Historical Timeline and Context of Daniel

This is a compressed, summarized timeline to provide some context for the book of Daniel. This is based on some of the information provided in Jordan’s Handwriting on the Wall.

This assumes the Biblical dates are accurate and takes them seriously. It also makes the assumption that ancient kings had many names for themselves for different times and contexts, and many of them more like titles, such as Ahasuerus. A Biblical example is 1 Chronicles 5:26. There are also more modern cognates, like James I of England was first James VI of Scotland.

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Plumber or Priest? The Conceit of Being a Writer

During a recent talk at a homeschool convention, ND Wilson attempted to smash the lofty conceit that can surround the writing profession like a fog of cheap incense.

He said that being a writer is like being a plumber. Or a UPS delivery guy delivering a package. A writer delivers what is needed, where it is needed, and there is nothing about the profession that is necessarily more sacred than other vocations. Above all, you are in service to others, and not a tortured soul vomiting out your own self-expression.

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Kung Fu Panda and the Peace of Confession

I dismissed the original Kung Fu Panda when it first came out, but I’ve seen it with new eyes, and partly through the eyes of my children. It’s a delightful movie, not only because of its great animation, top-notch fight choreography, and well-timed humor, but also because it is has unexpected depth. This depth is made manifest the most in the character arc of the cynical kung fu master, Shifu.

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Index Cards – Shadows of Former Glory

I ran out of index cards last week.

Since the new year, I’ve been using them to keep notes. I thought I had plenty, since I had just bought 300 of them from Office Depot, and it said “index cards” on the package. Upon opening them, however, they felt like nothing more than cut up scraps of paper.

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