Casual English Bible. Matthew 5-7 is Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount. I already recorded and posted Matthew 5 for people who would rather have the Bible read to them, with video background features.
- Write this blog article. Almost done.
- Write my Bible study newsletter for the class in the church I attend.
- Start preparing the Bible study lesson for Sunday.
I’ve done everything up to finishing this article. I still have makeup on my face from recording the videos.
My wife just got home from the hardware store, on a run for foam brushes, rags, and mineral spirits. Thank you, dear.
I’ve got words to write before this day is done. And I’m checking that table again.
On Monday, I have a project I need to begin writing for Guideposts books. They’re doing twenty something fictional books about women in the Bible, and they’re having me write a non-fiction feature for each one, with suggested accompanying art. But that’s for Monday.
The Casual English Bible is what weighs most heavily on me. But it’s my choice. If you get a chance, take a look at it.
First-draft psalm
Next time I’ll write something more interesting and Bible-related.
Oh, here’s a Bible thing. It’s a first pass at part of a psalm I worked on yesterday (Psalm 8:3-9):
When I look at the sky you created with your fingers,
And the moon and stars you hung there,
I have to ask why you bother with people.
Why do you care about us at all?
You created us just a little less than yourself.
And then you glorified us with high honors.
You put us in charge of everything you made.
It was your decision for us to manage
Every sheep and cow in the fields
Every wild critter in the woods,
Every bird in the sky and fish in sea,
And any other animal that gets wet in the water.
LORD and master,
There’s a majesty to your name, spread throughout the earth.
It is unbelievable how much you get done in a day, with everything going on. I too have had problems with applying stains at times to furniture. After hours of preparing the wood and getting it just right. I then apply the stain and cross my fingers. A couple of times I have come back and found some critter got stuck in the stain and ruined the finish.
I look forward to seeing your narration of the Sermon on the Mount.
I also liked your Matthew Intro write-up. It was very good and thorough for an overview of the book of Matthew.
I thought Your first draft of Psalm 8:3-9 was great. I would not add or delete a thing from it. I think God was working through you when you wrote it.
Keep up the good work. I really enjoy your writing and find it inspirational.
Stephen Miller I just have to say “Thank You” for what you said to that lady. I don’t know if you remember me or not but my husband (DerrickWest) & I always brought your books and you always put the best messages in them. Well Derrick passed with COVID on 4/30/2020 & I have no patience for people who refuse to do the things to protect others. I lost my best friend, my husband.
Hi Elaine. Yes, I absolutely remember you and Derrick. I am so sorry you lost him to this wretched disease.
So many people have died and will continue to die because of decisions made and not made by our elected leaders. I’m about to help unelect some of them. I have just one sentence for them. It’s the same sentence Jesus has for sinful people who are hoping to walk right into heaven, as though they belong there: “You need to leave now” (Matthew 7:23 Casual English Bible).
May God be with you as you adjust to a life without Derrick. But may you sense him checking in on you once in a while. And may you find peace that comes from knowing God’s Spirit has made a home in your heart and will continue to live your life with you.
Thank you Steve for what you said to that lady. I have been struggling with how to respond to people like her who keep crossing my path lately. The worst one was an email distributed by one of the members of my church. (Someone I feel should know better.) It was so full of hatred and false accusations and fear. The email started out with “we must stop the media because they’re spreading fear and hatred!” What? Clearly she wasn’t listening to her own hatred and fear filled rhetoric in the email. I didn’t sleep well the last two nights because I kept rehearsing how I will respond to her. I asked God again this morning that He would give me the words so that I can respond with grace to this email – or at a minimum, tell her to take me off her email distribution list – and I come across your post on your blog today – prayers answered! Thank you Lord for showing me how others are handling those lacking common sense, among other things.
Again, thank you Steve.
Actually, I was a little tough on the lady. I’d handle it differently for someone in my church. Or at least I’d try. Suggestions: don’t raise your voice. So, stay calm. Don”t call names like: idiot, crazy, butthead, These people don’t know any better. They are feeding their minds at a slop trough of propaganda, like a row of hogs at Grandpa’s farm. They have to change their diet. That’s probably where to start–pointing them to facts, even if they doubt them. Peace to you. Vote in November.