I came across this on Google+ and had to repost it. Good advice from Amanda Patterson.

1. “Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very’; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.” ~ Mark Twain

I never got a chance to reflect on some of things that happened at the last ETS in Atlanta, but there is one thing of a personal nature I wanted to share.

I had a great experience this Christmas and wanted to share it with you. It doesn’t have much to do with Greek, so I wouldn’t even try to make some sort of artificial connection.

I would like to take quick break from the normal function of this blog to share something on a personal nature with you. Integrity demands it, since it comes as a form of disclosure. But I am also concerned to stem any misunderstanding.

I know this is a bit off topic, but someone asked the other day about the history behind my grammar and suggested that people might be curious. So for what it’s worth, here it is.

ETS is now over and many of the people have move on to Boston to attend IBR (Institute of Biblical Research) and then SBL (Society of Biblical Literature), which is the largest of the three organizations. SBL is the least friendly of the organizations toward evangelicals and therefore perhaps our greatest opportunity for engagement in a non-evangelical theological culture.

Greetings from the first day of the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society. We are in Providence, Rhode Island.

We have just finished our first conference in Nepal and I wanted to get my thoughts down before we go to India for our second conference.

A lot has happened since the first blog. Once again I find it a little difficult to put into words without it sounding like a cliche.

In a recent closed meeting between Barack Obama and several Christians including Franklin Graham, Obama was asked whether he believed that Jesus is the only way to salvation. His answer, which the reporter, a Mr. Rivers, called brilliant, was Jesus is the only way for me. I'm not in a position to judge other people.

This kind of verbal evasion drives me crazy.