Elf on the shelf visited us this year

We had an elf visit with us this year.  Her name is Ella and she made a video of her escapades.  She was such a great little elf and I can't wait for her to visit with us again next December.

High definition video here.

Excited that I learned how to crimp RG6 cable

I've been having issues with my digital television tuner where one channel (and one channel only) will pixelate so much that it is not watchable.  This issue has been there for over a year and I just never had the desire to fix it.  The channel that was not watchable was ESPN2 and when college football is not on, there's really not much that I want to watch on that channel.  Besides, the standard definition channel for ESPN2 worked just fine but was obviously just not crisp.

This issue became much more apparently to me during this year's college football season where I was forced to watch one of my football games on a different TV in the house.  I had my cable provider come out to my house for a different issue but I mentioned this problem to them.  They wanted to charge me $60 to run a new cable.  I decided that it was something that I could do myself.

So, I purchased this cable crimper.
http://www.harborfreight.com/coaxial-cable-compression-tool-95862.html

And, this cable stripper.
http://www.harborfreight.com/rotary-coaxial-cable-stripper-98953.html

Luckily, the stripper was already configured for RG6 cable and my first compression crimp was perfect.  These are great tech tools to have and I spent less money on these than I would have paid to my cable provider.

I now have the capability to crimp RG6 and RG59 with these.  This adds to my collection of tech tools.  I already have the capability to crimp my own 8p8c and 6p6c connectors for making network and phone cables.  I love learning new skills.

Fix what's broken

I had somewhat of a funny and silly experience at home yesterday.  See, I have this light switch in my room that includes an IR sensor.  With this sensor, I can command the lights to turn on or off from my media center remote control.  It is really nice and I've become very accustomed to it over the years.

Well, this last week I started having a problem with the light that is plugged into it.  The IR light switch wouldn't respond to either an IR input or through the button presses directly on the switch.  When it works, there is a series of green LEDs that will illuminate on the light switch that tells me it is working.  These LEDs were not turning on.  Dang!  I've got a dead light switch.  This was expensive and now I have to replace it.

I really need a light in that room and so I decided to replace the IR light switch with a standard flip switch.  I shut off the power, replaced the light switch, turned the power back on, and tested the switch to make sure that fixed the problem.  Nope!  The lamp didn't turn on.  What's wrong?  Could it be the wall socket instead?  So, I proceed to plug in a known working lamp to make sure it is the wall socket.

Wait!  That lamp works in that wall socket.  So, what could be the problem?  Maybe this other lamp is broken.  Uh oh...I wonder if it is just a broken light bulb.  Once I changed the light bulb, that original lamp was working.  Doh!  Why did I go through all that hassle to find out I needed to change a light bulb?

So, I went back and installed the IR light switch with the new bulb in the lamp and it's working again.  Needless to say, this was NOT the best way to find out that I needed to change a light bulb!

I keep feeling like there is a valuable lesson in this experience for me but I can't seem to grasp it.  Here are some thoughts.

• Keep it simple stupid (KISS)
• Fix what's broken
• Don't assume you know what's wrong
• Don't over think the problem
• The most obvious solution may be the right solution

Or, maybe this was just a simple mistake and there's not a vast amount of wisdom to gain from this.  Maybe I'm even over analyzing this experience.

Business of photography

My wife and I have been discussing the possibility of starting a photography business.  We have been receiving lots of requests for portrait sessions. We have purchased studio lighting equipment, backdrops, and a backdrop stand.  Our trial run of capturing Christmas pictures for a local school was successful.  So,  when is the point where this turns from a hobby to a business?

My life's statement

I had a moment this past week where I began to wonder what my legacy would be if my life suddenly ended.  As I was thinking about this, the only thing that came to mind was that I am a devoted family man and I work to support my family.  I began wondering what my tombstone would say.  One phrase came to mind: "Here lies a man that lived his life supporting his family."

While this is a valiant cause to pursue, it should not be the definition of a life that was lived.  I certainly want to support my family in every way possible but this statement made me a feel a little depressed that there wasn't any stronger statement that could be made.  This statement speaks of love but it also speaks of hidden talents and gifts.  It seems this statement could be used to describe a life lived that was not proactive but rather could be used to describe a faithful yet stagnant Christian.  However, as I was thinking on this, I could not figure out a better statement that could be placed on a tombstone that would describe my life.

This Sunday at the morning church service, I was worshiping God in song and felt a new phrase just drop into my mind.  This phrase was a strong and powerful statement yet simple.  It speaks of love but describes an active Christian.  It encompasses the previous phrase concerning my family but it extends to mean much more.  That phrase is: "Here lies a Servant of the Lord."

In pondering this phrase, I definitely think this is the statement that I would want to define my life.

Thoughts on personality dichotomies and ministry

I am an ISTJ.  So, what ministries are a natural fit for my personality type?

I've been thinking lately about how the Myers-Briggs personality type indicator could prove useful in determining your overall potential for positions in ministry.  I have read up on introverts and how the typical stereotype of an evangelist does not seem to fit well with an introverted personality.  What I mean by this is that I don't necessarily see an introvert as a person who would willingly embrace stepping out in an evangelistic role in front of droves of people while preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Rather, it seems to me that the introverts among us would more quickly embrace a role where they would affect the lives of fewer people yet dig deeper into relationships.

This is just one example of how the Myers-Briggs personality type indicators could prove useful in helping someone find their place in the Kingdom of God.

Now, I will most certainly need to caveat this blog post by saying that no matter what your personality type indicates, God can and will use someone with the many giftings that they already have but He will also supernaturally provide the giftings as deemed necessary for the moment.  After all, He is our provider and we can operate successfully outside of our comfort zones by His manifest presence that sometimes rests upon us for those situations.  He can provide us with temporary capabilities that come and go with the circumstances or He can provide us with new capabilities that will never leave.

But, for the purposes of this blog post, let us look at the Meyers-Briggs personality type indicators and explore the natural ministry possibilities that may fit with those comfort zones.  After all, it would be worthwhile for us to start into a ministry opportunity based on these type indicators and later find out that we are not in the right place rather than just do nothing at all.

