Listening to the Word of Promise Bible

For the longest time, I have wanted to read through the Bible from the front page to the back page.  I was making very good progress when I took my Bible every week with me to my daughter's dance class practice where I had to wait in the lobby for her.  That was an excellent time for reading and I would always be able to stay awake with the constant noise around me.  Once I stopped taking her to dance class, I lost that time for reading and sadly have not found another good time or location.  With me, reading in a quiet place seems to always put me to sleep and as such I don't usually get the value out of the reading time

I found an alternative solution that may be better for me.  I recently upgraded to a smart phone and found that there are several audio Bibles available through Audible.  In fact, I found one that has been produced with a dramatization which even includes a background sound track.  So, I decided to purchase this one (The Word Of Promise) and listen to it on the way to work.  Maybe this will be a great way for me to actually complete the entire Bible.  I hope it will be something I will listen to multiple times all the way through.

http://www.thewordofpromise.com/

I still want to finish actually reading the Bible but I know how long that will take given my lack of desire for reading.

TAKE THE LEAD

There have been several instances where I would have a flood of ideas come to me during a church worship service.  These ideas have included thoughts about reaching out to the homeless, thoughts about cover and article ideas for a magazine published by the church, photography and even videography ideas.  So, I know that I’ve had these types of ideas on my mind for a long time (even years).  I remember when I first met with the church pastors accompanied by my wife.  They were trying to gauge our areas of interests to get to know us and I’m sure to find out what areas of ministry we would fit in with my church.  During that meeting, my wife and I mentioned photography as a ministry and that has definitely come to pass as we have stepped into that ministry by joining the magazine group to provide them with pictures to use for each published edition.  During the same meeting, I specifically mentioned videography as another potential ministry.

Now, I am the type of person that will typically have an idea and then think about the largeness of the idea by breaking it down into all the small details that have to be done in order to make a project come together.  If the idea is a large or complicated one, I usually get overwhelmed by everything that would need to be done and then would completely drop the idea since it is too big for me to complete.  I either start becoming anxious about the implementation and drop it for stress reasons (even laziness) or I realize that I don’t have the time available to pull it off.  Then, I never pick up the idea again and move on to the next project.

This past Sunday (October 18^th), my wife and I attended the marriage class that we’ve been part of for Sunday school.  This week’s message was about having goals (small, mid-term, and long-term) for our marriage.  As I thought about it, I realized that we didn’t have any stated goals for our marriage and wondered what they would be.  During the class, we watched a video from the series “The Story of Marriage” by John and Lisa Bevere.  There was nothing in the message itself that really stood out to me but I remember just having casual thoughts about their video production techniques (to include lighting and camera angles).  At the end, I noticed the list of cast with their stated roles scrolling through in white text just like any other video production that includes credits.  It really struck me at this time that if any of the ideas that I’ve had about videography were going to come together, I would need a cast of people just like this list of credits.  I really don’t know why I hadn’t thought about this much before but I started to realize that there is a talent pool of people at the church that would excel in these roles.  We have an elementary school principle that knows about theatrics, we have worship leaders that can provide musical arrangements, we have story tellers and script writers that are even working with the magazine, we have technically gifted individuals that have knowledge about camera operations, and we even have former actors that have their own acting school!  The heaviness of this idea just stood out to me and it was like I was seeing a puzzle come together.  I knew at that point that I had to talk with my wife to get her help and opinions on it.  But, we continued with the marriage class and then proceeded to the church service.

During the church worship service, I continued to think about the concept of putting together a “film group” that would be able to put together videos for ministry purposes.  I really started thinking about the roles and realized that we had a deep talent pool even with the church's Christian school.  I thought about ideas for developing a children’s video ministry with the theatrics of our elementary principle.  I thought about our members with previous acting experience taking the role of coaching people in our video projects on acting techniques or even serving as a film director.  As I was thinking about all of this, I knew it was completely outside of my own capabilities.  So, I laughed and said to God, “Ok God, but you’re going to have to show me how.”

