This Week

We are reading:

• Deuteronomy 27-34

• John 1-12

• Psalms 149-150, Proverbs 5-6:11

Summary

Whew! What a slog through the Torah but WE. MADE. IT.

Reading through the Bible in a year is one thing, but writing my thoughts on it every week is another. I, too, feel as though I’ve been wandering through the desert for 40 years.

And yet here I am — making summer plans for a road trip with three kids through the American west — my own little desert wandering adventure.

All that to say: sorry this article is a day late this week, and Happy Easter to you and your families!!

On to the Bible notes.

As we wrap up Deuteronomy, completing Moses’ narrative in these first five books of the Bible, one of the most interesting things we are reading this week is what is commonly referred to as the Deuteronomy 32 worldview. This is further validation of the story told in early Genesis and Enoch, where we learn about the supernatural conflict between the fallen angels and the humans who have dominion over the earth. In Moses’ final words, he details how God disinherited the rebellious nations at Babel, assigning them to lesser divine beings ("sons of God") while creating Israel as his own portion.

This explains why other nations worship lesser gods/demons instead of Yahweh, why idolatry is the worship of demons and receives a strong focus, and how spiritual warfare underscores the very conflicts we see between nations today.

And on that note — I am so excited to be wrapping up this section of the Bible and jumping to our very first Messianic Checkpoint with the Gospel of John!

Thank God Jesus is finally here to reverse the fallout of Babel and take back the nations.

The Gospel of John is markedly different from the other 3 Gospels detailing Jesus’ life — Matthew, Mark, and Luke, collectively called the Synoptic Gospels. The Synoptic Gospels detail what Jesus did, whereas John details who Jesus is.

John was written much later, is much more direct about Jesus’ identity as the son of God, and focused on validating that identity by documenting His miracles. It is presumed that the author didn’t want to repeat the other Gospels and was addressing an audience of heretics. John also specifically names names where the other gospels didn’t, but that won’t come up until next week’s readings.

Note to my future self, as I evolve this Bible study for next year: I gotta say, I wish I had cut about 10 days out of the plan earlier (maybe skipping Jubilees?) so we could have read John in the lead up to Easter. I might do that next year.

I really love ending the Torah and then reading one of the Gospels. It’s such a great reward. It helps us make connections. I just can’t wait 30+ more books for Jesus and I truly feel bad for the suffering Israelites. And while I definitely think the story of the entire Bible is fascinating and of course worth reading and studying, I also think if you just read the Torah, the first section of Enoch (1-36: Book of the Watchers), a few of the Gospels and Acts — you would have the outline of early world history and the baseline of the spiritual warfare we find ourselves within. You wouldn’t have the details, but you would have the shape of things.

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Here is the daily breakdown from our annual plan:

• Day 96 — Monday, 4/6 — Deuteronomy 27-28, Psalm 149

• Day 97 — Tuesday, 4/7 — Deuteronomy 29-31, Psalm 150

• Day 98 — Wednesday, 4/8 — Deuteronomy 32-34, Proverbs 5:1-6

• Day 99 — Thursday, 4/9 — John 1-3, Proverbs 5:7-14

• Day 100 — Friday, 4/10 — John 4-6, Proverbs 5:15-23

• Day 101 — Saturday, 4/11 — John 7-9, Proverbs 6:1-5

• Day 102 — Sunday, 4/12 — John 10-12, Proverbs 6:6-11

Day 96 — Monday, 4/6 — Deuteronomy 27-28, Psalm 149

• Moses and the elders command Israel to set up plastered stones with the Law written on them once they enter the promised land.

• The Levites proclaim twelve curses for hidden sins — and all the people say, “Amen.”

• Detailed blessings are given for obedience, with very specific curses for disobedience.

• Foreshadowing! Exile is foretold if Israel is unfaithful to God. Gee, I wonder what’s going to happen next.

Day 97 — Tuesday, 4/7 — Deuteronomy 29-31, Psalm 150

• God renews the covenant with Moses and Israel in Moab.

• Israel is once again warned about idolatry and secret sin.

• God promises restoration of Israel after exile.

• Moses prepares for death and commissions Joshua as the next leader of Israel.

Day 98 — Wednesday, 4/8 — Deuteronomy 32-34, Proverbs 5:1-6

• Moses delivers the Song of Moses, recounting God’s faithfulness and Israel’s failure.

• Alright now we’re getting to the interesting part of this week’s reading: the Deuteronomy 32 worldview. Wherein God divided humanity among multiple spiritual beings (often understood as angels or divine council members) and personally chose Israel as His own inheritance. The other nations are under lesser spiritual rulers, who become corrupt and lead nations into idolatry.

  • NOTE: Some of your Bibles might say “sons of Israel” in Deuteronomy 32:8, but the original in Hebrew is the infamous bene Elohim — sons of God. This passage is talking about the events of the Tower of Babel, Israel didn’t even exist! How could God have divided the nations based on the sons of Israel!

• Despite the Israelites turning away, sacrificing to demons and whatnot, God will ultimately vindicate His people.

• Moses blesses the tribes of Israel, then God shows him the promised land that he will not enter.

• Moses dies, God buries him in Moab, and Joshua succeeds him.

Day 99 — Thursday, 4/9 — John 1-3, Proverbs 5:7-14

• The Gospel of John opens with the Word becoming flesh

• John the Baptist testifies to Jesus’ arrival

• The first disciples begin to follow Jesus after his recognition from John the Baptist

• Jesus performs his first miracle — turning water into wine at the wedding of Cana, at the insistence of his mother (a nice inclusion of Mary since John completely skips the immaculate conception — again, probably to avoid repeating stories contained in the synoptic gospels)

• Jesus sees dealers and merchants selling goods in the temple and is furious they have turned His father’s house into a marketplace, so he fashions a whip and chases them all out

• The Jewish leaders are furious at this and Jesus tells them to destroy the temple and that he will rebuild it in three days — a veiled reference to his ressurection, which the disciples will later remember

Day 100 — Friday, 4/10 — John 4-6, Proverbs 5:15-23

• Jesus reads a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well for having had 5 husbands and not being married to the man she’s currently living with — but he connects with this outsider by choosing to reveal to her that He is the Messiah and selecting her as the missionary to the Samaritans, a group at odds with the Jews — ultimately showing that Jesus has come to heal and redeem all the nations

• Jesus heals a sick man on the Sabbath, pissing off the Jewish leaders yet again

• Jesus feeds 5,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish

• Jesus walks on water

• Jesus tells the people in Capernaum that he is the bread of life and that anyone who eats the bread of life will live forever in Heaven. Several disciples say this is too hard to understand and desert Him. You guys want to discuss the Eucharist in the chat?

Day 101 — Saturday, 4/11 — John 7-9, Proverbs 6:1-5

• Jewish leaders argue over whether Jesus is the Messiah

• The story of the adulterous women in John 7:53-8:11 was not included in the earliest manuscripts. Some of the early church fathers believed the story likely reflected an actual Jesus story that circulated for a long time before it was documented in this Gospel — so it’s likely historically accurate if not authentic to this original manuscript.

• Jesus heals a blind man, again on the Sabbath, and accuses the Pharisees of spiritual blindness

Day 102 — Sunday, 4/12 — John 10-12, Proverbs 6:6-11

• Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead — ultimately triggering the series of events that leads to his crucifiction

• Jesus, riding a donkey, enters Jerusalem to a crowd carrying palm leaves — on a day that will be memorialized as Palm Sunday

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There is a specific kind of silence that hangs over certain parts of the American West.

We see it in the towering red rock spires of Sedona and the jagged peaks of the Sierras — landscapes that feel less like natural erosion and more like the handiwork of a physically larger civilization.

From the earliest campfire stories to the footnotes of forgotten excavation reports, the idea of giants has lingered at the edges of human history. Too consistent to ignore, yet too inconvenient to accept. Across continents and centuries, whispers of towering figures appear not as isolated curiosities, but as pieces of a pattern that refuses to fully disappear.

What if these accounts are not relics of imagination, but echoes of something real; something systematically dismissed, buried, or explained away?

To explore the possibility of giants is to step outside the comfort of the official narrative and into a far more unsettling question: not whether giants once carved their legacy into the red earth, but why we’ve been so thoroughly convinced they didn’t.

If you ask the modern scientific establishment, giants are nothing more than the fever dreams of ancient poets or the hoaxes of frontier hucksters.

We are told that history is a straight line of gradual progress, a neat narrative curated by institutions that guard the past with a ferocity usually reserved for state secrets.

But what if the “official” narrative is missing a chapter? What if the earth has occasionally coughed up evidence of a humanity that was larger, stronger, and far more mysterious than we are led to believe?

Tall Tales from a Wide World

The stories of giants are not a local anomaly, they are tales told in countless cultures across the globe.

In the oldest books of the Bible, the Nephilim (the mysterious offspring of the “sons of God” and the daughters of men) stalked the antediluvian (pre-flood) world. These were the Anakites and the Rephaim, lineages of such stature that the Israelite scouts famously claimed they felt like grasshoppers in their presence.

We all know the story of David and Goliath, but we often forget that Goliath was merely the last of a line, a remnant of a physical reality that was once commonplace.

Across the ocean, tales of giants are echoed in the Greco-Roman Titans and the Norse Jötnar, representing more than just chaos; they represented an older, more primal version of the world. Even the Egyptians, who were meticulous chroniclers, left us the Anastasi I scroll — a 3,300-year-old document describing a terrifying group of people called the Shosu, residing in Canaan (where the Bible also places these giants), who stood over eight feet tall. The text doesn’t treat them as gods, but as a tactical nightmare for the Egyptian military.

This isn’t just ancient myth, either. In 1520, Ferdinand Magellan’s chronicler, Antonio Pigafetta, recorded an encounter on the coast of Patagonia with a man of “giant stature” so tall that the Spanish sailors only reached his waist. While modern skeptics dismiss this as “explorer’s embellishment,” later voyagers like James Byron confirmed seeing people of extraordinary height in the same region.

Why do we dismiss it as coincidence when disconnected cultures share similar stories, and call it myth when they describe the same physical details or specific evidence?

The Weight of Proof

If giants were real, they would have left more than stories.

They would have left physical evidence.

And they did.

Want more deep dives into the hidden corners of history and the mechanics of the “official” narrative? Subscribe to the Capitalism & Glitter Substack for weekly explorations into the intersection of culture, religion, and the things they’d rather you forget.

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This Week

We are reading:

• Deuteronomy 1-26

• Psalms 133-135, 137, 146-148

Summary

This week we begin Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy is largely a redux of Leviticus and the entire 40 years of wandering in the desert as Moses reiterates the rules Israel is to abide by as they take over and inhabit the Promised Land.