For Meyers-Briggs, there are 4 personality dichotomies.
Extrovert (E) versus Introvert (I)
Sensing (S) versus Intuition (N)
Thinking (T) versus Feeling (F)
Judging (J) versus Perception (P)
http://www.myersbriggs.org/

I've already touched on the first dichotomy slightly.
http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/extraversion-or-introversion.asp
Extroverts tend to be people that like to be around other people.  They feel their most alive and gain energy through social interactions.  Introverts, on the other hand, tend to expend energy through social interactions and expand their energy through moments of solitude or through reflection.  In this dichotomy, we can see that the extrovert would do well in ministries where there are large groups of people (like a teacher or a pastor) or in ministries that would require reaching out to others (like serving the elderly or talking with those that need a friendly face).  The introvert would do well in ministries with smaller groups (like bible studies or helps ministry) or ministries that require intensive thoughtful processing (like technical media ministries).  This is in no way to suggest that an extrovert could not serve in the ministries that I listed for introverts or vice versa.  We all have unique gifts and need to apply them in service to our Lord Jesus Christ.

The second dichotomy (Sensing versus Intuition) describes how we perceive information.
http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/sensing-or-intuition.asp
A person with a sensing personality type may execute better in ministry positions where real data must be used to either inform for decision making or collecting the factual data (such as an administrator or treasurer).  A person with an intuition personality type may perform better in ministries that would require observations to be made about statements or where one must perceive the intent behind a person's actions.

The third dichotomy (Thinking versus Feeling) describes how we make decisions.
http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/thinking-or-feeling.asp
A person with a thinking personality type would operate better in a ministry where logical decisions need to be made (sometimes regardless of other people's opinions).  A person with a feeling personality type would operate better in a ministry where the opinions of others need to be weighed (maybe even heavily weighed) before making a decision.  This is not to say that a feeling personality type could not make a decision which is opposed by others.

The fourth dichotomy (Judging versus Perception) describes how we like to interact with the outside world.
http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/judging-or-perceiving.asp
A person with the judging personality type would operate better in ministries that are task oriented or have a focused and organized ministry.  A person with the perception personality type would operate better in ministries where decisions are left open and they can respond to changing situations and environments.

It is important to note that our personalities can change over time and so should our ministries.  We should always seek to grow and expand rather than stay stagnant.

Oh broken soul, rise up and seek the face of Jesus

I had a vision while singing worship songs in church this morning.  I imagined that I was seeing a version of myself that was down and in despair.  I was viewing that version as if someone was looking at me or in other words, I was seeing in a third person view.

The version I saw was sitting down watching nothing but what was in front of him and just viewing a small world.  In his perspective he could only see a little part of the world and he was focused only on the sewer. He could only see the bits of garbage and trash that were lying on the street.  Obviously, with such a small, limited, view-able area that was focused on nothingness, his mindset was deeply negative.  He could not find the good in the world nor could he be refocused.

I then further imagined that I was walking around him trying to lift up his eyes and get him out of that dark hole.  It was like he had blinded himself from the many different perspectives that were around him.  He just wanted to stay focused on a small window that he felt that he could manage in his own power.

I kept trying to bring him out of that pit by telling him to seek out the face of Jesus.  "Oh broken soul, rise up and seek out His face!  Only there will you find the freedom from despair and only there you will find the joy that you seek."

"Through intimacy with Jesus, you will find happiness and your mindset will be changed into a positive outlook.  Seek out the face of Jesus and you will be lifted from this gutter that you have purposely closed yourself down onto and you will be able to see the goodness that is around you.  Seek out the face of God your Father and do not just seek his hand.  For in His face is peace, mercy and grace.  He has saved your soul and you only need to turn towards Him and accept his perfect gift of sacrifice."

"Jesus died for you!  Do not waste his precious gift by closing yourself off.  Do not hide behind any weaknesses of your introverted personality.  Do not narrow your vision and focus on everything bad that comes your way."

"Oh broken soul, lift up your eyes and seek out His face for your mindset will be changed, your life will be blessed, and your heart will be filled with love from on high.  Open your eyes, expand your vision, and look around you.  God's love surrounds you and you only need to look to find Him.  He will come in many ways and you merely need to seek out His face to recognize the many forms that He will use to visit you.  He loves you so and he wants to see you walk in victory.  So, I say to you, oh broken soul, rise up and restore your intimacy with Him.  Seek out His face and truly live!"

I felt that in this vision, I had two forms that had different desires.  My flesh man, the one born into sin, the one from Adam, was the one that had chosen to sit and do nothing but grumble and complain about life.  He had chosen to close off.  However, my spirit man, the one saved by the precious sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the one born again from sin and death, knew the way to victory and is able to walk around in power that is bestowed upon him by the manifestation of the Holy Spirit.

Unfortunately, this battle between spirit and flesh will continue as long as we live in these earthen bodies.  Feed your flesh and your flesh will rise strong.  But, feed your spirit with the goodness that is in the Holy Trinity, and your spirit will rise to power.  I myself want to have a strong spirit man that is rooted in the power, wisdom, and strength that is God the Father.

Burgers, dogs, and chicken on the BGE

Well, I continue to be amazed by the BGE.  After my previous 13 hour cook of  pulled pork, I closed off the BGE and let the fire die out.  There were still plenty of coals left and I never refilled the BGE during that cook.  Over the weekend, I cooked up some hamburgers and hot dogs with the remaining coals.  Even after that 13 hour cook, I had enough fuel left over to cook these!  Wow!  It is nice to have such an energy efficient charcoal grill.

I also cooked some more chickens over the weekend.  Actually, I didn't do much this time around and merely let them cook on the BGE while I cut the grass and picked up around the house.  Once I locked in the temperature, I never touched the BGE except when I felt like spraying the chickens with a little apple juice for flavor.  I'm just in awe at how little I touched the BGE while doing other chores.

And the smoked chicken was still absolutely delicious...again.

