The Unclean Donkey

A strange and Interesting Bible Fact:

 Some time later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his enter army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria. There was a great famine in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver and a quarter of a cab of seed pods for five shekels.

II Kings 7:24-25 NIV

Note: A donkey was considered an unclean animal; forbidden to Israelites as food. Because of the lengthy and severe famine the people of Samaria disregarded the law of uncleanness and even placed value on the least edible part of a donkey. (NIV study Bible note)

Green Living

A strange and Interesting Bible Fact:

And sometimes the pot breaks--what do you do with it?

Think about the pottery. The potter formed a vessel and if misshapen or flawed, he dropped it to the floor. The broken pieces, known a potsherds, were ‘recycled’ to carry burning coals (Isa 30:14), to scoop water from a cistern, and for note taking or receipts (Jer 32:14). The pieces too small to use elsewhere were ground into grog and used as a tempering agent in a new pot.

If you feel like a broken vessel or the ‘grog,’ look around you. God can use the worst of your life to temper and strengthen another of His vessels.

The Bible’s first Color?

A strange and Interesting Bible Fact:

Most Bible readers know the rainbow is mentioned in Genesis and the rainbow holds the primary colors. But what is the first color mentioned in the Bible? Does your mind go to the brown snake? The red apple (the fruit mentioned isn’t truly an apple, but we’ve heard Eve picked the apple for so long, our mind can play tricks on us and see the Delicious red apple in her hand).

Maybe you thought the blue of the sky or the yellow of the sun or the . . . The first color mentioned in the Bible is green. Check it out: Genesis 1:30

Fly Like An Eagle

A strange and Interesting Bible Fact:

Ask a child, “What is likely to sprout wings and fly away like an eagle?” and you’ll receive a number of answers, especially if they just finished a fantasy story. A pre-schooler might say, “a bunny rabbit.” The child will then dissolve in a fit of giggles. A middle school child with an electronic game might quickly answer, “a whale.” They know with electronics, anything is possible. The real answer is found in Proverbs 23:4-5. Wealth is sure to sprout wings and fly like an eagle. Guard your child’s future—teach them the Biblical wisdom—money does fly away. 

A LISTENING FRIEND

 A strange and Interesting Bible Fact:

One of my listening friends. 

What do you say when your friend is diagnosed with cancer or an incurable disease? Often because we have no idea what to do or how to fix the situation, we offer platitudes which leave us feeling foolish—our words don’t help. God’s Word gives simple instructions for such situations. “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17: 22 (niv). Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24 (niv). One thing you can do is be there and when the words don’t come, listen.

AT THE WATER’S EDGE

A strange and Interesting Bible Fact:

When the waters—circumstances of life—overwhelm us we have a tendency to complain like the Israelites. God said to them, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.” EX 14:13 (niv). Number 11:23, “The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you.” 

Elijah struck the water in II Kings 2:9. Each of the Biblical challenges happened at the water’s edge. In verses 13 and 14 we find Elisha “stood on the bank of the Jordan.” Moses, Joshua, Elijah and Elisha faced the chilly watery circumstances—each learned to listen to God, walk to the water’s edge in faith, and then make the choice to move forward. 

HELP IN SLAYING GIANTS

A strange and Interesting Bible Fact

When we talk about David and Goliath, most people have some kind of mental picture. It may be from growing up with the Bible stories or seeing a movie. Young David killed the giant with a sling and five stones, but what about the War Against the Philistines found in II Samuel 22:15-17 (tnab). 

“…David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted.” Someone killed the giant for David. The Bible notes say, “By calling these men descendants of Rapha the writer was saying that they were giants.” Sometimes we can kill the giants in our lives, sometimes we need the help of others to slay our giants—especially during the Christmas season. 

Like A Bottle in the Smoke

A leather bag made of animal skin is the most common kind of bottle in Biblical times. A smaller bottle kept the shape of the animal with the bone removed. The larger ones were hides sewn together.

