Musings From A Rolling Eyed Turtle

To excel, according to some of the meanings from a few dictionaries, is to surpass others, do extremely well, outdo, do something better than anyone else. In 1 Thessalonians 4:1, we find the phrase “excel still more”.   It prompts the question:  if we are already doing something better than anyone else, why would we be encouraged to do even more? Perhaps it would be helpful to see the wording that other translations use for “excel still more” to see why we would be encouraged to do so.  Here is a sampling: • abound more and more • to keep doing so more and more • but try even harder • live that way more and more. • that you progress even more. • that you increase more and more in how you ought to walk Maybe it would also be helpful to see some other verses where the word “excel” is used: “Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which when translated means Dorcas); this woman was excelling in acts of kindness and charity which she did habitually.”...

Supposedly, it’s all about your core! That is, in today’s world of physical fitness, it’s all about strengthening your core.  Your core refers to the group of muscles that support your spine and pelvis, providing stability and enabling movement. It's not just your abs; it includes your back muscles, pelvic floor, and even your diaphragm. When your core is strong, it helps you maintain balance and stability. It can help prevent back injuries and help you maintain better posture. It can also help with athletic performance by allowing for more efficient movement and power transfer. And there are, of course, appropriate exercises to strengthen your core. But there is another kind of core, one that is known as the inner self. The inner self, as described in the Bible, refers to the spiritual and moral part of a person, distinct from the physical body or outer man. And while our physical bodies are important and we certainly feel every ache and pain resulting from injury or even aging, o...

“Outrun the rays”!  It’s a phrase I noticed on a billboard.  I think it’s a public service type campaign.  The intent, I assume, is to get people out of the harmful rays of the sun that can cause things like skin cancer.  But you really can’t outrun the rays, they travel at about 186,282 miles per second! Yet the campaign has a certain appeal to it.   “Outrun” sounds a lot like a competition and maybe it gets the competitive juices going for some.   Yet, try as you may, you still can’t outrun the rays, but you can implement strategies to avoid them.   And most of those strategies have a simple foundational aspect to them; you avoid the rays by finding some type of covering. Strategies for covering up from the rays include being in shaded areas, putting on clothing that blocks the rays or putting on sun screen. While the sun’s rays can certainly cause significant physical harm and cover is essential to combat that, there are also areas of our live...

I’m generally a K.I.S.S. principle kind of guy, that is, Keep It Simple S.…d.  And sometimes it seems that the use of many words can violate that principle quite quickly.  After all, why use a whole bunch of words when fewer words can keep it simple? Consider each of these individual words: Glad:  experiencing pleasure, joy, or delight; feeling pleased and happy.  Rejoice:  to give joy to; gladden; to feel or show great happiness. Happy:  feeling, showing, or causing pleasure or satisfaction; causing joy or gladness Joyful:  feeling, expressing, or causing great pleasure and happiness. If you want to be simple and concise, you could probably just use any one of those descriptive words in a sentence.  In many ways, they are mostly interchangeable so just use one or two at the most. But using all four in one sentence; too verbose?  Overkill?  A violation of the K.I.S.S. principle? Look at what the Psalmist wrote:  “But...

I love words that have multiple meanings but the same spelling.  Take the word “present” for example.  You may be thinking of “present”, as in a gift.  Gotta love those! But I’m thinking of “present”, as in existing now or occurring now. I’m also thinking of “present”, as in being at hand. Why those two latter ones, you might ask, why not just go with the gift! Well, I recently read Psalm 46, and here is the first verse:   “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Some theologians suggest the word “present” in this Psalm has the meaning of “well proven”.  I certainly can appreciate that. But I’ve been wondering if “present” could include the meaning of “now existing or now occurring”.  That is, God is exists now and is occurring in our lives. Furthermore, I’ve been wondering if “present” could also include “being at hand”.  That is, God is here, right now, with us.   And with even further wondering, the wo...

What if I told you there’s a place where you can find pleasures forevermore?  Would you want to know where it is and how to get there?    If you do, check out what the Psalmist says: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”  (Ps 16:11) It sure looks like the place is at God’s right hand!  Yet, there’s another interesting dynamic to this; that place is occupied.  See for yourself: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”  (Col 3:1) “That he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,”  (Eph 1:20) “But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”  (Luke 22:69) “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the univer...