After service, I was in the children’s room waiting for my daughters to be ready to leave.  I was holding the material that they gave out in the children’s service that day and was sitting down.  I remember just briefly turning over the papers and the back of the handout said in bold white letters on a red background “TAKE THE LEAD”.  This just completely struck me and I thought it might be a word from God showing me what my role would be in this.  I kept this to myself at the time knowing I would share it with my wife when we had time to discuss it.

As we were going home from church, I informed my wife that I had something that I needed to talk with her about and she informed me that she also had something from the worship service.  Apparently, God had also given her a vision in a new ministry direction.  I thought “Wow! She must have the same ideas that I had.”  So, we waited until our daughters were in their nap time.

When we met to discuss, we were both excited that we had something to discuss concerning a potential new ministry.  My wife insisted that I tell my story first even though I really wanted to have her say her side first to see if it lined up with mine.  I proceeded to tell her what I saw from the credits and the talent pool at the church.  She listened to me until I was finished and I asked her about her vision.  She said that she was given an idea about an overall publications and communications ministry.  Her ideas were not limited to just a “film group” but that it would cover all media types.  We agreed that God might have been speaking to us about our specific parts in the ministry but that they were very similar in nature.  As we were discussing this, I remembered that a friend from our previous church would say the phrase “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”  I took this as comfort and knew that my first bite would be to discuss this with the church pastor to hopefully get further guidance and direction.  I scheduled a meeting with him in hopes to fulfill the call to “TAKE THE LEAD.”

Beef Brisket on the BGE

I have cooked some beef brisket before on my old offset smoker but I had never tried it on the BGE.  It is such an expensive piece of meat and it is also more difficult to cook right that I don't cook brisket that often.  I remember on my offset smoker that the brisket came out a little tough to chew and just wasn't right.  Since everything else has been so easy to cook on the BGE, I decided to have another go at the brisket but this time on the BGE.  I ended up buying a 6.21 lb brisket flat $50 ($7.99/lb).

I decided to follow this recipe for cooking a brisket flat. http://www.biggreenegg.com/features/brisket-flat/

Since the recipe calls for flipping the brisket over after the first 4 hours, I started early in the morning and set up the egg for indirect cooking with the plate setter legs up and a drip pan on top.  While the BGE was heating up, I trimmed the fat off the lean side but left the fat cap fully in tact with no trimming.  I then seasoned both sides of the brisket with McCormick's Cowboy Rub.

Brisket rubbed and ready

Stable at 250 degrees with pecan wood and brisket fat side down

The BGE got up to the cooking temperature (250 degrees) at around 7:30 AM.  I then put the brisket on the egg at around 7:45 AM and placed the fat side down.  I closed the lid on the egg and then had some breakfast and coffee.

Brisket after 4 hours cooking at 250 degrees

At around 11:45 AM, I opened the lid to the BGE and flipped the brisket over so that the fat side was now facing up.  I closed the lid again and cooked at 250 degrees for another 2 hours.

Brisket in heavy duty foil with coffee poured into bottom

At around 1:45 PM, I brewed some coffee for the next step in the brisket cooking process.  I chose to use Starbucks Pike's Peak whole bean coffee and ground it up from the freshly opened bag.  I set the brisket fat side down on a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil and poured 1 cup of coffee into the bottom of the foil.  As I was closing up the foil to make an enclosed package containing the coffee and brisket, I spilled some of the coffee onto the deck.  So, I poured about another 1/2 cup of coffee onto the foil and carefully wrapped up the brisket.  I placed the foil packet onto the egg and cooked the brisket for another 2 hours at 250 degrees.

Brisket is already measuring 183 degrees

Also during this stage, I put a meat thermometer into the brisket so I could measure the internal temperature.  I was surprised to see that the brisket was already at 183 degrees and started to get a little nervous since I didn't want to overcook this $50 piece of meat and I still had 2 more hours of cooking time per the recipe.  I researched brisket doneness and tenderness and found out that each brisket seems to be different in terms of final temperature.  The better test is the "tenderness test" which is where you stick a fork in the brisket and give a slight twist.  You start testing for tenderness after the temperature reaches 185 degrees. If the fork slides into the meat with the same consistency of hot butter and the meat pulls away during the twist, the brisket is done.  Since this is not an accurate measurement, it will take me a few times to really know the right feel.

