Day 12 of Christmas Special

Ditto ... I was selfishly looking for something that might push me over the edge .... this isn't it!

Sometimes I just don't understand Logos. Thousands of people credit card in hand ready to spend big bucks and pluuuuuuuuuuh [^o)]

Wow, I thought it was just me. All of the specials that were of interest to me (i.e. WBC, Anchor, New Testament use of the Old Testament) were already in my Logos or physical library. Words cannot express how quickly my excitement regarding the Christmas Specials dissipated.  As each day passed, I just kept thinking, "There will be something for me tomorrow, " but now that the 12 days have passed, I realize that isn't the case. I would have even been thrilled with the opportunity to get some type of "special" discount on the Proctor Logos 4 Manuals so I can learn how to use the software at a deeper level than what is provided in the free videos. 

Please forgive my very negative tone. We're snowed in today in Delaware and the Governor declared a State of Emergency. So, there are no church services today. The Sunday before Christmas is always so special for me and our church service is a major part of my excitement. Being from Michigan, I'm use to the snow so I've never experienced the cancellation of a service. So, I was looking for a Christmas Special from Logos that could make me smile on this cold, snowy morning. I'm just bummed. 

Have a blessed Christmas!

Floyd Johnson said:

Yeah, it was something like that, that got the reformation started.  

Maybe if the book was from someone who would tell me how to get a good financial return from prayer I would consider it an investment, but the author seems to be more focused on what the Bible has to say about prayer. I don't know. Doesn't seem very profitable to me.

I'm sure the prayer/reformation parallel was just a fluke.

Okay, was somebody praying for this resource?    [:P]

On one hand I was disappointed too, but on the other hand aren't we blessed to have so many resources that these deals did not appeal to us.

I have over 3000 resources, when I look back over time I am reminded at what a great blessing that really is, and how many believers in the past were happy to just have a copy of the scriptures.

I just hope that all of our blessings do not get in the way, of our relationship with Christ!  And yet, I admit, I am egarly looking forward to more resources to further round out the library that God has blessed me with!

Your brother in Christ,

Jim

Tom Geswein said:

Hhmm...  I was kind of excited when I saw this, but now I wonder.  Are the negative comments because you own it and don't like it, or are you "just not interested?" 

Please ignore the naysayers, this is an excellent work on prayer. There is a great summary from 2 years ago on the blog:

The Lifework of Dr. Jim Rosscup

Philip Spitzer said:

I was thinking about purchasing this one. If there is one area that is killing the church today and holding back revival its our weak prayer life. I love the idea of coming to a prayer in the Bible and knowing I have an exhaustive commentary on that prayer. Do you own this title? Could you give a word on its strengths and weaknesses?

Sadly I don't own it, and won't be able to afford it this time around, but I do know of Dr. Rosscup, and if ever there was a man to write with authority on Biblical prayer, he is the one.

Nancy A. Almodovar said:

THAT my dear friend, and God's Providential Direction, started the Reformation.

Of course you are absolutely right that commitment to scripture was central to the reformation. However I believe a simple prayer of humility was central to a proper commitment to scripture.

I for one am quite sadden to the negative responses against this item. I would love to learn about prayer. I have listened to sermons from many churches and if there is one thing that is lacking in the church today, dare I say it, it is prayer and faith.

I don't mean to start any arguments or anything like that. I am a student and am trying hard to stay obedient to God's word. One thing that I am learning recently is being content with what has been given to us. We should be humbled that we have even received God's word in our own language.

I am curious. What kind of response would have been given if on day 12 Logos decided to sell (for free even) an English Bible? Unfortunately, many churches already have thrown the bible out of their lives, and it saddens me that the trend is growing.

I've taught a one-day class on prayer twice before, so this title did initially intrigue me. But I decided not to buy it for a couple of reasons:

I already have an extensive print-based library on prayer. Most of them are best read away from the computer, actually. Prayer is something I find very much at odds with the technological side of my life and it's kind of my life's work to figure out how to pray well and spend more time in prayer, in spite of living in this technological society. I also aim to help others learn to do the same.  (See my blog on Faith & Technology.)