Given the behavior of the Israelites for the last 40 years of desert wandering (hey, at least they weren’t slaves anymore), it makes sense that Moses would devote an entire book to summarizing the Israelites faults and rebellions and the rules that the next generation is to follow to stay in God’s good graces.

This week also marks Passover, which begins at sundown on Wednesday, April 1st and continues through Thursday, April 9th. Our family will be doing a Passover Seder to share the story of Exodus with our children. If you’ve never done a Passover Seder, it’s a ritual using symbolic foods and ritual acts that invite us to step into The Exodus ourselves, using story, symbolism, and questions to pass along what freedom really means and where we come from, in a way our kids can understand and carry with them.

Why is this night different from all other nights?

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Here is the daily breakdown from our annual plan:

• Day 89 — Monday, 3/30 — Deuteronomy 1-3, Psalm 133

• Day 90 — Tuesday, 3/31 — Deuteronomy 4-6, Psalm 134

• Day 91 — Wednesday, 4/1 — Deuteronomy 7-10, Psalm 135

• Day 92 — Thursday, 4/2 — Deuteronomy 11-14, Psalm 137

• Day 93 — Friday, 4/3 — Deuteronomy 15-18, Psalm 146

• Day 94 — Saturday, 4/4 — Deuteronomy 19-22, Psalm 147

• Day 95 — Sunday, 4/5 — Deuteronomy 23-26, Psalm 148

Day 89 — Monday, 3/30 — Deuteronomy 1-3, Psalm 133

• Moses recaps Israel’s journey: their failure to trust God when the scouts saw the giants in Canaan, and the resulting rebellion that led to 40 years of wandering; the defeat of King Og; Moses barred from entering the Promised Land; Joshua commissioned to lead the Israelites over the River Jordan.

Day 90 — Tuesday, 3/31 — Deuteronomy 4-6, Psalm 134

• Moses practically begs the Israelites to be obedient to God as they continue their journey into the promised land — warning against idolatry, reminding them God is near to His people, repeating the Ten Commandments, and urging them to teach the faith diligently to future generations.

Day 91 — Wednesday, 4/1 — Deuteronomy 7-10, Psalm 135

• Moses is again reminding the Israelites that they are chosen to inhabit and occupy the promised land — and that they have been chosen not for their greatness but due to God’s love for them. That God will indeed punish those who reject Him. And that they are to destroy idolatrous influences of other nations.

• He encourages them to fight the wicked giants of other nations, and to remain pure of heart by reminding them of the golden calf rebellion, and the renewed covenant on Mount Sinai.

Day 92 — Thursday, 4/2 — Deuteronomy 11-14, Psalm 137

• Moses goes over the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience; reminding the people that their children have not witnessed the glory of the Lord traveling with them via cloud and establishing a relationship with Israel — and that the land will respond to faithfulness.

• Moses again reminds the Israelites to reject pagan worship practices, warns against false prophets, and reiterates the levitical rules about ceremonially clean and unclean animals and that radical loyalty to God is required.

Day 93 — Friday, 4/3 — Deuteronomy 15-18, Psalm 146

• Moses continues to reiterate the levitical rules to be followed: releasing those from debt and slavery in the Sabbath years; caring for the poor; celebrating the major feasts including Passover; laws on justice, kingship, and worship; and a call to living holy in the promised land (in which again we find the Israelites must be directly told not to sacrifice their children or practice witchcraft).

• Moses tells the Israelites a new prophet will be raised up to guide them — foreshadowing Jesus

Day 94 — Saturday, 4/4 — Deuteronomy 19-22, Psalm 147

• Moses describes the events to come: the Lord will destroy the existing nations illicitly living in the Promised Land, after which the Israelites are to establish cities of refuge. He reiterates the laws of justice and warfare, and urges trust in God rather than military strength.

• Moses goes over the various civil laws that provide order to the Israelites and are to be enacted in promised land (unsolved murders, family order); laws on inheritence; laws on community responsibility and sexual ethics; and protection of life and property.

Day 95 — Sunday, 4/5 — Deuteronomy 23-26, Psalm 148

• Deuteronomy 23 opens with pretty specific rules for what I hope was a rare situation in Israel: a man whose testicles were crushed or whose penis was cut off could not be permitted entry to the assembly of the Lord. This was likely about ritualistic purity of some sort of position, but still, wow.

• Moses continues to reiterate the rules that have been established throughout the 40 years of desert wandering: regulations for assembly and camp purity; protection for vulnerable people; laws on divorce, pledges, and justice; care for the poor, widows, and foreigners; fair punishment and economic justice.

• Deuteronomy 25 is straight up funny, out of exactly what circumstances did these rules arise?

• We end this week with Moses once again asking the Israelites to wholeheartedly obey the Lord’s commands.

Our family has lived in Sedona for nearly five years now, and we can honestly say it’s our favorite place we’ve ever called home. From San Francisco to New York City, we’ve lived in and explored some amazing spots — but nowhere has captured our hearts quite like Sedona.

We’ve traveled all over the world both with and without kids, so we know how important it is to make the most of your hard-earned vacation days. We created our full length Sedona Travel Guide to help you experience Sedona like a local — from our favorite hikes and family-friendly activities to great restaurants, hotels, hidden gems, and the perfect photo ops.

While that guide is very comprehensive, we get a lot of questions about just the highlights if you are only visiting for a weekend getaway, so here we are sharing the top 10 places to hike and things to do, see and eat while visiting Sedona.

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The 5 Best Hikes in Sedona: A Local Family’s Top Picks for 2026

1. Birthing Cave / Long Canyon Trail

This hike is roughly 2 miles round-trip, and is short and manageable, but the final scramble up to the cave is steep (~400 ft elevation gain) and requires some sure footing.

Why it’s great: A relatively quick hike that leads to one of Sedona’s most photographed hidden gems, the Birthing Cave. The massive red-rock alcove frames panoramic views of Long Canyon and the surrounding buttes. It’s a short effort for a huge payoff.

Local tip: Start early, both to find parking as well as to catch the morning light as the cave faces west and lights up beautifully mid to late morning. The trail splitting off to the cave itself can be easy to miss. Just over half a mile into the Long Canyon trail from the trailhead you will see a smaller trail splitting off to the left near an old wire fence. Follow this smaller offshoot to find the cave.

2. Subway Cave / Boynton Canyon

This hike is roughly 6 miles round-trip to the end of the canyon and back, and is mostly gradual with a few steeper sections near the end.

Why it’s great: Boynton Canyon trail is one of Sedona’s most iconic (and most crowded) canyon hikes, blending red rock walls, and lush forest as it transitions from open desert views into a shaded box canyon, making it one of the most diverse and scenic hikes in the region. While this trail is very popular, many people miss the smaller trail offshoot leading to the Subway Cave itself which is a must visit location for an adventuring hiker.

Local tip: You can access the Subway Cave from the small side trail about 2 miles in. The side trail isn’t well marked but you will see a huge Alligator Juniper tree right where the trail splits. Start early to enjoy cooler temps and fewer crowds. Parking fills fast at the Boynton Canyon Trailhead and spills into street parking down the road. Don’t miss the short detour to the Boynton Vista/Vortex near the start of the main Boynton trail for incredible views and a quieter experience at sunrise or sunset. Bring lots of water as the shade comes later in the hike.

3. Honanki & Palatki Heritage Sites

Honanki:

The Honanki Heritage Site has roughly 1 mile total of short walking paths with minimal elevation gain. It is short, accessible, and suitable for most ages/abilities.

Why it’s great: One of the best preserved Sinagua cliff dwelling sites left in the area with incredible rock art, masonry walls, and a quiet canyon setting make it feel like stepping back 900 years.

Local tip: The drive in is on rough dirt roads so go slow, and ideally bring a higher clearance vehicle.

Palatki:

The Palatki Heritage Site has 1.2 miles total of designated paths to cliff dwellings and pictograph alcoves. These are well-marked trails and they offer ranger-guided educational areas.

Why it’s great: Dramatically set against towering red rock cliffs, Palatki features extensive rock art panels and ancient shelters that help tell the story of Sedona’s earliest known cultures.

Local tip: This site requires advance reservations as they limit capacity to protect the ruins. Timed reservations cost $1 and can be reserved at Recreation.gov. Like Honanki, it’s also accessed by a rough dirt road. They’re located near each other in the same canyon region, so many people visit both sites in the same outing.

4. Secret Slickrock

This short hike is less than a mile round-trip, is relatively easy and has an amazing payoff at the end of the trail leading to a wide, flat slickrock with incredible views.

Why it’s great: A quick hike with minimal elevation gain (~75 ft) when you want “Sedona scenery” without the work of an actual hike. Perfect for a relatively easy impromptu family photoshoot or a nice picnic.

Local tip: Head here for sunset, bring a blanket and stay a moment on the slickrock to soak in the red-rock glow. Parking is small so arrive early.

5. Doe Mountain

This hike is roughly 1.5 miles round-trip. It’s a short but steep climb (~400 ft elevation gain) that weaves through switchbacks quickly up a mountainside to the top of a mesa. You can go from the trailhead parking lot to the top of the mesa in about 30 minutes.

Why it’s great: A local favorite. Some of the best views and a short challenge with a minimal time commitment. The top of the mesa offers a wide, flat expanse with panoramic vistas of Bear Mountain, Fay Canyon, and Boynton Canyon.

Local tip: Ideal for sunrise or sunset as the light from either direction showcases the spectacular vistas of the red rocks. The top of the summit is flat but has cliff edges, so keep kids close. Limited parking at the Doe Mountain/Bear Mountain trailhead.

Best of the Rest: The Best Swimming Hole, Restaurant, Coffee, Shopping, and Landmark in Sedona

6. Best Sedona Swimming Hole — Bootlegger (Oak Creek Canyon)

The “other” water slide. Slide Rock State Park is iconic, but it’s often crowded and prone to closures. Bootlegger, located just up 89A, offers shaded canyon vibes and shallow wading that is much safer for younger children. Its a quiet, less touristy creek spot where locals go to cool off. Keep in mind there is limited parking in the relatively small lot, and you should bring water shoes as the creek bed is rocky and slippery.

7. Best Sedona Restaurant — Indian Gardens Café & Market

Indian Gardens Café & Market, a 1940s General Store turned modern cafe, has become the best hidden gem up Oak Creek Canyon, boasting a beautiful outdoor courtyard and fresh, farm-to-table sandwiches, salads, and more. Has gluten-free options and pastries. A great brunch/lunch stop before or after a hike at West Fork or anywhere in the canyon.

8. Best Coffee in Sedona — Blackhawk Coffee

Blackhawk Coffee is a local coffee cart with some of the best coffee in town. It is located in the parking lot of Twice Nice Thriftique (which is also a great stop if you’re into thrifting). Try the Cubano.

