It is hard for me to say what I more enjoyed–spending time with dogsledders and their dogs (and puppies we got to hold) or the train ride through spectacular spaces, but here’s a sampling of the latter:

On the last leg of our journey back to Seattle from Alaska, we sailed to Victoria, British Columbia. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we were all on the deck, enjoying fellowship, sunshine, food, and music. (You can hear us and others talking on this short video.) My old iPhone does not do justice to the beauty, but here is a snippet nonetheless:

And here is Seattle at night (courtesy of my friend Ann):

Every wondered why it’s called Glacier Bay? Well, it lives up to its name:

It was so strange on the last flight home. The woman next to me had her ankles, legs, and thighs covered in tatoos of vines, weeds, and (perhaps) flowers, but it was her large hands and fake fingernails that discomfited me most. I don’t know what it is, but when I see something that is designed to be feminine and beautiful but it is twisted into images of foreboding and spiritual darkness, I get what Momo and Granddaddy called the “Heebie-Jeebies.” It’s a country way of saying, “Yikes! Look out! Darkness is here!”

When a woman’s fingers are pressed with fake nails of black and dark green, and the tips are pointed like those found in portrayals of the witches muttering in Macbeth, “Fair is foul, and foul is fair,” it’s ominous and darkness unfolds, as in the great tragedy. I looked over at her face. It was replete with piercings and steel loops and chains. There were piercings in her nose, above her eyebrows, between her nostrils, and more.

I was reading Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina on the flight back, but the pointed black tips to my left scratched mental scenes more from Macbeth than from AK into my thinking. I remain a Luddite, I suppose, where women are to be feminine and men are to be masculine, but as I see more and more in today’s unraveling culture of death and destruction, where we literally see men with beards walking around with purses and makeup and skirts and heels, and I–once again–understood why Romans 1 is just judgment for creatures who refuse their Creator.

The above is admittedly a sobering tone, and the subsequent posts will be mostly lighter fare. But we are in a strange time, and some folks have already long ago chosen the path of what Scripture calls folly, destruction, and suppression of the truth.

From the stern of the ship, our friends had stunning views, so we gathered on their balcony and imbibed the creation.

We had one stop en route Seattle. It was Denver, CO. Denver invariably intrigues me. It’s not particularly appealing to my eye, the way it sits in a bowl. It’s industrial, and so the formidable presence of steel and ironworks do not spring my hunger for visual aesthetics, but in a short flight out of Denver, or even a short drive, one is amidst startling beauty.

As we approached Denver I snapped a few pictures with my old iPhone and we had to take the obligatory selfie as we awaited our next flight to Seattle, WA, and then on to Alaska.

Then Denver came into view:

We landed safely and walked the long retailed corridors and I bought CJ a Denver sweatshirt we knew would be helpful in Alaska. As we waited for our next flight, we had to take the obligatory vacation selfie:

Then it was on to Seattle, Washington (see below):

And in Seattle, we made it to the ship:

Before we went to the ship we had time to enjoy Seattle some:

And another selfie (my apologies; I was tired, but excited, contrary to my facial expression):

Once we left port, I watched CJ as she watched Seattle recede.

And we took to the sea in comfort:

Over the coming days I will write short pieces about a recent vacation my bride and I took with friends. There are many pictures, of course, so I will try to spread a few of them over several iterations, and include a bit of narrative with each for context.

When we flew out of Atlanta, I of course took a window seat on the plane, because, though now far from being a young man, I still stare out the windows like a child for reasons like this one–aurora over Atlanta. If this does not move one’s sense of aesthetic wonder, I don’t know there’s much I can do for you.

This was the genesis of the trip, the first flight of several, as we made our way from the South to the Pacific Northwest. We were in for a lot of sights, laughs, meals, and fellowship, and I see now why Jack London and others put pen to paper to try and express things that stir the soul with wonder.

Much, much more to come. Stay tuned.

Introduction of Question: What is the pattern when we prefer the gifts over the Giver?

Historical Context: Daniel 5 is the story of Nebuchadnezzar’s son (King Belshazzar), now king after his father, falling into the same pattern as his dad. He was proud; he tried to usurp God’s glory; and God brought him low.