Diving head first into portrait photography

Lately, I've been researching portrait photography in order to figure out the technologies and setups for capturing portraits for our church and their school.  After tons of research, I ended up ordering some strobe monolights from http://www.paulcbuff.com.  With this new equipment, I should be able to setup professional portraits that can be used in this ministry.

Once the equipment arrives, I see lots of configuration and experimentation ahead.

Time to dive into portrait photography!

Power of introverts

I felt like this was a very good TED talk about introverts.   I happen to be one and this video helped me understand a bit more about myself.   I love her statement that compares the difference between extroverts and introverts in social situations.

"Extroverts really crave large amounts of (social) stimulation whereas introverts feel their most alive, most switched on, most capable when they are in quieter, more low key environments."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0KYU2j0TM4

This really helps me understand why socializing with a large number of people is so emotionally draining to me.  I feel that I can engage socially in small groups but I always try to stand near a wall in large social situations.   I wonder if this behavior is a result of my subconscious trying to create the smaller low-key environments that would help me thrive (or even survive) in these situations.

This is such an interesting thought to me.  I imagine our subconscious would try to keep us in an assumed safe operating environment.  It also could mean that my behavior can have a deeper meaning than me just feeling awkward.

Pulled Pork on BGE

I decided to cook a pork shoulder on the BGE last weekend.  As usual, I feel that it came out pretty good but I want to make some tweaks to my method for the next time out.  I purchased a bone in pork shoulder but did not prepare it the night before.  This is one thing I'll change the next time.  I may even try to brine the pork first to see if that will help.  I feel that some parts of the pork came out a little tougher than I would like whereas other parts were more tender and juicy.  I purchased a 5.3 lb shoulder and I was really surprised at how long it was in the BGE before it reached 190°.

I prepared the BGE for a long low cook on Saturday morning at around 7:30 AM.  I quickly prepared the pork shoulder by injecting it with apple juice, water, and pork rub.  I then added the pork rub all over the shoulder.  I didn't let the shoulder rest at all since I felt that the cook would already be rushed.  So, I put the pork shoulder immediately onto the BGE when it stabilized at 225°.  This was at 8:30 AM.

As time ticked by, the temperature of the shoulder was slowly rising until it reached 150°.  That's when it hit the plateau.  It stayed at 150° for several hours.

During this time, the temperature of the BGE was staying stable at 250° but it did creep up to 300° at one point.  Even though I barely have to touch the BGE, I did have to adjust that small spike in temperature to get it to fall back to 250°.  I actually wanted to cook at 225° but I felt that 250° was acceptable.

I also had apple juice and water in a drip pan sitting on top of the plate setter.  This could be the reason why the shoulder was sitting at 150° for hours.  I have read pros and cons online about including water in the drip pan and one con was that the plateau can take longer.  I feel that I just gained first hand experience in this.

After breaching the plateau, the shoulder continued to climb in temperature at a steady rate and it wasn't long after that it hit the targeted temperature of 190°.  In the future, I may try to raise the target temperature to 195° as suggested by some recipes.

Once the temperature reached 190°, I took the shoulder off the BGE and let it rest for about 30 minutes.  I took the shoulder off at 10:30 PM.  I was expecting about an 8 hour cook and it actually lasted 13 hours!  Wow!  I was expecting 1.5 hours to 2 hours per pound and used the lower end of that to calculate out the expected cook time.  Next time, I think I'll use the higher end to calculate the expected cook time so that I'm prepared for a longer cook.

The last step was to pull the pork into sandwich sized pieces.  Since it was so late, we missed out on the dinner window and this was going straight into the fridge for a meal the next day.

Overall, I feel that the cook was a success but this was not as good as my last two meats.  There are some adjustments that need to be made.  One thing though, the BGE was able to easily handle a 13 hour cook at 250° without refueling and I still have charcoal left over!  I am very pleased to see that I can plan > 13 hour cooks in the future!  This gives me hope that I can execute an ~18 hour cook for beef brisket!  I also feel safe enough with the BGE now that I can catch a few hours of sleep during a cook.  This will help me tremendously with having the meat ready for a designated meal.

Adjustments for next time (pork shoulder):
- Prepare shoulder the night before a cook (with rub and injection)
- Possibly brine the pork
- Start cook at night and wait for a stable temp on the BGE.  Catch some Zzzs.
- Plan for longer expected cook times
- No water in drip pan for cooking pork shoulder (Does this extend to beef brisket?)
- Target temp from 190° to 195°?

Today was a MUCH better day (Birthday do-over)

So yeah.  Today was a MUCH better day.  Even though I had to sit through meetings all day, I did not have a squeaky chair.  Not only that but we got an extended lunch break and even stopped 2 hours early today!

Besides that, I got to FLY in a freakin' BIPLANE today.  No kidding!  http://biplaneairtours.com/

I went up and the tour guide flew me around for about 15 minutes.  He gave me the chance to fly the plane and bank left and right.  He also had me climb some but I ended up stalling the plane and he took control again.  I kept hearing him say to keep going...keep going.  In hindsight, I think he wanted to stall the plane.  He then executed some tight turns, steep climbs, and some banking maneuvers.  I had a BLAST!

Then, I ended up going to that seafood place that I wanted to visit yesterday.  This time, I was coming from the opposite direction from the traffic and was able to cross over the bridge very easily.  I was able to sit on the pier with some very good food and watch the water flow downstream.  Very nice indeed!

I have to say, this was a good day.

Oy Vey, What a way to spend a birthday!

I had to attend meetings this week that are scheduled to last all day. Today, they started at 9 AM. We broke for lunch at 12:15 PM and then were back at it around 1:30 PM. We finished up at around 4:45 PM. The whole time I was sitting in a squeaky chair trying not to move at all so as to not disturb the meetings taking place in a small conference room. This resulted in a long day for me and with all that sitting still, my rear end was hurting. That's not a very fun way to spend my birthday.