9. Best Shopping in Sedona — Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village

Tlaquepaque is a charming, Spanish-style plaza — modeled after the original Tlaquepaque in Guadalajara, Mexico — featuring art galleries, boutiques, and restaurants set beneath shady sycamores along Oak Creek. While Tlaquepaque itself is quite popular, it’s easy to miss the best hidden gem there, The Chai Spot. They serve authentic spiced chai and sell various Pakistani snack items, jewelry, books and more. Don’t miss the beautiful upstairs patio in the back, perfect for people-watching and relaxing vibes.

10. Best Sedona Landmark — Chapel of the Holy Cross

Chapel of the Holy Cross is an iconic Sedona landmark built into the red rocks offering breathtaking views and a peaceful atmosphere that draws visitors from around the world. Don’t miss the Madonna and Child rock formation directly north of the Chapel, as well as the Two Nuns.

Honorable Mentions

Son Silver West Gallery

Son Silver West Gallery is part shop, part museum. This Southwest-inspired boutique adorned with a huge collection of antique signs, offers handcrafted jewelry, home décor, and artisan gifts with a large outdoor section filled with miscellaneous kitsch. Don’t miss the many ancillary rooms and the small museum located in the back of the shop.

Harding Spring: Nature’s Water Fountain

Driving up Oak Creek Canyon? Stop at Harding Spring just outside Pine Flat Campground right off of 89A to fill your reusable bottles with fresh, natural spring water. It’s a local rite of passage.

These are just some of our favorites, but you can find the comprehensive breakdown of all of the hikes, restaurants and places in (and out of) Sedona that we love, as well as a lot more in our full guide. Sign up to be a paid subscriber to get access to this guide, as well as our other travel articles, cultural deep dives and a lot more!

If you’re visiting Kauai, there’s one local treat you absolutely can’t miss: shave ice. Unlike typical snow cones, traditional shave ice is made from finely shaved ice that absorbs flavored syrups, creating a light, fluffy texture that melts in your mouth.

Across the island, small stands, food trucks, and beachside shops serve creative variations topped with a snow cap (condensed milk), haupia (coconut foam), or fresh fruit, with some offering the addition of ice cream.

There are classic options, piled high with bright colors, and organic artisanal options for those who avoid artificial colors, flavors, and high fructose corn syrup.

Here are five of the best shave ice spots on Kauai that locals and visitors consistently rave about.

1. Waikomo Shave Ice

Located in Kalaheo, near the the sunny south shore town of Poipu, Waikomo Shave Ice is widely considered one of the best shave ice shops on the entire island (with two locations in Maui). What makes it stand out is its commitment to house-made syrups using real fruit and all-natural ingredients, no artificial colors or flavors.

Their flavors are bright, vibrant, and far less sugary than typical shave ice. Popular options include lilikoi (passionfruit), mango, and guava. It was definitely our family’s favorite — we went here twice during our week on Kauai.

The shop itself has a laid-back local island vibe. Located in a food truck just outside Warehouse 3540, a former pineapple canning factory turned hip collection of boutiques and food trucks, making it the perfect stop after a day at Poipu Beach.

Why it’s special:

• All-natural fruit syrups

• Local ingredients

• Consistently rated among Kauai’s best desserts

2. Wailua Shave Ice

If you’re driving along the east side of the island, make a stop at Wailua Shave Ice. This spot is known for its organic syrups and fresh fruit toppings, giving their shave ice a fresher and more authentic Hawaiian flavor.

They also come with an amazing haupia foam topping, which is a light, airy, and sweet whipped coconut cream inspired by traditional Hawaiian coconut pudding. Our family has been coming to Wailua Shave Ice since 2018, when it was served out of an airstream in Old Kapa’a Town, and it was my favorite shave ice for the better part of a decade almost solely due to their unmatched haupia foam.

Located in a storefront in Kapa’a near many of Kauai’s waterfalls and hiking areas, it’s a popular stop after exploring Wailua River or nearby trails.

Why it’s special:

• Best haupia foam on the island

• Organic syrups

• Fresh fruit toppings

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3. Wishing Well Shave Ice

Up on Kauai’s lush North Shore, Wishing Well Shave Ice in Hanalei has built a cult following among surfers, hikers, and locals.

Their shave ice stands out for unique flavor infusions and a relaxed garden setting. You’ll often find flavors inspired by island botanicals or seasonal fruits. They also offer a selection of organic fruit flavor options.

Many visitors also love their cold brew coffee and acai bowls, making it a great stop for breakfast or an afternoon treat after visiting Hanalei Bay. This was once our very first stop on Kauai — straight from the airport.

Why it’s special:

• Creative seasonal flavors

• Chill North Shore atmosphere

• Excellent coffee and acai bowls

4. The Fresh Shave

The Fresh Shave brings a modern twist to the traditional Hawaiian dessert, and is known for its natural syrups made from real ingredients and organic cane sugar.

Their menu focuses on simple but flavorful combinations like pineapple, coconut cream, and strawberry.

The shop’s vintage barbershop theme also adds a fun visual element — we first visited the Fresh Shave in 2018 when they were serving out of a food truck in Kalaeho (where Waikomo is now), when the mustache theme was arguably more culturally relevant.

Why it’s special:

• Natural, handcrafted syrups

• Creative flavor pairings

• Unique barbershop theme

5. JoJo’s Shave Ice

JoJo’s Shave Ice is a ubiquitous institution, with 4 locations in Kauai, and one more opening soon (and 3 locations coming to O’ahu). This legendary stand has been serving massive shave ice bowls for decades.

Their portions are famously huge, piled high with syrup and filled with ice cream on the bottom.

Why it’s special:

• Huge portions

• Classic Hawaiian shave ice experience

• Long-time local favorite

Final Thoughts

Kauai is full of incredible food, but shave ice is one of Hawaii’s most iconic treats. Whether you prefer organic fruit syrups, gourmet toppings, or massive classic bowls, these five shops offer some of the best shave ice in Kauai.

From the beaches of Poipu to the lush landscapes of Hanalei, each stop delivers its own take on this beloved Hawaiian dessert.

If you’re visiting the island, add these shave ice spots to your itinerary — you won’t regret it. And check out this article to learn how my family took this trip to Kauai with all of our hotels and most of our flights for free.

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This Week

We are reading:

• Numbers 16-36

• Psalms 125-126, 128-132

Summary

This week we finish Numbers.

We have the origin of the infamous red heifer prophecy — a necessary ritual before rebuilding the third temple, rooted in Numbers 19.

We meet Balaam, a pagan prophet who can hear God more clearly than most of the Israelites, and his talking donkey.

We say goodbye to Miriam and Aaron, and are reminded of Joshua.

And Moses finally gets to see the Promised Land — knowing that he will never enter it.

This Bible study is free for everyone, made possible by the support of our paid subscribers.

If you’d like to support us, please consider a paid subscription. Paid subscribers receive:

• Full-length weekly cultural and Biblical deep dives

• The Edit weekly newsletter, and access to all community chats

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Here is the daily breakdown from our annual plan:

• Day 82 — Monday, 3/23 —Numbers 16-18, Psalm 125

• Day 83 — Tuesday, 3/24 — Numbers 19-21, Psalm 126

• Day 84 — Wednesday, 3/25 — Numbers 22-24, Psalm 128

• Day 85 — Thursday, 3/26 — Numbers 25-27, Psalm 129

• Day 86 — Friday, 3/27 — Numbers 28-30, Psalm 130

• Day 87 — Saturday, 3/28 — Numbers 31-33, Psalm 131

• Day 88 — Sunday, 3/29 — Numbers 34-36, Psalm 132

Day 82 — Monday, 3/23 —Numbers 16-18, Psalm 125

• Korah leads a rebellion against Moses and the earth literally opens up and swallows them whole? Lord, I pray you bring upon my enemies this kind of divine judgment 🙏

• The people are still grumbling about Moses and Aaron so God has Moses present a staff from each tribe — and miraculously, Aarons staff sprouts ripe almonds, signifying his authority as a chosen leader

Day 83 — Tuesday, 3/24 — Numbers 19-21, Psalm 126

• We encounter a lot of the “weirder” parts of scripture this week — including the red heifer prophecy. This is one of the Bible’s most cryptic rites. The ashes of the red heifer purify the unclean, however those who prepare it become unclean themselves.

• Miriam dies.

• Water again becomes a prominent storyline. Moses is told by God to impress the ever-complaining Israelites by speaking over a rock and getting water to flow from it — but in frustration, he strikes the rock, and though water flows, it costs him entry into the promised land.

• Aaron dies, before reaching the promised land.

• Then comes yet another strange story: after the Israelites complain about their circumstances yet again, saying they hate manna, fiery serpents overrun the camp. God tells Moses to form a bronze serpent and attach it to a pole. The people are healed of snake bites by looking directly at the image of what afflicts them. Is this the world’s first brush with homeopathy?

• There is mention of The Book of the Wars of the Lord — a lost book of the Bible that I would love to read.

Day 84 — Wednesday, 3/25 — Numbers 22-24, Psalm 128

• The King of Moab, afraid of the Israelites, sends for Balaam to curse them. Balaam, a foreign prophet who is able to perceive God more clearly than Israel, refuses to curse the Israelites as God tells him they have been blessed.

• Not only can Balaam hear God — his donkey clearly sees the Angel of the Lord multiple times. After the third time, God gives the donkey they ability to talk — by unbinding his mouth — seemingly confirming that animals used to be able to talk but are now bound. Balaam then is only able to speak the words the Lord allows to come from his mouth, which again, seems metaphorical.

• Balak, King of Moab, repeatedly tries to get Balaam to curse the Israelites — however, Balaam is constrained and can only bless them as God has.

Day 85 — Thursday, 3/26 — Numbers 25-27, Psalm 129

• Ok, as if the talking donkey wasn’t crazy enough, the Israelites quickly fall into idolatry and sexual deviance as they worshop Baal with the Moabites. God is furious and hits the Israelites with a plague — until Phinehas, Aaron’s grandson, drives a spear through an Israelite man and Midianite woman mid-act and stops it — but not before 24,000 people died.

• How do we know 24,000 people died? The census! Which they take again in the wake of this idolatrous destruction — documenting that all the Israelites of Moses and Aaron’s generation have now died off (except Caleb and Joshua), meaning the next generation can now inhabit the promised land.

• Zelophehad’s daughters challenge inheritance laws — and win. Proving that God is a feminist lol jk, He is simply just and fair.

Day 86 — Friday, 3/27 — Numbers 28-30, Psalm 130

• On the precipice of entering the promised land, Moses is given yet another dense set of sacrifice rules.

• Then vows are addressed, particularly those made by women. A father or husband can nullify them — a callback to Adam’s neglected responsibility for Eve.