If I wanted to get any books on prayer in Logos format, my preference would be for something like Prayer in the New Testament by Oscar Cullman (Fortress Press), a classically trained Lutheran theologian who was a professor of NT at Basel Reformed Seminary; a collection of the classic ancient writings on prayer (Brother Lawrence, Madame Guyon, The Way of a Pilgrim, The Cloud of Unknowing, etc.); or a volume of collected written prayers of great Christians throughout the centuries (such as 2000 Years of Prayer, edited by Michael Counsell, or The Westminster Collection of Christian Prayers, edited by Dorothy Stewart). I looked at the sample pages of Dr. Rosscup's work and while it was his life's work so I don't want to knock it, it reads like a popular book not a scholarly work. And yet...and yet...it's missing something of that richness that the ancient writers on prayer (who were, many of them, just simple Christians writing "popular" works) have. There's a depth to them that draws you in. This tome felt rather dry and expository, which is what it's meant to be (not dry, but expository). However, that isn't the kind of work I need right now. I need either spiritual depth or scholarly rigor (or both), but not a kind of Sunday school manual that doesn't make up for what it lacks in both of those latter with its exhaustiveness. I'm just not likely to read through 5 volumes of this, and it's not "referency" enough for me to use as a "look stuff up in Logos with it" kind of text.

Thos are just my reasons, and I've got my own unique story, so don't let me discourage  you if the price looks tempting. I'm sure it's very true to the biblical text and a through work by a devoted pilgrim of faith. And I'm glad to hear that Jacob has been blessed by it.

I'm sure it's a fine book and all but the disappointment is that we were hoping for a 'boffo' offer like the Yale Anchor Bible commentary set for $199.00.

StevenLeavitt said:

I for one am quite sadden to the negative responses against this item.

I don't think the 'negative responses' came about so much about the resource itself as the disappointment about the last day.  Day 1 started off with an item that if I'm not mistaken was given away free at one time, or at least it was peanuts as far as savings go.  That was hardly surprising as it wouldn't make sense to run everyone out of money on the first day.  But as time went on, I think we were all looking forward to some kind of grand climax on day 12, and what we got was a grand disappointment to most of us.

Speaking for myself, I was kind of disappointed in the whole thing.  There was only one item that I didn't already have, and it was tainted by the addition of a more than $20 shipping charge which negated much of the savings.  However, what do you buy someone that has everything? (not that I have all the resources - not by a long shot).

Still, on the other side of things, I have been extremely grateful for all the additional resources at great savings in upgrading to the Portfolio package, as well as the great savings over the years on other Christmas specials, the PrePubs, and Community Pricing issues.  I think we should all be happy for the newer users with less resources than we who have benefited from the current specials.

Randy Hartman said:

Exposition of Prayer?  For me this is a big dud.  It's just as well.  No money.

I'm just glad that the items I would want were things that I already have -- I saved money that way.  I have far too many things on prepub to be spending now.

I have a ton of resources, both in Logos and in print, on prayer which is why this resource wasn't something that I was particularly interested in at this time. My disappointment certainly had nothing to do with this particular offering, I'm sure it's great. My heart was really set on the Anchor Yale Bible Commentary; however, it is indeed great to sit back and think about all of the resources I have at my disposal and it is indeed a blessing. 

JimVanSchoonhoven said:

I just hope that all of our blessings do not get in the way, of our relationship with Christ!  And yet, I admit, I am egarly looking forward to more resources to further round out the library that God has blessed me with!

Your brother in Christ,

Jim

Preach it brother!

Amen

Anthony

George Somsel said:

I'm just glad that the items I would want were things that I already have -- I saved money that way.  I have far too many things on prepub to be spending now.