On top of that, I decided I would try to go to a seafood restaurant that I've enjoyed on a previous visit. But, to get there, I have to travel over a bridge. I'll know next time not to try to cross this bridge at 6 PM on a work day. And, I'll know next time not to try to cross this bridge at 7 PM on a work day.

I got stuck in traffic at 6 PM and waited for about 30 minutes. After I noticed that the cars were moving at a snail's pace, I decided that the restaurant was not worth it and decided to make a left turn. I turned left and traveled down this road until I came to a small historic town center. I thought "Hey, What the heck. I'll check this place out. Maybe it has a good restaurant." Nope!

I walked into two restaurants but neither appealed to my tastes this day. The first was a pub and I thought it seemed like a good spot since the parking lot was packed. But, when I walked inside, I noticed there was a party in the restaurant. So, this couldn't be an indicator of how good their food was.  However, nothing on the menu struck me as something I would want to eat today. So, I walked out. Then, I walked around the small town square and found another seemingly cozy spot. But, I had my mind set on eating over the water on a pier. Thus, I got back in my car and decided to try to cross that bridge once more.

I arrived back to the bridge at 7 PM...surely enough time for the work day traffic to clear out. Nope! Oh well, I guess this just isn't my day to eat there. I ended up eating at Applebee's and getting Dunkin Donuts afterwards. Maybe donuts will save the day!

In all honesty, I am truly a blessed individual. I am content in my life and only want to follow after Jesus. Even with a day like this, I realize just how precious it is to be living a life knowing Him.

BGE, Pork Ribs, 3-2-1...excellent!

Today I made some excellent BBQ pork ribs with the Big Green Egg. My last BBQ blog post indicated I would attempt pulled pork next but my family talked me into making ribs.

I am so impressed with the BGE and how it can keep a steady temperature for hours on end without adjustments.  I have to say that this cooking device is making a huge difference in the way my BBQ comes out.

I also learned a new technique for cooking pork ribs.  It is called the 3-2-1 method.  Basically, you get the BGE up to 225ºF and then cook the ribs uncovered meat side up for 3 hours.  Then, you take the ribs off, cover them in foil, and cook meat side down for 2 hours.  Last, you uncover the ribs again and cook meat side up for 1 hour.  This method was very easy and produced tender and flavorful ribs.  Next time, I'll need to follow a 3-1-1 method though because some of the ribs were falling off the bone and the BBQ experts consider this to be overdone.

To prep the ribs, first I removed the membrane off the bone side.  If you don't do this, the ribs won't shrink off the bone like they're supposed to do.  Next, I smeared yellow mustard on them so that the dry rub would stick to the ribs.  I covered each side of the ribs in McCormick Grill Mates Pork Rub and put them in the refrigerator overnight to let the spices penetrate the meat.

Ribs smeared and rubbed

I then prepared the BGE by adding lump charcoal, pecan wood, apple wood, and getting it up to temperature.  I set up the BGE for indirect heating with the plate setter and added a water drip pan on top.  I found out that the pork slabs were a little big to fit on the BGE cooking grate nicely so I used a rib rack to stand them upright.  Now, it was time to just sit back and wait for 3 hours.

Ribs on BGE ready to cook

After the 3 hours had elapsed, I popped open the BGE and took out the ribs to wrap in foil.

Ribs on BGE after 3 hours of cook

In the foil, I put down a sprinkling of brown sugar, molasses, butter, and apple juice.  I put the meat side of the ribs right onto the mixture, wrapped them up, and put them back on the BGE with the meat side facing down.  This essentially steams the ribs and makes them more tender.  After the 2 hours had elapsed, I unwrapped them from the foil and put them back on the grill meat side up.

Last part of 3-2-1 method with sauce applied

I noticed some of the bones were falling out so I didn't let it go the whole hour for the last part of the 3-2-1 method.  I mopped Dreamland BBQ sauce on them and let the stay on the BGE for about 15 minutes.  After that, I took them off and let them rest a while before cutting them up and serving them.

Only a few ribs remain from our feeding session!

I don't know if the 3-2-1 method of cooking ribs would win any serious BBQ competitions but I am now an avid fan of this method.  I'll certainly use a version of this again in the future.

Circus parade, let's march in a parade

This last Sunday, I decided to stay home from church because my daughter was feeling a little under the weather.  My wife and I both thought that it would be best to keep our daughter home but we also struggled with the decision since our church was starting a new sermon series called Momentum.  We left the decision up to our daughter and she decided to stay home with me.

Since she was sick, I was trying to think of something fun to do that she and I both would enjoy.  I certainly didn't have the will power to play dollhouse that day and she is a little young to play board games.  Then, I had a good idea that I thought we would both enjoy.  Why don't we dress up like clowns and have a circus parade!  After all, I feel that I can play dress up if I can be a clown instead of a princess!

So, we proceeded to put decorative makeup on our faces with help from my wife's makeup box.  I put some white base on my daughter's face and used a black makeup pencil to draw out some designs on her cheeks and nose.  She used the black makeup pencil to draw some designs on my face as well.  Now, we were ready for our parade.

We lined up all of her stuffed animals and started marching around the living room while singing "Circus parade! Let's march in a parade!"  We both fully enjoyed this new game.

After my wife returned home from church, she was surprised to see that we both had makeup on our faces and we were marching around as clowns.  I can imagine she was surprised for several reasons but she also thought it was very cute to see her daughter having fun dressed up as a clown.  It was only later that we discovered that there was a spiritual significance to this event.

As it turns out, the pastor of our church had the congregation march around the sanctuary that day as a spiritual sign that we were to move forward with momentum.  My wife was lifting me up and saying to God how much she wished that I would have been there.  God told her at the time that I was with her spiritually and she trusted that this was the case.

So, she was marching around the church at the same time I was marching around at home.  I find it so interesting that God would have had us both marching at the same time.  My wife told me that when she saw us marching at home, God told her "See.  I told you so." in reference to me marching with her spiritually.  He also told her "Who do you think gave him the idea?"  I think it is so wonderful when God orchestrates these kind of events in our lives.