Day 87 — Saturday, 3/28 — Numbers 31-33, Psalm 131

• Moses is instructed to go to war against the Midianites, as his final earthly battle to lead the Israelites to the promised land. When the Israelite leaders spare the women, Moses tells them not to, since those very women were those that followed Balaam’s teaching to seduce the Israelite men to worship Baal.

Day 88 — Sunday, 3/29 — Numbers 34-36, Psalm 132

• God maps out the promised land in detail — telling Moses the boundaries of the land they are to inhabit, and assigning territories to the tribes.

We generally operate under a comfortable collective delusion: that the date at the top of our smartphone screen is an objective fact of the universe. To most of the world, the date this article was published was Thursday, March 19, 2026.

But if you were to step into a synagogue in Jerusalem, it would be the year 5786.

Cross into a mosque in Riyadh, and it is 1447.

Travel to Ethiopia, and you might find yourself back in 2018 — roughly seven years “behind” the West due to a different calculation of Jesus’ birth year.

While there are a multitude of exceptions across various cultures with alternate calendars, the vast majority of the world is aligned to what we know as the Gregorian Calendar, which is a purely solar calendar, meaning its primary goal is to keep the calendar year synchronized with the tropical year (the time it takes the Earth to orbit the Sun, roughly 365.2422 days).

To account for that extra quarter of a day, the system uses a precise leap year rule where we add an additional day every four years except in certain centurial years (1700, 1800, 1900.) which are not leap years unless they are divisible by 400 (like 1600 or 2000). Super simple, right? This very manual correction gives us an incredibly close approximation of the solar year that only drifts by one day every 3,236 years.

This manual override obviously feels totally aligned to nature and how God had planned for the Sun, Moon and stars to govern our timekeeping, and not at all just a complex approach to making a completely fabricated system make sense. I’m sure God has this mapped out in a similar fashion in His spreadsheet.

1 Nisan: God’s New Year

The day this article was published, March 19, 2026, isn’t just another Thursday. This date also marks 1 Nisan, the Biblical New Year.

While the modern Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) is celebrated in the autumn (and this year it begins on September 11th — the date Ethiopians celebrate the New Year), the Torah is explicit: the year begins in the Spring. God told Moses and Aaron to make the month of the Passover (Nisan/Abib) the new, foundational beginning of the calendar for Israel just before the Israelites left Egypt.

While the Gregorian world waits for January, the Biblical clock explicitly resets in the spring — reminding us that there are major separations between human record-keeping and God’s original calendar.

Read more

I recently came back from a week trip to Kauai that should have cost my family of five $10,000.

We paid less than $1,000 — and we could have done it even cheaper.

I’ve written two previous articles on how I get free hotels and free flights using credit card travel hacking that is largely free, or at least very low cost.

In short, we get sign-up bonuses for credit cards, which we treat like debit cards and use for all of our monthly spending, racking up tens of thousands of points and miles each year.

We then use those points and miles to reduce or eliminate our costs on vacations.

If you haven’t read those articles — one of which is focused more on baseline financial literacy in order to achieve the financial stability needed to responsibly engage in credit card travel hacking — those articles are linked below.

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Achievable Luxury Family Vacations

Hawaii is one of those destinations many families assume is financially out of reach.

Flights alone for five people can easily run $700–$1,000 per person, depending on where you live and the time of year you are traveling. Add in hotels, rental cars, food, and activities, and suddenly a family vacation to Hawaii looks more like a luxury purchase than a reasonable family trip.

Here’s roughly what our trip to Kauai would have cost if we paid cash for everything:

Flights for 5: $3,500
Hotel for 7 nights: $6,000
Rental car: $700

Total: $10,200+

Instead, we paid just under $1,000 out of pocket.

For this trip, we used a combination of airline miles and hotel points earned from credit card sign-up bonuses and everyday spending.

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Credit Cards

The credit cards that got us the most points that we used for this trip were from Chase.

My husband and I each have the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, which gave each of us a 100,000 point sign up bonus last year for meeting the minimum spend in three months. This card has a $95 annual fee, and the current sign up bonus is 75,000 points — which is a good offer as the baseline bonus is typically 60,000 points, and the 100,000 point sign up bonus we got last year is only offered once every 3-4 years. The current 75,000 sign up bonus offer is likely the best offer that will be available this year.

Alex also has an Ink Business Preferred Card — which currently is offering a 100,000 point sign up bonus, which is also a good deal as this standard sign up bonus is usually 80,000 or 90,000. This card also has an annual fee of $95.

Both of these cards also have travel insurance, which is a great benefit if things go wrong on your trip.

We also each have an American Airlines credit card that racks up airline miles for our regular monthly spending.

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Flights

Our family of five had 10 flights to and from Hawaii, and we got 7 of them free (or nearly free).

First, kids under 2 fly for free as lap infants, so that took care of the baby.

Second, we had enough miles with American Airlines spending on those credit cards to get one-way direct flights from Phoenix to Kauai for 22,500 miles each, plus $5.60 in fees — so 90,000 total miles and $22.40.

Third, we also had enough miles from previous trips to Hawaii on Hawaiian Airlines for a free flight, and we paid cash for the other 3. The reason I booked two one ways with different airlines is because I didn’t want to fly with kids on a red eye back to the mainland, and most Hawaii return flights are scheduled at night these days — so we paid cash for 3/5ths of our return flight.

Otherwise, all of our flights could have been free on American Airlines.

Tips and Tricks for Discounted Flights

Here are my top tips for getting free flights:

We open mileage programs with every airline that we ever fly, and we collect miles for years. Our free return flight was on Hawaiian Airlines — an airline we haven’t flown on in 7 years. But, years ago, I used to get really cheap return flights to Hawaii for my husband and I on Hawaiian Airlines (paying cash on this airline was a better deal than using miles on American), so we racked up some HA miles.

While we used to use cheaper websites like Skyscanner and Kayak to book cheaper flights — we now typically just use those search engines to compare prices and then book directly with airlines since that gives us an extra layer of protection if anything goes wrong. It’s much easier to deal with the airline directly in case of cancellations, delays, and acts of God, versus having to negotiate with a third party.

Hotels

We did a split stay between two hotels for 7 nights on Kauai, and paid for it entirely with credit card points. We used points to book rooms with rates between $750-1000, which we very rarely pay cash for normally.

We usually do a split stay on Kauai with a few nights each on the North Shore — Hanalei or Princeville — and the South Shore — Poipu or Koloa — but this time, our points took us further staying on the South Shore. The South Shore also typically has better (calmer) beaches for little ones. And fortunately, since it was winter, that worked out well for us as it was more cold and rainy than usual on the North Shore during the week we were there.

First, we were able to transfer 120,000 Chase points to our Hyatt account to redeem for 3 nights at the Grand Hyatt Kauai. Hyatt is one of the best value transfer partners with Chase, and it is always (in my experience) more cost effective to transfer the points and book directly with Hyatt. In my opinion, the Grand Hyatt Kauai resort has the best pool on Kauai for kids and families — including a lazy river and a saltwater lagoon with a sandy beach entry. This is also by far the best point redemption opportunity on Kauai. At 40,000 points per night, this is the standard points rate (if we had managed to snag off-peak rates, which are very hard to get, it would have been 35,000 per night, and peak rates are 45,000).

Then, we were able to use the Chase Travel Portal to book 4 nights in a 1-bedroom ocean view suite at the Koloa Landing Resort for 153,000 points — working out to about 38,000 points per night. This resort typically costs over 100,000 points per night for this room directly with Marriott (owner of the Autograph Collection, which this resort is), so this was a steal — even though the value at this resort is not as high as at the Grand Hyatt Kauai. It also had a kitchen, which can help with food costs — especially useful with kids.

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If we hadn’t booked Koloa Landing on points, we probably would have booked the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay with cash. We haven’t stayed there since 2019 when it was a St. Regis, and I truly love the property, but we didn’t have enough points to redeem a room there. I like to balance travel hacking with splurging when I want to and can, so that we’re not beholden just to the budget or the points. However, the pool at the 1 Hotel would not have been nearly as fun for my kids. I personally don’t go to Kauai for the pools — but my kids love a hotel pool. It’s their favorite part of our vacations.

Another North Shore property we’ve liked is the Westin Princeville — it’s a Marriott Vacation Club property, meaning it’s a timeshare. If you attend a presentation (which is 3 hours of your life you’ll never get back), you can get a buy-one-get-one-free helicopter ride. We did this once and it was worth it, but we have no problems attending a timeshare presentation and firmly saying no in order to get something we want for free.

And of course, one of the cheapest options for lodging in Hawaii if you’re paying cash and traveling as a family is to book a condo.

Costco Travel

Utilizing Costco Travel is another great way to save money on trips.

You can save quite a bit of money by putting together a travel package that bundles your airfare, hotels, and rental car all in one — often saving hundreds or even thousands.

But even if you are piecing together elements of your trip — using air miles for flights, and points for hotels — you can use Costco Travel to save on various pieces.

We used Costco to reserve our rental car, which ended up saving us hundreds of dollars compared to renting the car directly. We also lucked out and got upgraded to a Jeep Wrangler at no additional cost (though we got upgraded because they ran out of the car we booked, so we had to pay for it by waiting an hour at the car rental place with 3 kids who had just come off of a 7 hour flight — still, it was worth it, and the delay had nothing to do with booking the car through Costco).

How This Can Work for Your Family

One of the most common questions I get is whether travel hacking can actually work for families.

It absolutely does — but it requires a little planning.

Instead of one person opening a card and earning one bonus, both spouses can participate. That effectively doubles the number of points coming into the household, which goes much further when booking bigger rooms or even suites for families.

Over the course of a year, that can easily generate enough points for multiple flights or hotel stays.

Add everyday spending — groceries, gas, bills, insurance — and those points accumulate even faster.

You can spend a lot of time planning and opening cards each year to rack up the points — or you can do it more casually, opening one or two cards a year per household to offset a more moderate vacation schedule.

The key is that we never carry a balance. Every card is paid off in full every month. The cards are simply tools to capture rewards from money we were already spending.

Over time, those points add up to free or deeply discounted trips.

In our case, 273,000 hotel points and 90,000 air miles saved us approximately $8,500.

Why I Share This

Travel has been one of the best ways for our family to spend time together, expose our children to different cultures and learning experiences, and create memories.

Without points and miles, many of those trips simply wouldn’t happen — or we’d take far fewer of them.

Credit card rewards aren’t magic, and they’re definitely not for everyone.

But for people who already have good financial habits and pay their cards off every month, they can unlock travel opportunities that would otherwise feel out of reach.

A trip for 5 that should have cost close to $10,000 ended up costing less than $1,000.

And if I had chosen to be beholden to points options only, we could have gotten even closer to completely free.

But with a little flexibility, we were able to spend minimal cash to get a week on Kauai that fit our family’s needs — with memories to last a lifetime. And you can, too!