I agree but not at first.  Like many of you, I was also disappointed this morning--but not because of the resource itself--but because I already have it.  It's still a blessing nevertheless because I was actually dreading that the last day's deal would be too irresistible.  I was fearing to see this this morning:  "You've asked for it...Even prayed for it...So now...FOR ONE DAY ONLY...Logos Ultimate Collection Upgrade!  EVERYTHING in our Logos library for just pennies on the dollar...Just use our discount upgrade calculator for you personalized upgrade price and the next time you open up Logos 4, you'll see "What you have" and "What you'll get with Logos Ultimate Upgrade"...Payment plan available..."  [:D]

Note:  I'm not mocking Logos at all or any of their marketing methods...[:(]

I'm curious...Do I have enough space on my new computer to house the complete Logos Library all indexed?  [^o)]

Also, a final note, I'm glad I can finally get to bed at a decent hour.  I'm in the east coast and have to wait until past 3am to get an early glimpse of the Deal of the Day.  And when I did purchase--three times I might add--I stayed up for another hour downloading and sync-ing...in both L4 and L3 until I got to bed at about 4am.  Then I'd get up at 5:30am to do my devotions and start my day meeting God through Logos!  Praise God!  Life is good...Thanks Logos, for depleting my funds and depriving me of sleep...And I do mean that in the very best way.  [;)]  It's been really fun!

If I remember correctly, Bob (Logos Commander-in-Chief) said they had not planned on doing a Christmas special this year because they were offing great discounts on base packages for both new-users and us old-timers.

So I suppose we were lucky to get what we got... That being said, I didn't buy anything, although I would have loved to have had the funds for that great commentary set, there just wasn't anything that was of great intrest to me. (a counseling collections would have "tempted" me the most)

Are you kidding me?

This commentary is a real blessing.  It has the most extensive topical index on prayer, that links to scripture, that I have ever seen.  The index alone is worth the purchase.

Anyone who loves to pray will love this resource.

Stephen Thorp said:

With a mere 534 resources at my disposal may I suggest to folk that it's not the number of resources that make you a great scholar (or preacher) but how you use what you have.

I'm building up a large library because I'm banking on implantable neurological chips in the near future.

Philip Spitzer said:

Floyd Johnson said:

Philip Spitzer said:

I've been working on it all day, but every time I go to test it out lighting strikes my house and takes out my computer. I'm on my 3rd one now!

They say that if you are well grounded, lightening causes less damage - are you?

Blessings,

Floyd

Apparently God has a way of circumventing the norm. And now my hair won't go back to normal. Does anybody have a hair brush?

I've got a friend who uses some goop to straighten her hair.  I could have her email you some, but don't forget to keep those prayer wheels turning.  If need be put a fan on them.  [;)]

MJ. Smith said:

Floyd Johnson said:

Yeah, it was something like that, that got the reformation started.

I haven't a clue what you are talking about. The only relationship I've heard of that even vaguely relates is Martin Luther constantly being behind in his Breviary. Please enlighten me.  Thanks.

My reference was to the selling of indulgences - certainly, as was pointed out, not the only cause of the reformation, but one of the issues which precipitated it.  I saw a parallel between the selling of indulgences and Philip's comment on spending money on prayer.  I was trying to be funny - did not work.  But that is not the first time sense of humor differed from everyone else's. [;)]

Blessings,

Floyd

Though I have posted several times in this thread, I finally found today's Christmas Special - Looks interesting, but having updated to LOGOS Gold, it is out of my price range.  Thank you Logos for all the great offers this holiday.

Blessings,

Floyd                                                        

Philip Spitzer said:

Rosie Perera said:

Prayer is something I find very much at odds with the technological side of my life and it's kind of my life's work to figure out how to pray well and spend more time in prayer

If you'd like I could generate a macro to take over some of your more routine praying. :-)

[:)] Hee hee. A couple of years ago, I wrote an article about the tension between technology and the spiritual life. It's called Loving Technology, Loving God. (Probably relevant to a lot of us here.) In it I recommended that people take a technology sabbath periodically. One smart alec replied "Should I schedule that in my Palm Pilot?"