A liquid was usually carried in a ‘bottle’ with the hair left on, but tanning had to be completed before a bottle could serve to carry wine. A bottle hung in the smoke to dry, it shriveled—thus the phrase found in Psalms 119:83 “I am become like a bottle in the smoke.” 

Alike Chapters: II King 19 and Isaiah 37

A strange and Interesting Bible Fact

We are all familiar with Old Testament passages being repeated in the New Testament. But what about two chapters so similar they appear to be copied and pasted. Why? With all the words and stories available, why is the scripture repeated? (Study II King 19 and Isaiah 37 (niv). Why do we hear stories about infamous people and members of our family repeated over and over? That we might know, discern the truth and follow the wisdom of God. Study and know God’s laws. The truth does set us free.

UNBLESSED MONEY

A strange and Interesting Bible Fact

A bag was a shepherd’s wallet, usually made of kid’s skin with a strap fastened to each end to hang from the shoulder. When David went out to meet Goliath, he placed pebbles in his bag. Proverbs 20:23 (niv) is a caution against putting pebbles in a bag to cheat a merchant. 

Haggai 1:6 describes unblessed money as a “money bag with holes in it.” My pondering mind wonders about some of our ill-gotten gains today. Is all my money blessed by God, or do I carry around a bag with holes in it, or is it just the taxation, or is it called a debit card?

The Counsel of a Wise Woman

Many women are given to long speeches. Some are valid, worth listening to and possibly recorded for posterity sake. Many women in biblical times were given only one sentence, a sentence or two that in reflection causes us to pause, think and act upon the woman’s statement or the dedication of purpose. 

Abigail’s speech to David in I Sam 25 is the longest speech by a woman in The Bible, quite possibly one of the wisest counsels recorded.

The Bug Bible

A strange and Interesting Bible Fact:

A few years ago I purchased a Bible, when I arrived home I found that half-way through, the Bible had been published with the print upside down and backwards. I returned to the bookstore with my copy. The clerk found a whole box had been printed in error. 

There are other Biblical errors. The Cloverdale Bible of 1535 became known as “The Bug Bible” because it translated Psalm 91:5 as “Thou shalt not nede to be afrayed for eny bugges by night.” instead of “Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night.”  (Biblical error info from www.alt-usage-english.org)

Omaha WordSowers Writing Fun

To hobnob with other authors brings enlightenment, encouragement and laughter. Last night Jon Miller (17) drove me to Garden Café at Rockbrook Plaza for food, fellowship and fine tuning our writer skills.
Eight out of nine attendees brought a short article about a driving experience. The idea about the exercise was to fool our fellow authors, don’t write in your “usual voice.” I purposely took time to look up current slang. I’m posting my delightful piece here for posterity sake, even if it didn’t fool even one of the other writers.

East Cupcake Driving

My Best Friend (BF) drove from my house to the tullies and then said, “It’s not that hard. The gear shift shows you the direction.” We changed seats. I felt nervous and excited.
“Put your left foot on the clutch and the right on the gas,” BF said. I had to look at my feet to figure out the difference between the two. I let out the clutch too quick, the vehicle bucked and died. I felt sweat bead on my forehead and apologized.
“Now don’t pull a quebby,” BF said.
I didn’t know what a quebby was anymore than I knew how to start a stick shift. I let out on the clutch once more, hit the gas. Zero to twenty-five in one lurch.
“Take a right at the light and drive to East Cupcake, its safer thata direction,” BF said. “Easy, easy. Don’t hit the lagger. Turn, turn, turn quick.” Before I turned BF grabbed the wheel. “Shift, shift. No, not that way.”
“Don’t be haggin’ me,” I yelled at BF, placing my sweaty palm on the gear shift. “I’m not a schmuck. I can see the car ahead is slower than molasses.”
BF’s nagging subsided until we hit the dirt road of East Cupcake. “Stop. Now hit reverse?” BF instructed.
“Reverse? I don’t know how….”
“Don’t be a Palooka, look at the gear shift.”
I managed to not only reverse the vehicle I parked, stopped, started, turned it off and managed to drive the freeway in fifth gear on the way home.
“That was truly san frantastic,” I said to BF when we arrived home. “You’re a great teacher—or maybe I’m a great student.”
I felt really really proud when BF said, “Off the hinges, my friend. Off the hinges.”