This Week

We are reading:

• Jubilees 45-50

• Numbers 1-15

• Psalms 113, 116, 117, 118, 120, 121, 123

Summary

This week we are wrapping up Jubilees’ commentary on Genesis and Exodus and returning to desert wandering in Numbers.

I think it’s really interesting to read the books of the Bible that some traditions consider in the canon and others do not. Jubilees is one of those books — in the Ethiopian Orthodox Bible, but not in the Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, or Protestant Bibles.

One of the things we tend to do in modern Christian circles — especially in America, and most especially today in an era when new age Christian gnosticism seems to have permeated much of our culture — is we try to make really black and white demarcations between what Christianity is and what it isn’t. This is a really important exercise, but it tends to leave some people in a place where they have a lot more questions than answers. And these unanswered questions can actually lead people out of the faith.

Jubilees illustrates this really well. It’s not in the canon of the Christian tradition I most closely adhere to, I don’t treat every word as gospel — but I do think the text is historically and theologically important, and I do think there may be truths it contains that are not anywhere else in the Bible.

Is it necessary for salvation? No.

Is it interesting? Sure.

And most importantly — does it contradict the Bible or lead people astray? No, it doesn’t. (There are narrative differences but they aren’t salvific.)

On to Numbers!

Numbers is the story of the Israelites journeying through the desert on their way to the Promised Land. It also contains two census’, which helps to ground these events in actual history.

Will the Israelites follow Moses willingly? Will they do as God commands? Will they complain?

Let’s find out!

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Here is the daily breakdown from our annual plan:

• Day 75 — Monday, 3/16 — Jubilees 45-47, Psalm 113

• Day 76 — Tuesday, 3/17 — Jubilees 48-50, Psalm 116

• Day 77 — Wednesday, 3/18 — Numbers 1-3, Psalm 117

• Day 78 — Thursday, 3/19 — Numbers 4-6, Psalm 118

• Day 79 — Friday, 3/20 — Numbers 7-9, Psalm 120

• Day 80 — Saturday, 3/21 — Numbers 10-12, Psalm 121

• Day 81 — Sunday, 3/22 — Numbers 13-15, Psalm 123

Day 75 — Monday, 3/16 — Jubilees 45-47, Psalm 113

• Jacob learns that Joseph is alive and ruler in Egypt, God appears to Jacob and reassures him that going to Egypt is part of the divine plan, and Jacob travels to Egypt with his entire family.

• Jacob reunites with Joseph after many years apart and the family settles in the land of Goshen, where they prosper and multiply.

• Jacob blesses his twelve sons before he dies

• Then we shift to the story of Moses as we move narratively into Exodus, and the angels explain to Moses how he fits into the story thus far. Turns out, Jacobs family has prospered and multiplied a little too much for the Pharaoh’s liking.

• One interesting note in this section — Jacob gives sacred patriarchal writings to Levi to preserve and protect

Day 76 — Tuesday, 3/17 — Jubilees 48-50, Psalm 116

• Jubilees 48 has a very interesting story about Mastema (Satan) testing Moses on his way back to Egypt. Is this an explanation of the weird circumcision story in Exodus?

• The expanded Passover rules presented in Jubilees 49 are interesting

• The Sabbath rules in Jubilees 50 are more extreme than presented in Leviticus and — given how extreme the plagues were — I am somewhat inclined to believe that the original rules were this extreme

Day 77 — Wednesday, 3/18 — Numbers 1-3, Psalm 117

• Now we’re back in the books everyone agrees are canon: Numbers.

• God orders Moses to take a census of the Israelites

• God tells Moses how to organize the camps around the Tabernacle, with the Levites closest to it

Day 78 — Thursday, 3/19 — Numbers 4-6, Psalm 118

• As God lays out the duties of the Levites, we have an interesting note here that only the Gershonites may transport holy objects because if the others touch them they will die

• We are introduced to purity laws around isolation of the “unclean” — those with skin diseases, discharge, contact with a dead body, etc — to preserve health in the camp, and holiness in God’s dwelling

• We are introduced to the concept of confession as a repentance for sin

• In Numbers 5 we learn about a ritual curse administered by the preist for secretly philandering women, which I feel like should be administered to both sexes tbh

• We also learn about the Nazirite vow to consecrate oneself to the Lord, which involves avoiding wine and beer, vinegar, and anything produced by the grapevine; not cutting your hair; and avoiding contact with dead bodies. Easy peasy.

Day 79 — Friday, 3/20 — Numbers 7-9, Psalm 120

• The leaders of the twelve tribes bring dedication offerings for the Tabernacle

• The Levites are formally dedicated to serve God as priests

• The Israelites celebrate the second annual Passover

• God leads the Israelites with a cloud over the Tabernacle that appears like fire at night. Whenever the cloud moves, they move. Kind of amazing and I would love to see this.

Day 80 — Saturday, 3/21 — Numbers 10-12, Psalm 121

• God tells Moses to make two silver trumpets to signal gatherings, travel, and war

• Israel finally leaves Mount Sinai and travels towards the Promised Land

• The Israelites complain about food, even though they’re being lead by a CLOUD OF FIRE WHO PROVIDES THEIR DAILY BREAD. God sends quail as a response to their demand for meat — so much meat in fact that they will eat it for a month and have it coming out of their noses and will hate it. Oh, and He also sends a plague. Are you happy now?!

• Miriam and Aaron question Moses’ authority and Miriam is struck with leprosy for it — which turns her hand white, a known effect of fungal conditions called tinea versicolor

Day 81 — Sunday, 3/22 — Numbers 13-15, Psalm 123

• Numbers 13 sees 12 Israelite spies sent out to scout the land of Canaan, the Promised Land, and well, well, well what do they find but GIANTS.

• When the Israelites find out there are giants in Canaan, they panic and refuse to enter the Promised Land. God punishes them, saying they will wander in the wilderness for 40 years until the next generation grows some balls outgrows the sins of their fathers and inhabits the Promised Land.

Are the Israelites insufferable? Yes.

Do I also understand how frustrating it must have been to be led out of slavery to a Promised Land where you have to fight off giants?

I mean yeah, I get it.

There is a story that would sound familiar to almost every culture around the world:

It begins with a moral crisis — humanity has become corrupt, violent, morally bankrupt and spiritually degraded. In response, the divine creator deity decides to cleanse the world through a catastrophic flood meant to reset creation.

One righteous individual is singled out and warned in advance, chosen specifically because of his integrity. He is instructed to construct a vessel capable of surviving the coming destruction and preserving life. Animals are gathered and protected alongside the human survivors, ensuring the continuity of the natural world.

The flood itself is total and overwhelming, covering the earth and erasing nearly all living things. Eventually, the waters recede, and the vessel comes to rest on a mountain, symbolizing both survival and renewal. The narrative concludes with a covenant—a divine promise that such a total destruction will not occur again.

To Christians and those familiar with Biblical allegory, this is the story of Noah from Genesis. But nearly every culture the world over tells a version of this story. Anthropologists and historians have documented hundreds of similar flood narratives preserved in cultures across every inhabited continent.

These accounts differ in detail, theology, and symbolism—but they share a striking core. A world-wide mirroring of the same timeless tale told of Noah in Genesis, with no historical connections between them, separated by thousands of miles and thousands of years — all telling the same story.

This is one of the longest articles we’ve written here at Capitalism and Glitter. If we were to include every flood “myth” story from around the world, this would be a full length book. What we have included is a selection of the most prominent and interesting stories from each continent — from Gilgamesh of Sumeria to the Hawaiian survivor Nu’u to Norse giants from the land of Niflheim.

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This Week

We are reading:

• Jubilees 25-44

• Psalms 100, 102, 105, 106, 107, 111, 112

Summary

This week we are once again continuing with Genesis REDUX.

Are you guys enjoying reading this? Should I include it in the Bible study next year? This is my first year using this annual plan so let me know how it’s going for you. I feel like really digging deep into the early world helps us understand Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy — and the entire setup of the Biblical narrative — but reading the entirety of Jubilees may be too much. However, I do really like getting the names of the women, and it’s super interesting to learn the precise dates and times of everything (in jubilee years).

But let me know in the comments and the chat how you’re feeling about reading this!

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Here is the daily breakdown from our annual plan:

• Day 68 — Monday, 3/9 — Jubilees 25-27, Psalm 100

• Day 69 — Tuesday, 3/10 — Jubilees 28-30, Psalm 102

• Day 70 — Wednesday, 3/11 — Jubilees 31-33, Psalm 105

• Day 71 — Thursday, 3/12 — Jubilees 34-36, Psalm 106

• Day 72 — Friday, 3/13 — Jubilees 37-38, Psalm 107

• Day 73 — Saturday, 3/14 — Jubilees 39-41, Psalm 111

• Day 74 — Sunday, 3/15 — Jubilees 42-44, Psalm 112

Day 68 — Monday, 3/9 — Jubilees 25-27, Psalm 100

• Rebekah tells Jacob not to marry a Canaanite woman like Esau did

• Jacob steals Esau’s blessing

Day 69 — Tuesday, 3/10 — Jubilees 28-30, Psalm 102

• Jacob works for Laban for 7 years in exchange for Rachel, but is given Leah instead — and is given Rachel as originally promised when he agrees to work 7 more years

• Gilead has 15 foot tall giants whose land spreads from Mount Hermon

• The Dinah story is repeated — and we learn that she was only 12 years old

Day 70 — Wednesday, 3/11 — Jubilees 31-33, Psalm 105

• Reuben sleeps with Jacob (his dad’s) concubine Bilhah, necessitating a whole chapter of rules in Leviticus. Side note: it is written in Jubilees 33:8 that Reuben uncovered the covering of his father, the same language used in the story of Noah and Ham

Day 71 — Thursday, 3/12 — Jubilees 34-36, Psalm 106

• We get more women’s names — that of all of Jacob’s daughters-in-law

• Joseph’s brothers sell him to Potiphar and it causes immense grief in the family, resulting in the deaths of Bilhah and Dinah

• Rebekah settles things between Jacob and Esau

• Rebekah and Isaac both die

Day 72 — Friday, 3/13 — Jubilees 37-38, Psalm 107

• The Book of Jubilees’ characterization of the relationship between Jacob and Esau is quite different than Genesis, with Esau and his sons attacking Jacob after Isaac’s death, and the resulting conflict ending in Esau’s death

Day 73 — Saturday, 3/14 — Jubilees 39-41, Psalm 111

• Joseph begins his career in Egypt, becomes imprisoned due to Potiphar’s wife’s false accusations

• Joseph successfully interprets dreams

• Tamar tricks Judah, gives birth to twins, resulting in more laws handed down to Moses

Day 74 — Sunday, 3/15 — Jubilees 42-44, Psalm 112

• Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt and make a plea

• Joseph is harsh and tests them before he ultimately reveals himself

• Jacob comes to Egypt with his family

This week is kind of brief since we’ve read these stories before, but I do find the differences in the differences interesting. What do you think? Let me know in the chat and the comments below!

