The boys are sick. Head colds and throwing up drainage upon waking.
Jarlath's vet wrap is off, and the holes in his head aren't as gruesome as I anticipated.
Our driveway is black ice.
David is working late for the next 2 days, and has to work on Saturday also.
I rescheduled my glucose tolerance test for next Thursday instead of today.
I wish I had the energy to go do something fun, but I'm going to settle for necessary. I hope to do laundry and iron today... and cook something that my family will enjoy eating because while the fridge is full of stuff for making salads and veggie sandwiches, I'm the only one who enjoys eating those things on a regular basis!
The kids think we should be putting the Christmas tree back up since there is snow on the ground outside. :)
That's about it here. It's cold. Hope y'all are having a good day!
5 comments:
I was just wondering if you knew that the word Allah is the word used for God in the Arabic translation in the Bible. If you did, then how could you explain it being an improper use of the word for a Christian? I'm not saying that Muslims and Christians worship the same God by any means, just saying that both sides do use that word, because it was the Arabic word for God before Islam came about. Your thoughts? (delayed thought I know!)
-jessey (nikki's sister)
I sort of expected to answer this one on your blog. :) Hi Jessey!
I don't have access to my Arabic Bible or Quran right now, as David's re-doing our library (floors, moldings...) and all of our bookshelves are smooshed together in Samuel's room, so I might be off, but... this is my understanding.
Allah is the Arabic word for God. Alllah (but written Allah with a shedda over the second lam) is the way it is written in the Quran... I think. It's like Al Allah but run together. I'd have to look it up to be certain. If you have a copy of the Arabic Bible handy, could you look and see if that diacritical mark is over the second lam? I might have it mixed up and there might be less lams... Do you have a copy of the Quran in Arabic handy also?
I know that when muslims recite their confession of faith, they say, "La Allah Ila Allllllah..." (not really, but it sounds far more drawn out or held)
So until my library is back in order, I think that's the best I can do. :) I know one of our muslim instructors explained the difference in the Arabic word for God and what they call God to us at one point, and if this isn't it, I'm sure it's close... Our Christian Arabic instructors (Coptic) were quicker about their L's than our Palestinian, Iraqi, or Syrian instructors...
So, as I see it, saying that Muslims use "just the Arabic word for God" is a way of ignoring a very small yet important detail. Sometimes this is done in the interest of creating common ground. Sometimes it is done in the interest of introducing deceit. Have to be careful with it...
At the risk of overkill, I have another thought that I think is helpful and pertinent.
In our Christian creeds, we say things that to us in modern times seem to be simply clarification ..."begotten, not made"... but those phrases rose out of great struggles over heresy and orthodoxy in the early church. They're not simply clarification, but show which view "won" so to speak. You won't find "begotten not made" in the Coptic Creed, because the Egyptian church was the body that "lost" this battle. (Coptic Christians say their version of the creed as opposed to the Nicene creed to this day because they believe that the Father created the Son.)
Likewise, when a modern muslim says "The God" whether he or she knows it or not, this title came out of a desire to set "The One True God" on the throne, and knock off the trinitarian God of Christianity. They see us as polytheistic because "one God in three persons" doesn't compute for them.
So while we may agree with them that, yes, there is one, true God, we certainly differ in what that means. I think this is a way where using "The God" (Alllah) is a way of finding common ground and can be a springboard for sharing our faith. I think the trouble arises when we get to thinking that the god they worship is Our Father, because as I alluded to in my comment on your blog, I think that they worship the Deceiver. I realize that you probably think this as well, but I suppose I'm belaboring the point because I believe language, names, clarificaton... are so important even on a spiritual level. I think it's important to know what you're dealing with linguistically and the theological implications of that because words are more than just communication.
Alrighty. I'll try to hold off on any more overkill. I really enjoy talking about this stuff far too much, and don't often get the opportunity. :) ...just don't expect me to be fluent in Arabic if we ever get the chance to really visit again, because it has been over 10 years now and I'm really really rusty!
I was at home today with the boys and thought of you. I loved that I could check your blog to "catch up" on your end. Both boys have had strep throat and the flu this month. So, we are praying for an early spring as well. I was so glad to see that someone else despises winter right now. I neeeed sunshine!!! Miss you!
Hi Stacy! I miss you, too!! Bunches and bunches, actually! I'm so sorry that y'all have had strep AND the flu this month! Yuk! Y'all got plans for Spring Break?
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