HE TOOK TIME TO COUNT FISH

One of the first stories taught to children is about the fishermen. Preschoolers love to catch fish. Give them a toy boat, a make-shift net, fish crackers and have someone read the story in John 21:5-14. Many teachers read, “throw your net,” and then encourage their students to catch and scarf down their gold fish crackers.

But read on. When Jesus said, “Bring some of the fish you just caught,” Simon Peter climbed aboard, dragged the net ashore. “It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.” (John 21:11 NIV).

Most fishermen are like Peter and John, they see the importance of the catch—they count, weigh and photograph for posterity sake.

Add trivia to your day. Also visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/kat2009 to stay up to date with Kat's journey

Kat’s Kernals

Fringe and tassels on a garment may seem like a bunch of phoo phoo, but not so. God said, “Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments….” (Numbers 15:37). Awe, such rich symbolism. People of that day understood the hem of the garment was an extension of the individual which clarifies Ruth saying, “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are Kinsman Redeemer. (Ruth 3:9). Jesus knew about the fringed tassels, too, but He had had a different perspective. In Matthew he commented on how the Pharisees did everything for others to see “….and their tassels on their garments long.” Question: I love the added ruffles and even fringe, but then I ask myself, does my clothing today represent who God is in me or do I invite everyone to see me?

Kat Crawford©2011

Be of Good Cheer

Another strange and interesting Bible Fact:

When my husband was diagnosed with a terminal illness he despaired of one more person asking, “How are you?” Yet every doctor, nurse, technician and visitor asked the same thing, “How are you?” Why not take a Bible phrase and turn it into a new greeting. “Be of good cheer.” In Matthew 14:27 Jesus said, “Be of good cheer; it is I, be not afraid.” John 16:33 says, “In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.” (kjv)

Develop a new habit, practice saying, “Be of good cheer” to everyone you greet.

An Old Cliche by Job

Authors are reminded to avoid oft quoted cliché. Still we hear a family member, friend or co-worker use an old hat phrase on a daily basis. Ever wonder where they stem from?

Today when I searched for those little known tid-bits of the Bible, I ran smack dab into a phrase I use often. “…. by the skin of my teeth"; did you know Job is the first recorded person to say, “by the skin of my teeth?” Job 19:20 NIV.

How many other little tidbits of speech actually are derived from the ancient ones? Those who lived years before us?

The Lamb Crew

Our friends felt called to parenthood. After the birth of their third child they adopted a special needs child, then another and another. At the last count they were the proud parents of twenty-one children. A happy bunch, they call themselves the Lamb Crew.

Twenty-one children is a lot of mouths to feed, but what about our Bible character, Rehoboam. He fathered eighty-eight kids—now that, my friends, is one large family.

II Chron 11:21 niv Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

Just a thought from Kat for today, chew on it for awhile.

What Is It?

Manna is a honey wafer. (Exodus 16:31 NIV). The name means “What Is It?” Now think about it. God gave the people food every day. They didn’t dig the soil. Tend the garden. Fertilize the plants or even water. They simply harvested the ‘manna’ each day. They were given just enough for their needs. It seems that often we heap our plate full of the day’s offerings without a sound of thanks giving. Instead we are guilty of wrinkling our nose and like the Hebrew children we say, “Manna?” or translated, “What is it?”

Left Handed Warriors

David’s warriors were well trained for battle. So well trained we find they could shoot arrows right handed and left handed (I Chronicles 12:2 NIV).


The year my mother turned eighty I received an almost illegibly written letter. I wondered if her age had robbed her penmanship until I read her end-note. “I’m practicing writing left-handed just in case I hurt my right arm.” Mom thought she needed to be doubly prepared for battle.


Maybe we should all take lessons from David’s warriors and my elderly mother.