This week we’re talking about the Hebrew and Latin meaning of words and our latest home design projects.

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Most people know Stanley Kubrick as a perfectionist film-maker, one who was obsessed with control and realism, who pushed both technical and intellectual boundaries within cinema. His films are famously filled with esoteric symbolism and deeper, often hidden meaning.

But his work transcends mere entertainment, and ultimately functions as a series of occult architectures designed to reveal the hidden layers of the powers that be that govern our world.

Kubrick was born to Jewish immigrants on July 26, 1928 — in a hospital in Manhattan, during a time when 90-95% of births were at home. His father was a homeopathic doctor and his family was rather wealthy. His Wikipedia page for some reason notes that his grandfather immigrated to America at 47 years old, leaving behind a wife and two grown children to start a new life with a younger woman.

Kubrick wasn’t just a writer and director. He was an intellectual disclosure mechanism for the elites. After all, he directed some of the their most favorite films, from Lolita to the moon landing.

From 2001: A Space Odyssey in which he was “predicting” what space travel looked like before it was shown to the public, to the elite rituals disclosed in Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick used religious and esoteric symbolism as a vehicle to not only disclose elite knowledge about the systems of transformation and control that shape our society — but to initiate an unwitting audience into the very occult systems it describes.

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2001 Things Stanley Kubrick Taught Me About The Illuminati

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This Week

We are reading:

• Jubilees 4-24

• Psalms 33, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99

Summary

This week we continue our Genesis redux as we read through Jubilees.

One of the most exciting things we learn through Jubilees is the names of women, wives, sisters, daughters from Genesis.

Jubilees also gives us much more precise dates and time periods, mostly measured in “jubilees” — seven “weeks” of seven years, totaling 49 years and then followed by a jubilee year.

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Here is the daily breakdown from our annual plan:

• Day 61 — Monday, 3/2 — Jubilees 4-6, Psalm 33

• Day 62 — Tuesday, 3/3 — Jubilees 7-9, Psalm 94

• Day 63 — Wednesday, 3/4 — Jubilees 10-12, Psalm 95

• Day 64 — Thursday, 3/5 — Jubilees 13-15, Psalm 96

• Day 65 — Friday, 3/6 — Jubilees 16-18, Psalm 97

• Day 66 — Saturday, 3/7 — Jubilees 19-21, Psalm 98

• Day 67 — Sunday, 3/8 — Jubilees 22-24, Psalm 99
  

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Day 61 — Monday, 3/2 — Jubilees 4-6, Psalm 33

• In Jubilees 4, we get the names of Adam and Eve’s daughters — Awan and Azura. Awan becomes Cain’s wife and it’s interesting that her name means eye, or to watch (with jealosy). Azura’s name, maybe obviously, means sky blue.

• We learn that Adam and Eve had 14 total children

• We learn more names of the sister-wives: Seth has a daughter named Noam (meaning pleasantness, beauty, favor, delight), who married Enosh; they have a daughter named Mualelit (meaning God is my strength) who marries their son Kenan (or Cainan, not to be confused with Canaan).

• Enoch is introduced, once again as the inventor of writing, and the author of a book of the stars so that humans would know the seasons. Enoch’s wife is named Edni, meaning gracious or merciful. Their son Methuselah’s wife is Edna, meaning pleasure, delight, or rejuvenation. And their son Lamech marries a woman named Betanosh, who is Noah’s mom. Noah marries a woman named Emzara, which means mother of a princess or ancestor of Sarah.

• In support of the cosmic mountain idea — the angels dictating Jubilees say there are four places on earth that belong to the Lord: the Garden of Eden, the mountain of the east, Mount Sinai, and Mount Zion.

• I don’t talk about gematria much anymore because it’s too much for the masses — but Jubilees 5:22 mentions that Noah’s ark is made in the 27th jubilee of years, which is curious because 27 often represents sacrifice in our modern culture (like the 27 club)

Day 62 — Tuesday, 3/3 — Jubilees 7-9, Psalm 94

• Noah’s daughters-in-laws names are:

  • Neelatamauk (Ham’s wife) - meaning land/territory of the valley or inheritance of what is destroyed

  • Adataneses (Japheth’s wife) - meaning unclear

  • Sedeqatelebab (Shem’s wife) - meaning justice/righteousness of heart

• Kainan, grandson of Shem, finds an inscription on a rock containing the astrological, celestial, and divinatory teachings of the fallen angels — and sins, following the instruction, and showing us how the forbidden knowledge proliferated post-flood

• All the land gets divided between Noah’s sons and grandsons — and one curious note is that Kainan’s dad, Aparchshad, gets the Chaldean region which originates Chaldean numerology, probably from the inscription on the rock

Day 63 — Wednesday, 3/4 — Jubilees 10-12, Psalm 95

• Demons begin to lead astray Noah’s grandchildren. Noah asks God to intervene, and he directs the angels to imprison the demons. But then Mastema (which means enmity, and is another name for Satan) claims he cannot exert free will with the demons imprisoned. God allows 10% of nephilim spirits to remain on earth as demons, while 9/10ths are cast down in judgment.

• Noah is taught by the angels how to combat the diseases inflicted upon humanity by demons using the plants of the earth, he writes down a book of herbology and passes it down to Shem.

• Abram is born to Terah, who worships idols. We get an interesting backstory for Abra(ha)m — he chastises his dad for worshipping idols and one night secretly sets fire to the temple of idols. God calls Abram to go to a new land — and imparts unto him the language of Hebrew, which had been lost at the tower of Babel.

Day 64 — Thursday, 3/5 — Jubilees 13-15, Psalm 96

• We get a retelling of Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac — but it’s not nearly as funny as Genesis.

• In Jubilees 15:31 we learn that God has “made spirits rule over all in order to lead them astray from following him” — which bolsters the notion of territorial spirits

Day 65 — Friday, 3/6 — Jubilees 16-18, Psalm 97

• In Jubilees 16, Sarah laughs and we learn about Sodom and Gomorrah again, as well as the judgment on Lot’s unholy descendants

• In this commentary on the near-sacrifice of Isaac, we learn that God was proving a point about Abraham’s faithfulness to shame Satan (Mastema). So now it’s a Job redux!

Day 66 — Saturday, 3/7 — Jubilees 19-21, Psalm 98

• Abraham gives his final plea and warning to his family against worshipping idols and keeping God’s covenant

Day 67 — Sunday, 3/8 — Jubilees 22-24, Psalm 99

• The ages of humans have reduced due to sinfulness, to 70-80 years — but Jubilees describes a time in which the children will seek to restore faithfulness to God’s commands and will increase the lifespans again to 1000 years, or more

• Esau trades his birthright for lentil porridge and it doesn’t sound any less ridiculous the second time around

What came up for you this week? Join us in the Jubilees chat to discuss!

This week we’re talking about whether aliens are demons and how to create a postpartum wardrobe when you’ve had your third baby at 40.

Website Update

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Having gone through a mold remediation and dealing with the effects of it both in my house and in my body, I’ve learned the hard way that most modern contractors and doctors are unfortunately under-informed about mold — both how it affects modern houses, and how it affects the human body.

Modern culture treats mold as a simple nuisance.

A mere cosmetic issue.

Something to spray, paint over, or just wipe away.

The Bible did not.

Long before air sampling, spore counts, or mycotoxin panels, the Bible treated mold as a serious environmental threat that required inspection, isolation, material removal, and, when necessary, total demolition.

What’s remarkable is not simply that mold appears in the Biblical text, but how seriously it is treated, and how closely those ancient protocols resemble what modern environmental health is slowly rediscovering as best practices.

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The Forgotten Lessons of Leviticus

Unlike those under-informed contractors, the Bible actually tells us exactly how to deal with mold in a house.

Leviticus contains the most direct instructions outlining laws around mold. Chapters 13 and 14 in particular contain detailed instructions addressing contamination in garments and dwellings, what the Hebrew text describes as a spreading affliction within materials themselves.

As detailed in Leviticus 14:33-48, the Biblical approach on how to address mold is both incredibly specific and highly systematic. Visual inspection, temporary quarantine, observation over time and the removal of affected materials. Not just the removal out of the afflicted house, but out of the village altogether as to not contaminate any other people or structures. If this removal is still not sufficient to remediate the issue, then complete demolition is called for. This applies to both physical structures as well as fabric and clothing.

It then goes on to discuss cleansing the house by killing a bird over fresh water and dipping another bird, wood, yarn and hyssop in the blood of the first bird to sprinkle around the house seven times before releasing the live bird into the countryside to make atonement for the house — but that part seems less relevant to modern day protocols. Although, it is interesting to note that hyssop is an antifungal.

In addition to detailing mold remediation protocols, the Bible also acknowledges that mold illness is very real. And if you refer to the passage above, you will notice that it calls mold illness leprosy.

The Hebrew term that is often translated as “leprosy” or “leprous disease” is tzaraʿat. Tzaraʿat is used regularly throughout the Bible to mean mold, mildew, illness, and unclean (not merely a spiritual uncleanliness but a physical illness). Embedded within the original Hebrew is a deeper understanding of the translation: disease caused by mold (fungus).

Simply put, tzaraʿat is a fungal infection that spreads both in people and homes.

Leprosy in this context is distinctly different from the disease we know as leprosy today (which is caused by bacteria, rather than fungus).

Leviticus isn’t the only book of the Bible that deals with mold and describes leprosy as a fungal infection. For example, Numbers 12:10 recounts Miriam’s affliction with leprosy — which rendered her “white as snow,” a common symptom of a fungal infection called “tinea versicolor.”

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A Biblical Approach to Mold Remediation

This systematic and sequential approach to addressing mold is one of the clearest contrasts with the typical modern practice of brushing it under the rug:

• Removal from exposure

• Quarantine the house and don’t allow anyone inside

• Seal the structure

• Allow 7 days to reveal whether the contamination was active or spreading

• Only after this period were repairs attempted

If the problem remained, the response escalated to removal and replacement of the affected objects, plaster, and structure — and if it still continued, well that called for complete destruction.

There was no sweeping this under the rug.

No insistence that visible damage was harmless.

No prioritization of property value over health.

Ancient Israel operated on a principle we seem to have entirely forgotten in the west: some environments are not neutral, and cannot be made safe by denial.

For those who have experienced mold exposure and then struggled to have their symptoms taken seriously, the Biblical perspective is quite reassuring. Modern responses often default to minimization—treating environmental illness as stress, anxiety, or coincidence—rather than investigating the space people live in to uncover the true root cause of symptoms.

