Archive for category Cool Stuff
BOB’s 2 Year Anniversary
Posted by Peter in Bible, Blogging, Christianity, Cool Stuff on November 6, 2009
The official BOB two-year anniversary is tomorrow 11/07/09, but I will be working a spiritual freedom retreat away from computers, so I will just have to solicit pats on the back today.
Here is what has happened over the last couple of years:
My Top 5 Posts (# of views as of today):
- The Lord is My Shepherd (2,780)
- What Makes A Bible Translation Authoritative? My Top 5 (1,060)
- What’s in a Name? On Ishmael and Isaac (983)
- A Week withthe NLT Study Bible (941)
- How I Mark My Bible (768), and
- Oh, Crap! That Was Funny (soon to overtake them all, 649 in 3 weeks).
Absolute Must-Read Post: 10 Things Churches Do Right.
My Personal Favorite (in recent memory): Don’t Bite Your Friends.
Best Anniversary Post (besides this one): One Year Anniversary.
Most Comments on a Post: When You Die, Where Will You Go? Are You Sure? (55).
Total Number of Posts: 257.
Total Number of Comments: 1870.
It’s been a great year. Thanks for all of your support.
Holy Bible Mosaic Giveaway
Posted by Peter in Bible, Bible Translations, Christianity, Cool Stuff, Giveaways, God, New Testament, Old Testament on October 14, 2009
Holy Bible Mosaic
Next Friday, October 23, 2009, the Holy Bible Mosaic Blog Tour stops here at Beauty of the Bible. There are a lot of cool things planned for the tour stop including a giveaway for a free Mosaic.
I am running a 10-day contest for your chance to win a Gift Certificate redeemable at any bookstore for a free Holy Bible Mosaic (hard cover edition). I have one myself, and let me tell you, it is gorgeous.
All you have to do to enter is leave me your name in the comments below and check back on Friday to see if you win.
If you post a link to this contest on facebook, you will get one additional entry – if we are not yet friends, you will need to befriend me so that I can confirm the facebook link.
If you have a blog, you can write a post about this, link back to this page, and I will give you another entry for a possible total of three (3) entries.
Bloggers, if you already have a review copy, don’t worry, I will let you designate the person you want to receive it if you win. For example, if you want your grandmother who has no idea how to turn on a computer to win, you can enter for her.
Entries will be accepted until 12:00 noon (CST) on Friday October 23, 2009, and I will have my daughter Libby draw the winning name. The winner will be posted at 5:00pm (CST) on Friday, October 23, 2009. The winner will then contact me via the Contact page above with their mailing address (U.S. mailing addresses only please), and I will mail them their prize.
Here are a few key features (from the Mosaic website):
- Writings from every continent and century of the Christian Church – Contemporary and historical writings from Christians across the globe such as St. Augustine, Charles Wesley, and Henri Nouwen.
- Full-Color Art – Full color art offers another kind of reflective devotional experience, with artwork from contemporary and historical artists.
- Center column reference text with word study system – The clear New Living Translation text in this Bible is set in a center-column reference format, with Greek and Hebrew word studies to give you greater insight in study. There are also icons in the margins of the text to indicate which Scripture passages are linked to which writings.
- Variety of Reflective Content – The content is arranged so that every week the reader has a variety of content for reading and reflection. Each week follows a theme appropriate to the Church season (such as Advent, Easter, etc). The content included for each week includes full-color art; Scripture readings; a historical reading; a contemporary reading; a prayer, creed, hymn or quote; and space for reflection.
- Space for your response to God’s promptings – Add your tile to the mosaic—write or draw your response, prayers and questions in the provided space.
My Other Mosaic Posts:
- NLT Mosaic Coming Fall 2009
- Holy Bible Mosaic Released Today
- Holy Bible Mosaic (It’s Gorgeous) and Blog Tour Info
Mosaic Links:
Techies Take Note-The Glo Bible
Posted by Peter in Bible, Cool Stuff, New Testament, Old Testament on October 12, 2009
Thanks to Bitsy, who got it from Stephen, who probably got it from Kevin Bacon, but this looks really, really cool.