I let the brisket continue to cook for another 2 hours and kept checking the tenderness.  The internal temperature reached 200 degrees but I didn't think the brisket had passed the tenderness test yet so I let it cook longer still wrapped up in the foil.  When I finally decided it passed the tenderness test, the brisket temperature was reading 209 degrees.  I took the brisket off the egg and then let it rest for 30 minutes still in the foil.

Brisket ready to slice against the grain

One trick that I used before cooking was to make a small cut against the grain so that I would know which way to slice the brisket once it was done.  This seemed to help since it can be hard to tell which way the grains run on the brisket after it has been cooked and has a nice crust.

Slicing against the grain

Fully sliced and ready to eat

I did save the coffee drippings into a bowl and my wife made a au jus dipping sauce out of it.  This complimented the brisket but it wasn't a requirement in my opinion.  The brisket had an excellent flavor by itself but some of meat towards the point ended up being a little dry.  The rest of the brisket was fabulous.  I guess an improvement for next time would be to ensure the position of the point is not over a hot spot where the plate setter lets up the heat.  It might also have just been the brisket itself since the fat cap was more prominent over the larger end of the flat and not as much over the point.

After we ate it for dinner, I placed the remaining brisket in a plastic container and we poured the au jus sauce over it for storing in the refrigerator.  We're going to make some Brisket Chimichanga's with the leftovers.

http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/groves-brisket-chimichanga/162298

http://www.nibblemethis.com/2010/01/brisket-chimichanga.html

Quote from "Loose That Main & Let Him Go"

"Don't avoid prayer because you think you are not articulate or expressive.  God is not moved by vocabulary, enunciation, or articulation.  He is only moved by the sincere longings of an open heart that 'spills' the burdens of the day across the altar, baring every pain to the power of a God who can!"  -- TD Jakes

I was going through some old notes in my notebooks tonight and came across this quote again that had previously moved me so much that I had to write it down in my notebook.  It still touches me even today and reminds me that our God is a caring God and wants to hear our prayers regardless of how they sound.

If God is for us, who can be against us?

"If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31

This verse was spoken to me tonight by a gentleman at our church.  It made me really think about what the verse means and who God is. Here's an article I found about it and I really liked the first paragraph.

http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/if-god-is-for-us-who-can-be-against-us-verse-and-meaning/

"Almighty God is sovereign over all things and He is untouchable. Nothing can match His Glory, strength, power, might, knowledge, forgiveness, blessings, riches, love, mercy, grace, omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, skill, handiwork, greatness, holiness, righteousness, availability, sensitivity, patience, tenderness, peace, graciousness, gentleness, self-control, joy, kindness, faithfulness, goodness, strategic ways, agape love, bravery, consistency, intentionality, humbleness, willingness, sympathy, empathy, beauty, authority, and anything else you can possibly think of. HE IS AWESOME!"

God Uses People For His Purposes

I can clearly see where God uses people to carry on His kingdom ministries.  When others are called to different places, God will raise up new vessels to minister in the vacancies that were left behind.  However, it is up to the people to step into those ministries and carry out the calling that God has placed on their lives.

In some, He will choose to use the gifting and talents that already exist.  In others, He may choose to provide new talents that the people never contemplated using in any kind of ministry position.  However, even though God provides the tools and capabilities for operating in His ministries, it is ultimately up to the people to carry the banner for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Regardless of your gifting, talents, or even personality, there is a ministry  where you can step up and serve.  If you are an introvert, maybe you can serve in an area that doesn't require exhausting direct interaction with others.  If you are an extrovert, maybe you can serve in an area where the church needs outgoing people that are energized by interactions with people.  Alternatively, maybe you can expand and grow by overcoming any personality hindrances and let God stretch you into new boundaries.

So, what ministries are waiting for you?  Where will you serve?