Smoked BBQ Chicken on BGE

I ended up purchasing a large Big Green Egg two weeks ago and was finally able to use it last weekend for the first time.  It took me a weekend just to assemble the grill and I had to go out and buy a torque wrench to finish the job.  Those were the most detailed instructions I have seen from a consumer product!

Since I am supposed to cook at lower temperatures for the first few cooks on the BGE to let the adhesives cure, I decided to try smoked BBQ chicken.  Chicken is one of the easier meats to smoke and I thought it would be a good starting point for the new grill.  I have smoked pulled pork, pork ribs, beef brisket, and chicken in the past with my offset smoker so the process is not new to me.

I started by soaking the chickens in a brine overnight so that they would retain moisture during the cook.  The brine that I used was 1 gallon of water, 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 cup of salt, and a little bit of the McCormick Grill Mates Chicken Rub.  I submerged the chickens in this solution and placed it in the refrigerator for the night.

I started the fire in the morning and I was pleasantly surprised by how the BGE was able to come up to temperature quickly.  I added some pecan wood to the fire and watched as it smoked.  I checked the gasket to see if there was a good seal and there was no smoke escaping anywhere around it.  This made me feel real good to know that I assembled the BGE the right way.  I followed the dollar bill test and that helped me get the gasket touching all the way around.  I was very happy to see that no smoke was leaking!

While the BGE was getting to the cooking temperature, I took the chickens out of the brine, washed them off with water, dried off the excess water, added rub all the way around, and placed them on upright chicken stands for the grill.  Now, I was ready to add them to the BGE.  I added a drip pan to the grill which contained water, apple juice, an onion, and some celery.

From previous experiences with my offset smoker, I was expecting to have to monitor the temperature of the grill and make constant adjustments.  That was certainly not the case with the BGE.  I think I adjusted the damper once or twice during the cook but that had more to do with me being obsessive about it rather than actually needing to adjust it.  I was also expecting the cook would take about 6 hours to complete.  With my offset smoker, I would usually have to take the chickens off and finish cooking them in the oven.  I did not have to do this with the BGE.  It only took 3 ½ hours at 300ºF.

I occasionally spritzed the chickens with apple juice during the cook.  I took them off the grill when the thigh meat reached 170ºF.  I also took them off the upright cookers and let them rest for 30 minutes before cutting them up.  This rest period is so that the juices will not run out when you start cutting up the birds.

This chicken was very moist and delicious.  It was the best chicken I have ever cooked on the grill.  And, we also had extra for making chicken pot pie.

I am very pleased with the large BGE.  I cut off the air flow after the cook and noticed that only half of the charcoal was burnt.  I can reuse the remaining charcoal in the fire box for my next cook.  I would usually go through about ¾ of a bag of charcoal with my offset smoker and I couldn't save any of the charcoal that remained in the fire box after the meat was done.

So, not only is the BGE a great grill for cooking, it is also more efficient with fuel usage.  I'm now wondering why it took me so long to buy one of these grills.

Next up:  Pulled Pork

Dishwasher repair

We started having problems with our dishwasher last week.  My wife noticed that the dishes were still wet even after the drying cycle was complete.  Most of the dishes seemed to be clean but we had to use a towel to dry off all of the water before putting the dishes away.

I started researching this problem and it seems that there can be several reasons why this can happen.  It can be a bad heating element, a bad thermostat, a bad motor for the steam vent, or a problem with the drainage system.  After looking into this, I suspected that it was a bad heating element.

To check this, I was going to get out my multimeter and run a continuity test on the heating element.  The problem was that I would have to disconnect the dishwasher and lay it down to gain access to the heating element connectors.  With this dishwasher, it takes a while for me to disconnect it since there is very little space to work in underneath.  So, I decided to visually inspect the heating element thoroughly first.

As it turns out, I was able to see right away that there was an issue with the heating element.  In these pictures, you can see the element had a burnt spot that didn't look like the rest of the metal.

I'm not sure how this happened.  It could have been when we had a plastic cooking utensil melt during a washing cycle after it fell from the rack onto the heating element.

Seeing this issue made me feel confident enough to order a replacement even without a continuity test first.  The new element arrived yesterday since I paid extra for priority shipping.  To get my money's worth out of the extra shipping cost, I went ahead and installed the new heating element on the same day.

Here's an image of the new element with the bad element removed.  The new heating element still has the sticker and packaging material.

With the bad heating removed, I was able to run a test on it to confirm that it was bad.  In the following picture, the needle on the multimeter should be close to 0 (the right side of the multimeter) to indicate a good test.  As you can see, the needle is on the left side of the multimeter which proves that there was a problem with the old heating element.

Even as I was handling the old heating element, I noticed that the metal was broken at the spot pictured above and it took only minimal force to split the element into two.  So, I guess I didn't really need to run a continuity test but it was just for good measure.

Cost of the repair: $17.95 (plus shipping)

Cost of a new dishwasher of equal value: approx $500

Father's day gift from my church

There are several reasons why I love my new church family.  However, they stole my heart in a new way this Sunday when they gave the fathers in attendance a bottle of hot sauce for a Father's day gift from the church.  Not only that, but the sauce that they gave actually has a bit of a kick to it.  Yum!

I'm glad I found a new church home that knows how to cater to this ChiliHead in their congregation. LOL!

Choosing a Bible translation

I've been researching English Bible translations because I was looking to purchase another translation.  I wanted to have a second translation to compliment the NIV which is the translation that I have at home.

During this process, I found out that merely going to the store and buying a version is not all there is to it.  There are various considerations that I never knew about: equivalence approach (i.e. word-for-word vs. phrase-for-phrase), lineage used for translation (i.e. previous translations vs Greek manuscripts), Greek transcripts used, gender-neutral language vs. masculine pronouns, and number of translators.

Out of this research, I've selected the NASB, ESV, HCSB, and NET for my final considerations.  The NASB is supposed to be the most literal translation of those options but may have readability issues.  The ESV and HCSB are less literal than the NASB but follow more closely to the word-for-word approach than the NIV.  The NET includes tons of translator notes with alternative translations which would seem to be a great study tool.