1 King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand. ² Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father^[a] had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. ³ Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. ⁴ They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. ⁵ Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote. ⁶ Then the king’s color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. ⁷ The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared^[b] to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” ⁸ Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. ⁹ Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed. ¹⁰ The queen,^[c] because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, “O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change. ¹¹ There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods.^[d] In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, ¹² because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.” ¹³ Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. ¹⁴ I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods^[e] is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. ¹⁵ Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter. ¹⁶ But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” ¹⁷ Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. ¹⁸ O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. ¹⁹ And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. ²⁰ But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. ²¹ He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. ²² And you his son,^[f] Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, ²³ but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored. ²⁴ “Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. ²⁵ And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. ²⁶ This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered^[g] the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; ²⁷ Tekel, you have been weighed^[h] in the balances and found wanting; ²⁸ Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”^{[i] 29} Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. ³⁰ That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. ^31 [j] And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

Encouragement & Takeaway: So I return to where I began? And that is a question: What is the pattern when we prefer the gifts over the Giver? Details make the story, so let me illustrate. Shortly, I will be taking some leave. Going on vacation with friends. If that were not sweet enough (and it is), but we are going to a place I have longed to go. If things go as planned, we will see some of earth’s most beautiful land and seascapes. Mountains, seas, rivers, whales, dog-sledding, snow, evergreen forests, glaciers, and much more. All of it will surely take our breath away.

But here’s the rub: Since those creations are that majestic, how much greater is their Creator? The question answers itself.

The book of Daniel is many things–a story of courage, bravery, and steadfastness in a culture of cowards; a story of faithfulness amidst persecution and exile; prophecy of the most minute detail and fulfillment; providence; and much more. But is it not also unavoidably about how easily we sinners purport to enjoy the gifts but try to banish the Giver? We need to read the other 65 books of Scripture, dear reader. God will not share his glory; he’ll not give it to another. Creation is simply a foretaste of the King in all his beauty.

Currently in Texas awaiting my next flight, I am once again studying the Old Testament book of Daniel. In today’s time I focused upon chapter 4 wherein Daniel once again proves to be a truth-teller to Nebuchandnezzar. Daniel does at least three things: 1) he interprets the king’s dream and its future fulfillment via precise detail and accuracy; 2) he (Daniel) serves as a paragon of godly wisdom amidst a culture of fools; and 3) we see that wisdom and humility are inextricable.

Daniel’s words:

²⁰ “The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, ²¹ whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived— ²² it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. ²³ And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,’ ²⁴ this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, ²⁵ that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. ²⁶ And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. ²⁷ Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.” (Dan 4:20-27, ESV)

Just Give It Time: No matter how many times I read Daniel, I always somehow think, “Maybe this time, Nebuchadnezzar will learn his lesson before all the suffering . . .” but of course, he doesn’t. The history is what it is, as the saying goes. One day Nebuchadnezzar is strolling his grounds and feeling quite satisfied with himself, and it is clear that he feels untouchable, as if he’s a self-made man. But then verses 30-33 change his plot:

“and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” ³¹ While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, ³² and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” ³³ Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws.” (Dan 4:30-33, ESV).

It just took some time, you see, to see that Nebuchadnezzar’s heart had not really changed yet. He discovered that God humbles the proud and delights to exalt the humble. The truly humble, not the posers. False humility is a satanic scheme and God hates it.

Encouragement/takeaway: All of Scripture is to be interpreted Christologically. So when we study Daniel, we see the Christian worldview in microcosm. We see exile due to human sin; we see persecution of the faithful remnant; we see judgment of individual sin and judgment of nations; we see the provision of God (Daniel and his friends were provided for and saved on multiple occasions–from death, persecution, lions, fire, etc.). But most of all we see the Lord of history, God the Son, who is with his people, who preserves them, who delivers them from the mouth of lions, who fulfills the prophetic word, who unites the biblical storyline by being the Word become flesh, who comes to take upon himself the sins of his people in order to redeem them as a ransomed bride fit for the king. He was/is the most humble servant and forever and always the thrice-holy King of kings.