JMeter proxy recording

With Apache JMeter, you can setup a proxy HTTP server that you can use to test your website for images that you wish to keep protected with a copyright watermark.  I have been able to use JMeter to test our photography website to ensure clients cannot download their images for free without the image including a watermark.  I want to ensure all images downloaded contain a watermark that cannot be easily removed with picture editing software in order to protect our business.  I have found that other photography websites use different methods for adding a watermark to the image which can be by-passed with a proxy server.  By using JMeter, I was able to download their high resolution images without the watermark since the image did not contain the watermark itself but was merely added as an overlay via a third party software.

To setup the proxy server for testing, first you need to download JMeter.  I have been using JMeter 2.9 for my testing since that is what I'm familiar with and the settings that I describe in this blog are for that version.  Later version of JMeter have changed the way that the server is configured so I've just stayed with the version that I know works for me.

Next, run the jmeter.bat file and configure the proxy server and configure the Test Plan.

1. Add a Thread Group to the Test Plan.  Right click on Test Plan, select Add, Threads (Users), Thread Group
2. Add an HTTP Request Defaults configuration element to the Thread Group.  Right click on the Thread Group, select Add, Config Element, HTTP Request Defaults.
3. Add a Recording Controller element to the Thread Group.  Right click on the Thread Group and select Add, Logic Controller, Recording Controller.

Now, we need to configure the Workbench to record the traffic through a proxy.

1. Add an HTTP Proxy Server element to the Workbench.  Right click on Workbench and select Non-Test Elements, HTTP Proxy Server.
2. You can exclude files from downloading by adding URL Patters to the URL Patterns to Exclude list.  In my case, I typically exclude html, js, png, gif, bmp, swf, and css files since I'm using JMeter to test for jpg downloads only.  Each pattern to exclude should start with ".*\." and then include the file type to ignore.  So, to exclude html files, the pattern would be ".*\.html" which will match every character in the URL up to the last slash and then all characters after the slash up to html.
3. To save the proxy responses to files, add a "Save Responses to a file" proxy element.  Right click on HTTP Proxy Server and select Add, Listener, Save Responses to a file.
4. I like to configure the Save Responses to a file element by adding a Filename prefix to save all the files to a separate folder.  For this, just configure the Filename prefix item to include a folder name with a slash followed by a prefix for each file downloaded.  For example, "downloaded/file_" would save all files to the "downloaded" folder and each downloaded file would begin with "file_" as the file name.  I believe the key is just to include the slash character ('/') to define a folder structure.
5. Alternative to saving the responses, you can view the responses in a tree.  Right click on HTTP Proxy Server and select Add, Listener, View Results Tree.

Next, you'll have to configure your browser to connect with the proxy server.  I find it easier to use and configure Firefox for this.  In the Firefox settings, modify the Connection Settings and select the Manual proxy configuration item.  Configure the HTTP Proxy item as localhost and the Port as 8080 (unless you changed the proxy server default port configuration in JMeter).  Ensure the "Use this proxy server for all protocols" option is checked and select the OK button.  In JMeter, start the proxy server by selecting the Start button on the HTTP Proxy Server workbench element.  This will allow Firefox to connect to the internet through the JMeter proxy and every HTTP request will go through the test server.

Finally, just enter in the web address that you wish to test for file downloads and all non-excluded results will be stored in the configured directory for downloading.  Find the image files in the download directory and open them up to see if your chosen watermarking third party library protects the image from client downloads.  If the watermark does not appear on the image, your clients may be able to download their images without having to buy your product.

Nikon 14-24mm vs Nikon 16-35mm decision

On recent photography projects, my wife and I have found that we need a lens with a wider angle of view.  So, naturally, I began researching to determine the lens that we should buy for our needs.  I had no idea it would be so hard to decide.  I found out that there are two excellent lenses from Nikon for an FX camera.  One is the highly praised Nikon AF-S Zoom Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF Lens and the other is the also highly praised (but not as much) Nikon AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G ED VR Wide Angle Zoom Lens.  As it turns out, both of these lenses have excellent user reviews.

For the Nikon 14-24mm, this lens is considered the king of ultra wide angle zoom lenses by many and its image quality is unmatched.  There are some that say the 16-35mm does surpass the image quality while others say it doesn't so it is very hard for me to determine which lens has the better image quality without testing both.  But, I'm unwilling to spend the money to rent both lenses for our purposes and thus I've cornered myself into making a decision based on user reviews and specifications.

