Saturday Selections

Borrowing an idea from two people I follow -- Tim Ferriss and Donald Miller -- I am going to begin trying to post short selections in bullet format that sum up my week and that might prove insightful to some.  Please let me know what you think in the comments, along with any suggestions that might help improve this weekly post.  With that said, on to the show...

1.  Friday the Thirteenth:  Just the appearance of this date on our calendar can cause some of us to worry.  But where did it start?

            -- Most people agree that Friday the Thirteenth has become associated with bad luck and evil because of a connection to Christianity.  Friday was the day Jesus was killed on the cross of Calvary, and there were 13 people present at the Last Supper, with Judas Iscariot being identified traditionally as the thirteenth person to arrive at the meal.  Hence, one origin theory for the superstitions surrounding Friday the 13th.

            -- Here’s a link with more information about Friday the 13th

2.  This week's Bible verse:  Psalm 112:7 (NIV): “He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.”

3.  In the news:  David Hasselhoff changes name.   A recent celebrity fad, changing your name is seen as a way to reinvent yourself, to change who you are by changing how the world views you.  It doesn’t only occur with celebrities -- many adherents of religion, including Islam and Christianity, change their names upon conversion.  It is a way to proclaim a new life to the world, to show you are not the same person you used to be.  It is a way to begin the process of sanctification, to put off the old and put on the new, to fully embrace your new life in Christ, and to embrace your life as a new creation in Christ.  So while changing our name may not be something we embrace, how can we actively demonstrate to the world the change brought about by the Holy Spirit in our lives?

4.  Prayer Focus: Paris and the nation of France.

5.  Interesting article of the week:  Fat is Failure -- Does being fat affect your Christian witness?