Here's the comparison chart that I've been using that shows where each translation appears on a line graph.

http://www.notjustanotherbook.com/biblecomparison.htm

Based on this research, I've come to believe that there is no single answer.  I'm of the impression that using multiple translations is the right approach.

Update:  I ended up selecting the ESV translation.  I found a version from Crossway that formats the scriptures in a single column which should greatly help readability.  It also includes a verse-by-verse line layout that provides for a quicker reference of scripture numbers.
http://www.crossway.org/bibles/esv-verse-by-verse-reference-bible-none-tru/

I plan to use this as my reading Bible and use other translations to help when I need to study certain scriptures in depth.  For that, I'll probably use online resources to reference the NASB and NET translations.

Planning to buy a BGE

I've been using an offset smoker for a while now but I've had some gripes about it.  I bought it at Walmart and had to modify the design of it even during the first week of ownership.  The smoke was leaking from the fire box and it was difficult to lock-in the temperature.  I've had this offset smoker for several years but I believe it is finally time to upgrade to a Big Green Egg.

I've been researching ceramic grills ever since I bought that offset smoker.  I used to subscribe to a pepper and BBQ magazine which would have advertisements for the Primo brand.  It seems that both Primo and Big Green Egg have a loyal following but I think there may be slightly higher following for the egg which means there are more resources online.  I think the biggest difference is just the shape.  The Primo brand is oval which should provide greater flexibility.  However, I really only envision cooking either direct or indirect during a single session so I won't need an oval design to allow for both at the same time.

Soon enough, I'll not only be a ChileHead but also an EggHead.

Ran into some poison ivy

I ran into some poison ivy in my backyard the other day. I was pulling overgrown vines that were mostly Honeysuckle but I found out later that I was also brushing up against poison ivy.  I decided to take a few pictures of it to teach my kids what it looks like so they'll know to stay way.

Here's a mature leaflet cluster.

Here's another leaflet cluster that shows some leaves with jagged edges.

I used to think this was poison ivy but it is actually another plant called Virginia Creeper.

Through this experience and research into poison ivy, I found that they have a memorable saying that is helpful in recognizing the dangerous plants.  "Leaflets three; let it be"

Contentment versus new desires

Definition of CONTENTED
: feeling or showing satisfaction with one's possessions, status, or situation
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contented

I had a feeling today while driving to work that made me realize that at that moment, I was content with my life.  I realized that I didn't need (or want) to purchase anything new and I was happy with everything that I owned.  I love when I have this feeling.

On the flip side, I know that I'm going to desire new possessions and experiences.  I know I'll want to travel, purchase new geeky toys, and will want to eventually trade in my pickup truck for a newer, slightly used vehicle (like a Tesla Model S or an Audi A5).  So, I guess I realized that there must be a balancing point to achieve.

However, maybe I'll strive to remind myself of all of the blessings in my life that our Heavenly Father has provided and keep that feeling of contentment in tact most of the time.  Because, I would rather live my life with in a contented state rather than constantly chasing new pleasures of this world.  After all, why should we continually strive to gain if it does not lead to fulfillment in life?

---

"I keep on buying new things that I can't really use
If it gets you annoyed - then what is the point
...
'Cause when you got it good, you just don't know when to stop
Don't worry 'bout the earnings if it stops you from living "
- lyrics from "Simple Life" by Casey Abrams

Simple Life

I was listening to a song by Casey Abrams this week and found myself being ministered to by it.  The song is called Simple Life.  The lyrics include a message on how the technology around us can break down and be a source of frustration.  He sings about returning to a simple life.

Simple Life

I'm not dealing with technology and equipment breakdowns but I do feel like I need to return to a simple life.  God created us for a purpose and that is to love and praise Him.  Sometimes I get caught up in the things of this world and forget that I just need to walk my daily path in praise and worship to Jesus.

Lately, I have been striving to change certain situations that I face on a daily basis and have tried to take it upon myself to make things happen.  This song reminds me that I really just need to put my trust in Jesus and follow after him.  When we do that, everything else is added unto us.

 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

But [continually] seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."   Matthew 6:25-33 (NASB)

Adventures in new ministries

Our family recently decided to transition to become members of a new church.  We didn't come to this decision lightly and earnestly sought out the voice of God to confirm our decision.  My wife and I both felt that this transition would help us to grow and learn in the kingdom of God but we had no idea what types of doors would be opened for us in a new ministry.

We decided to meet with the pastors of the church to introduce ourselves to them so that they could become familiar with who we are.  During the meeting, the pastors asked us where we felt that we could help out in the church.  Obviously, they are not wanting a family to come into the church without serving in some manner but at the time, neither me or my wife intended to jump into a new ministry so quickly.  After all, we had a new member of the family that needed our attention.  However, we briefly discussed with them some possible areas for us to help out in the church and that's when I mentioned we could possibly help in visual arts (like photography or videography).

A couple weeks after that meeting, we were asked about setting up a photo booth for an Easter community outreach.  I was a little hesitant at first since we are by no means expert photographers but we decided to give it a try to help out.  Even though the weather didn't cooperate, the results of the photo booth were a success.  The church was very pleased with the pictures that were taken.  My wife did all of the work on the pictures so I can't take credit for that aspect.  I helped out in the administrative position by meeting the families, documenting their information, and keeping track of the order of arrival for matching faces to names during the editing process.  I can say that we work well as a team in this environment.

A few more weeks later and the members of the church are starting to ask my wife for more pictures.  There have been families seeking her out for shooting family portraits.  There have been requests for artistic and candid pictures of other church ministries for use in the church's magazine that is distributed to the community.  There have even been discussions with the school administrator for taking the spring school pictures.  I try to help her in terms of the technical aspects of photography when I can.

So, it seems that there has been a new ministry dropped onto our laps.  We are glad to serve in this capacity.  This ministry caters to our desire to be creative and will also help further our skills in visual arts.

"We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us." - Romans 12:6 (NIV)

"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ." - 1 Peter 4:10-11 (NIV)

...and to whoever photographs, as one who captures visions of God's kingdom for His purposes.

