Rebecca Stark is the author of The Good Portion: Godthe second title in The Good Portion series.

The Good Portion: God explores what Scripture teaches about God in hopes that readers will see his perfection, worth, magnificence, and beauty as they study his triune nature, infinite attributes, and wondrous works. 

                     

Wednesday
Jul182007

They Shoot Halibut, Don't They?

or Saturday’s Old Photo on Wednesday.

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Saturday’s have been busy, so I’ve skipped the old photo post for the last few weeks. But I miss writing those posts, so this week we’ll have an old photo on Wednesday. Sorry if that messes with your rigid blog reading schedule.

This is a photo of hubby and his oldest and best friend Steve, who lives in Petersburg, Alaska. The picture was taken in August, sometime in the 1990s, but don’t press me for the exact year. As you can see, they’ve been halibut fishing, something they did together every August, if they could manage it. Keith, and anyone else from the family who was free, would travel by road to Skagway and by ferry to Petersburg for a visit with Steve and his family.

Steve owns a nice little skiff and the fishing is always good in Petersburg. The halibut hanging there in the middle was Keith’s catch. It weighed 124 lbs, and was the largest a halibut, according the guys on the wharf, that had been brought in so far that year.

A halibut has very little waste, so a 124-pound halibut fills two very large coolers with filleted steaks, enough to serve halibut once a week to a family of six for a whole year.  Halibut, in case you’ve not tasted it, is a mild tasting, white meat fish. That means almost no one hates it, although those of us who grew up eating northern pike find it a little too unfishy and prefer the more oily fish with a stronger taste, like salmon.

The year after this photo was taken, the trip to Petersburg resulted in an even larger catch—a 147 pound halibut—but the claim to bragging rights for that one was contested. Keith hooked what he thought was a big one and asked Steve, fishing on the other side of the skiff, for help bringing it in. But just as Steve started to come over, he hooked a big one, too. So they had to work independently to bring in their big fish, each doing the fish and fisherman fighting dance required to get the really big ones.

At some point in the process, they noticed that when Keith’s fish was out, Steve was bringing his fish in; and when Steve fish was out, Keith could bring his fish in. Yep, the big guy (or girl, since the big ones are usually female) had gone for the bait on both lines and they’d each hooked it. It was one big fish caught on two lines, something that helped them eventually get it to the boat. Replaying it afterwards, they came to the conclusion that having the fish hooked on both lines was they only way they would have been able to bring in a 147 pound fighting fish.

Replaying it afterwards, they worked out the perfect plan for divying up the bragging rights, too: In Petersburg, the fish was Steve’s catch; in Whitehorse, it was Keith’s.

And in answer to the question in the title, yes, they shoot halibut, at least the big ones. That halibut are almost all meat means they are almost all muscle, and 100 pounds of flopping fish muscle can break bones. So fishermen either club halibut with a flying gaff while they are still in the water, or if they are really big, they shoot them.

Sunday
Jul152007

What is adoption?

Adoption is an act of the free grace of God,[1] in and for his only Son Jesus Christ,[2] whereby all those that are justified are received into the number of his children,[3] have his name put upon them,[4] the Spirit of his Son given to them,[5] are under his fatherly care and dispensations,[6] admitted to all the liberties and privileges of the sons of God, made heirs of all the promises, and fellow heirs with Christ in glory.[7]

Click to read more ...

Sunday
Jul152007

Sunday's Hymn: Reader's Choice

Today’s hymn is the favorite of Kara in Kugluktuk, who just welcomed a new son to the household.

My favorite is a Christmas one—Hark the Herald Angels Sing. I could sing that anytime of year!

So I guess we’re having Christmas in July!

Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Refrain

Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!

Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.

—-Charles Wesley (Listen.) 

Other hymns, worship songs, etc. posted today:
Have you posted a hymn this Sunday and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by emailing me at the address in the sidebar and I’ll add your post to the list. If you’d like to see your favorite hymn featured as a Reader’s Choice hymn, go here and leave a comment. Just tell me your favorite hymn and a little bit about why you like it and I’ll feature your hymn when your turn comes.