Each lens has its pros and cons.  The 14-24mm is heavier and has a large bulbous front that can catch unwanted lens flares very easily.  Due to the large front glass, it can't take standard Nikon filters and it requires the user to be careful not to scratch it since it does protrude from the casing a bit.  Also, it doesn't have the VR (Vibration-Reduction) technology which means it most likely would need to be used with a tripod.  We could do this for our real estate or landscape photography but I just don't see us carrying our tripod around for our other business.  However, it does include a larger aperture at f/2.8 over the 16-35mm minimum of f/4.  From what I've read, the distortion of the 14-24mm is minimal.

The 16-35mm is a more portable lens and is lighter than the 14-24mm.  I've read that the lens is made with more plastic and some users feel that this takes away from the build quality.  The widest aperture is f/4 which should be fine for most of our uses but could become a limitation with indoor real estate photography.  However, the lens can take standard Nikon filters which means we could use a circular polarizing filter to take landscape pictures to produce that blue sky we desire in our shots.  At 16mm, it does produce lots of distortion even though users say that this can be easily corrected in Photoshop.  One user review I read indicates that it is not the best lens at the 35mm end of the zoom range either and that there are better options available at 35mm.  From the reviews I've read, 16-35mm seems to be strong in the 20-28mm range.  This lens also includes the VR technology so we should be able to take photographs without carrying the tripod to our sessions.

If I had my desires, I would be able to buy a lens that includes the strengths of both of these lens but there isn't another option that I'm aware of for wide angle zooms.  We could look into wide angle prime lenses but all of the Nikon branded wide angle prime lenses are about the same cost as these highly praised zoom lenses so it doesn't make sense to me to purchase a prime lens in this range.

Each day I look at this I go back and forth on which one is the winner for our needs.  I even went as far as ordering the 14-24mm and then cancelling the order about 4 hours later.  I'm really drawn to the 14-24mm but it does seem like it wouldn't be as versatile as we need it to be.  I have found that the 14-24mm even has an unofficial term used on the internet in user reviews as the "best lens I never use."  That certainly doesn't bode well for it to be the best choice for our needs.  I liked what one user said about discussing these lenses is really like splitting hairs and they both can produce excellent images.

So, as I've struggled with this decision, it feels like I need to "settle" for the 16-35mm since it better meets our photography needs but I really hate that I have the feeling that I'm settling for a lens in this price range.  Even so, I'm sure the 16-35mm will be very useful for our photography needs.

Thanksgiving by dad

Mashed potatoes, green beans, whole cranberry sauce, sweet potato pie, whipped cream, and BGE smoked turkey. Everything except the dinner rolls were homemade (even the whipped cream). I feel like the easiest part was the turkey. Delicious!

Night pictures with light painting

I stumbled onto a new interest tonight.  I decided to try to take some pictures of the stars in the night sky and watched a few videos that shows how to do it.  Just to try out the techniques, I went into my backyard to shoot a few exposures.  I live in the city so I knew there was light pollution to deal with but I thought it would be good to get the basic understanding before attempting to drive to another location at a later date.  I'm actually quite pleased with how my first attempts came out but I do need to work on it some.

Here's a picture of the night sky from behind my house.

ISO 1600, F/11, 30 second shutter

But, what has me even more excited is the photos I took when I used light painting with a simple flashlight.  Here is a picture straight out of the camera with no editing when I was pointing the flashlight at the back of the house.

ISO 1600, F/11, 30 second shutter

In this image, I painted the house with an LED flashlight by pointing the light at the deck pergola for about 10 seconds and then pointing it at the house for about 20 seconds.

Even with imperfections, diamonds still find a way to sparkle

Have you ever thought about the sparkle of a diamond?  When you look at a good quality diamond, you can immediately see the reflection of the light that enters them.  That light is bouncing around inside and returns back to your eye to provide you a glimpse of that shine.  That sparkle provides you a pleasureful experience and you can be amazed at the beauty.  But, during that moment, we can sometimes fail to remember that the diamond which is producing such a bright sparkle can also have flaws.  For a good quality diamond, those flaws do not hinder its brilliance or its beauty.  The light that enters is immediately returned even through those imperfections.