HDR photography with Nikon D80

I recently have taken on a project to convert old color photo slides into a digital format.  I started this project by using a flatbed scanner with a film attachment that came with it.  I quickly realized that this approach would take a very long time to execute and the results were not that great.

I then had the idea of using a slide projector to project the image onto my fixed projector screen and then take digital photos of the projected image with my Nikon D80 DSLR camera.  Not thinking it through, I took a shot of the projected image while my camera was in auto mode.  The results were not acceptable.

You can see in this image that the background color and brightness came out good but the facial features were under exposed.  Also, the sky on the project image was much more of a blue than the resulting digital image.

(ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/125 sec., 50mm lens)

So, I decided to switch my camera into full manual mode to figure out the correct exposure settings to use for capturing the facial features.  I was able to lock in on some settings that fixed the exposure for capturing the details of the facial features but now the background was over exposed and did not look anywhere close to the original slide.  Arg!

You can see the over exposed backgrounds in this image.

(ISO 100, f/1.8, 1/15 sec., 50mm lens)

Thus, I knew I had to take an under exposed shot to capture the background and also take an over exposed shot to capture the details of the face.

That's when I thought of using the high-dynamic-range (HDR) technique for capturing a vivid portrayal of the family slide based photographs.  I proceeded to take several shots with the D80 in manual mode but this turned out to be an inefficient method.  After each shot, I would move the wheel on the camera to adjust the exposure settings and then take the next shot.   Each time I touched the camera, I not only risked messing up the framing but I also struggled to see the settings in low light conditions.  Also, the less I touch the camera to adjust, the faster this project will be completed.   I mean we are talking about converting hundreds of slides into digital format.  So, I knew I needed a better solution.

Then, I discovered that the Nikon D80 has a bracketing mode which can be used to automatically adjust the exposure setting and take three pictures without me needing to readjust the camera settings.  That means, when I use the D80 with the IR remote fire controller, I don't have to touch the camera at all while taking the sampling of exposures necessary to use the HDR photo merging technique.

You can see the HDR image has a much better range and proper exposure for the background and facial features as compared to the original projected image.

 

(HDR merged images from D80 2.0EV exposed bracketing)

This tutorial helped me set the camera up for bracketing.
http://blog.julienviet.com/2009/01/06/nikon-d80-hdr-bracketing-tutorial/

I just love learning new ways to solve a problem with technology.

Stock Market Game

Lately, I've been thinking about investing in the stock market as an additional savings option.  However, I don't really know what I'm doing yet and thus have been hesitant about jumping in feet first.

After researching setting up a brokerage account, I found out that there is a free virtual stock exchange game available from MarketWatch which allows you to buy and sell publicly traded stocks with play money.  The game even follows the stock market to track your gains and losses.

I created a password protected private game for myself so that I could learn about investing before I use real money.  On my first day, I bought 30 shares for GameStop (GME) and 25 shares for Titan Machinery (TITN).  I chose these because I was seeking small value stocks to see how they would fare.  At the close of the first day, my overall gains metric ended up losing $33.31.  I'm sure glad this is just virtual money.  I configured the game to last 2 weeks so it will be fun seeing what happens at the end.

The neat thing about this game is that it uses real stock symbols and market fluctuations.  I am so impressed that I can simulate real transactions that I would be choosing with a brokerage account.  I'll try my hand on the stock market with virtual money for now.

If anyone wants to join, let me know and we can play against each other.  We can also set up an advanced game.  But first, I need to figure out the normal level.

http://www.marketwatch.com/game/

Update: The game is finished now and I ended up losing $82.62.  At one point, my loses were approaching $150 due to a sharp market sell off of TITN based upon less than expected net returns for the company.  The GME stock actually performed very well in the last two days and this is what kept my virtual loses down.  I ended up learning through this process.  Here are some of the lessons that I believe apply to my personal style of investment.

• I don't want to get caught up in trying to ride short term gains and instead I should look to longer term investments with maybe even focusing on dividend stocks.  I read that if you pick the right dividend stock, the company actually can use the required dividend payout as a goal to hit for the shareholders which drives motivation for company growth.
• I also came to understand the draw to penny stocks but came to realize that those stocks are the most likely to have the highest risk associated which could mean further loses.  But you can do well with penny stocks if your goal is to ride market games and trade actively.
• I found out that there are funds available that will try to chase a market index to equal its performance.  This seems like a good option as long as the fees are relatively small.  The Russell 1000 based funds seem like a good choice but I need to research these further.
• I read up on stock market strategies that include concepts such as trending value and fundamental index.  I need to research these strategies further to see if they would be a good fit for me but the fundamental index strategy seems like a good one.

At this point, I think GME would be a good stock to own but I wonder how this company will fare once the game consoles go to an online only format for gaming.  I'd be cautious about owning GME stock for long term investments.  I believe games will be going to cloud based storage which would adversely affect the profit capabilities of the GME stores.

Now, I think I'm going to start another game which focuses on additional dividend stocks to see what happens.  This time, I'll extend the game period to several months.

Eagle Shirtmakers Dress Shirts

I've always had difficulty when it comes to buying dress shirts.  I never trusted buying shirts with the neck and arm measurements and instead would try to buy shirts (such as Dockers or Columbia brand) which came in the S, M, L, XL sizing.  However, I have reversed that trend and have now finally figured out how to buy a dress shirt for myself.

Over the last Christmas holiday break, I decided that I needed to find some new dress shirts that I could wear to my job which would also work with my suits.  I read a few articles on how to pick out dress shirts and I didn't realize that there are several factors that one needs to consider when buying a dress shirt.  Those factors include the material, the collar type, the cuff type, and shirt construction.  I found this article to be very helpful.

With this new knowledge, I went through my closet and cleaned out tons of dress shirts that didn't fit right due to either being too small in the neck to fit comfortably with a tie or shirts that were too short for my arm length.  I figured that throwing away these shirts would require me to go buy dress shirts that fit right.  I  decided to take my own measurements (with a standard metal measuring tape no less) and found out that I need a 17 34/35 shirt size.  This made me feel more confident then ever going shopping for dress shirts.