Scripture assumes the opposite: that spaces can harm people, and that the community (under the authority and guidance of the priest) bears responsibility for addressing it.

Harm That Accumulates Slowly

Mold is dangerous precisely because it works slowly.

Certain molds can produce mycotoxins and volatile compounds that contribute to inflammatory, neurological, and immune disruption—often long after the initial exposure. The delay obscures cause and effect, making the illness easier to dismiss.

Interestingly, the passages in Leviticus identify red and green molds as especially problematic — which modern fungal and bacterial science confirms.

Stachybotrys — also known as black mold — actually appears in a color ranging from dark green to black. Other “green” molds are associated with Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Cladosporium which are among the most common indoor molds found in damp buildings today.

“Red” molds are associated with Fusarium mold, Rhodotorula yeast, and Serratia marcescens (a bacteria, not mold). Ancient observers would not have distinguished mold vs. bacteria vs. yeast—they simply described unusual colored growth spreading in damp materials.

These molds (and bacterial) growths produce allergens, irritants, and in some cases mycotoxins. The “red and green mold” in biblical language most likely corresponds broadly to visible microbial growth in water-damaged buildings and clothing —what today we’d call indoor mold contamination, damp building syndrome, and microbial growth from chronic moisture.

A Modern Approach Supported by Micro Balance Health Products

Like many other families, our family has, unfortunately, had our fair share of mold experiences. We have lived through mold exposures in two homes, one of which we remediated. After remediation, we suffered yet another water leak in the same place when our roof patch failed.

After experiencing these issues in our own home, and the associated adverse health effects, we learned how quickly moisture issues escalate — and how inadequate surface-level cleanup can be.

This same prevention-first mindset that is conveyed in Leviticus is increasingly reflected in modern environmental health approaches and in companies like Micro Balance Health Products that prioritize non-toxic, exposure-aware solutions, rather than aggressive chemical masking.

As part of our remediation process, we relied on the following products from the EC3 line of Micro Balance Health Products specifically formulated to address mold spores:

• Enzyme Cleaner and Wipes — used before, during, and after remediation to mitigate the spread of any mold spores through the house as we addressed removing and replacing the damaged building materials. We still use these cleaners regularly to mitigate any mold spores in our house, especially in wet areas of the kitchen and bathrooms. We also keep a container of these wipes in our car.

• Air Purification Candles — used before, during, and after remediation to mitigate the spread of any mold spores through the house. I still use these candles regularly; the beeswax are my fave (and especially biblical).

• Laundry Additive — used before, during, and after remediation to remove any mold spores from our clothes as we lived through remediation. We still use this regularly and it’s one of my favorite Micro Balance Health Products.

• Mold Test Kits — incredibly helpful before and after remediation to help us understand the approximate level of mold spores in the air and whether we had sufficiently addressed the issue.

• Head-to-Toe Cleanser — a newly released product, this shampoo and body wash helps rinse away mold, mycotoxins, and environmental contaminants.

These products helped mitigate exposure and support a cleaner living space while addressing the underlying moisture issue, rather than assuming everything was “fine” once things looked dry. We weren’t looking for a quick fix, we were focused on preventing water damage and preserving the health of our family — especially our young children.

Unlike a lot of modern “quick fix” approaches to mold, the detailed framework on how to address mold concerns outlined in the Bible follows a clear pattern — observe before dismissing, intervene before normalizing, and escalate when remediation fails.

The Bible outlines an appropriate response to mold that neither ignores nor overreacts.

Because above all, we are reminded be not afraid.

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Sponsor Note: This piece was written in partnership with Micro Balance Health Products, whose non-toxic, mold-focused products we’ve used as part of our own efforts to reduce environmental exposure. As always, sponsorship does not influence our conclusions, only supports the continued creation of this work. To support us directly, please shop Micro Balance Health Products and use our code GLITTER for 15% off.

This Week

We are reading:

• Leviticus 10-27

• Jubilees 1-3

• Psalms 87, 88, 90, 91, 92, 93, 10

Summary

This week we finish Leviticus. Some people find Leviticus boring and this is the book where a lot of people committed to reading the Bible in a year fall off.

But not the Good Book Club!

Leviticus is nuts, you guys. We’ve got multiple Moloch references. We’ve got God having to spell out to the Israelites that they are not to sacrifice their children or have sex with their moms. We’ve got the return of Azazel, the head of the watchers from the Book of Enoch, receiving the scapegoat in the wilderness in the origin of Yom Kippur.

In my (un)professional opinion, Leviticus is where God is laying out the laws of organizing an utterly chaotic and sinful world, finding a safe way to dwell with humans, and charting a path for returning humanity to holiness. Will the Israelites survive this?!

The late Dr. Michael Heiser (famous for reintroducing the cosmic worldview to modern audiences) thought Leviticus was an incredibly supernatural book that evolved out of the events of Genesis 6 — reaffirming and reestablishing the boundaries around humanity’s holiness in the wake of corruption from fallen angels. He hosted The Naked Bible podcast, an excellent resource that dives very deep into scripture with a cosmic worldview.

And then we begin Jubilees, which is commonly referred to a little Genesis — but with more detail. I am so excited for a Genesis REDUX!!!

But I also want to forewarn you a bit that everyone is gonna need to get real cool about a bunch of stuff really quickly. Jubilees elaborates on the stories told in Genesis and adds details that many of us have never heard before. It also differs slightly from Genesis in perspective. But not really in major ways.

Jubilees is likely the first ever commentary on Genesis and parts of Exodus.

Jubilees is only considered canonical in the Ethiopian Orthodox church. However, it is historically relevant, and many church fathers did treat it as scripture or close to it — because remember, most of the church fathers were operating from the perspective of having dozens of scrolls that were relevant for different educational purposes and they weren’t so black and white about what was “in” and “out” because they didn’t have a singular printed book of the Bible. I think some people think if a book isn’t in the Bible it’s heretical, but that’s not true — it’s simply not considered AS important.

The Book of Jubilees is not nearly as “out there” as the Book of Enoch though, so I think this group is going to have fun reading this book and comparing some details to the stories in Genesis.

If you don’t have a copy of the Book of Jubilees, you can find it online here.

Merch Store Revamp

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We will also be launching new products, so be on the lookout for that!

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Here is the daily breakdown from our annual plan:

• Day 54 — Monday, 2/23 — Leviticus 10-12, Psalm 87

• Day 55 — Tuesday, 2/24 — Leviticus 13-15, Psalm 88

• Day 56 — Wednesday, 2/25 — Leviticus 16-18, Psalm 90

• Day 57 — Thursday, 2/26 — Leviticus 19-21, Psalm 91

• Day 58 — Friday, 2/27 — Leviticus 22-24, Psalm 92

• Day 59 — Saturday, 2/28 — Leviticus 25-27, Psalm 93

• Day 60 — Sunday, 3/1 — Jubilees 1-3, Psalm 10

Day 54 — Monday, 2/23 — Leviticus 10-12, Psalm 87

• Starting off with a bang — after being explicitly told how to prepare a fire fit for God, Aaron’s sons offer some sort of “unholy” or “unauthorized” fire to the Lord, and are immediately consumed by God’s fiery presence. At first glance, this story may seem harsh for what seems to be a minor offense (killed for the wrong kind of fire?) — but when you dig into the original Hebrew and the background of this story, it sounds like the boys may have been making a forbidden pagan fire, possibly using knowledge that humans shouldn’t have had.

• The unclean animals are really interesting — they are scavengers, carnivores, and bottom-feeders who tend to eat decaying meat or other animals (i.e. vultures) — meaning they are riddled with parasites, diseases, and toxins harmful to human health. I wonder if the unclean animals resulted from the watchers sinning against animals as we learned in Genesis and Enoch.

Day 55 — Tuesday, 2/24 — Leviticus 13-15, Psalm 88

• Chapters 13 and 14 of Leviticus deal with mold in houses and leprosy, a condition clearly associated with mold illness. We dive deep into these chapters in our article coming out on Wednesday detailing how the Bible associates leprosy with mold illness, and outlining a biblical approach to remediating mold.

Day 56 — Wednesday, 2/25 — Leviticus 16-18, Psalm 90

• The things God has to spell out in Leviticus 18 are absolutely insane to me. “Don’t do what they do in Canaan — don’t sacrifice your children to demons, for that is a bad thing to do. Don’t have sex with your mom, for she is your mom. Don’t have sex with animals, because that’s disgusting. And you know what, let me just go ahead and list all the other family members you shouldn’t have sex with because it seems unclear to some of you.”

• In Leviticus 16, in the origin of Yom Kippur, we learn that Azazel, head of the Watchers, is somewhere out in the wilderness and the word scapegoat is a reference to a goat that carries the sins of Israel out into the wilderness to Azazel

• Another interesting point in Leviticus 17:11 is that “the life of the body is in the blood”

Day 57 — Thursday, 2/26 — Leviticus 19-21, Psalm 91

• The direction in Leviticus 19 not to breed two kinds of animals, not to mix two kinds of seeds, not to mix two things together is a clear callback to Genesis 6 and the forbidden mixing of species. It’s also inspiring me to keep sticking to 100% cotton and linen in my postpartum wardrobe overhaul.

• I think we should bring back the laws of Leviticus 20.

Day 58 — Friday, 2/27 — Leviticus 22-24, Psalm 92

• Leviticus 23 outlines God’s holy appointed feasts, structured seasonally — and foreshadowing Jesus

• Leviticus 24 lays out laws designed to prevent disproportionate revenge, which we’ve seen play out before (e.g. Genesis 34).

Day 59 — Saturday, 2/28 — Leviticus 25-27, Psalm 93

• Leviticus 25 talks about Jubilees, discusses the calendar, and emphasizes a rhythm that includes rest to recalibrate and support all aspects of life.

• The idea that God owns the land and Israel are the tenants is quite radical, as are the other ideas outlined about economic fairness and equity — God explicitly forbids usury, or lending money at high rates.

Day 60 — Sunday, 3/1 — Jubilees 1-3, Psalm 10

• In Jubilees 1, God predicts how the Israelites will violate the laws of the covenant resulting in their exile — however, they will be restored in the future. Moses is like… couldn’t you just restore us now? But God says NOPE.

• Jubilees 2 discusses the natural laws of the world God created as a retelling of Genesis 1-2 — most interesting note here may be that great sea monsters were God’s first “fleshly” productions

• Jubilees 2-3 are a retelling of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden — and the most interesting notes here are that Adam and Eve lived in the Garden for 7 years until they sinned, and all the animals used to be able to talk.

Update on the chats — the chats have calmed down a bit so I am starting a new chat for each book. We’ll see how that goes. The Leviticus chat is open now and I will start the Jubilees chat this week. Thanks for being flexible as the chats evolve!