Wouldn't it be great if we could use this example of a diamond in our walk with Christ?  Sometimes, we can focus too much on the imperfections that are inside of us that we lose focus and fail to return Christ's light for the world to see.  We can make mountains out of these flaws.  In this lifetime, we will not be able to achieve perfection.  Jesus was the only person to achieve this.  However, we do have the hope for the coming glory where we will see a transformation from an imperfect being to a perfect being.  This transformation will only occur when we are reunited with Jesus.

"Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."
Philippians 3:17-21 (NIV)

So, we must remember that even with our imperfections, we can shine the light of Jesus into the darkness that is in the world.  The light that the world sees will be the light of Jesus.  We are not the source of the light but are called to reflect His light.  He is the one that saves souls and we are His tools.  Let His light shine through you and do not let the imperfections that exist in you cause the reflection of His light diminish.  Instead, be pure in light return just as a good quality diamond.

Dragon Ball collection is now complete



I have been a fan of the Dragon Ball Z anime series ever since I started watching them on Cartoon Network in 2001.  However, I never could seem to catch all of them and it was terrible trying to record the series during the Toonami airing.  These were the days before DVRs and I suffered through the years of commercials and breaks in programming to find the next saga.

 

Years later, I decided to start picking up the boxed sets so I could watch every episode.  When I started watching in 2001, I picked up the series during the Cell saga and I really had no background understanding.  So, a few years ago, I started buying the series starting with Dragon Ball (the original anime series).  I watched all of the Dragon Ball series before I started with the Dragon Ball Z sets.

 

Full Dragon Ball collection

Last week, I just finished watching the Dragon Ball Z volume 5 boxed set and realized a bit too late that I didn't have volume 6.  I immediately went online only to find out that Funamation had discontinued these Dragon Box releases.  So, I had to pay higher than retail price for a volume 6 (in new condition) but at least now my entire collection is complete.  I even have the GT series which I'm told is not worth it but that came as a gift so I won't have any hard feelings about watching that series all the way through.

From Eagle to Stafford

I previously posted about the Eagle Shirtmaker shirts.  The Eagle shirts are very nice dress shirts but I've found one problem with them.  The spread collar does not work well without a tie and I usually don't wear ties to work.  When I wear a dress shirt to work, I usually have the neck unbuttoned and I've found out that this makes for a sloppy look with spread collar shirts.

Since I'm wearing a more casual look to work, I've noticed that the button down collars work best with this style.  I went to go find some Eagle shirts that have button down collars but the price tag for these just doesn't justify the expense.  However, I did find that the Stafford brand from JC Penny works well for me and they have reasonably priced button down collared shirts.

Instead of paying upwards of $50 for an Eagle dress shirt, I can buy a Stafford brand in the $15 to $30 price range without sacrificing too much in quality.  I'll still keep the Eagle shirts that I like so much but these will only come out when I'm wearing a tie or suit.

Did I really hear from God?

Recently, I was reading through the Old Testament and I felt like my personal life was following the trek of the Israelites in their quest to enter the promised land.  I felt it so strongly and I had confirming words that suggested I was hearing correctly from God.  But, a real estate deal fell through and this made me wonder if I really heard from God.  I believe that I did hear God speaking but I may have been in error by applying that word and direction to this particular real estate property.  It is so easy to hear something and apply it incorrectly but I do know that when God speaks, He sends confirming words to validate what we heard.  Sometimes, I just wish there would be no way for me to misinterpret it.

First attempt at pizza on the BGE

My daughters and my wife bought me a pizza stone and pizza peel for the BGE for Father's day since I had been wanting to try cooking pizza on the egg.  I was able to cook some up today for dinner and I have to say that this is a must repeat recipe (with a few tweaks).  I used hardwood lump charcoal with pecan wood mixed in and this produced a mighty fine pizza.  The only gripe that I have was the consistency of the pizza dough.  I used a recipe and substituted in wheat flour when it called for white flour for bread.  I also used corn meal that was just too coarse.  If I get a finer grind of corn meal and use the right flour, this will be a slam dunk.  I just loved how the pecan wood added to the pizza flavor.

