30 Days of Thanks - Day 23 - Perry Noble

I have recently been reading and enjoying a certain blog by a writer who I am beginning to admire. Some of the leaders at church had mentioned his name a few times in conversations about leadership and who's material we like to listen to or read. I decided to check him out and came across his blog pretty quickly. I have been jumping around and reading bits of it.

He made a new post today that caught my attention and I was very thankful for the insight he provided in it. The post, titled "My Wife Had A Bad Experience At Chic-Fil-A!" makes some interesting connections between his initial reactions to the bad experience and the way many people react when the shiny-new gloss of their church wears off for whatever reason. I think he makes some good points as to why we need to stick with the Church despite bad experiences instead of trying to explain the bad experiences away.

The only thing I could add to his post is the importance of not running from or ignoring the problem (or becoming part of the problem). I believe that, when these issues creep up, our noticing the problem may be the first step toward correcting it. True, there are some problems where the correcting actually needs to happen to us and our mindset (such as his example of getting upset if someone does not call you after you have been absent for two weeks), but there are some problems where we need to step up and say, "Hey, that hurt!" Also, going with his example of not liking what the preacher said, there are times where we need to dedicate ourselves to further study to see if there was actually something wrong with what the preacher said. If there is, then we need to talk to them about that concern.

30 Days of Thanks - Day 22 - Stand-Up Comedy

I think my enjoyment of stand-up began somewhere in middle school. It was just nice to hear someone else complaining about those things that irk you but doing so in a way that makes you laugh and feel less perturbed by them. It is all part of that shared human experience/misery loves company thing. It can be empowering and comforting. It can also introduce you to new subjects or new ways of looking at life. As Stephen Hawking is quoted as stating, "Life would be tragic if it weren't funny" [1]. I'll post some clips from YouTube of a few of my favorites.

Brad Stine

Tim Hawkins

Bob Smiley

These last two may not be appropriate for all ages or all tastes.

Rob Paravonian

Taylor Mali

[1] "The Science of Second-Guessing", The New York Times. 12 December 2004.

30 Days of Thanks - Day 21 - The Gustatory Uncertainty in Liking Principle

The Gustatory Uncertainty in Liking Principle (or GULP) is taken as follows:

1. I will not know if I enjoy the item until I have tried it within the present experiment (also known as a 'meal') due, in part, to fluctuations in flavor receptor function, variations in item preparation though item may possess the same or a similar name, and the potential for certain combinations in item formation may induce distinct gustatory experiences that diverge from those present in sub-items or derived from similar formulas.
2. Even upon trying an item, I may not know for certain if I enjoy it due to perceptions of the aforementioned concerns, present environmental circumstances affecting the test results, the emergence of unprecedented sensation, or my own general capriciousness. Such a situation requires further testing.
3. As Clause 1 is axiomatically true and Clause 2 will remain true until repeated testing resolves discrepancies, the suggested course of action (barring revelation of poison or bacterial/viral/unplanned-fungal contamination) is to participate in the experiment (also known as a 'meal') as it is within the best interest of scientific understanding.

I am thankful for this simple scientific principle that not only helps me to experience new foodstuffs, but will also give me a smarter way to tell my kids, "Because I said so," when they ask me why they have to eat the assumed-to-be-yucky dinner.

The Gustatory Uncertainty in Liking Principle (or GULP) is Copyright 2011 by Shannon Nichols.

30 Days of Thanks - Day 20 - Ecclesiastes

It may be one of my favorite books in the Bible due to its sheer honesty about the human condition. An existentialist treatise written millennia before the births of the greats associated with that philosophical label, Ecclesiastes lets us see that the entirety of our lives - our works, struggles, successes, failures, etc. - is meaningless when we work toward self-fulfillment. By self-fulfillment I mean what the Teacher says in 4:4, "And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." Our inability to enjoy what we have and have been given robs our lives of beauty and meaning with which they were created. Our greed and covetous ambition makes us like the dog who, seeing the dog with a bone in his reflection in the river, drops his bone to chase after the empty image. It ends with a message far from the expected conclusion of a king. It does not suggest striving for glory or gain or good name or victory but simply . . .

Now all has been heard;

here is the conclusion of the matter:

Fear God and keep his commandments,

for this is the whole duty of man.

For God will bring every deed into judgment,

including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

-Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Because our lives really are pointless unless they are pointing to something else much greater than they.

30 Days of Thanks - Day 19 - Ah-ha! Moments

You know what I am talking about. Those little moments when something just clicks in your head and it makes all of the difference. As someone who taught and still ministers to kids, too, this can be just as rewarding of an experience for the teacher as it is for the student. I think it can be these moments that make God smile when something the Holy Spirit has been trying to get through to us finally resonates in our minds or when we finally notice that nifty connection in Scripture.

I had one of these moments while I was reading in my Bible this past week. Something that happened in John 2 finally hit me on a much deeper level. It was about the miracle at the wedding at Cana in Galilee. No, this is not some revelation that is going to give people another excuse to be drunken idiots - they have already twisted this Scripture enough for that purpose. This involves the jars used.

We are told in John 2:6 that, "Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons." These are the jars chosen to be filled with water which is then turned into wine. I have heard preachers try to argue that changing the water to wine was about making the dirty water into something useful but that is an interpretation that completely overlooks the fact that in verse seven Jesus tells them to fill the jars with water. These are clean jars. These are not jars that were just being used for washing. The water was as clean of water as they had available. The symbolism is not of dirty water being made into clean wine.