This week we’re talking about Lent, what happens when a company’s irreverent advertising gets a spotlight in the era of the Epstein files, and why quercetin is one of my favorite supplements despite genetic indications that it may not be right for me.

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When the Science Settles

For most of my life, I assumed the question of Noah’s Flood had been decisively settled. A story relegated to children’s books and Sunday school murals, a metaphor used to simplify our understanding of human origins — and maybe a localized flood, at best.

But as I continued to read Genesis literally, I realized something that radically shifted my entire worldview: the text itself does not present the Flood as poetry, parable, or mythic allegory. It presents it as history. Names, ages, dates — specific measurements followed by specific durations followed by very detailed genealogical lines that align to specific identifiable points in the historical record. The narrative of Genesis — from the very beginning, not just after chapter 11 — moves with the cadence of specific chronology, not symbolism.

That is how I found myself asking a question I once considered unthinkable:

Did Noah’s flood really happen? Was the entire world underwater, all at once?

The Biblical account of a global flood is routinely treated as a symbolic or moral story. But read plainly, it makes concrete claims about Earth’s history:

• A catastrophic inundation of all the land

• Massive erosion of pre-existing terrain

• Rapid burial of organisms

• Enormous sediment transport

• A short, intense timescale

If such an event occurred, it would not leave subtle traces. It would leave distinctive geological evidence.

The question is not just whether the Flood fits modern geological theory, the question is whether the actual rock record, when examined carefully, shows evidence of it.

Increasingly, the answer appears to be yes.

Marine fossils found at the top of Mount Everest.

Flood “myth” origin stories that repeat in hundreds if not thousands of cultures on every continent the world over.

Fossilized trees that extend through multiple rock layers that are supposedly thousands or millions of years old — indicating the layers formed rapidly before the trees decayed.

Not only does modern science not categorically exclude the global flood story, at minimum, modern geology actually agrees with the Biblical account that every continent was once at the bottom of the sea.

Modern science and ancient Biblical narratives agree that massive water-driven processes shaped Earth’s surface. They just don’t agree on how long ago those processes occurred, how many separate events were involved, and whether they could have been part of a single, global catastrophe.

When the floodwaters recede, the question may not be whether the Biblical story survives scientific scrutiny—but whether our assumptions about Earth’s past need reexamining.

As I continued to read Genesis literally, it was beginning to feel less like ancient history and more like the ultimate throwback trend. In a world that worships science, believing the earth is young and the fossil record is flawed is like wearing stilettos to walk down a cobblestone street.

Is skepticism the new black? We claim to be enlightened when we chant “trust the science” — but have we simply traded one kind of orthodoxy for another?

As I closed my Bible and glanced at my reflection, I couldn’t help but wonder — was Ken Ham right?

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This Week

We are reading:

• Exodus 31-40

• Leviticus 1-9

• Psalms 115, 80, 81, 2, 83, 84, 85

Summary

This week we continue Exodus and we get a lot of interaction between God and Moses on the top of Mount Sinai. The mountains are often used as a meeting place between Heaven and Earth.

The Israelites are impatient, tempestuous, and weak. Honestly, I used to have a harder time understanding God in the Old Testament, but reading it now I get it. They’re so annoying! These people were just rescued from centuries of slavery to the Egyptians and they can’t go 5 minutes without complaining, and then they build a golden cow?!

Maybe becoming a parent has helped me understand how the depths of both love and wrath can coexist in the same moment.

Fortunately, Moses redeems the Israelites and intercedes on their behalf with God — foreshadowing Jesus. They build the Tabernacle, precisely according to God’s instructions, showing they can follow directions… when they feel like it.

The Tabernacle stands in place of the mountain as a meeting place of heaven and earth. It is akin to a mini-Eden, a place where God dwells among humans. Other parallels between Eden and the Tabernacle include the east-facing entrance guarded by cherubim, the gold, the tree of life (lampstand), and the tree of knowledge (the law). In the Old Testament, God dwells in the Tabernacle, but in the New Testament, Jesus becomes the true Tabernacle.

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After we wrap up Exodus this week, we are beginning Leviticus. For now that we again have a dwelling place for the Lord here on Earth, we need to understand the rules around His holy dwelling.

While Leviticus has a reputation for being boring, this book is important for laying out in detail the ordinary management of sin. God, in all His holiness, is working out a way to dwell with a humanity that has become downtrodden by sin.

One thing to note at the outset of Leviticus is that “unclean” (Hebrew: tamei) doesn’t necessarily mean sinful—it means ritually impure. We’ll see that contact with carcasses, certain animals, or bodily fluids required washing and waiting until evening to become clean — a consequence of unholiness permeating earth and being in physical conflict with holiness, Heaven, and God Himself.

Lent

I’ve been asked to incorporate some more primers on Christianity in general as we continue reading through the Bible. Last week I provided a general overview of the Sacraments, and this week I’m covering Lent — which starts Wednesday, February 18.

Lent is the season of fasting, prayer, and repentance observed by many Christians during the 40 days leading up to Easter. It is a commemoration of Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the wilderness before beginning His public ministry, which we will discuss when we get to the New Testament.

The practice developed in the early Church as a period of preparation for catechumens (those studying to be Christian) before baptism at Easter, and later became a broader penitential season for all believers. Today it is formally observed in traditions such as the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, and many Protestant communities.

The number forty carries deep biblical symbolism of testing, purification, and transformation:

• 40 days and nights of rain during the flood (Book of Genesis 7:12)

• Moses fasting 40 days on Mount Sinai (Book of Exodus 34:28)

• Elijah’s 40-day journey to Horeb (First Book of Kings 19:8)

• Israel’s 40 years in the wilderness (Book of Numbers 14:33–34)

Lent symbolically places believers in the wilderness with Jesus, stripping away distractions so that the resurrection joy of Easter may be received with renewed depth.

How to Practice Lent

Here are some practical ways you can engage in Lent to meaningfully deepen your faith. Consider practicing a few of the following:

• Attend a service or mass on Ash Wednesday (February 18th) and receive ashes on your forehead

• Pray more

  • Set a daily prayer time

  • Continue reading the Bible in a year!

• Fast

  • Skip meat on Fridays (fish is ok)

  • Engage in healthy fasting

  • Give up something that creates comfort (social media, sweets/chocolate, alcohol, entertainment, etc.)

• Practice almsgiving

  • Give to or serve those in need

• Repent

  • Examine your conscience intentionally

  • Confess specific sins (to a priest or God directly)

Daily Summaries

Here is the daily breakdown from our annual plan:

• Day 47 — Monday, 2/16 — Exodus 31-33, Psalm 115

• Day 48 — Tuesday, 2/17 — Exodus 34-36, Psalm 80

• Day 49 — Wednesday, 2/18 — Exodus 37-38, Psalm 81

• Day 50 — Thursday, 2/19 — Exodus 39-40, Psalm 2

• Day 51 — Friday, 2/20 — Leviticus 1-3, Psalm 83

• Day 52 — Saturday, 2/21 — Leviticus 4-6, Psalm 84

• Day 53 — Sunday, 2/22 — Leviticus 7-9, Psalm 85

Day 47 — Monday, 2/16 — Exodus 31-33, Psalm 115

• Bezalel (from the tribe of Judah) and Oholiab (from the tribe of Dan) are filled with the Spirit of God for artistic craftsmanship — which is the first explicit mention of someone being Spirit-filled for creativity, not prophecy or warfare. We were made in His image to be creative ✨

• Moses meets with God on the top of Mount Sinai and is gone for 40 days. The Israelites freak out and demand Aaron create a new god to lead them out of the wilderness, and he makes a golden calf.

• God is SO PISSED, and rightfully so. Moses intercedes, foreshadowing Jesus. The covenant tablets are literally and symbolically shattered.

• We have a weird scene in which Moses asks to see God and is only shown His “hind parts” because no one can see His face and live. It’s pretty clear through this and other scenes that there is a scientific reason that we cannot survive seeing God’s face or being directly in His presence — as though our very DNA has been sinfully corrupted from the beginning.

Day 48 — Tuesday, 2/17 — Exodus 34-36, Psalm 80

• New tablets are made as God renews the covenant with His chosen people who can’t follow simple instructions

• As the Israelites set out to wander across the desert to the Promised Land, God warns Moses not to make treaties with any of the people groups they will meet along the way. He warns that if they do make treaties, they will end up marrying their sons off to foreign daughters, who worship pagan gods — I wonder if this will come up again later?!

• Moses comes back down Mount Sinai with the stone tablets carved with the Ten Commandments and his face is shining from having spend 40 days and nights with God.

• Bezalel and Oholiab lead the construction of the Tabernacle. While this chapter seems repetitive to the earlier Tabernacle building instructions, it shows that the Israelites can follow instructions — when they want to.

Day 49 — Wednesday, 2/18 — Exodus 37-38, Psalm 81

• The Israelites build the Ark of the Covenant (which sits above the law), the Table of Showbread (representing communion), the Lampstand, the Altar of Incense, the Altar of Burnt Offering (at the entrance to the Tabernacle, where access to God begins with a sacrifice), the Washbasin, and the Courtyard.

Day 50 — Thursday, 2/19 — Exodus 39-40, Psalm 2

• Bezalel makes the ephod and the breastpiece with 12 gemstones (one for each tribe).

• God descends down the mountain and His presence fills the completed Tabernacle in the form of a cloud. He continues to dwell with Israel in the Tabernacle along their journey, appearing as a cloud during the day and at night appearing with fire inside.

Day 51 — Friday, 2/20 — Leviticus 1-3, Psalm 83

• In our introduction to Leviticus, we learn about the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the peace offering.

Day 52 — Saturday, 2/21 — Leviticus 4-6, Psalm 84

• Next we learn about sin offerings (covering unintentional sins) and guilt offerings. For even if our sin is unintentional, it requires atonement. Ignorance does not negate impact.

• Blood is used regularly as a cleansing mediator, as it contains life and purifies the contamination of death.

Day 53 — Sunday, 2/22 — Leviticus 7-9, Psalm 85

• Moses washes, clothes, anoints, and consecrates Aaron and his sons. He applies blood to their right ear (anointing what they hear), right thumb (anointing what they touch), and right big toe (anointing where they walk).

• Aaron then offers sacrifices for himself, then the people, and God consumes the sacrifices as a divine fire of approval.

As we wrap up this week, I want to just meditate for a moment on the thought of a massively powerful God, greater than any of the other gods they’ve ever seen performing their little magic tricks in Egypt. God dwells with them night and day in a Tabernacle they regularly throw up, tear down, and carry with them through the desert — appearing as a cloud by day, a fiery cloud by night, and divine fire approval when they get the sacrifices right.

Wow.

…let’s read on to find out if they continue disobedience in the face of an immensely powerful God!