Here’s the rub, it requires a Windows-based PC, which is fine for me because I use PCs, but it kind of has that Apple/Mac feel, which is a relatively minor point I suppose. But, it also requires 18GB (yes, GB) of free disk space, a dual-core processor, and either 1 or 2GB of RAM depending on your Windows version, and an internet connection.
When you check out the Glo website, you’ll know why. There are over 550 360° virtual tours, 3.5 hours of HD videos, over 140 interactive maps, thousands of high-resolution photos, and over 7,500 articles, and a whole lot more. It’s quite the ambitious project. The cost is considerable, but not oppressive, $89.99(USD).
It’s hard for me to tell who the potential audience is, or isn’t. I would love it, but it’s not something I would use everyday like my trusted paper Bibles. It would be great for presentations or research, and I could see a younger audience liking the interactivity, but I would be interested to see how it is incorporated into regular Bible reading/study habits.
I would be curious if any of you have previewed a review copy since it’s not available until October 15, 2009. I would definitely like to test drive it before I bought it, but I might trust someone else’s test drive.
Here is the official Glo website and other links that might be of interest:
It Feels Like Sacrilege, But Funny is Funny
Posted by Peter in Christianity, Cool Stuff, Humor on July 10, 2009
The blogosphere is all abuzz with the 500th birthday celebration of John Calvin, but the most interesting post on the subject is over at Punctuated Life and it is hilarious.
I’m particulary fond of the cologne…
I don’t know why it feels like sacrilege to laugh, but funny is funny.
New iPhone is Available for Pre-Order
Posted by Peter in Bible, Blogging, Cool Stuff on June 11, 2009
You can now pre-order the new iPhone 3G(s) and get it by June 19.
It’s been six months since I cracked the screen on my (then) new iPhone, and I can only now talk about it.
And just in time for the release of the new iPhone 3G(s).
I was a hard-core Palm guy in a previous life, but life, since the iPhone, has taken on new meaning.
Think of the world before the printing press, and the world after the printing press. Yeah, it’s that good. And it’s getting even better.
What’s new:
- picture and video MMS (which is big, and you know what I mean, if you’re an iPhone user)
- 16gb & 32gb models
- video recording and editing
- 3 megapixel, autofocus, tap-to-focus camera
- voice control
- better battery life, and other pretty cool stuff.
The price? $199 for the 16gb and $299 for the 32gb with 2-year contract. Currently contracted att users can still get discounted iPhones by renewing for another 2 years, and if I’m not mistaken those prices are $399 & $499 respectively.
So, what does this have to do with the Bible? Nothing, other than there are a lot of really cool Bible apps you can use for Bible reading and study. I prefer Olive Tree, but there are others.
And it’s therapeutic for me to talk about it now-six months later. So, indulge me while I kick back on my therapist’s couch (which is, for the time being, this blog).
Oh, and you can, of course, do all of your WordPress blogging and blog reading from your iPhone if you so choose.
Baby Got Book
Posted by Peter in Bible, Bible Translations, Christianity, Cool Stuff, Humor on June 2, 2009
As you may know, I personally prefer thinlines and compact Bibles for day-to-day use. But, my wife regularly reads her NIV Life Application Study Bible, which is 5lbs. if it’s an ounce. So, my baby definitely “got book.”
This is pretty darn funny, especially if you remember Sir Mix a Lot and his classic (which I never listened to, but I did hear about it from friends 
)
“So your girl likes paperback?
Well, I ain’t down with that.”
Thanks to my sister-in-law for the tip. Enjoy!
Do You Want to Write Book Reviews?
Posted by Peter in Blogging, Book Reviews, Cool Stuff on February 23, 2009
Attention Bloggers: If you are interested in writing book reviews for your blog, a couple of major publishing houses have established book-reviewing programs for bloggers.
Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Bloggers (BRB) and Bethany House Book Reviewers are now soliciting bloggers to write and publish book reviews on their blogs. Both also require that book reviewers write a review of each book reviewed on a major commercial website (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook.com, etc.).
Prospective book reviewers are required to fill out an application form and click through a confirmation email before reviewing books. As far as I can tell, the title selection is limited, but significant (there are plenty of good titles to choose from). Thomas Nelson’s BRB has a site dedicated for this program where bloggers can browse book titles. You will also receive periodic emails about products available for review.
Similarly, Bethany House Book Reviewers allows prospective book reviewers to select from several categories of interest, and the reviewer will receive periodic emails alerting them to titles available for review.
I’m sure other publishers will follow suit. If so, I will keep you posted.
Blog Readability Test
Posted by Peter in Blogging, Cool Stuff on November 12, 2008
Following ElShaddai’s (He Is Sufficient) lead, I put Beauty of the Bible through the Blog Readability Test,
…and the result is “College Level.”
One-Year Anniversary
Posted by Peter in Bible, Blogging, Christianity, Cool Stuff on November 9, 2008
BOB's First Logo
Today is Beauty of the Bible’s one-year anniversary (or as my good friend Robert Jimenez from Inquiring Minds calls it, bloggiversary).
It has been a fun and exciting year. I hope and pray that 2009 is as great as 2008 and better.
Here is a quick summary of year one (as of today):
Original Address: beautyofthebible.blogspot.com.
Move from Blogger to WordPress: April 23, 2008 (The Believer’s Journey).
Total Readers (since the move): 6,872.
Most Read Post: So Many Translations, So Little Time (399).
Least Read Post (since the move): Scofield Study Bible: An Oldie But Goodie (10).
Busiest Day: September 11, 2008, What Makes A Bible Translation Authoritative: My Top 5 (172).
Post With Most Comments: Genesis 1:1 and God’s Great Ambiguity (26).
Most Clicked Item: How to Read the Bible: A Lighthearted Look at a Serious Question.
Largest Referrer: ESV Blog (140).
First Blog to Blogroll Me: Sermon Alive
First Technorati Blog Reaction: For Love of Home
Technorati Authority/Rank: 27/237,589.
*First Child Born*: Libby Grace (June 2008).
Libby
More Cool Bible Stuff
Posted by Peter in Ancient Hebrew, Bible, Christianity, Cool Stuff, Greek, Hebrew on October 21, 2008
More Cool Bible Stuff
Here is some more really cool Bible stuff. If you spend very much time at all searching Bible stuff online, you probably already know about these, but, if not, enjoy.
Codex Sinaiticus – A fourth century Greek Christian Bible with a complete New Testament. The Codex Sinaiticus Project is an effort to digitize the entire Codex and make it viewable online. The website which was recently launched has several complete books of the Bible already available for viewing and is scheduled to have the entire Bible online by July 2009.
Ancient Hebrew Research Center – This is one of my favorite sites, and, along with Hebrew for Christians, where I really developed a love for Hebrew and its symbolism.
Hebrew for Christians – Just about everything you needed to know about the Hebrew language.
AmazingBible.org – An interesting site which treats virtually every major issue in Christianity. It is essentially one large index of Christian doctrine and theology. The site is the product of a Baptist person or organization, although I haven’t figured out who or what specifically, so file that info away for what it’s worth. Candidly, my wife and I were members of a spirit-filled Baptist Church for a while, although we attend a non-denominational church now, and I have no idea whether or not I endorse everything in the site because there’s simply so much information I haven’t even come close to seeing it all.
Biblioblogs.com – A fairly thorough list of biblioblogs, so if you are a regular reader of this or other Bible blogs and you just can’t get enough, check out Biblioblogs.com and discover other great Bible blogs.
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