Of Monks and Musings and a Give Away

In the annals of history on this very date in the year 800 A.D., I have absolutely no idea what happened!  I mean, I’m old, but not THAT old! 

I do know that during that year, an extraordinary group of Celtic monks in the Kells Monastery on the remote island of Iona, off the coast of Scotland completed a painstaking task. 

The Book of Kells is one of the most famous manuscripts in the history of the world and was completed in 800 AD. The vellum (calfskin) manuscript contains transcriptions of the four Gospels, lavishly illustrated and ornamented. It is the most elaborate manuscript of its kind to survive from the early Middle Ages. This lavishly decorated text opens the Gospel of John.  Simply amazing. (Click to enlarge.)

These precious parchments now make their home in the Trinity College library in Dublin, Ireland.  Mike and I were privileged to see some of the pages of this stunning masterpiece when we visited there 10 years ago. 

Fast forward 1,209 years to today’s date, and thousands of men and women are proclaiming the Gospel of Christ in print, only this time via the Internet.  Our words will more than likely not be immortalized in a famous library somewhere, but they will be read daily on screens ranging in size from palm to 36” monitors.

I’m humbled that you all would even desire to stop by my little place in cyberspace.  That anything I would have to say would even interest you astounds me. 

Like those Celtic Monks, it’s my goal to live faithfully before my sphere of influence and point everyone to Christ.  With every click of the keys, it’s His name I desire to see glorified, not my flawed wordsmith skills. 

In the year 800 A.D. they completed their work. Today marks my 800th post in under 2 years.  It’s my desire to keep writing for His honor and glory, until He tells me to stop or calls me Home.

In honor of this 800th post, I’m offering a ONE DAY give away. Simply leave a comment below and tell me how many posts you’ve written thus far for the glory of His name.  Tuesday morning I will use one of those online generator thingies to randomly pick a winner.

The prize, a book and music CD compiled by Beth Moore called “Voices of the Faithful.”

"A willingness to go is all they have in common," exclaims Beth Moore, speaking of her friends on the front lines who are spreading the gospel around the world and with whom she collaborated to create this book. This brilliant 365-day devotional features incredible stories of God’s faithfulness in the face of uncertainty and danger, written by hundreds of missionaries worldwide.

Oh, and one more piece of 800 trivia for you.  The 800th chapter of the Bible is Lamentations 3, best known for verses 21-25:

“This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The LORD’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness.  ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, therefore I have hope in Him.  The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him.”

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Of Monks and Musings and a Give Away