Pizza fresh off the egg with a 15 minute cook at 600°F

The next time I do this, I think it will be easier to prepare the toppings the night before so that I can concentrate only on the dough, the assembly, the fire, and the cooking for the day of making pizzas.  A few more tweaks and I'll be ready to invite others to join in with this delicious meal.

Oh, and the kids were able to make their own pizza which was fun.

I used this dough recipe: http://nakedwhiz.com/thermometer/nypizzadough.htm

I used these preparation instructions: http://nakedwhiz.com/thermometer/nypizza.htm

Sometimes blessings require work

I've been studying up on Judah in the bible. I find it interesting that he received the blessing from Jacob and essentially gave him the rights of the firstborn (successor to leadership).

“Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples." Gensis 49:8-12 (ESV)

This sounds nice but in Judges, the tribe of Judah is sent into battle first.

"After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel inquired of the Lord, 'Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?' The Lord said, 'Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.' " Judges 1:1-2 (ESV)

"The people of Israel arose and went up to Bethel and inquired of God, 'Who shall go up first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin?' And the Lord said, 'Judah shall go up first.' " Judges 20:18 (ESV)

This makes me realize that sometimes blessings require work on our part to see the fulfillment come to pass.

Thoughts on Judah and Tamar

When I think about chapter 38 of Genesis, I have several thoughts.  First, it is interesting to note the paragraph about Onan.  I'm not sure if Onan was dealing with jealousy, frustration, or pure hatred for his brother (Er, the firstborn) but he certainly did not want to bless Er posthumously by providing offspring that would be considered Er's as was the tradition at that time.  Looking past the tradition itself, this says to me that Onan did not have a good brotherly relationship with Er.

Second, since both Er and Onan were "put to death" while being with the same woman (Tamar), it would seem logical to Judah that the woman was wicked.  Thus, Judah decided to keep his third son (Shelah) away from Tamar out of fear that Shelah would also die.  As a father myself, I can only imagine the heartache that Judah was experiencing at this time and how much of a parental feeling of protection he must have been feeling over Shelah.  But, it is interesting to note had Judah let Shelah marry Tamar, the bloodline of Christ could have been different.  I doubt that Shelah would have been directly involved in the bloodline of Christ since he was born from a Canaanite woman but Tamar may not have given birth to Perez who does appear in the bloodline in Matthew 1:3 "Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron." (ESV)

Third, we see that Tamar gave birth to Perez, who does appear in the bloodline of Christ, and he was fathered by Judah.  When I think about this, I can only imagine what type of feelings Judah would be having while seeing his daughter-in-law pregnant with his own offspring.  Can you imagine the discussion (or even lack of) that they would be having as a family?  It could be that Judah fully embraced Perez and Zerah but I can only think that whenever Judah saw them, he must have been continually reminded of his misadventures in Enaim!  I mean, he fully entered into that relationship thinking that Tamar was a temple prostitute.  I have to think that this was way outside the bounds of the path that God would have chosen for Judah.  But yet, God has used even this event and has turned it for His purposes.

Even after this, Judah is given the blessing from his father Jacob (or Israel).  

“Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk."  Genesis 49:8-12 (ESV)

It is amazing to me even through all of this, we refer to Jesus as the Lion of Judah.  Oh, look how blessed Judah is to not only have the Messiah extend from his bloodline but to even have his name included in an alternative name for Jesus Christ!  Wow!

"Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals." Revelations 5:1-5 (ESV)

To sum up, this chapter shows me that God can use our actions to further His purposes.  God could have led Judah in a different way to be a part of the bloodline of Christ but even in his failure, Judah was used.  If Judah had obeyed God fully and completely, I'm sure that God would have used Judah to bring forth the Messianic bloodline but Judah may have not had to suffer the embarrassment and judgement that he certainly would have had with his relationship with Tamar, Perez, and Zerah.

"Ideally, God’s sovereign power and all-wise and loving purposes are accomplished through obedient servants. But when His children go their own way, God’s infinite power is channeled through unwilling, disobedient men and women, who, in spite of themselves, achieve God’s plans. This they do unknowingly and unpleasantly.

