I'd been hearing about Facebook for awhile and thinking that maybe I needed to take the plunge.

Then I read that James Tauber got facebook-itized, so I figured I'd better go willingly before being compelled to do so.

If I haven't sent you a friend request and you'd like to connect, then look me up. The address I used is the one I use for the blog: textgeek gmail com; you know what to put where.

On July 22, 2006, I married the love of my life. The past year has been nothing but bliss, sweetie. I wouldn't trade any of it.

I love you more today than yesterday. Happy First Anniversary!

The weekly dose of cute baby pictures for our friends and relatives who read the blog. The second one is my favorite!

This morning the Logos Bible Software blog announced the BibleTech 2008 conference. It'll take place January 25-26 in Seattle, WA.

While Logos is the primary conference sponsor (disclaimer: I work for Logos), the conference is not about Logos Bible Software. It is designed for those who are interested in the intersection of the Bible and technology. So this could be professionals, hobbyists, publishers, bloggers, webmasters, educators or just about anyone else. If you're interested in the Bible and technology, no matter where you are, what you do, or who you work for, we'd love to see you in Seattle.

Several folks have already agreed to present. I'm most interested to hear from James Tauber (general XML/Python stud and co-creator of MorphGNT.org) and Zack Hubert (creator of zhubert.com).

The call for participation is open. Have an itch you'd like to scratch, or a cool side project you'd like to present? Then submit your ideas. I know I've got a few different ideas a-brewin'.

Lyle Lovett, from his song "This Old Porch". I'm listening to his "Anthology Vol. 1: Cowboy Man (amazon.com)", though it was originally on his 1986 self-titled release (amazon.com). Here's the verse:

This old porch is like a steamin', greasy plate of enchiladas
With lots of cheese and onions, and guacamole salad
And you can get 'em down at the La Salle Hotel in old downtown
With iced tea and a waitress, and she will smile every time

I can't tell you why I like this, but I'll try. Each verse of the song uses scenes like this to describe the comfort of sitting on an old porch. In this verse, can't you just taste the stuff he's describing, and picture the setting?

Each verse is great, but for some reason — perhaps because I think I can actually smell the "steamin', greasy plate of enchiladas" every time he sings the line — I like this verse the best.

I just came across this most interesting resource: Treasury of the New Testament.

Though in reality, it is only on John 1-15 (and doesn't look like it will grow fast at all, at least based on the "what's new" page).

If you're familiar with the concept behind IVP's Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture Series (ACCS) then this will be interesting to you. It looks like someone has interspersed (and footnoted) patristic commentary — in Greek — inside of the Gospel of John. The gospel text is that of the Orthodox Church, I'm guessing.

This is very cool, at least to me. It means I can feel good about reading the John portions but can stretch myself on the patristic portions.

So check it out. Here's John 3 for starters.

Enjoy!

J.B. Lightfoot, in his first volume on Clement, writes:

If we had to describe briefly the respective provinces of the three great Apostolic Fathers, we might say that it was the work of Clement to co-ordinate the different elements of Christian teaching as left by the Apostles; and of Ignatius to consolidate the structure of ecclesiastical polity as sketched out by them; while for Polycarp, whose active career was just beginning as theirs ended, and who lived on for some half century after their deaths, was reserved the task of handing down unimpaired to a later generation the Apostolic doctrine and order thus co-ordinated and consolidated by his elder contemporaries--a task for which he was eminently fitted by his passive and receptive character. (Lightfoot, p. 8)

I'm not so sure it is that neat and tidy--for example, though Ignatius makes many comments about the roles of bishop/elder/overseer/deacons/etc., I'm not convinced that his letters can be interpreted as a manual on ecclesial polity--but the quote does highlight some major emphases of the respective authors.