I recently mentioned my affinity for flash mobs. Yes, those people who figure out how to choreograph an entire song and teach it to others so that for a few moments there’s one really cool spectacle. I also mentioned how I get a little teary-eyed when I see them–emo, even. You heard right. What I didn’t explain was why.
Welcome, Asher!
At 8:16 a.m. on Thursday, June 30, Asher Benjamin Googer was born. The first thing he asked out of the womb was, “Hey – where’s MY blog post? I see Ethan has, like, 100…but me? Nothing! I see who you love more.” Ah, sibling rivalry. It begins.
Right out of the box
“Whoa, is it bright out here? Or is it just me?”
Asher came out weighing 7 lbs, 12 oz and measuring 20 3/4 inches. At a month old, he weighed approximately 10 lbs, 3 oz (using the old “weigh yourself, then weigh yourself holding the baby” method). Let’s just say, he’s not petite.
The first month has been a good one. This experience has been a whole new ballgame, seeing as last time, Ethan was in the NICU his first 30 days. And I didn’t have a 20-month-old at home. So recovering from that C-section went fairly quickly. The recovery from this one has taken a little more time, but I’m feeling well now. Thankfully, I’ve had lots of help – from Hans (of course), my mom, Hans’ mom, and friends. Without them, I would’ve missed out on a LOT of naps. And a lot of tasty meals that I didn’t have to cook. (Yessss.) 🙂
One of the most frequently asked questions is: “How’s Ethan adjusting?” And…he’s adjusting. He seems to like Asher (“Baby!”) enough. But like many an older sibling who was used to being an only child, at times he misses my full attention. And throws a crying fit to let me know. Here he is at the hospital on the day Asher was born:
“Maybe no one will notice…”
The brothers:
“Name’s Ethan. That’s Mr. Ethan to you.”
“I’m going to assume you don’t know you’re hitting me right now.”
“I was at least this cute. Right, Mom?”
“My new toy is awesome!”
Asher seems to have inherited some of his daddy’s good looks. He’s got Hans’ darker skin tone (Ethan is nice and pale like his mother), mouth, nose (maybe…we’ll have to give it time), and my favorite: his oft-furrowed brow:
“Nothing’s wrong. I’m just thinking.”
“Jab! Jab! Uppercut!”
Before we go, Ethan wanted to model some headgear for you:
Ethan McEnroe
Ethan Hanna
Stormtrooper Ethan
Fargo Ethan
Ethan Teresa
Never Ending Cash Cow
This is a little old, but I just stumbled upon it (huge thanks to my buddy Todd–who is way smarter than I am). It covers a recently-published Common English Bible.
Common English Bible from Common English Bible on Vimeo.
I’m 98% sure the people in this video are paid actors. It’s just too perfect. And they paint a drab and untrue picture of how Bibles are translated in English.
For those of you who aren’t in the Bible world, or just think there is one translation of the Bible in English (or a few), think again. This list from Wikipedia isn’t even complete and it contains dozens of English translations (on my phone alone I have access to twenty versions in English). Shoot. Even my seminary has its own translation.
Why? Is it really to get the Scriptures into everyone’s hands? I’d like to think yes, but I’m more confident the answer is no. The answer is really this: money (and a little bit of “I want to help Christians study the Bible”). Why? Because there is money in every publishing house having their own translation. That way they don’t have to pay royalties any other publishing house for a translation.
For example: Zondervan Publishers owns the New International Version of the Bible (the most popular). Publishing House A wants to get a hip study Bible going but they don’t have their own translation so they have to base it off the NIV. Publishing House A then pays Zondervan good money to use the NIV. Then someone in a board room goes “Hey, wait a minute! Why don’t we make our own translation so that we don’t have to pay for anyone else’s?!?!?!” Now you have the new, updated, and easier-to-read version from Publishing House A. This makes Publishing House B jealous so they have to make their own.
So what’s the outcome? Zondervan owns the NIV (a staple translation of pew Bibles everywhere), Holman gets the Holman Christian Standard Bible (which has a Baptist flavor), Crossway gets the ESV (more to come on that one), Navpress jumps in with The Message, Tyndale Publishers gets the New Living, and on and on.
To make it even cooler you get some hip pastors to make some comments about your translation and then you’ve got a following. It doesn’t seem like there is a guy under 30 who doesn’t walk around with an ESV (I read from it just about every day)–this blog pokes a little fun at that very thing.
Your pastor probably uses whatever translation he is most familiar with (which means it’s the one he heard growing up). Making a change later in life is hard (who likes to hear “God says” instead of the old faithful “Thus saith”?). At our church we have three main teachers and you’ll either hear the New American Standard, ESV, or NIV. Funny thing is that NASB pastor is about 15 years older than NIV pastor, who is about 15 years older than ESV pastor. In 15 years there will be something else.
And someone else will be rich.
My seminary professor saith this: “The best translation of the Bible is the one you live.”
He’s good at mimicking. . .
So the chair I was sitting in upstairs hit the wall and made a noise (we have some metal pictures on the wall). Ethan quickly realized he, too, could make that noise–but not with a chair.
Ethan Amusing Himself from Hans Googer on Vimeo.
The only thing that stopped him was me picking him up. I think he may have gone for a while. . .
Fifteen Months
Yesterday, I took Ethan in for his 15-month check-up and immunization shots. Weight: 24 lbs, 2 oz (50%); height: 32″ (75%); and head 18 7/8″ (50-75%).
So, what’s Ethan been doing? Well…he still enjoys bath time. The splashing is incorrigible. Even though I cover myself with a towel, I still come out looking like I’ve lost a water balloon fight. Anyway, here are a few pics from the tub:
“It’s true. He does.”