Think about it. These were the water jars to be used for ceremonial cleaning - a ritualistic washing that would be undone as time progressed. We also know that wine is later used as a symbol for Christ's blood in the Eucharist. So this ceremonial water, which was not sufficient, is transformed into a symbol for the cleansing blood of Christ that is sufficient. From this, verse ten takes on greater meaning as it describes much more than party provisions by alluding to Grace coming in to fulfill the Law. It also amplifies verse eleven when it says that He was revealing "His glory" and not just "His power".

30 Days of Thanks - Day 18 - The Little Things

Someone holds a door for you instead of letting it slam in your face. Someone helps you pick up that package or paper or whatever you dropped so that you do not have to try and balance the rest of the stack while you get it [1]. Someone refrains from taking the last cookie or soda or appetizer or whatever so that you can try it. Someone waits so that you can pass through even though they had the right of way. Someone picks up or cleans up whatever was lying around - even though it was not their responsibility. Someone calls and says, "Hey, let's go to lunch - my treat." Someone picks something up at the store for you without being asked. You wake up to a sunny day after several rainy messes.

Love is the little things. Thank you!

[1] This has a high failure rate.

30 Days of Thanks - Day 17 - Recipes and Embellishments

Strangely, I actually enjoy cooking. It gives me that comforting feeling of both knowledge of and control over what I am about to stick in my body. I have several cookbooks (both physical and digital) and like to check it out when friends or other bloggers post new recipes. I think one of the things I like about recipes is the fact that you can deviate from them to make delicious new creations. I like experimenting with extra ingredients and spices (I am a huge fan of spices) to make new concoctions. Over the years I have made things like Spicy Cheesy Tuna 'n' Tomato Stew, Shrimp Tacos (a favorite with my parents), Pineapple-and-Teriyaki-Soaked Chicken, Spicy Parmesan Shrimp/Chicken Pasta, and What-Sweets-Do-I-Have? Cookie Bars - all by just messing around with what I had in the kitchen. I can also marinate and grill a great steak. The important thing for me is to just have fun and see what happens - I enjoy experience even if I end up with things that could have been much tastier.

A recipe I wanted to share today was one I actually found through 3 Peanuts' blog. She posted this a while back and I had to try it when I saw it. My only suggestion is that you actually bake it a tad BEFORE inserting the chocolate chips as I found most of them migrated to the bottom of the bundt pan by the time it was done (leaving a rather sticky mess to scrape off and a not-so-pretty cake).

Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

30 Days of Thanks - Day 16 - Good Coffee, Strong Coffee

At times it is a luxury - a joyous experience with room for exploration and creativity. Many times it is a necessity - requiring all the caffeine you can handle to make it through, or recover from, an all-nighter. It can help to stimulate and open up restricted airways and sinus passages. It can be a simple comfort on a rough day; a conversation carrier with old friends; a tasty treat to warm you when it is frigid. Whatever the case, I am thankful for that great gift from God that is coffee!

30 Days of Thanks - Day 15 - Peacemakers

Once upon a time in China, two rival lords were entangled in grueling land and trade negotiations. As discussion progressed, one lord felt as if the denial of certain concessions by the other had dishonored him. This lord decided to avenge himself, gathering the entirety of his troops and moving toward a hillside on the border between the two territories. The other lord, hearing of this movement, gathered his troops and camped in the plain a ways off from the hillside. This lord had managed to muster a more impressive army than the other yet the avenging lord still sought war.

The night before going to battle, the avenging lord sought the advice of a local sage. This sage had also heard of the plans and that the lord was coming to him for direction. The sage knew, too, that the lord was set on action and was unwilling to withdraw. When the lord approached him, the sage arose and began walking toward the camp. The sage declared, "Come. We must work quickly to finish before the sun rises. I will arrange your troops in a formation that will assure true victory and you will rest to prepare to receive it." The lord followed the sage back to camp, excited about his upcoming victory. He put the soldiers at the sage's command and went to his tent to rest.

As daylight broke, the lord emerged from his tent in full dress for victory. He saw that his troops had been arranged in a strange row formation over the course of the night and he smiled at the thought that this would bring him what he desired. Shortly after sunrise, the other lord sent over a delegation to speak with him. "Good," he thought. "This formation is so fearsome, I have already won."

The other lord sent the following declaration: "Greetings. When I had heard that you had gathered troops to advance on my territory, I became furious and gathered the force you see across the plain. However, having seen your message displayed upon the hillside this morning, I know now that I was mistaken. I offer to you the concessions that you requested in our meetings in light of this. I see now the sincerity you give to our alliance. There shall be peace between us as long as we both shall live."

The lord stood, looking at the hill. The sage had arranged the troops in a formation that assured true victory.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." - Matthew 5:9

A peacemaker, like the sage, knows that a force that cannot be stopped must be redirected.

As far as I know, I just came up with the story above so: Copyright 2011 by Shannon Nichols.

For a good series on the Chinese written language:

How to Write 'Friend' in Chinese -- powered by ehow

30 Days of Thanks - Day 14 - Everything Matters

"For a brief time, I was here; and for a brief time, I mattered." - Harlan Ellison

We must face the fact that everything we do ultimately - through the cause and effect nature of our universe - matters. Someone is affected and, therefore, someone else is affected and so on ad infinitum. When we understand this, we should better value the time we spend here.