Hello Again!

I know, it has been over three months since I have last written. It has been a crazy three months. Aside from having my fourth child, the demands of seminary and two jobs have taken their toll. Nevertheless, I am back and hope to write more over the summer.

This last semester I had the privilege of translating 1 John from Greek to English. I also had to write an expositional paper on 1 John 5:16-17: "The Sin That Leads To Death." Both of these have taught me a great deal, not to mention two important truths. First, translation takes a lot of work and practice. There are so many questions that must be answered and thought through for each verse. Add to that, every time you translate, you loose something from the original. Therefore, a good translator will try keep his losses at a minimal. Needless to say, translating is an art.

The second thing I have learned is that my writing needs to become more clear and concise. I have a lot of ideas floating around in my head. And sometimes I like to put them all down in one setting, regardless if they fit or not. This makes things lengthy and meandering. I need to work on laying hold of one idea and sticking with it all the way through, in as short of space as possible.

Therefore, at least over the summer, I am going to practice translating my Greek one verse at a time and writing my reflections on it. This will be more on the spot thinking and writing. I do not plan to consult my resources for information or ideas. I am going to try to organize my thoughts and put them down in a paragraph or two. I hope by doing so that I will become a better translator and writer.

As always, you thoughts and comments are welcome. I may write something that you agree or disagree with. You are free to say what you like. Moreover, you may see something that I missed in my thought process and correct it or present a case for it. Feel free. I am open to the dialogue.

I hope all is well.