So, now I knew that I was looking for any reasonably priced shirt that was an oxford or twill woven shirt with a spread collar and barrel cuffs.  I had researched Stafford shirts and found that they were reasonably priced with good reviews.  Thus, JCPenny was my first stop on my shopping trip.

When I arrived, I found out that the selection was overwhelming.  I couldn't find any Stafford shirts with a spread collar that were in my size.  So, I decided to buy a few oxford style Stafford shirts with a button down collar instead.  These shirts work but it was not exactly what I was looking for in the store.  So, I headed to another store.

The next store to visit was Belk.  They were having an after Christmas sale on men's dress shirts and had several selections displayed in the front of the men's section.  One of those displays were for Eagle Shirtmakers shirts.  These dress shirts had all of the ingredients that I wanted.  They had a spread collar, barrel cuffs, twill, and offered several muted colors.  However, their price range was a little bit much for my liking.  They were priced at around $40 for one shirt although they are marketed in the $70 range.  I typically don't like to spend more than $20 for a shirt of any kind.  Even so, I was feeling a little desperate since I threw away most of my dress shirts at home.  I decided to take a chance on these shirts.  I am SO glad that I did!

Eagle Shirtmakers shirts have become my new favorite shirt.  They fit nice and feel good when I wear them.  I'm very impressed with them and will continue to buy these shirts when I can afford it.  I did find that Stein Mart sells them but they price them the same as when I found them on sale at Belk.  They do mark them down a bit after some time so I'll just keep checking in periodically to see if I can get any good deals there.

In conclusion, if anyone wants to buy me a dress shirt, now you know what I like. ;)

I love my insane chicken salad

YES! It's Friday! That means I get to have my insane chicken salad from Zaxby's. They have one of the best takeout salads. I'm a regular customer for them at 11 AM every Friday. I've worked it out in my family's budget that I get to have this treat each week.

For those that don't know, the insane chicken salad is the house salad from Zaxby's with a chili head kick. I discovered one day that they will make modifications to the salad upon request. So, I order the house salad with buffalo chicken dipped in their insane sauce. The insane sauce is the hottest sauce that is available. I absolutely love it! I always get excited when I smell the intense flavor when it comes through my window

I remember I discovered this on my way back from southern GA when we stopped in Atlanta for lunch. I ordered a regular house salad and 5 insane level chicken wings. The cashier then asked me if I would like the salad to have insane sauce on it as well. I said, "YES! I didn't know you could do that!" That's the day I fell in love with this salad. Thank you ma'am for asking that question!

One time when I ordered it, a worker brought it out to my table and said "Sir, I don't know how you can eat this!" That made me laugh.

I had something similar happen at Baumhower's restaurant when I ordered their hottest wings. I ordered wings with the Bring Da' Pain sauce and the waiter asked "Do you like to taste your food?" Why yes. Yes I do. I just like for my food to be intense.

In closing, I highly recommend the Zaxby's house salad.  In particular, those that are willing and ABLE, try it with the insane chicken.  But, I caution you.  The insane sauce should only be consumed by professional chili heads.

Choosing not to be a sluggard

My favorite book of the Bible has to be the book of Proverbs.  I just love the little nuggets of wisdom that can be gleaned just by reading a few verses.  Well, I was reading through chapter 10 today and one verse just jumped out at me.

"As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,

    so are sluggards to those who send them."

- Proverbs 10:26 (NIV)

This verse spoke to me because I had been slacking off on a few of my tasks lately.  I just kept thinking of this verse over and over.  As I continued to think about this, I realized that I did not want to cause any of my superiors to have any sour taste in their mouths from my doing.  So, I prayed that God would help me to excel in all my tasks so that my superiors would have the taste of milk and honey instead.  I want my efforts to shine with excellence from my hands.  I hope that I can continue to work every effort in the right spirit but I know there will be times when I need to remind myself of this verse.

One other thing.  I have been described as a person who likes extreme flavors in food.  I have also been described as a person who has burned off all of my taste buds.  One reason for these comments is that I am a person who thoroughly enjoys a good hot sauce.  Most of the hot sauces that I eat contain vinegar as the primary ingredient.  So, I was thinking.  Did Solomon just not like hot sauce?  I actually love the taste of vinegar when mixed with peppers.  I also enjoy balsamic vinegar on my salads.  Vinegar is a good thing!

But, even though some of us like using vinegar in our foods, that does not change the meaning of this verse.  I can only imagine how vinegar was viewed in those days.  Maybe I'll just remember the second part of that because I absolutely hate having smoke in my eyes.  It dries out my contacts and makes my eyes burn.  Yes, that would be a better description for this chili head to use.

Fun on a kiddie coaster

I got to be a kid today.  I took my daughter to a local amusement park and she really wanted to ride the roller coaster.  However, since she didn't meet the height requirement, that meant I had to ride with her.  Oh sure, that's my excuse.  It's not like I didn't want to ride it.  After all, this is the same roller coaster that I fell in love with as a boy growing up.  For all those that worry, this is a very tame coaster that is much more jerky than exciting.  But, my daughter thoroughly enjoyed going up high and seeing her mother watching her from below.  Since I'm much bigger than my daughter, I had to hold onto her real tight due to the jerky ride and my larger legs blocking the lap bar from restraining her smaller body frame.  No worries though because I could hold onto her and sort of absorb the shocks for her as we took the only two turns on the coaster.  I will say that I had fun but my daughter was extremely excited and wanted to ride this over and over.  I would even lift her slightly out of her seat a little more as we went over the negative-g hill that naturally adds to the excitement of the ride.  I was so glad that I was able to share one of my childhood thrills with my daughter.  I believe she'll be my ride partner for thrill rides when she grows a little older.  Maybe when she grows a little older, we can take her to Six Flags to ride the Superman coaster.  That should be tons of fun as long as I can withstand the thrills when I grow a little older.  Ha. Time will tell.

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