Who would ever have thought that there was any chance of the messianic line continuing through Judah from the initial events of this chapter? Here was Judah, the ancestor of Messiah, taking a Canaanite wife, failing to keep his promise to his daughter-in-law, and propositioning a prostitute, who would just have well been a part of a pagan religious cult? In spite of all of Judah’s sins and in spite of Tamar’s impatience, Perez, the forefather of David and of the Savior, was born. Who but God could have brought such a thing to pass?"

https://bible.org/seriespage/skeleton-judah%E2%80%99s-closet-genesis-381-30

Following the tread marks in the snow

Today's sermon at church was talking about how to walk in the power of God.  The preacher used a metaphor to show how one could survive while driving on snowy roads.  She discussed her personal experience in that when she followed the tread marks on the roads that were left by previous drivers, she knew that she would be safe.  She related that to our spiritual walk with God in that if we follow the patterns and paths that are given to us from previous saints, we would be able to walk in power.  In order to do that, we need to need to follow the pattern of the saints and be filled daily with the Holy Spirit.

This sermon stirred me to go back and break open my spiritual journal from previous years and reconnect with some of the parables, visions, analogies, similes, and metaphors that God brought to me at the time.  I wanted to take this opportunity to digitally document some of these now.

March 2, 2002 - God and the bank

• We are the tellers of God's bank but He controls the money flow.  Our job is to exchange money with the customers.  God is also represented through the customers.  When the money changes hands, it is actually the exchange of love.

March 9, 2002 (Parables)

• Let us be like a water pitcher.  We can pour our waters of love out to the people of this world and be filled up again by the fountain.  May we be used to serve others to spread God's glorious love that flows through us all.  The potter creates us to give and others to receive.  [John 4:7-14, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, Matthew 10:8, Zechariah 13:1, John 7:37-39, Acts 10:45-46, Isaiah 64:8, Romans 9:21]

• We are stronger than diamonds.  A diamond is forever in this world but a Christian bonded with Christ is eternal.  Let us fuse our spirit with Christ through our extreme pressures of life.  Let us bond to Christ as a diamond is formed through pressurized carbon and through that, our rock is stronger than any rock of this world. [Matthew 7:24-28, Psalm 18:1-2,46]

• May our seed of life be like a pumpkin seed.  May it grow its vines and over take us.  May our grounds fully accept its roots.

• May the rain be like God's love pouring down on us for they both come from the heavens.  Let us be like the ground and the trees for they soak up the nourishment which brings life. [Hebrews 6:7-8]

• May the breeze be like God touching us.  Let us be like the flowers that move in its caress. For we can stand strong through the weeds of evil and only God can move us.

• God is the ever flowing electricity to our light.  He is the water that turns the generators and the power plant that harnesses the production.  He fills us so that we can shine in the darkness.  May our light be so bright that it reaches the light-less people surrounding us.  The more connections we have with Him, the stronger our light will shine.

• God is the technician to His people.  They are like computers that rely on an operator to fulfill their tasks.  They wait on His commands and execute them.  Some have failures while others remain faithful.  He is the one who can add or subtract to our lives.  His people work through networks of believers allowing Him to connect to new souls.

• God is the music to our hearts.  He brings melodies to the vastness.  He fills up our emptiness with His glorious sounds.  May our hearts receive His sound like the acoustics of a concert hall.  May our lives be enriched by the harmonies of His soul.

• God is the surgeon of our lives.  Every surgeon needs his instruments.  We are His instruments which He uses to rip through the flesh of this world.  He brings out their spirit and sews up their flesh with love.  He gives life to others by the use of His instruments.  May we fully cooperate with the working of the surgeon's hands.  May His peace be with us and guide us through the operation of life.  May His gentleness and delicate touch be caressed by us whom can change a life working together with Him.

I rewrote the last one today and I feel it better encompasses the intent in a more direct way.

• Let us be like the instruments of the surgeon.  For the surgeon uses these instruments to tear through flesh and repair the internal damage.  Let us put ourselves in the hands of God to be used as His mighty instruments.